I have been thinking about more experimental methods of creating visual imagery for this project, I want to explore some of the fundamentals of photography such as the chemistry of the darkroom techniques and the movement of light. I have been thinking of doing work without a camera initially and perhaps presenting my work as more of a scientific study.
I have always had a fascination with light and the way in which it moves. In particular, the refraction of light and the illusions it has the ability it as to create. I am planning on starting my project by exploring the relationship of distance with prisms and light. What I intend to do is place different prisms different distances from the photosensitive paper and the light of an enlarger. I am going to explore the effect created with and without a lens on the enlarger and hopefully create some abstract imagery. I am unsure how these experiments will work but I feel like its a good starting point and I can then find a new direction from there depending on how effective the images are.
I am hoping that if this method is successful I will be able to apply the technique to a pinhole camera. Creating a pinhole camera with a prism placed a set distance behind the pinhole or lens and then a set distance behind the image a piece of photosensitive paper will catch the refracted image. I am unsure if I will be able to try out this method until I have carried out some initial experiments in the darkrooms, but this is one of my ideas I wish to explore further.
Beth Harvey 