Photo Active
Sun prints and a safari session are just two of this month’s new photo projects
The historic cyanotype process was used well into the 20th century as a simple and cheap way to produce copies of drawings and photos, known as blueprints.
In this project we’ll be ditching the digital camera and replicating this bold cyanotype process using specialised paper (the brand we used was called Sunprint) that has already been coated with light-sensitive chemicals. The paper is both safe and fun, and can be used
to make ‘sun art’ using leaves, flowers or any other objects you choose. Those with a recognisable outline tend to work best. To make a Sunprint, you place the object on the paper, leave it in a bright spot for a few minutes, then remove and rinse it in tap water for a minute in order to fix the chemicals.
The stronger the sun, the quicker the paper develops, though you don’t need full summer sun to make a print. A bright windowsill or overcast daylight works too, just leave it out a little longer…
1 Gather objects
First things first, decide what you’re going to lay on your paper for printmaking. I visited some botanical gardens and picked leaves and stems with clear outlines – the final print is twotone, so interesting sillhouettes are best. You could press your own flowers, or use keepsakes that are personal to you, and frame the final prints for wall art or gifts.
2 Assemble and expose
Grab your Sunprint kit (found online or at big craft shops), plus a tray of water. Arrange the objects on a piece of Sunprint paper out of the reach of the sun, either inside or just in the shade. Next, place the acrylic sheet on top to flatten and hold your items to the Sunprint paper. Leave your setup in the sun to develop until most of the colour disappears from the paper and it turns from blue to white.
3 Rinse, fix and dry
Once exposed, rinse your Sunprint in water and watch the white tones turn into blue and the blue to white. To get the deepest tones the paper can give, leave it in water for one to five minutes. Just as the sun’s light stimulated a chemical change in the previous step, the water stimulates another here. Lay your Sunprint flat to fully dry (we used the acrylic sheet for this) and you’re finished!