Check out this link to a History of Photography Timeline:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljMbCS6HDt4

Photo Prom Dress, All Finished!

I'm so proud of my student for completing her project in time for prom! This special dress memorializes the lives of two girls (one who passed, age 11, in March and one who was her prom date) that the student met during her four years in the pre-med track program and in my photography classes. She designed the dress, cut the patterns, and sewed. It is actually two parts. A top and bottom so that later she can where the top with jeans, other skirts etc. and the bottom can be worn to create other outfits - more casual. The images were scanned from prints she made in the darkroom and/or from her film. They were then sized and arranged carefully on a template in Photoshop so that the larger pictures would be in the bottom portion of the dress when cut. The fabric was prepped with Freezer Paper. It took her 10 hours to iron all the freezer paper onto the fabric. Once ready, we printed the fabric roll on a Epson 9800 inkjet printer. All that was left was to cut the pattern and sew! Oh, and add a little tulle at the bottom, a black belt, and black fabric to since the top. To complete the look jewelry and a corsage made by a classmate and made completely from photographs! She will also wear this dress to a special prom held at Joe DiMaggio hospital in Hollywood, Florida

(all pictures are posted with permission of student)

Final Prom Dress Images

One "thank you" = inspiration

Monday when I got to school one of my Photography 1 students was waiting outside the classroom door. As I approached, she reached out with her hands and I noticed she had tears as she came toward me. "Ms. Brock, I just have to say 'thank you, can I have a hug?"  I gave her a hug and asked her if somethings as wrong? why was she crying? She was very emotional but told me that on Sunday at her horse show her Grandfather was there and she showed him a print she made of her horse and he said it was really good and he was really proud of her. I told her that was wonderful and then asked why was she crying. She told me that her Grandfather always tells her that she has pipe dreams and that they will never come true, that she will never be that good or live up to her dreams. She kept saying, "I'm sorry, I"m really emotional but you just don't understand, I've never heard him talk to me that way so I have to 'thank you' Ms. Brock". The fact that he said her photograph was good and he was proud of her was something she never heard before. She kept wanting a hug so I hugged back. I was the one who needed the hug at this point and was touched by her experience and that she thought it was because of my class. I didn't know what to say other than, "That is wonderful and I"m so proud of you" I told her "you took the picture, you printed the picture, not me. I only helped and you are welcome".  Moments like this make me remember Mrs. Parkerson, my high school art teacher. She made me believe I had talent and that I should believe in myself at a time where I wasn't sure anyone else did. I always hoped I'd be a bit like her. Today made me feel like I am a bit like Mrs. Parkerson and that made my day.

The final pics coming soon....Student Photo Prom Dress! Senior class project - part 1: Photography IV H

Pictures of student prom dress so far....still can't find camera cord! Ugh!!

preparing fabric, ironing freezer paper to fabric (total time it took, 10 hours! - she's a perfectionist, lol)

Template of images of student, 2 cancer patients she worked with and became friends with over the past four years as a pre-med track student and photography student - they were her favorite subject matter!

A work in progress....

Front view before touches on top and pink tulle is added!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Surprises

Who knew that students today would LOVE the pin hole camera project so much. They do. I think because digital is their world, they know technology and to see something as simple and barbaric of turning a box etc. into a working recording device is unconceivable to them......add to it that they make it and it works! I love doing this project with students because initially they can't conceive of it working, they bring interesting containers to try and challenge the theory. The week of Halloween, my students and I made pin hole cameras from pumpkins. Here is what one looked like and an image it made.
The camera. Only one lens was opened to make the image below.

Negative and Positive image made with pumpkin pinhole camera. Student on bench,  Fine Arts Building. 9 second exposure on Ilford RC Matte photographic paper. Positive made from contact print in darkroom.  

Printing students photographs for prom dress on  fabric coated with freezer paper. Images are of cancer patients the student has worked with during the four years at our high school as part of the pre-med program. She has been documenting these children as part of a photographic project in my class as well. This dress will be worn to the high school prom as well as a fund raiser prom at Joe DiMaggio hospital in Hollywood, Florida. Her prom date is one of the cancer patients.