Contact Sheets

Hi photo 1 students. We are moving right along. I wanted to give you some information to read and know about this class. First, some of you are having a hard time exposing for the right amount of time to make contact sheets from your negatives. If your negatives look dark- the term you have heard me use is Dense. This means that they were overexposed(the prints will be too light). If your negatives look gray or almost clear they are underexposed( the prints will be too dark).

Below I have copied a handout on how to make contact sheets & test prints. We make test prints first before we print on a full sheet of paper.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Enlarger Timers
• Photographic Print Papers
• Enlargers
• Photo Negatives

1. Step 1
   

   Secure the lens in the enlarger head, which sits directly above the baseboard. Rotate the aperture ring on the lens to f-8 and switch on the enlarger light.

2. Step 2

   Raise or lower the enlarger head using a knob typically located on the right side of the enlarger support column.

3. Step 3

   Focus the light using the knob usually found just to the right of the lens until a rectangle of even light covers the baseboard.

4. Step 4

   Switch off the enlarger light.

5. Step 5
   

   Place a sheet of print paper on the baseboard, emulsion - or shiny - side up.

6. Step 6
   

   Place negatives emulsion-side-up on top of the print paper.

7. Step 7
   

   Lay a piece of glass over the negatives to hold them in place.

8. Step 8

   Set the enlarger timer for 10 seconds. The time will vary depending on the density of the negative.

9. Step 9

   Switch on the timer.

10. Step 10

    Expose the print paper.

11. Step 11

    Remove it and place it in a developer tray.

Making a test print

Make a test print of different exposure times, with each strip showing a clear difference from one to another. I normally use three to five second intervals between each strip, to give me a vast range of tones from too light to too dark. You need a piece of cardboard to cover 3/4 of the image. Move it down a little at a time to get a wide variety of time. See example.

Once developed look at test print under the light. Choose the best time to complete a final print.

Work print
So, I figured out that I would expose a straight print for 30 seconds.

Making the final print
Once you have the exposure times clear in your head, proceed to expose the final print.

Please read over these instructions as you wait to have a chance in the darkroom!!!