Sunprinting

Day 292: Some 35 years ago, a friend gave me a gift of a "sunprint" kit. Technically, this is referred to as the cyanotype process, and uses certain ferric salts to create a negative image. It is the same process used for architectural blueprints, and was developed by Sir John Herschel in the mid-1800s. My original kit included several sheets of treated paper which I cut up into smaller pieces and carried into the deep backcountry during an off-trail trip to one of my favourite places on Earth. There, I made sunprints from a few significant items, one of which I eventually mounted in a frame and set on my fireplace mantel. The others are tucked safely away in a box of memorabilia. I wanted to share the fun with friends so recently purchased two kits to give as gifts as well as one for myself, and then I settled in to wait for a sunny day.

The cyanotype emulsion is sensitive to UV light and can require a fairly long exposure to get good results. Sun is something of a precious commodity in the Pacific Northwest, so when the opportunity availed itself, I scouted around the garden for items I thought seemed "artful." I selected Cosmos foliage and flowers for my first print, fern fronds for the second. Maybe I should thank the thinning ozone layer for the rich blue prints which were the result of only a few minutes' exposure time, or perhaps it was the addition of a few drops of lemon juice to the rinse, but in any event, I am very pleased with the outcome. As for that 35-year old print on my mantel, it is still as blue as the day I made it.