Art 4997 - Alternative Photographic Processes

  I find that I am still really enjoying the lumens process so far. So far, it is actually my favorite. I think it is because it is so foolproof. I've been experimenting a lot, and honestly the most difficult part has been deciding what techniques I like the best for my final photos. While I started off using real plants and flowers, I then started experimenting with fake ones too, even flower stickers. The results have been so interesting. I honestly think I like the look of the stickers the best. I think that if I had access to any real flower that I wanted, I would enjoy using those, but I like the variety I can get with the fake ones. I have noticed that a lot of my compositions are really central, so I should probably experiment a little more with that. But besides that, I have also experimented with using water on the paper and I really like the variation it gives to the color. I think I am definitely going to keep using that and try to be more intentional about that so I can...

  So far, I can say that I am really enjoying the lumens process much more than the pinhole project. Since there is much less room for "error'" I feel more comfortable and excited for the process. Today, I gathered various organic materials while walking around campus for the day. I was really surprised at the variety of material I could find just in a relatively small area. I actually looked around carefully and tried to find specific things that I thought would look pretty for my prints. I find that this part of the process specifically is actually pretty enjoyable. I can't wait to venture off campus and try to find other things. I also still plan on finding some fabric and/or cutting out shapes of paper to add to my prints. But so far, I was only able to make one print. I honestly think it turned out nice. Though this was definitely my first try and therefore more of an experiment, so I will be much more careful about my compositions going forward. I think I alread...

  So, this project was a long and somewhat disappointing one. I was truly excited at first, and I thought it was so cool that I would be making my first pinhole camera. I thought it was even cooler that you can get actual images from this process. It was going to be a piece of cake, right? Well, from the very start I was running into issues, mainly with the construction of my pinhole camera. For me, it was always the actual pinhole where something went wrong. At first, I discovered that my first few pinhole images didn't come out because a piece of the tape was actually obstructing the hole from the inside. I genuinely couldn't tell from looking at it through the outside so that was a rude awakening. And then, after I redid the entire hole part, I discovered that as I was taking my last few, the tape that I used to cover the pinhole between images had actually started tearing and messing up the hole.... yet again. I missed the second drop off date so of course I had no idea tha...

So, my first try at these images were a complete fail. My immediate thought was that it was something to do with the exposure. And well, the answer to that is yes and no. Yes the photos weren't being exposed long enough at all. But, the only reason that wasn't happening was because I realized my pinhole was being mostly covered by tape on the inside of my camera. Discovering this, I decided to take out and completely redo the pinhole component of my camera with a completely new piece of foil. I took care to make sure that the hole was mostly round and there is nothing obscuring it from the front or back when taking photos. Also, just for some extra caution (and aesthetic) I decided to completely cover my camera with the black electrical tape. Here's to hoping my next few photos come out well! 

  So far, the process of making my pinhole camera has been a fun and interesting one. There are so many different ways to do it and at first, I found it a little overwhelming. But I think I finally have it down. The only thing I'm slightly worried about is that I don't think the hole is super perfect. I'm worried because I know this is going to affect the images, but I think that it may make for interesting results. As I am writing this, I have yet to take the first photo but I am super excited to go out there and try my hand at this process.