Joy Schilling

Photographs help us share our perspective, capture a memory forever and share memories with others. Photographers notice the small things like light, texture, expressions, and surroundings. It’s the details that bring a composition together. We notice the details, see the beauty, and live in the present.
While getting out there with the camera, especially at night, searching for the best shot is important, I’m drawn to the processes involved in creating art including working with light sensitive materials. By combining my darkroom and computer knowledge I was able to make alternative photographs called cyanotypes. Cyanotypes are made from digital negatives, light sensitive watercolor paper, and the sun. The negative and paper are sandwiched between glass and exposed to natural sunlight. After exposure, the paper is processed by rinsing it in water. A white print emerges on a blue background. Engineers used the process well into the 20th century as a simple and low-cost process to produce copies of drawings, referred to as blueprints.