iPhone VanDykes

Allen · Nov 20, 2010

My first real tries at VanDyke printing.
More of my combining 21st century and 19th century photography technology.

Sorry about so much glare of the the Tower image paper. I should pull out my lights and do some proper copies, but these are first try sketch images.

<edit> I swapped out the image of the sunflower for one shot under proper lights (the print is the same, just a better lit image of the same print).

white · Nov 21, 2010

I like the second one alot. Good angle.

Can you explain the process? I'd like to try this.

Allen · Nov 21, 2010

Thanks.
Here are the Cliff Notes to my process:

I captured the original images with an iPhone.
I then converted those to monotone in PS.
Next, I printed the inverted image onto A4 sized transparency film using an ink jet photo printer. I used the transparencies as contact negatives.

The images are printed on rag paper that I coated with VanDyke sensitizer <---that links back to the formula and basic technique I used to coat the paper.

Exposure was accomplished with a contact printer that consists a UV light bank (five, one meter long UV tubes about a foot and a half above the printing surface) which is controlled by a basic timer. I sandwich the coated paper and contact negative between two heavy sheets of glass.

The sensitizers darken during exposure so one is able to examine the print to determine the proper exposure time. I tape one side of the negative to the paper (the large indent on the left side of the images) which allows me, periodically during the exposure, to open my contact frame, lift the negative and check the print. The tape acts as a hinge and the negative flops back into place keeping perfect registration. My exposure times are around 10 mins for VanDykes and 20 mins for cyanotypes.

VanDykes and Cyanotypes are washout processes, so I just use a water bath to develop them.
Neither of these prints are toned nor reduced. Those are the next steps in my learning curve.