Insert weekly photo here

March 10, 2011 in Uncategorized

And now its time to take a moment to discuss the latest in my list of activities that will keep me from actually getting any PAYING work done-my new photography class!

That’s right-I am finally taking a photography class. However, it isn’t what you think. Los Angeles City College, which is around the corner from my house and more importantly, is CHEAP, has a photography program. But, due to budget cuts (oh, how California is bankrupt), they have cut all of their photography classes that do not transfer to university. For some inexplicable reason, digital photography falls into this category! So-I am taking a black and white film photography class, and the photo developing lab class that goes along with it.

I enrolled in the class thinking that photography fundamentals will be the same for film as for digital, and since the cost was less than a fifth of what a digital class on the other side of town would cost, I figured it was worth checking out. Now, I think it may have been just what I needed.

I was becoming overwhelmed by my digital photos-too many photos, none of which I really loved, and too much work to go through them all. But now the whole process has slowed and become more focused. Every frame that I take costs me money and time-money to buy the film and the photo paper, time to develop and print it. So now, each picture I take really matters to me. I check my light meter, try to set up the best shot I can, really think about what I am shooting. No more hoping for a good picture-now I am making good pictures.

At least I hope so-we are developing our first roll of film this Saturday, so I will know more then. The first two weeks we worked with photograms. Photograms are made when you place objects on light sensitive paper (the same paper one uses to print pictures) and then expose the paper. You develop it, and voila-photograms. Here are the photograms I made during the first week:

Brett’s Jim Woodring figures on parade!

Georgia O’Keefe’s dishtowel.

For the second week, we were told we needed to step it up a notch, and to create a photogram that had some sort of point of view and used some of the design elements we had been taught in class. I went for one concrete image, and one abstract:

Hummingbird flight. This hummingbird is made from crumpled paper, feathers from a feather duster, and a toothpick!

Unzipped. Made with two different patterns of fabric and a zipper.

These were so fun to make. I will likely continue to experiment with these, especially since I have a pack of sunprint paper burning a hole in my craft closet.

I will have to let you know if my roll of film comes out. I am slightly concerned about the functioning of the million year old camera I am using.