Analogue exhibitor Santina Velo – cyantotypes

Title: Nonno 1964 and Dad 1955

Image: Made from a digital negative made from an old family photo using
Print: Cyanotype contact printing
Paper: Fabriano: Hot Pressed Studio Watercolour 300gsm

Cyanotype is the “original” sun-printing process, one of the earliest photographic techniques. Discovered in 1842 and distinctive for producing rich, Prussian blue monochromatic prints, Cyanotype was popular well into the 20th century as an inexpensive method for reproducing photographs, documents, maps and plans (hence the enduring architectural term “blueprint”) and famously, for making impressions of biological specimens in the field (“photograms”).

I have used this sun-printing technique of using the two Cyanotype chemicals to recreate and preserve these treasured family photos of my Nonno and my Dad

Cyanotype is the “original” sun-printing process, one of the earliest photographic techniques. Discovered in 1842 and distinctive for producing rich, Prussian blue monochromatic prints, Cyanotype was popular well into the 20th century as an inexpensive method for reproducing photographs, documents, maps and plans (hence the enduring architectural term “blueprint”) and famously, for making impressions of biological specimens in the field (“photograms”).
I like to preserve botanicals that I collect on my bush walks using this alternative process.
This is a wet Cyanotype. I added lots of soap suds and sprayed vinegar directly onto the fern before I placed the glass over it, then I exposed it in the sunlight for about 20 minutes on a very sunny day.