AlternativePhotography.com is all about historical photographic methods in use today – that means mixing emulsions and coating paper by hand. Learn how to print photographs with these techniques, and share your experiences with others. We are a non-profit organization and rely on contributions from supporting members.
We have spent 23 years and 100 000+ hours developing it. Not one person gets paid to do the work, it’s all done voluntarily.
- Learn: Artists, photographers, and other curious people can learn alternative photographic processes and we will supply the information to learn for free.
- Get inspired: In our galleries, we show artists’ work and encourage them to tell how they work, to inspire others to get hands-on.
- Connect: Make it easier to connect with other photographers working with alternative photographic processes, all over the globe.
How it all started
It all started in 1999 when I, Malin Fabbri (previously Malin Hylén) the editor of AlternativePhotography.com was working on my MA in Design Studies with Alternative photography as my selected subject, at Central St. Martin’s School of Design in London. I spent about 2 years researching the perception of images and how they compare to ordinary stock photography. That’s when I discovered and fell in love with alternative photographic processes. The process I used to do my research was Cyanotypes.
In those days, as far as the theory went it was hard to get hold of written material on the art of Cyanotypes. There were several books on the chemical process – but many dealing with the art of Cyanotypes. I only managed to find a few dusty books that I was privileged enough to have access to in the London Printing Library – including an amazing copy of Anna Atkin’s book on Cyanotypes. Thanks to the internet I was able to ‘talk’ directly to artists and some of them had websites. Just to put it in perspective: back then we used email lists and really slow modems that beeped and the discussion if images should be allowed on the internet or if it slowed it down too much was ongoing.
What was very striking was that everyone I contacted was VERY enthusiastic, sending me information, answering my questions and sharing their knowledge. Their enthusiasm really kept me going for the two years I worked on this project. When it all came to an end, I felt devastated at the thought of putting the results in the loft to gather dust. I had worked hard on collating all the information – some very hard to get hold of – and felt I had to share it with others – as people had shared with me.

The easiest way to share all the knowledge was the internet. I bought the domain name Cyanotypes.com on 8 April 2000 and published my thesis there. Some artists surfed “the net”, found the site, and asked me if I wanted to publish their images there too. I said ‘yes – why not?’ and it all grew from there.
Everyone was not working in Cyanotypes, so the name was misleading so we changed the name to AlternativePhotography.com on 22 November 2000. I never imagined it would take off as it did. In October 2002 – a year and a half later – there were 50 artists represented in the galleries on the site. Today there are many more artists and over 900+ articles on different processes.
So, basically, this is now a site full of information on anything to do with Alternative photography and processes. The site relies on contributions from Supporting Members to cover costs – no one gets paid and it relies on the users (you) to contribute and share knowledge and to participate in the community.
Help us grow even more
We don’t charge for learning and we don’t get paid. We do this because we love doing it – and we also believe learning should be free. We want to do photography as it should be: hands-on, fun and inspiring. We want to make it easier to connect with other photographers working with alternative photographic processes. But we really appreciate it if you help us with the running costs of the site. Please click here to help funding the site or click here to link to us.
We hope you enjoy it.
In the press
- Interview with Malin Fabbri in Cameradiere camera clubs newsletter September 2021, see page 20-21.
- Interview with Malin Fabbri in The Hand Magazine issue 40.
Everyone in the team works on a voluntary basis, without getting paid. They give their spare time to enable others to learn, get inspired and connect. Below are the true heros. There are also many more contributors of articles. Big thanks to all!

Malin Fabbri
Editor
Malin Fabbri founded AlternativePhotography.com in 1999 and continues to work as the Editor and contributor. She is also an author and artist.

Dennis Humprey
Copy editor
Dennis Humphrey is an interdisciplinary artist using digital photography, alternative photography (cyanotype and gum bichromate) as well as contemporary mixed media processes.

Nancy Breslin
Copy editor
Nancy Breslin from Washington, DC, USA works with a variety of techniques, including pinhole, cyanotype and gum.

Peter J. Blackburn
Contributor
Has been working in gum and casein bichromate printing for 30+ years. Represented by Afterimage Gallery, Dallas, Texas, since 2004 and occasional workshops.

Spiffy Tumbleweed
Moderator
Spiffy Tumbleweed lives and works in South Austin, Texas. He works mainly in pinhole photography, but also shares his work in albumen, cyanotype, gum, mordancage and Polaroid SX-70.

Crystal Denke Edwards
Moderator
Crystal Denke Edwards (previously Chrystal Jackson) from Southern California, shows her work in gum bichromated – for us to enjoy.

John Brewer
Moderator
Worked in alternative photography for 25 years and tried many of the alternative/historical processes and teaches gum bichromate and wetplate collodion.

Jalo Porkkala
Moderator
Jalo Porkkala studied photography and works in Finland. He works in just about every alternative process under the sun and shows everything from anthotypes to ziatypes.

Dennis Moser
Moderator
Retired librarian/archivist, musician, and visual artist working mainly in kallitype, argyrotypes and various gum-based processes, using both film and digital devices, while looking for the perfect croissant.
Silvino González Morales
Moderator
Artist and photographer.
The logo is an old symbol for salt. Apart from salt being an ingredient in many of the processes, the handmade feel of the logo also represents the alternative processes. And we like to have fun:

February 11: Talbot’s birthday

February 14: Valentines

March: Frederick Scott Archer published
the collodion process formula in 1851

March 7: Sir John Herschel’s birthday

March 8: Womens international day

March 14: Einstein’s birthday

March 16: Anna Atkins’ birthday

March 17: St. Patrick’s day

March 19-21: Spring equinox

March 22: World water day

March – Earth hour

April 5: Site birthday (born 2000)

April 7: World health day

Easter

April 16: Denmark day

April 23: World book day

April 25: Anzak day

Last Sunday in April:Pinhole day

May 17: Norway day

May 25: Nerd pride day

June 6: Andy Warhol’s birthday



June 6: Sweden day


June 12: UK day


June 21: Midsummer


July 1: Canada day


July 4: Independence day


July 14: Bastille day


August 6: Van Gough’s birthday


August 27: Man Ray’s birthday


September 21: International peace day


September 23: Autumn


October 4-10: World space week


October 27: Roy Lichtenstein’s birthday


Halloween


November 18: Daguerre’s birthday


November 26: Buy nothing day


Thanksgiving


Winter


December 10: Nobel peace prize day


Christmas: 1 advent


Christmas: 2 advent


Christmas: 3 advent


Christmas: 4 advent


Christmas eve: 24 December


Christmas day: 25 December


New Year
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Would never dream of it! 🙂
Thank you Spiffy for all your contributions over the years! And for moderating the Facebook group. 🙂 Much appreciated. And, what you describe is exactly the reason we are here. We love it when people turn off the telly and “get their hands dirty”. 🙂
I am a long time fan of yours and the work you do. You have exposed many thousands of people to the beauty of alternative process photography, and have jump started the hobbies and careers of many thousands more. The original, small but nicely designed website that I found while seeking information on cyanotype really did change my life in that it opened up a world of artistic expression that has served as my primary creative outlet for many years now. Even my pinhole and darkroom/film practice originated with your website and my early work with alternative processes. I think that most of the people practicing alternative process today can trace their beginnings back to you and your website and the FB page in very few steps, very few degrees of separation. And you did it while studying and working, and raising a family, blazing a trail where none had gone before. Very few people have made such an impact in any field, nor have inspired so many others. Congratulations!