No colours any more, I want them to turn black…

…..or cyanotype….or gum bichromate…..or infrared….or even solarised…..

No chums, I haven’t been at the absinthe or smelling the ether…..They are merely descriptions of various photographic techniques you can use either digitally or manually to create fantastical and wondrous images.

I’d better explain myself….

So there I am, sitting in my college class when my tutors introduce a new topic with the heading “Darkroom vs. Digital”. At first thought, I was thinking it was the latest Pay Per View on Sky Sports, but no – it was a different battle. A war between the paint and the pixel; the computer and the chemical; Steve Jobs & Bill Gates vs Edward Steichen & William Henry Fox Talbot…(although that last battle would have needed one hell of a team of doctors, some witchcraft and a tremendous amount of portable heaters).

So this topic was to find out which method was the best, which one could cut it, which would stand the test of time. The process would involve testing technology against alchemy and then standing back to admire the result. In the red corner, good old reliable Photoshop; maker of worlds, rescuer of blemishes, saviour of over exposures. In the blue corner, many concoctions of various (dangerous and sometimes noxious) chemicals, painted on blank paper and left in the sun…

There are quite a few processes to tell you about so I’m splitting these posts into two parts. Rather like an enormous photography cake. You would be quite sick if you eat the whole cake in one sitting and quite frankly, I’m not cleaning up your mess half way through, so here are the first few slices….

Lets start with a slice of cyanotype.

So what is it? Cyanotype is a mixture of ferric ammonium citrate & potassium ferricyanide (wow, look at me being all sciencey!) and mixed together. When painted onto something like water-colour paper and exposed to UV rays, it produces a strong blue image. This image is my Photoshop equivalent.

Next, let me tell you about cross processing. Not to be confused with cross dressing. Or cross contamination. Or even Criss Cross, the short-lived, pint-sized 80’s rap duo…..

Cross processing is the procedure of deliberately processing a certain type of film in a chemical solution intended for another type of film. Yes. You read it right. Deliberately. Now, before you start doing this –

the process is intentional because it produces unpredictable and interesting combinations of colours. Like this –

That’s cross processing. Pretty cool eh? I would imagine those of you familiar with Instagram (or “Instagramers” I believe you like to be called) are high-fiving each other right at this very minute….

Next, I’m going to peel back the curtains and let you into the world of infrared. Turns out, infrared isn’t just for the likes of MI6 and the C.I.A. You can use it to take some quite fantastic photographs! The human eye cannot see infrared so when you use it in photography, you open up a while new world, new colours that you would otherwise miss.

Here’s my offering –

BTW – he’s not laughing at you…rather than “with” you…

If I said to you “tilt and shift”, would you lean to one side and then move out of the way? Probably. But if you know your photographic terminology, you would know that I’m talking about the process that mimics miniaturisation. Some call it the “toy town” effect. But it gives you much more that just some fancy toys in your picture. It gives you some really quite good shallow depth of field effects too.

Now if you know your lenses, you will know that some tilt / shift lenses are V.Expensive but thanks to your old friend Photoshop, the effect can be replicated digitally and at a fraction of the cost. And now even smartphones are getting in on the act. Here’s my digital delectation –

A miniature Birmingham. Like a little toy town. Not sure if Noddy and Big Ears would get the same reception if they moved here though!

My last slice of this rapidly melting cake of part one deals with the somewhat comically named diptych & triptych. Now before you ask, they are not Slovenia’s entry for Eurovision 2015. Or indeed are they a couple of breeding Chinese pandas. I’ll explain..

A ‘diptych’ is a presentation of two images that have something in common or tell a story with their imagery. A ‘triptych’ is a presentation of three images that do the same. Simple. What’s that? You want an example? Oh, go on then….

A ‘diptych..’

And a ‘triptych..’

So there we are. Are you full? I certainly am. I couldn’t manage another bite. I’ll wrap the rest of the cake in foil and we’ll have the rest later. There’s quite a lot left. There’s some gum bichromate, liquid emulsion, Polaroid lifts and a bit fat piece of selenium!

But for now, I’ll settle for a cup of tea. I think it’s your turn to put the kettle on…..