he Patent Diamond Cameo photograph was registered by F.R. Window of London in 1864. Four small oval portraits (1″ x 3/4“) were placed on a carte de visite in the shape of a diamond, each portrait being of the same person photographed in a different position. A special camera made by Dallmeyer was used in which the one glass negative was moved to a new position in the back of camera after each portrait had been taken, and when the paper print had been pasted on the card a special press was used to punch the four portraits up into a convex cameo shape. It is unlikely the process became very popular with Adelaide’s photographers, as the failure of just one of the four portraits through movement, poor expression or incorrect exposure meant that the plate had to be rejected and another four portraits made on a new plate. To obtain a carte de visite which had a pleasing overall effect would have involved careful advance planning of the four positions to be taken, as it was only after the negative was developed that the photographer could see if an acceptable negative had been produced.
To make mine I took 4 photos of someone looking straight on, away to either side and down. I put these into a photoshop document, levelled them, cut them out and arranged them in a diamond shape. To also add a more vintage and worn appearance I copied in a photo of an old piece of paper then reduced the opacity to add a more worn out look.
I repeated this process again outside of school in a makeshift studio but with varied facial expressions and actions. I like how this one came out more as it feels more personal and the lighting changed a bit halfway through the shoot because of a malfunctioning reading lamp I was using to cast shadows.
