Cyanotypes:

I attempted some more cyanotypes on materials such as water colour paper and calico, I used some images from my camera and inverted them using photoshop. My first attempt wasn't very successful, the image was far too dark and when looking at it I was struggling to see any detail, one of the main reasons why I used the images from my camera was that they were self portraits and I wanted my one form to be visible in the cyanotype but unfortunately when looking at the finished product my form was difficult to point out and seemed to blend into the background. I believe that this happened bc there was not enough contrast in the negative image that I printed out and when looking back I realised that I had printed it out in colour not black and white.

For my next attempts I used the curves option of photoshop to adjust the contrast and shadows to allow for more detail to be visible in my image and I made sure to print my negative out in black and white, this resulted in three very successful images. My first image was split between two torn sections of water colour paper that could be put together or overlapped and my second was on calico.

when looking at my first two images put together they create an ominous scene in the woods with a dark figure to the side, I believe that the blue tones cause my images to look like security tapes or found footage from a horror movie and the fact that you can't see my face adds an element of anonymity and danger to the image, as if the viewer is lost in the woods and being pursued by an unknown creature. While making these images I wanted to create something in which I am part of the nature and surroundings rather than posing in front of it and I believe that I have done that, especially in my second image, I am standing closer to the tree and the blue tones of the cyanotype allows my figure to almost melt into the tree and foliage while still standing out. In both these images I think that there is an eerie atmosphere which is only heightened by the fact that I am turned away from the camera, I believe that this invokes a feeling of fear, the viewer does not know who I am, I could be anyone and have any face, like a trickster spirit or a vengeful ghost, I am playing with the fear of the unknown and the uncanny valley effect and I believe that developing my original photos into cyanotypes has allowed me to achieve this in a way that other processes wouldn't have, the blue hues and colour are at the same time odd but organic, there is a human element to what I have done and I believe that this transforms my images into something that is familiar enough to recognise but odd enough to invoke a feeling of uncertainty and apprehension.