The Last Vestige of Fall

[Chris_Calohan]

Critique Style Requested: Initial Reaction

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Questions to guide your feedback

Doing botanical cyanotypes, while there is some control over the placement of the materials, what happens during the exposure process is often fraught with surprise. To challenge my own deliberate placement, I wonder how you will respond. I am not sure if this is a challenge to what I had in mind as much as what draws others, and why.

Other Information

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Image Description

I visited a friend in Athens, Ohio at the end of October while the leaves were still showing color but it was obvious, winter was about to knock on the door. There were things growing there I have no access to here, so a packed a few for the ride home.

Technical Details

This is a cyanotype made from botanical items. Other than the oak leaves, I have no idea as to the ID of anything else. For this image, I coated the paper (HPR) with a liberal amount of Cyanotype chemistry, placed the botanicals, sprinkled a bit of paprika, turmeric, black sea salt, dill weed, then spritzed with vinegar before dousing with soap bubbles and covering with saran wrap. All this is sandwiched between two heavy pieces of glass, clamped down, then put in the sun for three hours. Processing is done in 7ph water, given a spritz of hydrogen peroxide, rinsed and hung up to dry.

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[Don_Peters]

It’s an interesting and appealing composition, Chris. The colors are effective but not autumnal; I wouldn’t have thought of autumn if you’d chosen a different title.

The large maple-type leaf makes an impact, as does what I take to be a seedpod. The foliage on the right has less of a graphic presence.

Good one.

[Don_Peters]

Now that I’ve read how you did it I’m intrigued by the process.

[Chris_Calohan]

Hi, Don. Thanks for the input. I was going for the yellows against a blue sky as what I experienced in Ohio. Here in NW Florida, we get very little in the way of foliage color in the fall. I’ll think about that tomorrow when I make my newer prints. Alternative processes

Cyanotype has come a long way since Talbot back in the late 1840’s. I often tone with a variety of natural plant solutions such as Tannic Acid, Oak Gall, Green and Black Teas, coffee and even carrot juice. My latest foray into cyanotype is making two and three color layers using tannic acid and coffee together, though first bleaching with sodium carbonate (essentially Borax laundry soap). Here is an example though not quite where I wanted to end up. Call this one:
“Winter Gives No Quarter to Fall’s Last Offering”

[Don_Peters]

I like the second one a lot. Keep this up.

[Chris_Calohan]

Thanks, Don. Working on several more today. It’s actually a three day process as each toner needs to sit overnight before adding a new toner layer. I try to do three at a time so I always have something to do.

[Bonnie_Lampley]

Cool! The potential randomness of surprises occurring during exposure is appealing to me. I’ve never done cyanotypes - may have to give it a try. Thanks for describing your process and the link to alternative processes. It sounds fun!

Both of yours are lovely. The first one feels more like summer at the seashore to me, even though the leaf looks like a maple leaf. It’s the colors.

The second feels more like autumn, again because of the colors.

[Chris_Calohan]

Here is another one I finished today with a slightly different process. The instructions on how to make one are shown here:

I started with a regular cyanotype print which I let sit overnight, then bleached with 3 tbsp of sodium carbonate in 1000 ml distilled water for five minutes then put in a bath of water with 2 tbsp of white vinegar to stop the bleaching process, then rinsed. Next, I made a solution of tannic acid and coffee (5tbsp tannic, two tbsp of instant coffee) but rather than use it as directed, I cut it into a third proportion (333ml tannic solution to 666ml water) and added a 1/4 tsp of citric acid to help clear the whites and let it soak for 8 minutes before rinsing thoroughly. Next, I hand applied some more cyanotype solution to specific parts of the image, applied a touch of turmeric and paprika, some more botanicals, covered with glass and set in the sun for 2 hours. Lastly, rinsed for 15 minutes and hung up to dry. Tomorrow, I will wax it.

[Bonnie_Lampley]

Oooh, I like this third one because of the three colors instead of two.