ProTools #3: Photography Workshop: Alternative & Historical Photo Processes Without a Dark Room

Peter Renn Work Shop

William Henry Fox Talbot was a scientist and photographic pioneer. He discovered "the art of photogenic drawings." This involved laying object or a series of objects (often plants) on photographic paper and allowing the light to infiltrate around the objects, darkening the paper leaving a white silhouette of the object from where it blocked the light. The term photogenic drawings means generated by light which is drawing the images out. These images have to be kept in the dark as they can fade easily due to their impermanence and fugitive quality. 

Ana Atkins was the first person to illustrate a book on photographic images. She used the photographic printing process cyanotype which produces a cyan print of direct impressions. 

can also work on fabrics or organic single  material - wearable photogenic drawings

Lumen Prints

- require no dark room, no chemicals

- only photographic paper and light

- water in subjects/ damp paper can create liquid effects making the colours change, plant moisture can affect the chemistry of the paper, damp paper works faster

- fugitive

- lay them on surface of paper and leave in sunshine which is a shorter exposure time.

- artificial indoor lightbulb can be used but has a longer exposure time

- lumen images as magentas and greys and inverted they are greens and yellows so they could produce actual coloured images. 

Anthotypes

Prints made with plant based dyes: spinach, beetroot juice, flower petals, onion skins. Emulsion made of your choice from organic ingredients. Watercolour paper is then dipped in the emulsion, coating it entirely. whatever plant or silhouette is then placed on top and left to soak in the sound for days up to weeks. The areas exposed to the sun changing the colour as the pigments are slowly destroyed, then leaving the original colour under the  ... the image fades when exposed to light so the image is a positive, requires long exposure of days or weeks, fugitive

instant camera - emulsion lifts, instant image polaroid, soak in warm water until the emulsion floats off and transfer it to another surface 

Lumen Prints Experiments:

                                         

Wet Photographic paper and dried off.

This print was created by using an acetate print of a tree I had laying around.  I then laid the acetate on top and left it under artificial lighting for 12 hours. I was really pleased with the outcome as there was so much detail with the bark on the tree and with the thinner branches. and leaves. I found it really interesting to see the colours that came out versus the colours that were on the acetate. 

Wet photographic paper, not dried off.

I used very thinly cut orange slices and lemon slices for this print. I was really interested in how the acidic liquid in the fruit would affect the outcome. I again began by wetting the photographic paper, however I forgot to dry it off a little as the colour started changing extremely quickly. This effected the outcome as there are darker and lighter water marks across the whole piece which I don't really like. Once the slices of fruit were on the paper i left this in the sun for around 3 hours

wet photographic paper, dried off.

Again I used wet photographic paper and placed some metal hair clips on top. However, when it was processing in the sun, I moved it accidentally and this has caused a blurred not so clear effect. 

Wet Photographic paper, left in sun

I had quite a few film negatives from developing my photos and I was curious to see if they would be visible on this photographic paper. The outcome was pretty interesting. Because I wet the photographic paper and laid the negative on top, the chemicals reacted with the film so when it had dried it was almost glued on to the photographic paper. So peeling it off was fairly difficult and almost tore. But I really liked the outcome as the images in the negatives were almost visible if you looked closely.

Wet paper and left in sun

Because a lot of the classical lumen prints I looked at were of plants, I thought I should give it a go and I really liked the outcome. Again some water marks were left behind, but it was interesting to see how the layering of each branch was picked up by the paper. I really liked the colours created in this one as when I took it out the colour difference was very stark. I also used an old picture frame to keep the plant in place and firmly pressed down on to the paper. 

I really enjoyed exploring these alternative processes and I think I will be looking more in to alternative ways of photo processing not involving using a dark room with the books and videos recommended in the workshop.

Look at :

practical handbook for photographers - peter renn

alternative photographic processes - christopher james

alternative photographic processes - brady wilks

artists and alchemists film - short clips on youtube