Anthotypes take a lot of time but little effort.
If I have paper already prepared, it takes only a little time in the morning to find a few subjects, to think about compositions, and to load up the printing frames. The exposures take five or six hours in strong (for New Hampshire) sun. Then, in the late afternoon it takes another small amount of time to disassemble the frames and spray the photograms with sodium carbonate (washing soda) solution. After that the paper has to dry overnight.
The past two days were as bright and sunny as it gets here and I made anthotypes both days. I put the exposure interval on both days to good use doing errands and doing chores… no sitting around for me!
I am out of both turmeric extract and treated paper and I want to get back to making some salted-paper prints. Thus, I think that these may be the last anthotypes for a while.
Additionally, my motivation for making these anthotypes in the first place, the vernal renewal of plants (i.e. new leaves!!!), is rapidly waning… everything is more-or-less fully leafed out at this point.
However, I could change my mind on a whim, so who knows!
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A whim, eh? How about a request to continue?? These are amazing. Sort of reminded me of the herbariums we had to do for our science education classes. I think i might still have mine in the attic:)
Does it have to be plant material? Will the technique work with non-living objects?
Comment by Joe Kennedy — 21 May 2021 @ 12:20 PM
Yes, these are very reminiscent of those pressed plant specimens. Here we keep only the shadow of the specimen, not the object itself.
It doesn’t have to be plant material. Any opaque or probably better translucent object will work. All we are really doing here is keeping the light from fading the yellow pigment in selective ways.
As for a request to continue… duly noted, but no promises! Thanks.
Comment by Frank — 21 May 2021 @ 3:30 PM
No pressure BUT I may have to start a petition to keep you focused on this technique.
So far I have garnered ONE signature – will that do???
Comment by Joe Kennedy — 21 May 2021 @ 7:41 PM