For Gregg, the process of creating a cyanotype print on pure cotton paper is an experience rich with nostalgia and artistry. Stepping into his darkroom brings with it, the familiar scents of a printing room; scents that bring back memories of times when photography was an intimate, hands-on craft. Dim light bathes the room in a warm, reddish hue, and with a steaming cup of good coffee in hand and a vinyl spinning softly in the background, Gregg’s transported back into a realm where time really is gentler and less frenetic than that outside the door.

Mixing the chemicals - ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide - is the first step in an exacting process, Gregg approaching it like a ritual - each step is deliberate. “The tactile, progressive nature of printmaking is really satisfying, especially when you watch the solutions merge into a rich, greenish liquid that’ll reveal the potential of the piece you’re about to create.” The entire process requires explicit timing and focus, but it’s this concentration that grounds and connects you to photography’s early origins.

Coating the pure cotton paper is where the magic really begins. “It’s the physical aspect of this work that I love so much. You feel and hold the brush when you apply the emulsion, and watch as each deliberate stroke begins readying the paper that transforms itself into a canvas for light. You have to take your time with this, to ensure that the coating is even, while also allowing for subtle imperfections that give each print its organic character.” The coffee’s nearby, the vinyl record crackles and hisses gently, but already there’s an atmosphere of calm creativity.

After the paper dries in the dark, Gregg prepares for the exposure. He arranges the objects or negatives with care, because he knows that any mistake at this stage would yield a direct and disastrous representation of his vision! As he carries the prepared paper outdoors, the air’s pregnant with anticipation: he watches as the sunlight interacts with the coated paper, the shifting image gradually revealing itself as areas are exposed to light.

Back inside the darkroom, Gregg rinses the print in a tray, watching as unexposed areas are washed away, and he’s left with an electric contrast between white and indigo blue. “That moment - where the image begins to reveal itself - is enchanting; it’s a transformation that never loses its wonder, almost as if the picture’s ‘breathing’ in the tray.” Each swirl of water brings the final piece closer to completion – finally – drawing to a close, the measured procedure mirroring the patience required throughout to complete this particular brand of print making.

Finally, the print is fixed and set aside to rest and dry, so that the blue tones mature and settle, deepening their richness and clarity. It’s at this last stage, where the image is allowed to breathe and develop to its full potential, that the whole printmaking process is a reminder of the joy of working slowly and methodically, of letting a process unfold at its own pace.

Creating cyanotypes isn’t only about the end result - the journey also matters. The deliberate methodology, the connection to history, and the unadulterated pleasure of this particular art form process, are just as important as the creation itself.”Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.