How to Make a Photogram

Photograms are unique black and white photographs that are easily created with light sensitive paper, a little light, and some chemistry! By applying the electric light of a cellphone to a piece of light sensitve paper in a dark room, amateur phorographers like myself can expose solid and transparent objects into artistic arrangements.

Materials Needed

• Light sensitive paper (either a matte or glossy finish)
• Objects to cover your surface (solid and transparent)
• 4 trays (large enough to submerge the sheets)
• Tongs
• A light source (cellphone lights work well)
• Developer
• Stop Bath (to stop the developing process)
• Fixer (to perserve your photogram)
• A place to wash the completed photograms (an empty sink)
• A print dryer (to dry the final product after washing)

Where to Expose the Photogram

Any light that shines on the light sensitive paper will expose an image onto the sheet, therefore photograms must be completed in the classic, one-and-only dark room available near you! The room must be free from any exterior light, or light from any electronic devices until the cellphone light is needed to expose the image.

PROCEDURES

 

Step 1: Prepare the developer, stop bath, and fixer into the three separate trays. Set the empty fourth tray aside to be used later.

 

Step 2: Close the lights! Ensure that your work space/room lacks any external light. It is best to ask a friend to stand by the door to prevent any intruders from ruining your process with the outside light.

 

Step 3: Once the lights are completely shut, take out your piece of light sensitive paper and lay it flat on your work table.

 

Step 4: Arrange your objects onto the paper. This can be a simple arrangement of objects side by side, or an artistic vision straight from you!

 

Step 5: When ready, expose your objects with your light source and count up to ten seconds. Depending on the brightness of the light, ten seconds might be too long as an exposure time. Adjust accordingly, and record the distance between the light source and your objects.

 

Step 6: Remove your objects and place the sheet into the developer for 60 seconds (while gently agitating the tray to refresh the chemicals on the paper repeatidly).

 

Step 7: Using the tongs, remove the paper out of the developer, allow the excess liquid to drip off momentarily, and place the paper into the stop bath for 30 seconds.

 



Step 8: Repeat step 6, and place the paper into the fixer for 2 minutes. After a minute, you may open the lights again.

Step 9: Place the finished photogram into the empty tray.

Step 10: Wash the photogram in a sink with lukewarm water for 15 minutes, while constantly reapplying the water to the paper's sureface.

Step 11: Insert the washed and wet photogram into a print dryer. Wait for it to dry, and you've successfully made a photogram!

Some problems you may encounter:

If your photogram is too dark... your light source is either too strong, or should be used for a shorter duration in exposure.

If your photogram is too light... your light source could either be stronger or should be used for a longer duration in exposure.

Above is one of my best photograms, using objects that I carry with me every day.

Check out my full album of photograms by me and my fellow classmates right here!