Coffee and other processes
Hand-tinted photographs
Early photographers used dyes, inks and paints to add colour to their images, not only to reflect the world around them, but to give emphasis to details that would sometime disappear in a monochrome image. After watching a demonstration by my friend Marianne Priest, I decided to try the technique myself. Here are a few of my earliest experiments with this process.
Caffenol
I've been using instant coffee as a print developer for the past several years, partly because I had been told it wouldn't work. Read my article about the process here. Like a pair of blue jeans, each coffee print is unique. The flaws in the print give each its individual character, and are impossible to reproduce. The same applies to some extent to cyanotype prints. (see below)
I've been using instant coffee as a print developer for the past several years, partly because I had been told it wouldn't work. Read my article about the process here. Like a pair of blue jeans, each coffee print is unique. The flaws in the print give each its individual character, and are impossible to reproduce. The same applies to some extent to cyanotype prints. (see below)
Cyanotypes
The Cyanotype process dates back to the mid-19th Century experiments of Sir John Herschel. Depending on the strong IR rays of a summer's day, this is a perfect activity to to try when you have kids over for a summer barbeque. Over the years, I've produced dozens of cyanotypes, and I really enjoy the process. I started with the typical "place the flower on the treated sheet" technique and soon moved on to digital negatives, and more recently, large-format negatives, which is where this process excels.
The Cyanotype process dates back to the mid-19th Century experiments of Sir John Herschel. Depending on the strong IR rays of a summer's day, this is a perfect activity to to try when you have kids over for a summer barbeque. Over the years, I've produced dozens of cyanotypes, and I really enjoy the process. I started with the typical "place the flower on the treated sheet" technique and soon moved on to digital negatives, and more recently, large-format negatives, which is where this process excels.
