003 - 10 x 8 View camera sessions

003  phase 10" x 8" View camera (Approx week)

Photograph the camera, the light stand, the lens and all the component parts, label these parts and explain how they’re used and in what sequence.

Photograph the double dark-sides and explain what the do. Explain how they’re used in conjunction with 10 x 8 film and what the notches (Codes) are used for and how they’re used.

Explain how you load the paper and in what conditions and where.

Photograph the ‘Lupe’ AKA ‘Agfa Lupe’ as they used to be made by Agfa.

Get someone to take a picture of you…

Focusing

Loading a dark-slide into the camera

Using the cable release (Wide shot of the set with model, camera etc).

Taking light readings

 

Write up the details of using the light meter including the settings and typical exposure times and  ISO of the paper.

Identify the light and the type of light you use (Quality/Properties).

Shoot and identify at least 4 successful negative 10 x 8 images in your work.

Identify your 4 successful ‘Positive’ images (Scanned and inverted). With details of the scanner and its settings and the process in Photoshop.

Identify at least one example of a positive made in the darkroom using the contact sheet method – explain how it’s done (Images diagrams) and the timings.

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In your design sheets...

(1). The plan for the in-college activity using the 10 x 8 camera.

(2). Reference image (Irving Penn/Richard Avedon) showing the film rebate (Black edges/border). With a little bit of info about the photographer - cross reference with your previous research if possible.

(3). Floor plan diagram.

(4). Wide shot of the set - camera/model/Photographer in same shot.

Then the main body of the work...

• Darkroom contact prints of the 'Negative' images shot on the 10 x 8 camera. With explanations and details of the equipment used (Annotations). 
• * Colour Scans of your 10 x 8 image as negatives as they came out of the camera. (Must include the black border - film rebate). Use either the flatbed scanners or the photocopy scanner. Scan at high resolution. 
• Positive versions of the same images.
• Large full page versions of the 4 best ones
• Images of all the equipment, materials, techniques and processes used, accompanied with brief annotations if required.
• *Note it may be beneficial to write up details about the equipment and materials on separate pages that given over this part of the work like this... At this stage in terms of materials - you will have used VC Select paper, Ilford paper developer, Ilfostop Developer and Hypam fixer. (See explanation and idea for presentation below...

Here you can see I've allocated a column per material - in this case it's films used. 75% of this is simply images off the internet, the section at the bottom is where I've written about my own experiences and observations relating to the use of the film.

The same approach can be applied to equipment and your artist research too.

I terms of what you'd write in your Reflection you could analyse the work in terms of can this work be deemed as fine art  at this stage - what make it fine art if you're saying that it is - add a what if prompt in there and discuss what might be done in addition to potentially step the work up to a higher level so that it might be argued that it is fine art. 

What Value is there to doing this exercise - what have you learned in terms of equipment, materials and technique? Explain/analyse what you might do next using this technique - how could you add your own ideas to this approach - try and come up with your own idea that you could turn into a set of 4 images? Try and aim to produce four good images as a set - as this will be massively beneficial in terms of your portfolio for the 2nd year. 

Poodle No.1: Studio Stuff - Basics (southendasphoto.blogspot.com)

Poodle No.1: Planning your work (southendasphoto.blogspot.com)

Sheet  Film (tpub.com) code notches on sheet film