Alternative Processes: Lumen Prints
1 12 Share TweetThis week, we’re putting the spotlight on a camera-less photographic process.
To the uninitiated, camera-less photography is an oxymoron. But to those privy to the wonders of the craft, it is a fun and interesting alternative to the usual process of photography. One such process is making lumen prints.
On her guide to photographic alternative processes (lumen prints), Jill Enfield describes the process of making lumen prints, “…by taking sheets of unexposed black-and-white photo paper and placing objects or negatives on top as if you were going to make a photogram, but instead of using an enlarger, you take the paper out into the sun.” It’s a little similar to making cyanotpes, minus the solution.
Aside from photo papers, Fabio Giorgi of Alternative Photography suggests another way of making lumen prints: lumen negatives.
After cutting some frames in a black cardboard paper and picking up some plant parts, I used a Kodacolor 200 to make a first test. (If you want to give it a try, be sure not to forget a pair of tweezers, it gets very hard sometimes to place small leaves over a 35mm frame.)
The film strip was exposed 25 minutes to direct sunlight and immediately fixed, with constant and gentle agitation, for other 5 minutes. The fixer was diluted 1:2. (Although Kodacolor is C-41 process film, I used a general purpose black and white fixer.)
The prints were made by a commercial lab.
Meanwhile, community member @lomodesbro has his own Tipster on making lumen prints. Head to this link and start experimenting yourself!
Information in this article was sourced from Jill Enfield’s Guide to Photographic Alternative Processes on masteringphoto.com and Alternative Photography.
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written by Julien Matabuena on 2015-09-25 #tutorials #tipster #alternative-processes-series #lumen-prints
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