Photogram facts for kids

A photogram is a special kind of photograph. It's made without using a camera at all! Instead, you place objects directly onto light-sensitive paper. When light shines on the objects, they create a shadow picture. This picture often has different shades, depending on how clear or see-through the object is.

What is a Photogram?

A photogram is like a shadow drawing made with light. Imagine putting your hand on a piece of paper and shining a flashlight on it. Your hand makes a shadow. A photogram works in a similar way, but it uses special paper that reacts to light. The parts of the paper that are covered by an object stay light, while the parts exposed to light turn dark. This creates a unique image with different tones.

How Do You Make One?

Making a photogram is quite simple and fun!

• First, you need a dark room, like a darkroom used for developing photos.
• Next, you take a piece of photographic paper. This paper has chemicals on it that are sensitive to light.
• Then, you place different objects directly onto the paper. You can use anything from leaves and keys to lace or even your own hands!
• After the objects are arranged, you briefly turn on a light source. This light shines on the paper.
• The parts of the paper covered by the objects are protected from the light. They will stay lighter.
• The parts of the paper not covered by objects get hit by the light and start to change. They will become darker.
• Finally, you develop the paper using special chemicals, just like developing a regular photograph. This makes the image permanent. The result is a unique picture showing the shapes and shadows of your objects.

A Little Bit of History

Photograms have been around for a long time, even before cameras were common.

• One of the first people to make photograms was Anna Atkins. In the 1840s, she used a method called cyanotype. This made blue and white photograms of plants. She created the very first book with photographic images!
• Later, in the 1920s, famous artists like Man Ray and László Moholy-Nagy also used photograms. They called their works "rayographs" or "photograms." They explored how light and objects could create abstract and interesting art. They showed that you didn't need a camera to make amazing pictures.

Why Are Photograms Special?

Photograms are unique because:

• They don't use a camera, so they are a very direct way to make an image.
• Each photogram is one-of-a-kind. It's hard to make two exactly alike.
• They often look like X-rays or ghostly images because they show the inner structure or transparency of objects.
• They teach us about light, shadow, and how light interacts with different materials.

A color photogram of lemons slices and tomato stems. The background texture is enlarged paper grain.

Images for kids

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  A photogram of a number of photography-related objects

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  One of Anna Atkins's cyanotype photograms of Festuca grasses

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  Man Ray, 1922, Untitled Rayograph, gelatin silver photogram, 23.5 x 17.8 cm