Photographing Your Work Tutorial

Using the Darkroom

The Media Center has a small studio equipped with tungsten lights for photographing models and drawings. To reserve the studio, sign up on the darkroom reservations form on the white counter in the Media Center. Confirm the reservations with John Hickey OR 575-6269 to ensure that the darkroom will be available when you want it.

For color prints, you will need:

Kodak Gold Print Film 100 ASA or
Fuji Sensa Print Film 100 ASA
Blue filter

(You can have prints made from slides, but it is more expensive.)

For black & white prints, you will need:

T-Max 100 or other black & white film with a low ASA
(Ilford XP-a or XP-2 can be processed in color print automatic machines. However, the image will have a blue, green or brown cast.)

For color slides, you will need:

Kodak Ektachrome 64T or 160T
Enough film to shoot three exposures of each item you want to photograph.

Photographing Flat Objects (Boards):

Hang all drawings horizontally so that the camera lens axis will intersect the object at its center.
Adjust the height of the lights to match the height of the camera and board.
Point the right light toward the center of the left half of the drawing. Point the left light toward the center of the right half of the drawing.
To decrease glare, move the lights closer to the wall on which the drawing hangs (increasing the angle of the lights off the lens axis).
Set the camera F-stop to 8.
Set the exposure time indicated by the light meter. (To get an average light meter reading, hold the gray card against the wall in the center of the drawing as well as near all four edges.)
If using a blue filter, make sure you take the meter reading through the filter.

WHEN SHOOTING SLIDES - For most drawings, bracket by underexposing (using one or two faster settings). For really dark drawings, bracket by over exposing one or two levels.

Photographing 3-D Objects (Models):

Drape the table, wall or floor with a dark cloth. Set the model on the cloth.
Aim one light about 60-90 degrees off the camera lens axis toward the southern side of the model to simulate sunlight.
Aim the other light toward the ceiling or wall to provide "fill" light to soften the shadows and contrast created by the first light.
Set the camera's F-stop on 22 or 32.
Set the exposure time indicated by the light meter. (To get a correct light meter reading, hold the gray card in front of the model, parallel to the face of the camera.)
Focus on a point halfway between the nearest and farthest part of the model.
Experiment with angles and lighting to achieve different effects.

For the Record:

Keep precise records of exposure and f-stop used on each frame of film shot. This will save time and money when a reshoot is necessary.