sun exposures :: cyanotypes

o, i'm having fun! a couple days ago, i experimented with creating cyanotypes. as you can see, i began simple and then got a little more adventurous...

things you need to do this yourself:

• paper of any kind
• cardboard
• glass or plastic to hold your composition in place
• a tray of water with a few drops of lemon juice
• a sunlight chemical kit (includes ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide)
• measuring cups
• glass jars for mixing chemicals
• paint brush without metal band
• sunshine!!

then...

1. dilute and mix chemicals according to your kit's instructions
2. in low light, use the brush and paint on the chemical mixture onto the paper.  this makes the paper light sensitive.  remember to wear plastic gloves to protect your skin.
3. once the paper is dry, you are ready to create your composition.
4. again in low light, place your paper on top of a piece of cardboard.  layer on top your item(s), then place a piece of glass or plastic on top of that.  set in sun for 2 - 8 minutes.  you will know when it has been properly exposed because the paper will turn almost white.
5. slide the paper out from under the glass and your composition.  agitate in a tray full of water for 1 minute.  add a few drops of lemon juice to create more brilliant blues.

i still have so much more experimenting to do!  soon, i plan to scan in some old film negatives and enlarge.  i'll then print them out onto transparent paper for use as my composition. 

why spend your summer in the darkroom?