Questions of the week

The real question of the week is Amy's: What have the Brontës to do with photography?
Answers on the Blog, please.

But there are also questions about lenses. If a pinhole can make a picture, why do we need lenses?

One reason is sharpness- pinhole images are always slightly fuzzy, because light is scattered around the edges of the hole.

Also, pinhole exposures are very slow, because so little light actually gets through the hole (remember how that super-bright 1000 Watt lamp produced quite a dark upside-down image of itself on the white card?).

A glass lens can let a lot of light through, compared to a pinhole, and so allows the short exposures that we all take for granted.

Although most photographic lenses are mass-produced, one-off lenses can be made for special purposes like our own giant camera. Our lens was designed by a professional lens-designer in order to fit this camera obscura tent - specifically, to provide a 3ft square image at a distance of 4ft from the lens.

I hope it works!

Good news about the lens

I'm very pleased that we've been able to make real connections between the Victorian pioneer photographers and our own work at the Parsonage. The blue prints look even better now I have dried them. By taking pictures with pinhole cameras we've found out that a photographic image depends at least as much on chemistry as on lenses. And we've proved to Andrew that light travels in straight lines.

What's going to happen next week? Mysterious and exciting things I hope. After everyone had gone on Wednesday I heard that the lens is finally finished, and will be sent to the Parsonage tomorrow Thursday. So I should be able to look at it over Easter and introduce it to you next week. Here is a picture of one of the lens elements being polished in London last week.

Good to be working with you all,
Simon

from Danielle Holdsworth

I am very glad i am part of this project its the end of the first week and i have had 3 enjoyable and educational days .We have been able to handle and see original pieces from the bronte family history and learn all about been able to take pictures with flash and natural light, and also the hiistory of photography.The self made cameras we made today was so exciting to see the pictures which all of us produced in the group and the details which was captured through the self made cameras.Definatley has been an enjoyable and interesting first week .
Thankyou.

from Amy, sent on Tuesday 3 April

I have enjoyed the two days we have had so far.

Yesterday I liked being able to hold the Bronte things, specially the tiny book done by Charlotte. I didn't find it easy to read the words with them being so small. I also liked the wooden lion which the Bronte children had played with. Making the silhouettes and being able to develop and fix them was the best part of Monday, but I did not like the dark room at first because my eyes take a long time to get used to very low light.

 I had not been to the National Media Museum before so today was fun and interesting. I liked the magical area where we could try out different light experiments.

My grandad says he has enjoyed it as well.

 From Amy Prior

National Media Museum

In The Magic Factory we looked at a pinhole image, distorting mirrors, periscopes, a camera obscura image, a photo-luminiscent screen (now how does that work?) and a zoom lens plus other things.

In the Animation gallery we saw pre-cinematic optical toys including the thaumatrope and the zoetrope.

In the Kodak gallery we found a copy of the world's earliest photograph, early pictures by Fox Talbot (English) and LJM Daguerre (French), early cameras, and lots of snapshot cameras from 1890-1970. We saw a disappearing darkroom, detective cameras, a black & white photo of Haworth Moor called 'Wuthering Heights' by Alexander Keighley and more pictures of darkrooms.

In the Insight archive after lunch Ruth Kitchin showed us some rare Victorian photographs by Fox Talbot, Anna Atkins (the book of blue plant studies) and Roger Fenton (the large landscapes). We were able to handle a genuine Daguerreotype photo that had a mirror-like appearance.

... from Bethany

I really enjoyed the past two days. Monday was great I liked being able to hold the selected artifacts in my hands. I was able to look at them close up and see what they were. Some of them were more recognizable than others.I would never have known that the jewelry was in fact made from real human hair.Developing and fixing our images onto photo paper was exciting. It was a brilliant and new experience.

Today (Tuesday) equally as much fun.I have been to the National Media Museum many times in the past, but today was definitely the best. You were able to tell us stuff about the images we were looking at.For example the pinhole image. Before today that was just a name now I know what it means.I loved looking at the book in the little room. The book we were unable to touch because of its delicacy and age, it was fantastic to have the lady with the gloves turn the pages for us to look all the way through. I am looking forward to having a go at that type of imaging at home.

From Bethany Heron

Day 1

Thanks to everyone for getting things off to a great start. Here is a picture from Monday.