1st photo

This is a photo of Robin, Hana and Anna after soccer practice on 9/26/07.

Dorothea Lange

After looking at some work from various photographers, I am interested in Dorothea Lange's photography. Dorothea Lange lived from 1895 to 1965. I like her photographs because they seem to focus on the ordinary. It seems, after looking through some of her work, she has empathy for her subjects. Her photographs don't seem to be staged or set up. They are of opportunity and real events happening. Here is a sample work of Dorothea's, which is quite famous. It is called "Migrant Mother," a photo of a woman in raggedy clothing with three small children:

How a CCD (Charged Couple Device) Works

A CCD works in this way:
- Light, or photons, travels through a lens and strikes the CCD.
- The photons strike an atom, freeing electrons which accumulate in capacitors.
- The circuit at the bottom of the array measures the voltage of each element in the last row of the capacitors and clears the information.
- The remaining rows pass information, or electrons, to the row below which is in turn read. This is repeated until all rows are read.

What I know now

I know some things about cameras, but there is still much more I need to know.

I Know:
- cameras need a lens, shutter, light-tight box and something to record the images
- there are many different kinds of cameras
- cameras can use film or be digital
- Not all cameras have batteries

I wonder:

- Does a film camera or digital camera produce better final products?
- How to attachable lenses make a difference?
- How long does a shutter stay open on most cameras?
- Why does the shutter need to be open for so long on a pinhole camera compared to other cameras?

Another Camera

The next camera we looked at was this camera. It is a film camera, unlike the last one which was a digital camera (in pieces). Here are some more pictures of this big camera:

Putting together this broken camera

We were first given the task to identify the different parts of a broken camera (of many parts). This is a photo of the box of "junk" we were given:


The small square in the middle of this photo is the equivalent of the photo paper in our pinhole cameras. It collects the image then stores it in the complex looking green shape:


This photo is piece is the equivalent of our pinhole (it is the lens):



Finally, these pieces connect to create a light-tight box:

Take a Picture: My pinhole camera

This has been quite an experience. Beginning digital studios, I never thought that we may would be making our own cameras. We did this to see the concept of how a camera works, so we know some background information of how a more complicated camera works.

A pinhole camera is a very simple camera. There is a light tight box with a very small hole at one end. On the opposite inside "wall" of the box is either a piece of film or photo paper. The small hole is covered until the picture is to be taken. When the hole is uncovered, an image is displayed, essentially "flipped." The photo paper absorbs the light and produces (when developed) a negative image. It is important to transfer the paper in and out of the camera without exposing it to any light.

Materials

- small cardboard box
- black paper
- scissors
- scotch tape
- pin or tack
- black electrical tape
- photographic paper
- access to a dark room
- utility (exacto) knife

Instructions:

1. Open the card board box and cover inside with black paper, attaching with scotch tape. Note: If you are taping so the tape will remain exposed in the box, use the black electrical tape instead of scotch tape.
2. Using the knife, cut a 2" circular or square section from the middle of one of the short sides of the box. Make sure to cut all the way through the paper also, and remove the cut-out.
3. Cover the entire hole (you just cut) with a piece of tinfoil on the outside of the box. Tape it down with the scotch tape.
4. There are two long flaps and two short flaps on the top of the box. Cut the back (opposite of tinfoil and hole) 1/3 of the two long flaps off. The front 2/3 of the box should not change. On the bag 1/3, only the short flap should remain. Lift it up so it is above the other parts flaps of the box.
5. Fold the top of the box back down (front 2/3) taping it completely shut (excluding the back third).
5. Attach a small loop of scotch tape to the middle of the inside back wall of the box.
6. Attach strips of tape to the top of the back flap so it will stay tightly shut to on the box when you press it, but can also come up.
7. Finally, in the middle of the tinfoil, poke the pin through and remove it, leaving a small pinhole.

To load the camera:
- Bring into the dark room with you a piece of photographic paper thoroughly wrapped in tinfoil so no light can get in, and your camera.
- Once in the dark room, turn on the red light if there is one.
- Unwrap the photo paper.
- Open your camera (the flap at the top of the box).
- Stick the photo paper to the back inside wall of the box on the loop of tape ( with the shiny side out). Make sure the paper is flat against the box, not at even a slight
- Close the box, and tape it completely shut (so that it is light-tight).

Now take some pictures:
Place the camera on a flat surface, aiming at the object you are photographing.
Our camera worked best with bright indoor light, with an exposure time of 3 and 1/2 minutes. Feel free to experiment with what conditions work best for you!


Overall...
This project went fairly well overall. We began and were not exactly sure what box to use for our camera. We ended up finding one after we went dumpster diving, and it turned out a very good box. We worked well together as a group. We could have researched exposure times more. Also, we should have gotten the photopaper to lie completely flat at the back of the box, because ours may have been at a slight angle.
We were, however, the only team to actually get a photo to work, which I am very proud of. And here...is our pinhole camera:

Pinhole Camera

We are going to make a pinhole camera. It is going to be made of a shoe box box, aluminum foil, photographic paper, piece of cardboard. First we open the shoe box, and towards th back of it, tape a thin cardboard track on the bottom and top of the box 1 mm away from the back. On the side of the box, we make a slit that will line up between the back of the box and the track, 1 cm thick and as tall as the photo paper. Then we make a 1 inch hole on the opposite edge of the box, and on the inside of it, tape a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover it. Next, in the middle of the piece of foil, we will make small pinhole. The photo paper will be slid in through the slit, while being covered by a slice of cardboard. the paper will be slid into the rack, and stay in until the photo is taken, then slid back out.

We are all going to bring the needed supplies, and assemble the camera together.

Carrie, Myca, Megan

Digital Studios-Sept. 5

In this class, I would like to really advance my knowledge about
photography. This to me would include how to capture images with the
best techniques. For example, I would like to learn how close to zoom
in on subjects to get certain effects, along with how to photograph
silhouettes, and how to take into account shadows and lighting. I want
to become familar with how to edit photos and use effects on the
computer. Thanks.