These are the best results from my first attempt at cyanotype printing, back in 2024. It's a small batch of prints made from photographs of scenery around Grants Pass, Oregon.
Cyanotype is a UV-light-sensitive printing process. You brush a chemical mixture onto paper (or fabric, or wood, or whatever really) and let it dry. Then you lay a negative over it, and expose it to strong direct sunlight for a few minutes. Once the print has had enough UV light it gets a cold water rinse and there you have it.
There are a lot of steps to the process, all told. But it is still a simple process in its materials and method. It's possible to build special equipment to provide the UV light, but the sun is free and environmentally neutral. The only drawback is that the sun is only consistent in Southern Oregon during the summer, which limits me to that window once a year.
The cyanotype process was invented way back in 1842 and it has an appropriately old-timey look. And since these prints are all done by hand, each one has a unique look with rough edges and imperfections that give them a bit of character.
I had meant to do another round in the summer of 2025, but life got in the way. This year I'm ready. I have the chemicals, new photographs, and the time. I just need a good stretch of sunny days.
And that's on its way.
(Some cyanotype prints will be available as I produce them this summer. Sign up for my email list to get early notice. A couple of the current prints are also available. Contact me through the contact form to inquire.)