The Cyanotype process is nearly the first in photography! It is simple. Mix ferric ammonium citrate with potassium ferricyanide in a powder form, add water and wait until tomorrow. In a dark place, paint the surface of some absorbent paper and leave it in the dark until tomorrow. If it is a cloudy day or a foggy day you need to wait until the next sunny day, keeping your paper in the dark always. When the sun is shining and high in the sky, you can begin exposing. Considering the wind and shade that is cast, you create your composition and estimate your exposure time. After 20-30 minutes, wash the piece in water and a peroxide bath then carefully lay out your indigo blue image to dry. With this process, I’ve worked on paper and fabric up to 7’ in size. To reach back into the past of early photography in this unique process is captivating.
