photogram work

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anObsession

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Hi,

Im doing photography at school and we have to use the darkroom, which is obvious. We recently did photograms, and i now need to realte mine to Man Rays style. Can anyone give me some useful statements or tips of how i could do this...

Even if you have anything good i could fiddle with to write about my work.

Thanks
 
Try doing a google image search for "Man Ray Photogram" ....... Bingo instant inspiration!!

Man Ray called his photograms "rayographs" and developed the technique to capture images without the need for a camera. As these images only capture the block outline of a subject they are usually stark and abstract. He would juxtapose objects of little relevance, vary exposures of each objects and even move objects during the exposure. You could use these charcteristics to compare them with your work.
 
thanks. ive already written quite alot of that. but thanks anyway.

:)
 
I take it your doing AS photography then seeing as i did that stuff last year.

what you have to understand is AS photography doesnt matter so much on what you wright in the book. Just how you link things, when your book gets marked i can safely say theres a 99% chance the marker wont even read what you've put.

The sure-fire way of getting a good grade in Photography A level is repeating the same things in all of your sketchbooks. Once you work out the fraework of how to set out your sketchbook you can get a whole unit done in a matter of weeks.

Basically the best way to do it is..



Initial images that flare your idea for the project. (dont have to all be from the same photographer/artist but naming them does keep the teacher happy)
Shoot 1 contact sheet
Shoot 1 best images
Shoot 1 Image edits (use screen grabs to show how you edited them i.e. contrast levels etc)
Artist/Photographer research that lnks with your idea.
Try re-creating some of their work, or photograph similar things.
Shoot 2 contact sheet (use what you learned from the artist research in this shoot)
Shoot 2 best images
Shoot 2 edits (screen grabs like last time)
Artist/Photographer research, this time try to link it to something new. I was doing urban landscapes and researching Mrk Goldsteins work, then i found he does Macro stuff of rust and wood etc. so i moved on to macro work.
Shoot 3 contact sheet
Shoot 3 best images
Shoot 3 edits
Final Piece composition ideas
Final Piece decided composition

then just mount your final images and your done =D


If you keep this in mind when your doing a sketchbook then you'll always know what your doing next. Infact maybe when you get your sketchbook write on the pages in pencil what will be going on that page. That way you dont waste time pondering what to do next.


Hope that helps..
 
I have a book of Man Ray's pics and can only find 1 photogram (I think he called them Rayographs) it looks like some marbles on the paper.

One of the easiest ways is to make a Cyanotype (lots of info on Google and see also Anna Atkins) if you want to make it stand out from the rest (Cyanotypes are boring blue) tone it in strong tea.

Here's one I did earlier, a Toned Cyanotype not a photogram that is;

path390.jpg


Kind regards and good luck.

James
 
Ohh and I forgot to mention he did an utterly suprb portrait of Coco Chanel, one of those photographs that goes straight into your memory and never comes out.

James
 
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