Imaged By The Sun

Day 92: It's been at least twenty years since I made this sun-print from a branch of a very special Little Tree in a very special place. It has sat on my mantle ever since, so long ago that the black matte I used to framed it has faded, but not the print itself. Images made in this fashion are referred to as "cyanotypes," and kits are readily available from a variety of sources, although if you're inclined toward chemistry, you could certainly make your own. The process for creating a cyan print from store-bought paper is quite simple: lay the object you wish to image on the treated paper, expose it to bright sunlight for several minutes, and then rinse the paper in plain water. For a darker hue, add a couple of drops of lemon juice. Lay the paper flat, and once it is completely dry, then press it under a stack of books or other similar weight. Cyan-printing is a fun way to create a durable memory!