Photograms/RayographsWhat are photograms and Rayographs?
Photograms and Rayographs are images that are made, not with a camera, but by placing objects on top of photo sensitive paper that then exposed to light. The surface of the paper that is covered by the object/s will be protected from the light creating a white impression - which can turn to a very subtle or dark grey, depending on if the light is able to reach the paper thought the object. This all depends on the opacity of the object. The rest of the paper which is not protected from the light rays turns black. This is a process that takes place in the dark room - as Photo-Sensitive paper is sensitive to all light (apart from red light - which is why red light is used in the dark room when preparing to make Photograms. The work above is by Man Ray. His work is very inspiring and his composition is really interesting. My favioutite out of the three above is
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Hover over the images below for more information.The two names Photographs and Rayographs have the same meaning. Rayographs was the name given to Photograms by Man Ray, it is not a different type of photography. Some of the first photographic images made were photograms. William Henry Fox Talbot called them photogenic drawings.
The Cyanotype is a similar type of Camera-less photography. It uses light to activate images on sensitive paper which has been immersed in chemicals, once the image has been achieved the Cyanotype is washed under running water. With Photograms and Rayographs a series of chemicals is used to complete the image; Developer (which develops the image so it is visible), Stop (which stops further development of the image) and Fix (which fixes the developed images). After the paper has spent about a minute in the developer, a couple of seconds in the Stop and a couple of minutes in the Fix - it is washed under running water to rid of the chemical. (If it is not washed properly of the chemicals the white impressions on the paper will have a yellow stain once dried.)
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