I don’t use cyanotype for landscapes that often. Nothing wrong with the result it is just I like gold salt prints a bit better. But sometimes cyanotype really works well for a photo. Here is a Wahclella Falls cyanotype that really captures the beauty of the falls.

You might ask – where is the world is Wahclella Falls? Wahclella is one the dozens of waterfalls in the Columbia River gorge in Oregon. I think it is my favorite but it is not that well known. For starters it is a bit off the usual tourist path. Next, it is a 2+ mile hike on mostly dirt trails. Not a particularly strenuous hike but still some up and down.

But the compensations justify the hike. The river gorge is just beautiful! It is especially beautiful in the rain when a dozen or more small falls form on the sides of the gorge. Finally, the view from the bottom of the falls is absolutely stunning! I hope you enjoy my Wahclella Falls Cyanotype!

You can see more cyanotypes and my posts on the Alternative Process Community on Facebook.

Learn more about the Cyanotype Process

More cyanotypes can be found in my Portfolio

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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 pricing so that anyone can enjoy these historic processes! My first show will be in July Art in The Park in Appleton. See you there!

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See too my Cyanotype Portfolio

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 this set. My goal was to get a really deep cobalt blue color. I think I achieved that in a few of the prints and have the recipe written down for future reference.

All of these prints will be for sale at art shows this Summer. My first show will be Appleton’s Art in the Park.

I have a pretty big set of prints I am getting ready – both framed and unframed. Watch this site for more news in the weeks to come.

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More Cyanotypes in my Portfolio

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 first layer is blue. I did the first printing with this “blue” negative and my typical cyanotype process. I did use a longer exposure to get very dark colors. Then after development, the print was bleached in a dilute solution of sodium carbonate (washing soda) until the color was a yellow gold. The washed and dried print was then printed again using the red/green channel negative. This negative has the rest of the image and produces the blue in the print.

I really like how the image turned out! This was a first experiment so pretty lucky it turned out this well. I will be doing more of these in the future!

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Check out more cyanotypes in my Portfolio

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 it would take a couple of hours to get the fire going. And it was getting dark so I could not use the sun to print. And my work space was set up for salt prints… and on and on…

So I just decided to put on a jacket, set up my sun lamp and just do one experiment. Just a few minutes later I had an exposure going. So I decided to clean up my office while I waited for the exposure to finish. Before I knew it the print was done and turned out really cool. Soooo… why not do another and change up the recipe. That one was soon done so I did another and another.

Suddenly I had four interesting prints drying in my bathroom – two of them really nice! The lesson is – be action oriented! Get something done! When you have to shoot, shoot! Don’t stand there talking!

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More Cyanotypes

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 minutes of rinsing in the light.

I add a pinch of hydrogen peroxide at the end to bring out the final color. This is not necessary as the print will achieve the same color a day or so after drying. But I like to see the final color right away. This helpful to check I am getting the desired exposure when I am doing a series of prints on the same day.

You can see more of my videos on Vimeo at Vimeo.com/jalanlee

I get to travel a lot in my life and have been many wonderful (and not so wonderful) places. The Pacific coast in Oregon is one of my favorites! Here is a cyanotype made from a picture I took on the beach in Oregon. It was a cloudy and rainy day and I saw the almost glowing piece of driftwood. The contrast between the white drift wood and the wet rocks was very appealing so I snapped a few frames.

This is a 10in x 14in cyanotype of that scene. The process really accentuated the contrast between the dark rocks and the sun and salt bleached wood. Makes for a very unique cyanotype image.

This image is for sale on Etsy! Check out this image, and many others, in the Etsy Shop.

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A Cyanotype print of lily pads and sparkling water. This 12in x 9in print is for sale in my Etsy Shop

I used the new cyanotype process for this print which produces deep cobalt blue color – almost black. I think the contrast of the water sunlight sparkles and the dark water is especially beautiful. This print was made using a film (black and white) negative from pictures I did this summer in Northern Wisconsin. Here is another photo which shows both the amazing color and the texture from the renaissance wax finish.

This print really brings me memories of Summer! So as the days get shorter and shorter I could use something to keep me going!

You can see more of my prints for sale either on Etsy or on my Prints Page

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Character is Power – a cyanotype. This 9in x12in cyanotype is meant as a Christmas present (and a few copies will be offered for sale). I am not sure where I first encountered this drawing and it was certainly many years ago. I have an earlier cyanotype version hanging on my office wall and I find it to be filled with meaning and inspiration.

I though I should find the original author and ensure I was not infringing copyright to offer my cyan interpretation. I spent a lot of time digging and finally found the original author. The drawing is the first in a book from 1899 “Traits of Character” by H.F. Kletzing and E.L. Kletzing. First published in England and in the public domain now. So it is alright to offer my rendering of this drawing.

I have secured a copy of the book and just started reading it. Traits of Character is a very interesting study of what it means to be a person of character. These attributes are reinforced by vignettes of people who have displayed them (at least up to 1899). The book is available on Amazon if you are interested.

A limited number of prints are available for $29.99 plus tax and shipping. I am setting up my Etsy storefront. If you want to purchase now just click the link below and I will contact you!

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