I just uploaded a blog post about James Hajicek and Carol Panaro-Smith over at 52Photographers.com. A lot of what they say in their artist statement is exactly what I feel about the process, especially this statement:
In trying to strip everything extraneous from the photographic process and get to the very magic at its source, we have found ourselves in an arena ruled by serendipity, elusive mysteries, fugitive images, and the ruling master of all – the ultimate impermanence of everything. (emphasis added)
These two work collaboratively, and hand coat paper, as opposed to my process of using commercially made photo paper.
Last weekend I made a few Lumens, one of which I had placed the plant and paper in the glass, then left it in my basement for over a month. It received no direct exposure to the sun, but the reflected UV rays still exposed it a little.
The most exciting thing about this particular plant/print, is due to it sitting for so long, the stem of the plant began to grow mold, which attacked the emulsion of the paper. It also created a very dark “halo” around that area of the plant.
I’ve started experimenting with magnifying glasses as well, as a way to “burn in” areas of the plant, and even burn the paper and plant itself. This way it puts me back in the darkroom in a way, except in a much slower and longer period of time, as “burning” takes a lot of time for there to be any noticeable change. Overall it’s pretty fun and the process becomes more interactive than it already is.