cyanotypes again

Been playing with the chemicals again, this time some cyanotypes. Love this one. It came out a bit feint but a quick slosh in warm white tea and a lovely lavender tone appeared. Love it!

On a totally unrelated note, it is really beginning to annoy me when people talk of personal 'success' solely in terms of economics or put another way, conspicuous consumption. Surely personal success is more related to how one lives one's life and how we feel about that rather than merely how much we can be seen to buy.

Peat-Bank Man

Hewn from the soil and snapped with my Ziess Ikon folder, this image of a fellow peat-cutter here in North Tolsta was taken one sunny morning. The print is a cyanotype toned with tannic acid.

Crakin day

Despite the variable weather - sunshine one moment, snow the next, Eve & i have had a really nice day. Firstly we followed the dogs on a walk down the Creed to the sea where we shot some film. Its such a wonderful spot and it was lovely to see so many people out enjoying the fresh air and the brightness. Then on the way home we noticed the tide was waaaay out so, we stopped at Gress and walked out to the rocks where the seals live. Then it snowed again and we came home and lit the fire.
I decided to make some cyanotypes; here's one of a friend of my sisters - Ron. The print is dark and moody and toned with coffee!

While I have my foot up...

I'm playing around with cyanotypes and what have you. Here's a nice tea-toned image [well, I think its nice] from South Lochs way. And another of our local Post Office - now thankfully saved from the cuts!

yep.

People seem to think all is fantastic with islands - and in the main it is. We have three beaches near our village with miles of clean golden sand and waves all year round for surfing on. The people here are lovely and welcoming, the roads are quiet and there is little need to lock ones doors.
However, the island does have its own issues to contend with and here you can see a recent story reagding drugs and the little drug-finding dog. And it rains. Not all the time mind you but when it does there are often high winds too to blow one away and drive you back to the fireside. The feries get cancelled and the electricity gets cut off - not to mention the broaband. And I love it!
Anyway, here's a cyanotype of a neg I took in Mossley Lancs. Enlarged neg on OHP injet film and printed art paper.

Trad Neg

Here's my first cyanotype using a traditional film neg. In this case its a 5x7 neg taken with the FKD plate camera- Forte 200 in ID-11 - printed on cartridge paper and toned in Fairtrade coffee. Kiev and FED rangefinders posing.

Cyanotype over pigment inks - experiment

Another Cyanotype

Not toaking too many photos at the moment but using what energy I have to make these alternative prints. Toned in Fairtrade coffee.

Two fast boys - in the blue[ish]

I used to work in cycling - at the Manchester Velodrome for my sins. It did however, give some fine chances to snap some nice people. Here is a prime example of a fine chance - badly done. Still, the slightly off-focus image looks fine as a Cyanotype - or will do when I get a better print out. This particular one is toned wuth green tea and on cartridge paper.

Oh, and the boys are right- Graeme Obree - former World Hour Record holder and
Left- Michael Hutchinson, - multi GB national champion and author of The Hour; Immortality the hard way.

Playing with Cyanotypes

I love cyanotypes. Lets get that straight. Not the bright blue ones you usually see but lovely toned ones like this .
So, armed with an enlarged digital negative from a 6x9 neg taken in Saddleworth with my very good chum Jon, I set to work. Now, I only have some Bockingford watercolur paper that Mum sent me in the vain hope I may paint - and, in the past I have not had good success with this stuff. Liam Lawless emailed me to say that one needs to soak the paper in acid. The only acid I had was stop bath. And it works.
I coated when the paer was still damp, exposed under UV lamp for two hours and 'developed' in water and peroxide.
Ok, it is blue. But I will print another and tone in coffee. Or tea, or herbs.

Cyanotypes