Photo Grams

Below are two photo grams that I exposed and developed in a dark room. The artist statement for these is at the bottom.

For this little exploration of the dark room and photo paper, I made two 'photo grams' that included objects that represented myself. I brought in the objects, arranged them on the photo paper in interesting ways, and exposed it to the light in the darkroom for about 10 seconds (F8). After they had been exposed, I had to develop them. I let the photo grams sit in developing solution, stop solution, and fix solution for the required amounts of time, rinsing them with water in between each. I then rinsed them in water for about 10 minutes, and placed them in a machine that would dry them with warm air. Upon taking them out, they looked like they do above. I scanned them and uploaded them digitally here, but physical copies of them do exist. Since they were supposed to be some form of a 'self-portrait,' the objects shown in them represent myself in some way. The headphones represent both the influence technology has in my life and the importance of music to me (listening to music, being a dancer, etc.) The pencils/pens represent how I enjoy writing and drawing sometimes. The bracelets are from my mom, so they can represent my love for my family, and although the designs of the bracelets cannot be clearly seen they are both related to dance. The teabag is there because first of all, I like tea, and second of all, I guess it could represent how I value simple moments of calm and serenity, like sitting out on the deck on a sunny summer afternoon sipping tea and enjoying the fresh air, or sketching a drawing up in my room with music playing softly through my headphones. I believe the finished products are quite satisfactory, and I generally am alright with the way the objects were placed and loved the experience of being in the dark room. It was a good way of learning and becoming more familiar with traditional photography.