The bright spring days made perfect conditions for lumen prints. With this technique you use darkroom photographic paper (old works best), sandwich objects on it under a pane of glass and expose to the sun for an experimental period of time. The paper incorporates some developing agents so you get a self-developed image after exposure. You then rinse the paper in fixer to dissolve the unexposed silver halides, as is normal with any photo processing, and you have the final image.
The fixing changes the image tones slightly but makes it permanent. Variables to control the final image image include, the paper make and age, the type of fixer used, the exposure time. Moisture can effect the image, activating the inherent developing agent, so with plants you get variable effects.
Although the paper is for black and white prints the outcome is often a lovely shade of brown with beautiful variations showing the finest detail of the plant. You get an almost 3D view as the denser parts of the plant allow less light through and vice versa for the lightest, and parts not on contact with the paper will also create a shadow.
I like the uncertainty of the process and each print is unique. I find them very beautiful.
