Anna Atkins- Cyanotypes.
Anna Atkins was an English botanist and photographer.
she is considered the first person to publish a book that is illustrated with photographic images. In 1825 she started this interest in plant collecting and botany. In 1839, Atkins became a member of the botanical society. Her father and husband were both friends of William Fox Talbot, who was at that time inventing methods of taking photographs, including one known as the blue print process. Anna Atkins took her first picture around 1881, and some say that she was the first woman to create a photograph.Anna Atkins used her own knowledge and interest in photography to publish a book on algae in Britain, using photographs made by herself to illustrate it. The British Museum featured her plant collection 1865. she died in1871. |
What is a Cyanotype? How are they made?Cyanotypes are a 170 year old printing process that produces a bold cyan-blue print. The process was invented by Sir John Herschel in 1842. Herschel, however did not use cyanotype for photography but instead for taking notes, it was later when Anna Atkins used it for photographic reasons. Also it was used for construction documents called blue prints which we still use today.
To create a cyanotype you place objects onto photosensitive paper and when exposed to the sun or UV light it creates a prussian blue. Where the objects have blocked the sun the paper remains white, showing the outline of your objects. |
My Cyanotypes:
Here are the images I made in my photography class:
Image 1.
This was the first cyanotype I made. The objects didn't come out very clear or sharp and I rubbed the image to much so it smudged the images. The film reel came out the clearest and the shapes of the objects are clear but I think I should have left it in the sun for longer. |
Image 2.
This was the second cyanotype I made. The objects came out clearer and I tried to not smudge the images. I prefer the composition on this one because i took up more of the page. Also I left the the image in the sun for longer so that the white and the blue came out brighter and stronger. |