Dark room photography

When I first started this project on Darkroom Practice I was clueless about how to use a darkroom camera. Ten weeks later I had a basic working knowledge of how to use a slow film in a film camera, and how to change the aperture and exposure time in order to take a successful picture. I now know how to develop my film properly and how to use the darkroom, with the different chemicals, and the projectors to help me print my photograph onto photographic paper. During the course we had to take pictures from around Birmingham using a Film Camera. I loved this part of the course since it taught you how to set a film camera up; how to develop your film and then  how to print your photographs from the negatives in the dark room.

The first images I created and then developed in the darkroom were photograms. We collected personal objects, mine was a worry doll, my necklace, a Shinedown wristband and a Shinedown keyring.  We placed them onto photo sensitive paper and exposed them to light.

Here is the first picture I took using a film camera and then developed it in the dark room. It is Sutton Coldfield Town Hall. Can you spot the deliberate mistake? After developing it, I noticed that the photo is the wrong way round- WHOOPS!!!

The next series of photographs I took were inspired by the artist Jo Gane. She took a series of photographs around Birmingham on a long exposure to blur out moving images in the picture and capture a Victorian feel. Her work focuses on Ghosts of the past which is why she uses old fashioned techniques to develop her photos.

I tried to create this effect in my photographs by using a long exposure to make the picture look grainy and old. However, the camera I used was faulty and the film snapped at the edge as I was taking it out. The chemicals caught in this crease as I was developing the film producing a white corner. A happy accident since I think that it adds an aged effect to the photograph.

 Our last exercise was to overlay two negatives one being a receipt form our favourite shop and the other an inspiring photograph that I have taken.   

I decided to overlay a negative of Holy Trinity Church, since it is beautiful, with a Blue Banana receipt, since I love this shop.  Yes, I know that it is upside down, just another perspective!!!