Have we not all dreamed about packing up, installing a portable lab and taking off? Richard E. Baker actually does it. Follow this series of his 3,000-mile long road trip across USA where he will be making kallitypes in his portable lab in his car. Writer and photography / Richard E. Baker I have always been visually torn between the ephemeral and the eternal. Old buildings draw me in like … Read more
I came across a beautifully illustrated book called The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the first book of photographs and naturally became intrigued. I wanted to know more and set up an interview with the creator Fiona Robinson. Photography and illustrations / Fiona Robinson Interviewer / Malin Fabbri Why a book on Anna Atkins? Fiona Robinson: I’m an author and illustrator of children’s picture books. Before creating The Bluest … Read more
It’s always nice to get recognition in the press! Here is from the latest Silvergrain Classics, issue #17, Winter 2022, an article by Christopher Osborne. Make sure you subscribe to this brilliant magazine. Writer and photography / Name Surname Thank you Christopher!
Anna Atkins was a botanist, scientist and the first person to use photography in a book. In 2021 Rolf Sachsse published a book on Anna Atkins called Anna Atkins: Blue Prints. Rolf Sachsse is a professional writer, and mainly writes in German, but the book on Anna Atkins is in both English and German. Photography / Rolf Sachsse What inspired you to write a book on Anna Atkins? Rolf Sachsse: … Read more
Sabina Suru is one of the founders of Allkimik Photographic Association, an NGO based in Romania that focuses on analogue, alternative and experimental photography projects. We find out a lot about both Sabina Suru and Allkimik projects in the answers. Photography / Sabina Suru, Simona Deaconeascu and Alex Spineanu Tell us a little about yourself Sabina Suru: I’m an artist from Romania. I guess I always wanted to be just … Read more
The creation of a music video made from cyanotypes by the 3 artists: Dan Hermouet, alternative printer, godo yorke, singer and composer and Kotryna Daraškevičiūtė, video artist. The trio made their own negatives and photo-sensitive paper and printed about 7000 cyanotypes with self-made UV light box made from drawers. The prints then were washed in water, snow and immersed in river water, then finally put back into a video. Writer … Read more
Enthusing young minds gives young people in East Yorkshire the opportunity to experience photography using historic alternative photographic processes and methods. Photography / Chris G. Smith, Megan Doyle, Tanya Riley, Clare Doyle, Izzy Riley and Demi Welham How did the “Enthusing young minds” project start? Chris G. Smith: I am the proud owner of a large collection of vintage cameras. I hate the idea of cameras just being used as … Read more
The FIRST EVER World Anthotype Day is now over, and I must say it was a success! We really hope you enjoyed it too! 100+ artists (!!!) from 31 countries (!!!) took part. Go make a cup of coffee, and take your time to enjoy all the wonderful work – and explore even more on the videos and links below. 👉 To get more info on the images in the … Read more
During World Anthotype Day 2022 artists were encouraged to send in videos to present themselves and their work. They did. Watch the inspiring anthotype work! 👉 If you subscribe to the anthotype newsletter you will be notified for the next World Anthotype Day. 👉 The anthotype emulsion database 👉 This year’s gallery: 👉 If you can, please help us fund the day for the price of a coffee. Featuring in … Read more
Christina Z. Anderson is the editor of Routledge‘s book series Contemporary Practices in Alternative Process Photography with so far no less than 9 titles (update: now 11) on alternative photographic processes, and more coming. Malin Fabbri interviews Christina Z. Anderson. Photography / Christina Z. Anderson, Kelly Gorham Between writing books, doing workshops, teaching and printing your own images, how do you find the time to edit 9 books? Christina Z. … Read more
Cyanogifts – a collective from Macedonia – channel their creativity into placing art on everyday objects, like their cyanotype tote bags. How did Cyanogifts start? Cyanogifts was an idea that started from our love for alternative photographic processes. The idea is fairly old, yet, as we say, the star constellations were not adequate to make it happen. “We wanted to place our love and passion for cyanotypes into something practical, … Read more
An interview with Ben Garfinkle, President of the Foundation for Photographic Preservation. FfPP is an online resource for collections with artistic, historic, or cultural values that are in jeopardy of being lost to future generations. What was the original idea of the founder Albert C. Weber (1930-2016)? Al Weber got wind that the entire archive of a good friend of his who had passed, Steve Crouch, was on its way … Read more
Why would an artist be concerned with ways to make photography more sustainable and how could such query transform one’s artistic practice? Curious writer Miglė Markulytė interviews photographer Dan Hermouet to reveal how he cooks photography by distilling pigments from a river, scrubbing off the rust from old tools, and mixing special photo-sensitive solutions with curds. Writer / Miglė Markulytė Photography / Dan Hermouet “A good chef can not only … Read more
World Cyanotype Day 2021 is now over. 427 cyanotypes were entered in our online gallery – and really made the day. There is just so much inspiring work! We would love to get your feedback on the event, please comment below! Make a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy the show. These are the links where you can find inspiration. See this year’s Gallery here: 👉 https://www.alternativephotography.com/gallery/gallery-by-process/world-cyanotype-day-2021-gallery-rejuvenation/ See artists … Read more
Edd Carr has created what may be the first cyanotype video. He was commissioned by Globe town Records in London to make a music video for Tycho Jones, and did so making over 5000 frames in cyanotypes and animating them. The music is melodic and has a nice beat and the cyanotypes are stunning. The video also deals thematically with birds and their relationship to culture and the climate crisis. … Read more
Elizabeth Opalenik shares her love of the Mordançage process and discusses memorable workshop stories from her new book featuring over 100 iconic photographers. Writer and photography / Elizabeth Opalenik Why is mordançage your favorite process? Elizabeth Opalenik: When something strongly resonates with you in photography you tend to remember your first encounter. I was mesmerized in 1982, the first time I held a mordançage print of crystallization and photogram from … Read more
Many of you (30 000 as of April 2021) are already members of the AlternativePhotography.com Facebook group. Meet the moderators – the heroes that keep the group on topic. In the past we tried forums running forums – that got littered with spam and an unmoderated group – same story, then volunteers stepped in and started moderating the AlternativePhotography.com Facebook group, now we can all enjoy a spam-free on topic … Read more
Leanne McPhee is the author of Chrysotype: A Contemporary Guide to Photographic Printing in Gold find out how Leanne McPhee came to write the book on chrysotype. This volume is the seventh in the Routledge Alternative Process series, edited by Christina Z. Anderson and published by Routledge. Photography / Leanne McPhee, Mark Goddard Interview with Leanne McPhee What is your favorite process and why? Leanne McPhee: Having always had an affinity … Read more
Platinotype: Making Photographs in Platinum and Palladium with the Contemporary Printing-out Process is the complete book on Platinotypes with the work of 40 artists using the platinotype. Read the interview with the authors Pradip Malde and Mike Ware. Photography / Pradip Malde, Mike Ware and Rachel Malde. This volume is the ninth in the Routledge Alternative Process series, edited by Christina Z. Anderson and published by Routledge. Pradip Malde interviewed … Read more
