What is a photogram?

What is a photogram?

• A. A print made using a camera.
• B. A print made by direct contact with a light-sensitive surface rather than through a camera.
• C. A painting executed on photographic paper.
• D. A digital image produced by scanning a negative.

Answer: (B)

A photogram is a photograph made without a camera by placing objects directly onto light-sensitive paper or film and exposing it to light. The light-dark pattern that results is a direct imprint of the arrangement, because the areas blocked by objects stay lighter while the exposed areas darken. This is a contact print—the final image records the exact size and shape of the objects without any lens or camera intervening. That’s why the description of a print made by direct contact with a light-sensitive surface fits best. It contrasts with using a camera to capture an image, with painting on photographic paper, or with creating a digital image by scanning a negative, none of which involve exposing a surface directly by objects laid onto it. Photograms have been used by artists to explore silhouette, transparency, and form using everyday materials.

A photogram is a photograph made without a camera by placing objects directly onto light-sensitive paper or film and exposing it to light. The light-dark pattern that results is a direct imprint of the arrangement, because the areas blocked by objects stay lighter while the exposed areas darken. This is a contact print—the final image records the exact size and shape of the objects without any lens or camera intervening.

That’s why the description of a print made by direct contact with a light-sensitive surface fits best. It contrasts with using a camera to capture an image, with painting on photographic paper, or with creating a digital image by scanning a negative, none of which involve exposing a surface directly by objects laid onto it. Photograms have been used by artists to explore silhouette, transparency, and form using everyday materials.