SeaKelp & Sea Stacks, Fall, Bandon, OR, 2022 copyright Douglas Stockdale - This cyanotype was printed on the occasion of World Ocean Day; "One Ocean, One Climate, One Future". I photographed this composition while we were in Bandon last Fall for my son's wedding. Our rental house was overlooking the beach and I could see... Continue Reading →
Entanglement – reflecting on D-Day 1944
Untitled (Entanglement series) May 2023 copyright Douglas Stockdale - I had posted the above image of my cyanotype print yesterday on my social media (IG and Fb) as a homage to those who served in the military during WWII about the date that began the mainland offensive invasion of France on June 6th, 1944. My... Continue Reading →
UV Lightbox for Cyanotype printing
LED UV Lightbox, 2023 Douglas Stockdale - For the past nine months I was committed to use solar printing for my cyanotypes...which was okay until it wasn't. I have been sitting on my hands for almost all of May due to clouds (affectionally known as May-Gray here in Southern California), and already sensing the pending... Continue Reading →
Expired B&W film – more unexpected outcomes
Illford FP4, expired June 1983, photographed May 2023 copyright Douglas Stockdale - When I recently wrote about embracing unexpected outcomes with my expired film, the photograph I featured was from a roll of very old 120 FujiChrome 100F. A recently used roll of Illford Black and White 120 FP4 film that I exposed earlier this... Continue Reading →
Camouflage
Untitled (Camouflage) expired 120 film, solar cyanotype, 2023 copyright Douglas Stockdale - Camouflage is used by the military with any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment. Also it is a process to hide by making objects hard to see, or disguising them as something else, to blend into the surroundings. A continuation of my... Continue Reading →
Entanglement
Entanglement (revised series), Cyanotype, Expired film, 2023 copyright Douglas Stockdale - Asking the question: Can a multi-decade old, decommissioned WWII/Korean War practice bombing range be representative of historical social issues that are current today in America? I have started to investigate this question using both expired 120 film and solar cyanotype prints. The expired (120)... Continue Reading →
California Sycamore, Spring – solar cyanotype
California Sycamore, Spring (#2224) 2023 copyright Douglas Stockdale - The first time I wrote about this California Sycamore, above, using the original digital photograph, I had cropped it tighter to create an 8 x 10" image on the 11 x 14" cotton rag. That image of this composition was also posted as a digital black &... Continue Reading →
Into the Woods…
California Sycamore, Spring, Fog (Into the Woods), 2007/2023 copyright Douglas Stockdale - When I first encountered the very old California Sycamore trees in Trabuco Arroyo that runs thru O'Neill Park, I found that it was kinda of strange in how these trees over the years and years essentially have 'laid down', but then keep extending... Continue Reading →
Still looking for Mr. Dmax for my Solar Cyanotype prints
31 step wedge & Nextav 3A photo copyright Douglas Stockdale - Last December I had written an article about using a Zone system gray card to determine my solar cyanotype exposure times as a means to obtain the Dmax (Maximum Darkness, e.g. blackest tonalities) for my solar cyanotype printing process. I have actually moved on... Continue Reading →
Solar Cyanotypes – embracing unexpected outcomes
Sycamore, Fog, Spring copyright 2007/2023 Douglas Stockdale One of the things I am adapting with my solar cyanotype printing, perhaps common to most alternative photographic processes, is to embrace unexpected outcomes. As a scientist, this aspect of alternative photography has been the most vexing. Way back when learning the Zone system, it was always about... Continue Reading →