Cyanotypes?

[wiseowl]

Happy new year.

Thanks again for all the advice, I'll sort out some chemicals and the other bits and bobs soon. My wife has some Windsor and Newton Cotman paper which I can pinch to try out the process. After all, I may decide that it's not really for me, if I get the bug then I can source the more exotic papers.

Cheers

Martin

[wiseowl]

Well, have produced my first cyanotype. Am reasonably please but I think I need a more contrasty negative and better method of exposing. I used a battery powered UV torch, with only one tube. Took about 2 hours and it could possibly have used more time.

Still, it's the first step down the road.

For the record, I bought the Fotospeed sensitiser, (it seemed a good idea to start with something ready made) and used Windsor and Newton cotman paper.

Thanks for all the advice

Martin.

PS Will post a scan once I get my scanner working.

[Davec101]

I’ve been using Mike Wares version and have been happy with the results, when i tried the original process my image disappeared down the plug hole too many times, must have been doing something wrong. Good luck with your cyanotypes its good fun most of the time and has made me want to try other alternative processes.

[wiseowl]

My first effort, I've no doubt I've lots to learn but it's good to have made the first step into alternative processes. Would not have happened without APUG.

Cheers,

Martin

[Vaughn]

If it reproduced accurately on the forum, I would say that it would have benefited with an intensifier bath after development. A brief dunk into a weak bath of Potassium dichromate would deepen the shadows and given more apparent contrast.

"Modern" cyanotype formulas toss in a little Potassium dichromate in the mix (along with Oxalic acid).

Papers that are buffered with an alkiline can be used if given a good soak in a 2% Oxalic acid bath -- I do this for platinum/palladium printing on some papers.

Keep it up!

Vaughn

[wiseowl]

Originally Posted by Vaughn

If it reproduced accurately on the forum, I would say that it would have benefited with an intensifier bath after development. A brief dunk into a weak bath of Potassium dichromate would deepen the shadows and given more apparent contrast.

"Modern" cyanotype formulas toss in a little Potassium dichromate in the mix (along with Oxalic acid).

Papers that are buffered with an alkiline can be used if given a good soak in a 2% Oxalic acid bath -- I do this for platinum/palladium printing on some papers.

Keep it up!

Vaughn

Thanks for the advice, I will say that at this stage of the game I'm going to stick with straight prints until I get a better feel for where I'm going with this. Once I've got to that stage I'll try toning/intensifying etc.

Cheers

Martin

[Jim Noel]

Over the past several years I have made traditional cyanotype prints on a variety of papers including Prachmon WOve, Platine, BFK, Stonehenge, COt 320, and others.

Today as I finished a session testing VDB on Weston Diploma I decided to do a cyanotype on the last piece of paper whcih was cut to size. The negative which had been developed in Pyrocat HD had preinted on VDB in 75 seconds so I tried 4 times as long or 6 minutes.

This is one of the most beautiful cyanotypes I have ever made. I used not oxidizers at any stage, just the very traditional 2 part mixture 1:1. The shadows are almost impenetrable blue and the scale is wonderful.If anything, the printing time could be cut by 5 or 6 seconds to lighten the highlights a touch without resorting to bleaching.

[John_Brewer]

I have to agree with Lukas wholeheartedly, I think Spirits... is a poor book. Richard Farbers book Historic Photographic Processes is IMHO a much better general intoduction into the world of alt processes.

J

[roy]

I like this work, not personally being a lover of the blue image. I believe I might be about to see things differently !

[Phillip P. Dimor]

I use Strathmore drawing 500 for cyanotypes. There is a small book of paper which will fit a 4x5" negative with room for a border. The paper is thin but it handles well. It is also very inexpensive. I buy several books at a time and I am usually broke.