Film gets bigger through a process called enlargement, typically using a darkroom enlarger.
Here's a breakdown of the process:
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Negative Creation: After a film roll is exposed in a camera and developed, it becomes a negative. This negative contains a reversed image of the scene captured.
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Enlargement Process:
- The negative is placed in an enlarger.
- The enlarger projects light through the negative onto a sheet of photographic paper.
- The enlarger allows the photographer to control the size of the projected image. The farther the enlarger is from the photographic paper, the larger the image becomes.
- After the exposure, the photographic paper is chemically processed, resulting in a positive print, now larger than the original negative.
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Enlargement Techniques: During the enlargement process, techniques like dodging and burning are used to control the exposure of different areas of the print, allowing for adjustments in contrast and detail.
- Dodging: Reduces the amount of light reaching certain areas of the paper to lighten those areas in the final print.
- Burning: Increases the amount of light reaching specific areas of the paper to darken those areas in the final print.
In summary, film enlargement utilizes an enlarger to project the negative onto photographic paper, enabling the creation of prints larger than the original film negative while allowing for adjustments in exposure and detail through techniques like dodging and burning.
