A BLUE STORY
Since 2007 I have been fascinated by the Cyanotype. I’m a latecomer to this process, as it was invented in 1842, a mere moment after the invention of photography itself. The Cyanotype was created by Sir John Herschel, a brilliant scientist, mathematician, inventor, astronomer, and photographer. Gotta give him kudos for pushing the envelope of achievement in many of those fields. However, the Cyanotype didn’t take off in popularity and was used primarily for reproducing literal blue prints, drawings, botanical specimens, and other utilitarian functions.
I was lucky enough to collaborate with the design studio Types & Symbols on a project that leveraged the tonal palette and color of this ancient process. Our goal was to create a series of stills and motion studies around the process of making these one of a kind images. The process to make an image involves hand coating water color paper with the solution and developing in water. The resulting image was toned in a variety of household chemicals such as ammonia, borax, and hydrogen peroxide. The images were then digitized for use in the branding of the Sonscreen Film Festival and original prints were given away as prizes to film festival winners.
