I just twittered an update on a couple Lumens I have “cooking” but decided to write something a bit more substantial here. (If you’ve never heard of Twitter, or don’t get it, watch this very informative video: Twitter In plain English. I really like it as a micro-blogging platform and once I’m in grad school I’ll be using it a LOT more I imagine)
I started the two prints at about 3:00 PM on May 3. I set them out in the sun for about 3 hours, and then set them in our garage where they have sat and will sit for however much longer I decide to let them go. The reason is because the previous lumen I did, I had set in my basement for about a month and the plant had begun to grow mold (see the previous post). I really liked the results and the mold added yet one more variable to the already seemingly infinite list.
These new ones that are cooking are on different paper to see what the mold will do to it and so far they both are looking rather neat. One, which is even a different plant than the previous lumen, is doing some pretty interesting things. It had a fairly thick stem which, when I smashed it between the glass, widened substantially. Neither plant is aquatic; I bought them both at The Home Depot for about five dollars, so I’m working with plants that have considerably less moisture than has previously been present. Even with the lower moisture content in the plant, it was still high enough in this particular lumen to seep out into the paper. Mold is growing both on the plant itself, which I was pleased to see, as the plant looked rather dehydrated, and growing on the paper where the moisture seeped, which I was really excited about.
The second one is the same type of plant as is in the previous post, and some really exciting things are happening with it. One of the leaves has withered and shrunk, leaving a ghostly image of where it was. Whether it will show after fixing I don’t know, but I’m excited to find out. This plant had an even lower moisture content than the other plant had (or has?) but it’s growing mold a lot better. And the moisture that is there has fermented (I’m not sure if ferment is really the right word, but it’s the one I’m choosing), and smells really bad and looks utterly disgusting, though you have to stand on the glass to squeeze the muck out of it. I’m hoping it does some different things to the paper which I’ve not achieved on any other prints.
Andy,
I had heard of the Lumen prints from Darren and he told me about your project with them up in Rexburg. I was excited to do a demo in class that actually worked, and gave my students a Lumen print assignment last year. It will become a staple now in my beginning photo arsenal. We used a lot of animal parts and random food. One student did his final portfolio as Lumen prints. He even had a show at Cafe Ibis in Logan with them…might have even sold one.
Anyway, the process is pretty awesome. You’ll have a chance to teach it more when you get to USU (I’m cleaning out part of my darkroom this weekend for you…).
Andy,
Sounds like promising lumens!
I imagine you are getting excited to get going on grad school. I will be following your progress so please keep me ‘posted’ (pun intended - but rather lame).