j alan, Author at Sun and Silver.photo

Sing Praises

Blog / Salt Print

An 8x10in Salt Print. This was created from a picture in the Grand Canyon. I have been there so many times and every trip is an amazing experience. While famous for the spectacular views the canyon also offers interesting vignettes if you take the time to look around. This plaque is from Psalm 68, I like the ESV version: Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;his name is the Lord; exult before him! This print will be available for sale as soon as I get it protected with bees wax…

New Cyanotypes

Blog / Cyanotype

New Cyanotypes! It was a fun day doing prints in my break time! There was lots of weather moving through Wisconsin yesterday and that made for light that constantly changed. This gave me a wide variety of exposures. I did try and compensate but not an easy thing to do. The good part is this ended up being an interesting batch of cyanotypes with 4 different looks. When you use the sun the sun has some say in the end result! I am not sure which one I like the best! The darker is nice but the lighter ones are…

Sand and Shells and Sun

Blog / Cyanotype

Footprint on the beach in Florida. A 10in x 14in cyanotype from a 35mm film negative. I have always loved the beach. Something about the sand and the ocean that touches me deeply. I always get the nostalgic feeling when I am on the water. That last days of Summer feeling. Hard to describe but if you know it you know it. This print is from a 35mm film picture (black and white) that I took on the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. Footprint supplied by my beautiful wife. I think the graininess of the film is a good complement…

Oak Trees in Winter

Uncategorized

A cyanotype of oak trees in Winter. This image was originally caught on film - medium format black and white film. I printed it in 8x10 format using the cyanotype process. Cyanotypes are made by exposing iron salts to sunlight. Cyanotypes are known for their brilliant cobalt blue color. Although cyanotypes can be "toned" many colors using a variety of dyes (my favorite is coffee). These prints are archival and actually will become deeper in color if exposed to sunlight. This print is for sale, click Prints For Sale to purchase! Back to my Blog

Metal Art Collodion

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A collodion wet plate image. This is a tintype and is produced on black aluminum plate. This 6in x 6in image is of a piece of metal art produced by Not What It Was. Tintypes are one of a kind images produced by an historic process. Wet plate collodion dates back to the mid 1800's and was the first widely used photography method. The best known examples are from the American Civil war. Wet plate gave way to dry plate and then modern film photography. All of these methods have the same basic chemistry. Silver salts react with sunlight to…

My First Salt Print

Blog / Salt Print

My first salt print! Salt printing was one of the first successful photographic processes. Salt printing was invented by Henry Fox Talbot in the 1830's. The basic process is the foundation of film photography still used today. I am so proud of this print and think it is amazing (probably amazingly lucky) that I was able to get this good of a result on my first try! Newer prints have gone up in quality dramatically - but this will always be special as it was my first! Back to my Blog

Wild Horses – New Salt Print

Blog / Salt Print

A new salt print of wild horses in Colorado. This is my twelfth salt print and I think I am getting the recipe down now! The range of tones (from black to white) is very pleasing to my eye. I also have a nice mid range contrast so that a lot of small details are very clear. The coating is nice and even and I even like the "live" edge. This is an 8x10 print and will be going up for sale shortly. Serial #1 will be hanging on my office wall! You can see an earlier print in wide…

Wild Horses – Salt Print

Blog / Salt Print

Wild horses in Colorado are always a wonderful subject. This is a salt print from a digital negative. This is a picture from a random adventure whilst on vacation in Colorado. A biker mentioned an off the beaten path wild horse reserve. The place was not advertised or developed and just in the middle of nowhere. We arrived and drove around for an hour on dirt roads and didn't see a horse. Found a nice place for lunch and had a great picnic. Then out of nowhere we were surround by a hundred or more wild horses. Such beautiful animals!…