Cyanotype photography involves coating paper with a special solution and drying it in the dark. An object is then placed on the paper and exposed to the sun or other UV light to develop. When ready, the paper is rinsed with water to stop the development process. It will turn blue where the light hit the paper but remain white in areas that were blocked out.
The objects laid on the paper might be photo negatives, plants, feathers, lace, stencils or anything else that blocks or changes the way light hits the paper.
Wet cyanotypes use the same process but the coated paper is often first be sprayed with water or diluted vinegar. It may also be covered with soap bubbles and/or sprinkled with salt or other colourants. Exposure time can be hours and the moisture creates a range of unpredictable effects as it develops in UV light (check out Jo Stephen’s website for more on wet cyanotype experiments).
Both forms of cyanotypes can be “bleached” using washing soda and then recoated and exposed to create multiple layers. Or they can be toned by soaking the bleached image in high tannic solutions like tea or coffee.
