My Idea for Project One Early Process

 After learning and trying out various techniques I took an interest in photograms. I love my image that turned out of a model and words being flashed across her face so I decided to come up with a similar idea, to demonstrate that.
My image that inspired me:

I choose option 3 which would be 3 images with words through. Mine three stages of life; a baby, middle aged adult, and grandparent with the same song shown through the image. The song I choose was " I lived" by One Republic, because I think it works with all three images and represent the message of life; living , which is what we see as the picture progresses to older stages. 

Cyanotype Process and Pictures Old and New

 Since in class were learning about cyantopes, I decided to post the process and what it is. I did one last friday that turned out and it looked very cool but I whish my image was centerd. As said below, I did a similar process where I picked out a transperacy laid it on paper with Potassium ferricyanide and Ferric ammonium citrate put glass over my image and laid it out in the sun for about a half and hour. 

What it is:

Unlike photographs set in silver, like in black and white photography, cyanotypes are using a solution of iron compounds.

The photograph can be taken with a camera, like a digital camera, and the resulting photo turned into a negative that can be used to make a cyanotype.

The basic cyanotype recipe has not changed very much since Sir John Herschel introduced it in 1842. However, some advances have been made by Mike Ware in what is referred to as the New cyanotype process. Ware’s cyanotype formula has less bleed, shorter exposure times and a longer density range than Herschel’s, but it is also slightly more complicated to mix and uses more toxic chemicals.

The Process:

Mixing chemicalsThe cyanotype is made up of two simple solutions.

• Potassium ferricyanide and Ferric ammonium citrate (green) are mixed with water separately.

• The two solutions are then blended together in equal parts.

• Paper, card, textiles or any other naturally absorbent material is coated with the solution and dried in the dark.

• Objects or negatives are placed on the material to make a print. The cyanotype is printed using UV light, such as the sun, a light box or a UV lamp.

• After exposure the material is processed by simply rinsing it in water. A white print emerges on a blue background.

• The final print is dried and admired.

Preparing the canvas

Printing the cyanotype

Processing and drying

Photography 3-4 Old Process/New Artist

While looking at all the old processes their were many that caught my eye, yet I really liked the Ambrotype. A process which is still being done yet has a very vintage vibe. When I was looking up photos their were multiple that caught my eye that had a similar thing in common; no frame.

The process is :

There were two stages to producing an ambrotype:

A.  Create a wet collodion negative.
     See steps 1 to  8 of the Wet Collodion Process.

1. Dissolve gun-cotton ether to produce collodion.  Alcohol was also required at this stage.
2. Add bromides and iodides to the collodion mixture and coat one side of the glass plate, to achieve an even coating of collodion.

Some early reports describe the solution as sticky and having to be spread onto the glass plates.   

Ken Watson describes it as thinner than water, and says that it was poured onto the glass plate.

3. Sensitise the glass plate.  This was done by placing it  for two minutes in a "silver bath".  This was usually a light-tight container containing silver nitrate dissolved in water.
4. Transfer the plate, in a darkroom, under a red safelight, into a plate holder, then transfer the plate holder into the camera.
5. Take the photo while the coating just wet and very delicate.  An exposure of  several seconds would be required - perhaps 3 sec at f16.
6. Develop the wet negative.

Originally,  pyro-gallic acid was used as developer.

Later, in the 1860s, the developer used was ferrous sulphate (15gm), acetic acid (14ml), alcohol (14ml), water (400ml)

7. Fix in hypo or a cyanide solution, rinse and dry.
8. Coat with a gum sandarac varnish to help to protect the collodion layer.

B   Present the negative against a dark background: 

1.  Selectively bleach the negative (if necessary)

2.  Provide a black background, either by painting the back of the glass with shellac or mounting the the glass on top of black velvet.

3.  Mount in a case behind glass, as for daguerreotypes. 

Two of the artist I found who still work on Ambrotypes are Davide Rossi an Italian artist and Ellie Young from Victoria Australia. I really like the look of their pieces and the objects they used.