PHOTOGRAMS

by Ted Peterson
If you want to try something different you should try making photograms.
Photograms are prints made without a camera or film. This used to be made by most dark room workers but in the last few years has all most stoped being made.
What you do is take a piece of photo paper and lay it on a table. Place any item on top and then turn on a light. If the object is transparent it will make the paper turn black when you develop it. If the item is solid the paper will stay white. This works best with a solid item.
You will have to try different times for the light to be on. Also you will have to test the time to develop the paper. Try different lights, even pen lights.
One of the things that some of the people did was take the item when it is dry and they lay it on another sheet of photo paper and then turn on a light. (sensitized surfaces facing each other). Where the paper was white the 2nd piece would be black and where the top was black the lower one would be white. The main thing you would have to make sure of is that the top piece did not have any printing on the back. A large number of papers will have made by XX print on back. If so that will show on the print below in the white areas.
The time under the light will be different when you print through the top piece than when you took the first picture.
The first picture can be a piece of film. If the first piece is a piece of photo paper the white area of the lower picture will show the texture of the paper. This can make a very interested picture.
You should try this as any one can get a good picture if you think about what to use. You can use flowers, tools, toys, etc.
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