Second Photo Shoot

The Second Photo Shoot project uses a film camera and an enlarger. It is just like the First Photo Shoot project with one exception: this time around one must complete an exposure log (except I didn't because I had taken my photos before this part was explained. Oh shucks). One would complete the exposure log by writing down the f-stop, the shutter speed, and a description of the picture (see Depth of Field Project for an example).

Hopefully, after developing a roll of film (same as the First Photo Shoot project), there is at least one good picture on the negatives.

The only way to find out which picture looks well enough is to make a contact print, like so:

You make a contact print by placing your negatives on photo paper and use an enlarger to shine light on them.

After making the contact print and deciding which photo looks the best, you make a test strip.

Using increments of 3 seconds, place a box on top of the photo paper (keep in mind negatives should be placed inside a a carrier and the photo paper inside an easel) and slide the box down each round. The aim is to get a really light shade and a really dark shade to determine what is the best amount of time underneath the light.

I used a variety of test strips to find the perfect shades for the leaf.

From the three test strips, I took 8.5 seconds; by using multiple strips I was able to obtain the perfect shades (I was surprised by my patience in this project).

For my display, I took a quote from Beowulf, one that really holds an important message. It may not have anything to do with the leaf, but with the colors of leaves in general. In the spring/summer time we see greenery, but as the world grows colder, the leaves shrivel and turn fiery colors like yellow, red, and orange; their fate is certain and will never change.

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