What is a Cyanotype?

A cyanotype is a photographic printing process that produces a cyan blue print. It was discovered in 1842 by the British scientist Sir John Herschel. The process remains the same today, producing a white image on a deep blue background.

Cyanotypes as a Science

This process uses a mixture of two iron compounds(ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide), which when exposed to UV light and washed in water oxidise to create Prussian Blue images.

Cyanotypes as an Art Form

Engineers and architects in the 20th century used it as a simple and low cost process to produce copies of drawings (blueprints).

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Anna Atkins

Anna Atkins was an English botanist and photographer born in 1799, Tonbridge, United Kingdom. She was the first person to illustrate a book with photographic images in 1843 (Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions).

Her innovative use of new photographic technologies merged art and science, and exemplified the exceptional potential of photography in books.

Atkins applied a mixture of UV-sensitive iron compounds to plain paper, then placed a dried botanical specimen and a label against the newly light-sensitive paper.

How to create Cyanotypes

What you’ll need:

• pre-prepared cyanotype paper
• a piece of cardboard
• glass sheet
• an interesting range of objects like, feathers and leaves
• water
• sunlight

How to do it:

• put the paper on top of the carboard
• arrange your objects in an interesting way
• put the glass on top so that the objects don’t fly off
• leave in the sun for a bout a minute or two
• when the paper is white, put it in the water to stop it from processing for a bout two minutes
• then let it dry

My Cyanotype

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This is what I did during my visit at Hamptonne. I collected twigs, leaves and feathers from around the farm, then randomly place them on my paper. I left it in the sun for two minutes to process, then in water for another two and lastly to dry. I don’t really like it because think I left it in the sun for too long which made it too dark and hard to see the objects.