Prints in our classroom drying on lines.

Photo 1: Itinerary
and Requirements

​Learning Black and White Film Photography will challenge the mind while expanding your creativity. The process of shooting and printing with film brings with it an unforgettable experience that will benefit any career path in the Visual Arts.  

1) CAMERA Required - 35mm Film Camera

You Must have access to your own 35mm film Camera for the course. There are many options, read about that in the menu page about "Choosing your 35mm Film Camera" and get one that is right for your needs.

Cost should not be an issue because cameras as low as $10 new (even less sometimes), or used are possible for the class. NOT applying the effort to obtain a camera or not even remembering to obtain a camera is more likely the reason a student does not have a camera for the class than cost. The course requires effort to be successful, so if you won't get a camera, you cannot possibly do the work, because you have not the interest. In an emergency, students who have proved to make an effort to obtain a camera and exhausted all possibilities could possibly be lent a loaner camera - signed out if one is available, for a limited time, not the whole course. Read the page in the Photo 1 menu; FINDING YOUR 35MM FILM CAMERA for a detailed discussion about camera you should/could get.

These cameras are inexpensive and can be found at http://www.ultrafineonline.com/ulplfaca.html along with lots of other inexpensive "Point and Shoot" Cameras at this site. Explore the site and see what else they sell, they are reputable, I buy all the chemicals and film for the class at this site.

This is an old 1960's "Diana" camera, plastic but it works! Any camera that takes 35 mm Film and works is fine. If it needs batteries you have to get batteries too. This one is all mechanical and doesn't need batteries. It is also somewhat of a collectible so unless your grandpa has one form the 1960's or 70's, don't buy one because they cost about 50 bucks now.

This is an "SLR" film camera with many automatic features a Minolta Maxxum 50 - I suggest this highly!!!! -this one is on ebay for just $27.50 as a "buy it now price", and looks great: Minolta Maxxum 3 35mm camera with a 35-70mm lens. I buy alot of 35mm SLR Camera used on ebay, read the menu page about my thoughts on this. You can really get a fantastic camera for cheap if you look around.

This is a Minolta 35mm SLR 1980's, on ebay, all manual a great way to learn all th settings if it is all manual!

2) Required CARDBOARD BOX - You must find and supply your own heavy cardboard box:

Every student will be building a simple camera for use in class, called a Pinhole Camera from a box they bring in from home. Everyone will build their own. It will really work. It will teach you how cameras work. The cardboard must be thick enough that no light can pass through it, sturdy, have a top/lid. It should be no smaller than about 7" and no bigger than about 12". The oatmeal box below has a lid that is transparent plastic, that is OK because I will teach you a way to alter it to make it "light-tight". The color doesn't matter, we will be painting the box. 

3) Required - You need a 3-Ring Notebook, pen:
why 3-ring?everything I hand out is 3-hole punched and you don't want to lose anything ( 1 -1/2" or 2 inch spine is good). We take notes everyday, and sometimes you must remove them from the notebook and submit them for a grade, and our film protector sleeves are 3-hole punched.

4) Required for 1st Project: 5-7 small interestingly shaped objects to create a shadow photo from (Photograms)

Class Itinerary: What we will do and cover...

Quarter 1:

COURSE INTRODUCTION first days:

1. Seats assigned alphabetically
2. Survey; group work,  see handout
3. Data Sheet; see handout
4. Assignment: Photos Tell Stories - search for photo images that express the theme PEACE THROUGH WISDOM; group work, see handout. Worth 5 Points
5. Pre-Test/baseline test; 50 multiple choice with scantrons
6. ITINERARY to be supplied (this is it!)
7. Class Rules; both parents and students must sign a form  
8. Requirements handout;  Film Camera, box, 3-ring notebook
9. Group Activity; Define  Photography, worth 5 points
10. Your SAFETY, conscientious behaviours and MAINTENANCE of the photo room
11. You will need to acquire a 35mm Film Camera; What type will be best for you? See web page on choices.
12. Daily online Assignments through Edpuzzle.com (usually 3-10 minutes long)

 HISTORY of the invention of Photography: 

1. How the Eye Works
2. How Light performs
3. Ancient Times; Development of the CAMERA OBSCURA  
4. Development of photo sensitive chemicals/materials
5. Pinhole Cameras
6. HISTORY of  PHOTOGRAMS; Who created photograms - Photograms of the past through to modern times

35mm FILM CAMERAs

1. Types of Film Cameras
2. Part of a camera
3. Safety and Care of the camera
4. What kind of camera to get – revisited!
5. Parts of the film camera and how they work
6. Settings on a film camera and what they do

INTRODUCTION TO THE DARKROOM AND CHEMISTRY

1. Safety, behaviour and maintenance of the DarkRoom
2. Chemicals: what they do
3. How to use the Chemistry in the darkroom
4. Making Prints Using the Darkroom: Techniques to Create Positive/Negative Pinhole Camera prints

PINHOLE CAMERAs
(students will need to bring in a suitable light tight box suggested cylinder-box from oatmeal)
  1. The science behind it
  2. Making the camera
  3. Using the camera; taking photographs
  4. Determining Exposure

FILM:
A. What it is

1. How film works
2. Kinds of Film: sizes and ISO ratings
3. How to load film into a camera

B. EXPOSING YOUR FILM: Getting it right

1. How to Determine exposure settings; using exposure charts and light meters
2. Using Bracketing: Over exposure and under exposure
3. How to improve exposure

Quarter 2: 

How to Develop film:
  1. loading a Developing Tank
  2. chemistry used, times

INTRODUCTION to the ENLARGER 

1. Safety and Care of the Enlarger
2. How the Enlarger Works
3. Parts of an Enlarger; f-stops, focus ring
4. Accessories: contact print easel, paper print easel, timer
5. Using the Enlarger to create a Photogram
6. Class Critique

 CREATING a Print ENLARGEMENT; How to use your film with an Enlarger to make a Print
  1. Using the print easel
  2. Exposure settings on an Enlarger
  3. Making a TEST STRIP
         a. Contrast: Value Scale
         b. Multi-Grade Contrast Filters: Obtaining a full value scale
         c. Print Processing

 COMPOSITION: The Importance of Composition in your Photographs

1. Introduction to Composition; What is Composition?
2. Vernacular snapshots vs. Fine Art Photography
3. The Rules of Good Composition
4. Creating and Recognizing a Composition
5. Using Composition “talk” in a Class Critique

 

---