New Cyanotypes

[dazedgonebye]

A little out of the norm around here, but I thought I'd post the day's cyanotype prints.

All from digital negatives. The last one was toned in green tea.

 

[Anupam]

Lovely - especially the last one is great. So are these digital negs from 35mm? Could you sa more about making digital negs. I have done cyanotypes from 4x5 only.

 

[jtzordon]

The last one is spectacular!

 

[dazedgonebye]

Thanks guys.
The digital negatives are simply ink jet prints on OHP Transparency film.
The tricky part is getting the density right. Every printer and every set of inks is different. I use a program called chart throb to develop curves in photoshop to get a good negative.

I print the negative out and make a contact print by exposing over a bank of UV lights. Takes about 30 minutes with my set up.

 

[Taqi]

The last one is truely awesome.

 

[erikhaugsby]

What paper stock do you use to make the prints?

 

[EmilGil]

Beautiful! I've been wanting to try cyanotypes for a long time but I just haven't got to it. Better order those supplies now that the dollar is so cheap! 🙂

 

[delft]

Very nice!
Could you explain the toning in green tea please? I really like the result you got.

Dirk

 

[Schlapp]

Like them all - a lot. Green tea is just dandy for toning 🙂

 

[dazedgonebye]

Paper is Arches 140lb hot pressed. I like the hot pressed for better detail. With all the extra time in liquid, the tea toned print is starting to show more texture than normal.

Normally, to tone in tea you give the print a bath in a weak amonia solution (a couple of tablespoons to a quart of water) till it begins to fade just a bit. Then drop it in the tea bath for several hours.
The tea is just 3 or 4 bags of green tea to a quart or so of water allowed to steep covered till it cools.
The tannins in the tea darken they cyanotype chemicals and the tea color stains the lighter portions of the image.

In this case, I neglected to do the amonia bath first and the print was very dark. I tried to recover by using the amonia after the tea and it seems to make for a nice effect. I'm trying again on another print now.

 

[dazedgonebye]

Beautiful! I've been wanting to try cyanotypes for a long time but I just haven't got to it. Better order those supplies now that the dollar is so cheap! 🙂

I visited your home once, on a port call (US submarine).
Lovely place. You would have been about 3 at the time.

I now feel old to death.

 

[sepiareverb]

Lovely stuff. I've not done cyanotypes in years- inspiring!

Those saguaros (sp?) look pretty healthy. The last time I saw any they were not doing well at all.

 

[dazedgonebye]

The cholla flower above, toned in green tea.

 

[dazedgonebye]

Adding a couple of images.

These are cyanotypes toned in coffee. I bleached them a bit in a weak amonia solution first. Still working on getting the right balance.

 

[jayjee]

green tea!

those look fantastic. as soon as i'm done building my darkroom i'll definitely be doing some cyanos and hopefully more plat/pals