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Test Strips was created as part of Photograph - online learning and teaching photography resources. In an age of digital, the Photograph online resources concentrate upon elemental and experimental ways of making images with light. While many of the ideas can be used just as easily with digital cameras (such as snapshot and narrative), other modules focus on lower tech methods which remind us of the origins of photography (such as making sun pictures and building a camera obscura. These resources concern themselves with making black and white images, and with tone, contrast, shadow and light. Other resources in this series: Introduction to the AccessArt Photograph Resource Test strips Test strips are experiments used to find the optimum time for exposing either a photographic print or photogram. The main reasons for using them is to save on photographic paper and to cut down on the frustration at producing too many prints which are over or under exposed. Methodology for Making Test Strips* 1. Place your negative into the negative carrier, enlarge or reduce its size by adjusting the position of the enlarger head and focus the image. Set the lens to a fairly low aperture 2. Place a thin strip of photographic paper below the enlarger. (For economical reasons test strips are often smaller than a usual print.) 3. Exposures can be made for any length of time from 2 to 30 seconds and at whatever intervals you choose. As a starting point try intervals of 4 seconds. Expose your image for 4 seconds. Using a piece of opaque card cover a small section of the image and expose for a further 4 seconds. Move the card along, covering another section of the image and expose for a further 4 seconds. Continue this for anything up to a maximum of 30 seconds. (Times will vary depending on the quality of your negatives and the aperture setting on your enlarger.) 4. Put the test strip through the developer, stop bath and fixer trays for the time stated on the manufacturers recommendations. 5. Using the test strip decide on the best exposure time. Additional control over contrast can be achieved by using filters. A Grade 0 filter will induce a very low contrast whereas Grade 5 creates a very hard contrast. * This method assumes you are using a negative. If you are making a photogram you will need to arrange your objects on the test strip paper and re-arrange them for the final print. Other resources in this series: Introduction to the AccessArt Photograph Resource |
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