The Kitchen (Was Re: Paper Negatives)

Dan Estabrook (desta@ix.netcom.com)
Sat, 20 Dec 1997 21:42:43 -0500

Hey, all, before I start buttering my albumen prints for breakfast,
maybe I can re-start that thread from months ago: Kitchen Cyanotypes,
Garden Anthotypes, etc. I'm trying to build a workshop around a very
Low-Tech approach to photography and historical processes in particular.
There's something wonderfully simple about a basic salt print - kitchen
salt and silver nitrate; expose, wash, fix, and go. With a homemade
negative or photogram, what could be simpler? Too bad Anthotypes take so
long...

Terry listed a bunch of easily available useful items from the grocer's
or chemist's, and that's the gist I wanna follow, e.g. toning cyanotypes
with Arm and Hammer laundry detergent.. The problem is, I'm no chemist.
Any other suggestions?

I figure Pinhole cameras are another great avenue to investigate.
Homemade and hands-on, you know?

Thanks in advance,

Dan Estabrook

P.S. I'm perfectly content to skip that whole silver-smelting thing from
a while back.