I spent my entire life living in states where silver and gold mining was prevalent. In California, we had the gold rush and I spent years wandering the Sierra Nevada mountains exploring and photographing old mining sites. Now that I live in Colorado, there are even more opportunities closer to home to explore abandoned mining structures, cities and ghost towns.
While black and white or sepia images give the right feel for photos of historic locations, I chose to present this collection using the Cyanotype method of photo processing. Often referred to as blueprints, the Cyanotype process was created in 1855 by Sir John Hershell, and would have been one of the methods of choice for image processing during the mining heyday. The images are captured using a traditional DSLR, then digital negatives are created and placed on treated paper in the sun. The process is very imprecise and I find it a nice juxtaposition of the super sharp captures that today’s cameras create.
This collection has been exhibited around Colorado, and is presented as 12 to 15 framed 16 X 20 prints. I offer an accompanying class in Cyanotype creation where I give the history of the process and teach guests how to make their own Cyanotype greeting cards. If you would like to book a exhibition for your establishment, drop me a message here on my contact page.
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