AlternativePhotography.com run World Anthotype Day every year. Read how World Anthotype Day started and how to take part in World Anthotype Day. Join the anthotype newsletter and you will be notified.
How World Anthotype Day started
The initiative of World Anthotype Day was started here, by us, after sending out the Anthotype Day survey and getting an overwhelmingly positive response. The core team for the first year consists of Malin Fabbri, the editor of this website, and Dennis Humphrey, both of us working on a voluntary basis. We will also need to hire developers to help with the technical aspects of the database, and students to help during the event itself, given all the hours it takes to keep the social media channels updated. We hope to expand the team of volunteers over the years.
Before you ask, Anthotype Day and World Anthotype Day are the same thing. The official name is World Anthotype Day to emphasise that it is a global event. The dates of World Anthotype Day so far are:
- First World Anthotype Day: 20th of August 2022 – theme “Hope”
- Second World Anthotype Day: 19th of August 2023 – no theme, instead the mission is to find unusual plants for emulsions
- Third World Anthotype Day: 17th of August 2024 – the mission is to find unusual plants to make anthotypes.
- Fourth World Anthotype Day: 25th of October 2025 – the mission is to find unusual plants to make anthotypes. Please note the date has changed from August to October.
- Fifth World Anthotype Day is planned for 31st of October 2026. It will open for entries from 1st of August – 31st of October 2026.
Hopefully, with your support, every year, on the last Saturday in October.
Since anthotypes can have a very long exposure time and are also dependent on UV light for exposure—which differs, depending on where in the world you are — we encourage participants to start working on their image sooner rather than later. There will not be a specific theme; instead, we encourage you to EXPERIMENT and find UNUSUAL emulsions.
How to participate, what to enter, and the deadline
- All artists are welcome to enter the World Anthotype Day, experienced anthotypers as well as beginners.
- The event will open for entries on from August. Here is how to enter.
- New to Anthotypes? Learn more in this article about Anthotypes or the first book on anthotypes: Anthotypes – Explore the darkroom in your garden and make photographs using plants. Once you are ready to dive deeper, check out the book: Anthotypes – The Complete Guide to Making Photographs with Plants and Sunlight
This day will be a little different from other days…
If you have taken part in World Cyanotype Day or World Pinhole Day before, you know the drill. BUT, with World Anthotype Day, we don’t want it to be just a day, and then it’s over. We want to build on something that can be used by Anthotypers for a long time. This is what happens:
- Artists are encouraged to send in work, BUT the Anthotypes is published in an online database of emulsions that artists can search and use over time.
- Like the other days, we will also publish it on the social media channels for AlternativePhotography.com.
- In addition to this, there will be a book. The previous year’s books from earlier events can be found here.
We had so many good suggestions in the survey, so hopefully, this event will grow over the years, and others all over the world will also have events of their own.
Official hashtags
The official hashtags for the day that we will be posting under are:
#worldanthotypeday. Also tag us in your Insta posts: @alternativephotography_com
You can also use: #anthotypeday
Theme: World Anthotype Day does not have a theme, instead a mission!
The new theme is no theme, but a MISSION to find unusual emulsions: The first year, we set a theme, but going forward, we simply encourage you to EXPERIMENT and find UNUSUAL emulsions. The mission is to grow our communal database.
The theme in 2022: Hope: The first year we set a theme; after 2 years of a pandemic, with lockdowns, loss and restrictions, the tragic start of a war in Europe that will have consequences we are not yet even aware of, as well as the ongoing environmental crisis, Dennis Humphrey came up with a most fitting theme for this year during a planning meeting. The theme will be HOPE, because that’s what we thought the world needed… Hope.
Why has World Anthotype Day changed date?
After receiving feedback from artists, in 2025, we pushed the World Anthotype Day event to October. We surveyed artists worldwide, and 99% believe that October works better. While weather conditions vary globally, participants can still create their prints anytime between the LAST World Anthotype Day (summer of 2024) and the current event. If you prefer to work in August, feel free to make your print then. Just send it before the third Saturday in October, the new deadline, which is the 25th of October 2025.
Why October works better:
- Artists often need more time to expose their prints, which August doesn’t allow
- Many are on holiday during August and can’t focus on their prints
- Some of the berries, flowers, and fruits used in anthotypes are not yet ripe in August
- Photo festivals are often held during the summer, making it difficult to find time to print
- World Photography Day falls on the 19th of August, and could clash with the event; this way, you’ll have World Photography Day in August, World Cyanotype Day in September, and World Anthotype Day in October
The choice is yours – print anytime during the year, but make sure it’s sent in before the deadline!
Previous World Anthotype Days
2025
- The anthotypes: World Anthotype Day gallery 2025 the Movie (coming)
- The how-to: Emulsion Database 2025, the Artists’ presentations (coming), and the Book (planned for 2026)
2024
- The anthotypes: World Anthotype Day Gallery 2024 the Movie
- The how-to: The how-to: Emulsion Database 2024, the Artists’ presentations and the Book
2023
- The anthotypes: World Anthotype Day Gallery 2023 the Movie
- The how-to: The how-to: Emulsion Database 2023, the Artists’ presentations and the Book
2022
- The anthotypes: The anthotypes: World Anthotype Day 2022 Gallery the Movie
- The how-to: The how-to: Emulsion Database 2022, the Artists’ presentations and the Book
In the press
The Hand magazine issue 50 features World Anthotype Day!
“Now in its fourth year, World Anthotype Day is a celebration of this botanical art form. Created by Malin Fabbri, editor of AlternativePhotography.com, the initiative has grown into a vibrant, annual collaboration.”
Of course, we also hope that you join in the fun!
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World Anthotype Day
World Cyanotype Day
Dear Alex, We remember your pieces.
We’re intrigued. You do know anhthotype means “Flower print” right? 🙂
hi! I participated in the first two events but have unfortunately relocated temporarily to a studio apartment with no yard/big windows and much further north.
I have an anthotype I made last year that will definitely qualify as UNUSUAL in that it’s not made a dye derived from a plant or an animal … also not a mushroom ;)… and I would love to contribute it but it was made slightly over a year ago. I have scans from when it was first completed and now as well (the dye color has really held up!)
would it be ok to submit this anthotype even though it is older than the usual guideline of the last 12 months? … I would wager a good deal of money that most people would not even be aware my “source” could produce a dye (let alone of the color it has).
sadly, between work and no longer having a huge sunny lawn in Texas to use, I’m not sure I’ll be able to do more anthotypes this summer although I’ve been coating papers with different dyes in anticipation of when I can resume.
Hi Alex,
We won’t limit creativity, feel free to use as many as you like. Though we’ll have to figure out how/what to list it as in the database and/or the encycloepedia. 🙂
Question! Must the image be made with one plant/pigment or are multiple allowed (in combination or in separate sections of the submission,), if everything is exposed at the same time?
Thank you, this is very exciting
Thank you for the panel discussion! Yes, an appropriate topic. Hope to see you on Anthtoype day!
Glad to have inspired you! See you on the 20th of August!
I am thrilled about this! ❤️ My anthotype-making skills have grown a great deal and yes – I bought and have learned from Malin Fabbri’s book!
Thank you for establishing World Anthotype Day, especially with the refreshing message of ‘HOPE’!
Creating Anthotypes from the garden was good way to cope with the pandemic shut down.