Cyanotype Greetings

The cyanotype process can be used to make a wide variety of art objects. Here is a set of prints that my wife made into greeting cards. What I like is the different tones possible with the process. These range from lighter blue to very dark, almost black, blue. The subject matter ranges from a tiny dandelion to a massive oak tree. These cards will be part of my Summer art show offerings. We will be at several shows this Summer around Wisconsin and I want to have a wide range of art work. This includes a wide range of…

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Waves of Cyanotypes

Sometimes cyanotypes come in waves! This set of prints was made from images of waves on the Fox River in Appleton. The rains last week plus the melting snow resulted in massive waves in the rapids. This is the first set of prints from this outing. I have 3 or 4 more images that should make excellent prints. If you look closely you will see variations in each print. Each print is indeed unique based on the sunlight during exposure, how I coat and sensitize the paper and variations in washing/development. I also did some experiments with my chemistry for…

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Duotone Cyanotype

Time for an experiment! This is a cyanotype of a skunk cabbage flower. I used a duotone technique which produces two different colors. Cyanotypes are typically (or should I say naturally) blue. But you can modify the color by treating the print after it dries. The most common is to tone with tannin to give a brown or even black color - I use coffee or tea. You can also bleach the print with sodium carbonate. This gives a more pale color from gold to yellow. This print was made by first separating the negative into two color layers. The…

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Skis for Sale – Salt Print Set

I have not had time to work on my darkroom. But the printing business is good. Here is one of a set of salt prints of skis for sale in an antique shop. Total run of 4 prints. The original is a 35mm film negative that I took in some antique shop a few years ago. I really love this composition. This is an 8x10 inch print, on archival 140lb paper. This is one of four prints I made this weekend - snowing all the time so I had to do something for fun! I used a new (to me)…

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Be Action Oriented

Busy is happy! There is an old saying in the Navy that a busy crew is a happy crew. Seems true to me that the way to be happy and creative is to be action oriented. The more over thinking the less you actually get done. Opportunities come and go and often the window to accomplish something is very small. Yesterday I had an exhausting day job day. When I got home I wanted nothing more than to chill out and relax. But then I remembered a few cyanotype experiments I wanted to do. But the studio was cold and…

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Mobile Darkroom Build

My mobile darkroom build is going very well. The return of Winter weather had slowed things down but sometimes you just have to put your head down and keep on moving forward. So why a trailer? Well, a lot of wet plate photographers use a dark box or small tent. These have the advantage of being portable but they suffer from not being very comfortable to work in. I like space when I am working! While the dark box can be visually pleasing tents are definitely ugly! I also wanted something that gives a sense of occasion to my outings.…

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Ice Boats – Salt Print

Ice boats race across Lake Winnebago Ice. An 8x10in salt print. This print is an experiment with a new coating / sizing formula. I used powdered egg whites for the albumin instead of cracking a bunch of eggs. The powder is a bit less expensive (no wasted yolks) and a lot less work. The coating gives a really nice matte finish to the print, even though it is hard to see in the picture. Residual egg yolks were a big problem back in the heyday of albumin based photography and prints. So the producers came up with a lot of…

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Cyanotype Develop and Fix – Video

Just a short video showing the final steps of my cyanotype process. I usually use sunlight to expose my cyanotypes but it was too cold and dreary outside so I used an LED UV lamp for this print. After exposure the print is taken to a dark room, removed from the printing frame, and washed with tap water. The wash process removed unreacted iron from the dark areas in the negative. This leaved behind the image in Prussian Blue dye. It also renders the image light safe. I usually do 4 rinses in the dark room followed by about 10…

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Collodion Tintype Portrait in The Summer

Summer is for outdoor collodion tintype portraits! I am so blessed that I have friends who are willing to pose for practice sessions. A good friend braved the Summer heat to pose for an outdoor practice plate. This is an 8x10 inch tintype made with the collodion process. They say the practice makes perfect. But I don't think that is true. What I think is practice + reflection + adjustment puts you on the path to "good". You have to reflect on the result and think about what worked and what could be improved on. Then make a change and…

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Winter Cyanotypes

January in Wisconsin is cold and dark! So I sometimes use an indoor UV lamp for Winter cyanotypes and salt prints. Here is a photo of a print in process. This is a 9in x 12in print from a digital negative. The light sensitive paper is placed against the negative and clamped in my home made wood frame. I use an LED UV lamp to provide the light. I have also found that I have to use a sheet of black paper on the back of my print to stop light leakage. This was happening around the seam between the…

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Speedotron Capacitor Safety

The capacitors used in a Speedotron flash power pack are powerful and potentially dangerous if not cared for properly. This is especially true when the unit has not been used for a long time. There is a simple way to reform the capacitors after extended down time which ensures they are safe and fully functional. Every day is like Christmas, at least it is when you believe! I am building up my wet plate kit and the newest member is a wonderful Speedotron 4803 power pack. My current pack is a 2403 which can deliver a mighty 2400ws of flash…

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Collodion Portrait Session FAQ

So you booked your portrait session.. Awesome - I am so excited! So let's chat about important collodion portrait session FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). Collodion sessions are a little bit different from digital photo sessions. The mood is slower paced and much more relaxed. We only produce a small number of images so it pays to plan things out in advance. Collodion is also a one-of-a-kind image process so there is always a bit of randomness to the final image. Of course, the surprise is just part of the fun. So here are some frequently asked questions.. How long does…

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