ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Photogram

Photogram is a cool way to make pictures without using a camera. Let me explain it to you like you're 5!

You know how you can make drawings by putting shapes and colors on a piece of paper? Well, photogram works in a similar way, but instead of using pencils or paints, we use light to make pictures.

To make a photogram, we need some special paper that can change color when it's exposed to light. This paper is called photosensitive paper. It's a bit like magic paper!

First, we gather some objects that we want to use to make our picture. We can use things like leaves, flowers, toys, or even our own hands. Anything that we can put on the paper!

Next, we turn off all the lights and make it really dark in the room. It's important to keep it dark because the photosensitive paper can be sensitive to all kinds of light, even from the room.

We place the photosensitive paper on a flat surface and carefully arrange our objects on top of it. This is the fun part! We can play and experiment with different positions and arrangements.

After we finish setting up our objects, we turn on a special light called an enlarger. This light shines down onto our paper and makes the magic happen! The light passes through the objects we placed on the paper and creates shadows.

Remember how I told you the photosensitive paper changes color when exposed to light? Well, the parts of the paper that the light reaches directly turn dark, but the parts where the objects are block the light and stay lighter.

Once we're happy with our picture, we carefully take the paper out of the dark room and put it in some special chemicals. These chemicals help bring out the colors and make our picture even more amazing!

We let the paper soak in the chemicals for a little while, and then we rinse it with water to stop the process. Now, our photogram is ready! We can look at our beautiful picture, and it's all made by using just light and objects!

Photogram is a fun way to explore creativity and see how light can create art. It's like making a picture by playing with shadows and colors. So, next time you want to make a picture without a camera, try making a photogram!