Lockdown Lumen Prints?

ChrisR

ChrisR

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Since we're on an alternative process and cameraless photography kick here, has anyone done any lumen printing?

As far as I can see it's a method of making coloured photogram-type prints using black and white (wet print) photo paper (!). You arrange your (usually) organic material on the paper (in the dark, with a red safe light), put some glass over the top, expose it in the sun for periods that seem to vary between a few minutes and a week or so, depending what you read. Then wash and either scan or fix and wash (not develop) the image. Fixing apparently changes to contrast and colours. Some of the result are very interesting. Not sure if it's something I'll try, having neither the right photo paper nor a suitable tray for fixing.

Some links:

https://photographyproject.uk/alternative-processes/make-creative-lumen-prints/

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/making-lumen-prints-an-isolation-project/

https://www.natashasanchezcreates.com/lumen-prints

http://www.alternativephotography.c...nt-a-step-by-step-process-with-printing-tips/

I had a feeling that @thedarkshed might have tried this...
 
Looked out some old fogged paper, blacked out darkroom, plugged in safelight. Printed a digital negative. Put paper and neg in contact frame. Took it and put in full sun in garden. Next thing was called by wife to get washing in as it was raining! Contact frame now in the greenhouse getting what light it can. Will check again later, or even tomorrow. [emoji1787]

Update ...4 pm

Sun out again, frame now perched on roof of birdtable facing sun. Thinking will need more exposure tomorrow.
 
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I've never seen it done with negatives, always with "organic material"! I get a bit confused (easily) with the different types of alternative photography, but ISTR some people add other agents like lemon juice, or plants that squash when compressed in the frame so that some juices come out. It'll be interesting to see what happens!
 
Well was not expecting much but did get an image. Two learning points, would need a much denser digital negative to get better contrast and look at the paper packet before selecting the paper. This was very old paper (Ilfospeed Multigrade II - 1984-1990 vintage) that I meant to use for priming toner baths and so was really slow. Now trying some plant material on some much newer (but fogged) Multigrade IV (post 1994) that seems a lot faster.

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This is the newer paper after a couple of minutes, notice the effect of the moisture from the green material.

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Then after 40 minutes

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How it looked after 3 hours in the sun, moving it round to face sun, left it another hour and a half until sun left garden.

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In the darkroom under red light before fixing - note to self make sure you get ALL the dandelion seeds off before fixing, otherwise have to filter the fixer,

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After 2 mins fixing

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Colour changing as it dries though. Will see what it looks like tomorrow.
 
Great stuff, David!

In the first of the links in the OP, the author says: "Depending on where you are in the world you may have to leave it for anywhere up to a week. I find that the most bizarre colours appear the longer that the paper is left, a week is the minimum exposure time for me but that may be because of the weak English summers of late." (My emphasis... note that he later says a week is a minimum, so not exactly consistent!)
 
That has come out really well! Already quite a lot of colour from black and white paper!

Anyone else with some darkroom kit willing to give it a go?
 
Think I should try a big one? While moving boxes in loft found a part used pack of 16"x20" Kentmere I bought back in 1978 and mislaid when moving house 30 years ago.

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Oh, for the days when 16x20 cost 45p a sheet !
 
This fruit salad is currently cooking in the greenhouse. Modified the frame to allow thicker bits though have to keep it horizontal.

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Have been having a bit of a tidy up in the dark/bathroom and found some really old and small paper. 1950s vintage Ilford Contact paper that was in a box of oddments I picked up years ago at a boot sale (also has some unopened tins of Kodak Microdol X, a bottle of Azol with some dregs in the bottom and a Kodak C22 pack in a tin) , Some of the sheets were already age silvered round edges inside the wrapping but I put out a couple of sheets.


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That brings back memories.
 
Bee-friendly!

This is very nice, David, though you're still not getting the slightly wild colours some others have promised. OTOH I noticed that one of the lumen print enthusiasts I follow on twitter was using colour paper... I don't think all the others were, though.
 
ChrisR said:
Bee-friendly!

This is very nice, David, though you're still not getting the slightly wild colours some others have promised. OTOH I noticed that one of the lumen print enthusiasts I follow on twitter was using colour paper... I don't think all the others were, though.
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Colour paper does give more colours but muted ones unless you dial up saturation when scanning. Some chemigram additions such as lemon juice, rock salt, dettox and glycerine before exposure add more colours, as does my daughter's Veet hair removal cream (TMI) but still muted. There is much less silver in RA4 paper so don't get deep tones and without a colour development and bleach stage the colour formers don't pop. My scans are done with Vuescan 'neutral' or 'none' colour balance, shifting that to auto levels does make things pop more but doesn't reflect how the prints actually look. Saw one online yesterday with dark black background and brilliant colours done on Ektacolor paper supposedly, I a suspect significant use of Photoshop.
 
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Looking through my negative and print files for something else found I had tried lumen prints before. Think this was fresh paper and I used a scanned and digitally printed negative (on paper) for the centre. Now to try and get colours as good again.

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Mr Badger said:
Or Taraxacum officinale agg. Ranunculus repens cf. and Bellis perennis.
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Not forgetting the Elymus repens, my dear departed Botany tutor, David Bellamy, was always telling me off when I failed to identify all the grasses in a quadrat, he of course knew them all.
 
dmb said:
Not forgetting the Elymus repens, my dear departed Botany tutor, David Bellamy, was always telling me off when I failed to identify all the grasses in a quadrat, he of course knew them all.
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Yes, David was a lovely chap, met him on a few occasions and always good fun. In the absence of flower-heads, I'm not sure I'm up to doing grass id from a lumen contact print, so I'll pass on that invitation to myopic frustration! :giggle:
 
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