Nature Inspired Handmade Photography

Handmade photography refers to photographic processes used prior to the invention of analogue film. These often forgotten processes allow us to print physical objects using natural sunlight. Anna Atkins, the first woman to publish a photographic book, used cyanotype chemicals (now most commonly recognised as architectural blue prints) to print and catalogue seaweed species found around the coast of the UK. Inspired by her work, students will create beautiful blue nature prints by foraging for plants at Lindow Common and print them with cyanotype chemicals and the sun. 

Students will also experiment with how to make eco-friendly photographic developers from the plants themselves, and take photo-sensitive paper home to create “anthotypes” with the skills they have developed in session. Anthotypes, although lacking the longevity of cyanotypes, propose a more eco-friendly route forward in experimental photography.

Morning: History & Foraging

• 10:00 am – The "Blue Print" Beginnings: Start with a short talk on the history of handmade photography and the work of Anna Atkins. You will coat your own paper with cyanotype chemicals to dry.

• 11:00 am – Nature Walk: We head to Lindow Common for a guided foraging session.

• Botanical Finds: We’ll look for plants with interesting shapes to print, as well as species that can be turned into natural photographic developers.

• Wild Tea: If in season, we will gather gorse flowers to brew a fresh tea back at the Guild.

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Afternoon: Creating Your Prints

• 12:00 pm – Lunch Break: Return to the Guild to drop off your foraged materials and enjoy your lunch.

• 1:15 pm – Cyanotype Printing: Use the afternoon sun to expose your compositions. You'll learn how to arrange your plants and rinse the paper to reveal beautiful, deep-blue nature prints.

• 2:45 pm – Eco-Friendly Anthotypes: Discover how to make "Anthotypes" using light-sensitive solutions made from plants like spinach and turmeric. You will coat papers in these solutions to take home and finish in your own time.

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Wrap Up

• 3:30 pm – Sustainable Art: A brief discussion on the environmental impact of these processes.

• 4:00 pm – Workshop Close: Depart with your finished blue prints and the skills to continue creating at home.

What to Expect

In Laura’s workshops, students transition from a historical appreciation of pioneers like Anna Atkins to hands-on experimentation in the field. Her sessions typically blend outdoor foraging with studio work, encouraging students to develop a "decolonial relationship with the natural world" through the tactile, slow-paced art of historical printmaking

Materials: Included in fee