Cyanotypes are a low-cost type of photography that prints objects onto a cyan background, creating a white print by using the chemicals ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide.

The process of creating cyanotypes was discovered by a British scientist called Sir John Herschel in 1842 who was originally trying to copy his notes. Using hyposulphite of soda, he’d been able to fix photos in 1839 then discovered that paper coated with ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide then exposed to sun would turn the page to a dark blue colour unless there was an object placed onto the paper that blocked the sun, in this scenario the paper would stay white or tint blue [depending on how much exposure it’s had to the sun].

Despite Herschel’s hard work, Anna Atkins was the first person to produce a photographically illustrated book using cyanotypes which popularized the use of cyanotypes and photographic illustrations in general. Her self-published work [Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions] was detailed, so detailed that species could be distinguished from one another – even with their creative compositions!

Creating Cyanotypes

Using pre-prepared cyanotypes paper [and an interesting selection of flowers, pebbles and plants] I made my own cyanotype. It was a short, yet fun, process that was slightly challenging as the composition couldn’t be changed once the objects were put on the paper without leaving a mark.

Overall, I like the look of my final piece – though I do think I left the paper in the sun too long which made it overexpose, causing the objects to be a pale blue instead of a bright white. I think my composition is visually appealing as there isn’t too much going on [although I do think I could’ve added more objects] and the pebbles fill up the empty spaces, making it look minimalistic which is appealing to a lot of people.

Hamptonne is a country life museum that’s surrounded by trees and fields that shows how life was in Jersey through its farm and houses that date back to the 15th century. It contains a variety of different areas that are available to explore and help inform visitors about Jersey’s past and traditions including the apple orchard, the bakehouse, and many more. Along with this, Hamptonne also has characters dressed in traditional clothing that visitors are able to interact with from Late March through to October such as the spinning ladies.

The farm itself got its name in 1663 when Laurens Hamptonne bought the house and gained several Grants in 1649 due to his support for King Charles II, who was exiled at the time, which gave him permission to rebuild the ‘Colombier’ despite that being something only Jersey Seigneurs could do.

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One of the most popular areas at Hamptonne is the Cider Apple Orchard that has a variety of different apple trees with contrasting flavours which creates a perfect balance for cider making.

Every year Hamptonne prepares for their cider making festival called ‘La Faîs’sie d’Cidre‘ by collecting the apples from their orchard. They offer apple picking sessions throughout the first 2 weekends of October however are limited with the amount of people they can allow per session due to its popularity.

They crush the apples and press the pulp at the farm in order to create their cider and often listen to traditional music whilst enjoying the drink.

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A local photographer, Tom Kennedy, uses natural light in order to make painting-like photos that are similar to the work of 17th Century painters such as Vermeer. He’s visited Hamptonne and photographed there multiple times as he wants people to reflect on their own lives and hopes to move people wiht his work.

Photography, at its core, is a still image that captured a moment in time. Whether it’s a place, person or an object, photography freezes whatever is in front of it’s lens and stores it away until it’s either deleted or viewed by the eyes of many.

It’s often used to preserve moments in time, ensuring they won’t be forgotten and often portrays the world in a certain light, withholding information when necessary in order to present a message.

In order to do this successfully, a variety of elements have to come together and balance each other out such as lighting, angles, if the photo taken in portrait or landscape, whether the photo is blurry or not, how zoomed in the photo is etc. However, how these elements are used can vary depending on the type of photo being taken i.e.: Concert photography is less likely use high angles compared to still life photography.

There are many different types of photography including, but not limited to: portraiture, landscape, street, documentary, fashion, sports, architectural. Each sub-genre of photography make us see the world in a different light due to their diverse topics despite them all being the same at their core [photos].

The close angle that Newman used makes Krupp, an industrialist whose factories manufactured weapons for the Nazis throughout WW2, look intimidating along with Krupp’s pose as it adds to the aggressive tone of the image – his clasped hands give him a look of authority.

The dim, yet warm toned, lighting creates a murky atmosphere that draws attention to Krupp’s face and his almost sinister expression. This was due to the photographer, who was Jewish, wanting revenge against one of many that caused the death of so many of their people. Newman successfully captured a ominous atmosphere especially with the use of one of Krupp’s own factories in the background of the photo which further adds to the hostile tone of the image.

The clarity of the image allows the viewer to fully examine the factory that Newman purposefully left in frame behind Krupp, making sure it was centred. Due to this, the image is balanced which makes it visually appealing to the eye.

My Summer Task