Prints

Printing so far

I am familiar with using the development method and enlarging images as i have been shooting, printing and developing black and white film photography for the best part of four years now, but it is fair to say my skills do need brushing up as i have been out of the game for several months now. 

The first print i actually did for this project was a contact sheet . A contact sheet is when you place your negatives strips (your film strips) on top of the dark room photographic paper and then seal it in place with glass so it doesn't move (this was something i did not do and you will see later what affect this has on your contact sheet if you do not do this.)

This is the first contact sheet i enlarged. It turned out better than i expected. Being a person who loves high contrast in any black and white photography digital or 35 mm. The contrast in this is exactly what i would want the photo's to look like. This shoot was my first shoot so as you can clearly tell i was quite reserved. My first few shots were from a stationary position. I was sat on a bench with Courtney and just taking photo's of people as they passed and the rest of the shoot was taken from my 4th floor bedroom window. Although it is so obvious how scared i actually was to go out and shoot in peoples face, i do like the use of perspective. It gives a different feel so being on the ground at level hight with the subject. I think it gives the people an ant affect, it's like looking down at lots of ants.

This was the second shoot i took. This shoot is a little more adventurous. I got out of me room finally and went out into Hartlepool whilst on a brake from uni and also Middlesbrough where i lived. It was pretty simple really i didn't venture farther than across the street to the shopping mall they have there. I just observed people whilst working and although the shots aren't right in there faces i got closer to people and it just made me a lot more confident whilst around people. 

The few shots i took in Middlesbrough were just around the shops in the centre i mainly sat on a bench and took photo's of people and also i got quite close too.

Before i mentioned that i didn't use the glass whilst doing a contact sheet and this is one of three i didn't do that with. As you can see the negatives weren't pushed right down so the negatives didn't print as sharp.

This was the third shoot i took. For this one i actually ventured further into Hartlepool again whilst on a brake from uni. I went right through the shopping mall and out the other side and there was an entrance to the mall up a ramp so i sat at the bottom as there was quite a few people walking in and out. This meant i had way more opportunities to get closer shots of a lot more people. Again getting more and more confident all the time. 

This is also again a contact sheet where i did not place glass over it.

This was the fourth shoot i took. This was in pretty much the same location as the last shoot and i again did the same thing. I feel in this shoot i did get quite a lot of closer shots and more interesting shots. The only thing i'd say i'd change would be the fact a lot of the shots if not all are of the side or back of people.

This again was a contact sheet that i did not place glass over. 

Through looking at the shoots i have taken i feel that the direction i have gone in is taking photo's of older people, and i have noticed that my best shots are actually of older people who look lonely. That can sound quite depressing but it actually gives off a great affect with the mood of the photo. 

Now that i know what kind of things i usually pick out in a crowded place maybe it will make me be more observant and find more shots similar to the ones i have already taken. 

I have also done a few enlargements of the negatives which i will upload probably tomorrow evening.