I'm working in Los Angeles for the month, away from the safety of the
studio, so I brought some coated papers and a couple of positives and
stuck 'em in the window of the hotel. Maybe by the time I go home I'll
have a print. So far (three days), the Iris print (ok, pun intended)
has faded, I mean, _exposed_ appreciably, and has a lovely blue color.
I've got some red rose to try, hoping that, as usual, red dyes prove
more susceptible to fading. Must try the poppies... Anyone know what a
"japonica" is, or a "double purple groundsel"? I'm sure to find out at
the local library (first chance I get). I still haven't found the
Cassell's Cyclopedia with its list. Anyone have one handy?
As for (non-)permanence, I'm sure they do fade in sunlight, but since
the Herschel examples still exist, I'm also sure that by keeping them
in a book or something they might last quite a while. Remember, this
is for fun, primarily, and in hopes of finding a super low-tech
process to introduce a workshop. I'm newly obsessed with kitchen-sink
photography: you know, grab some dirt from the yard, the leftover
Jell-O, and a handful of berries and Voila! Or whatever. Wouldn't you
love a Garden Cyanotype formula? Or a Bathroom Gum Bichromate? Or
maybe I've already spent too much time in L.A....
Dan Estabrook