Many people arrive at their first cyanotype workshop with the same question:
“What will I actually make?”
The answer is often: more than you expect.
Cyanotype is a wonderfully open-ended process. While it has a simple foundation – coating a surface, exposing it to sunlight and washing the print – the creative possibilities are endless.
You do not need to know how to draw, paint or take photographs. You do not need previous experience with printmaking. The beauty of cyanotype is that it allows everyone to create images through experimentation, curiosity and observation.
During a cyanotype workshop, you will explore different ways of making images and discover your own creative approach.
Here are five things you can create in your first cyanotype experience.
1. Botanical prints inspired by nature
One of the most popular ways to begin exploring cyanotype is through botanical printing.
Leaves, flowers, grasses and seeds all create beautiful impressions because they naturally contain interesting shapes, textures and patterns.
A delicate fern may create fine, intricate lines. A eucalyptus leaf may create a bold silhouette. A small flower may leave behind a detailed impression of its petals.
The process captures the physical presence of the plant – almost like a memory or shadow of the object itself.
Botanical cyanotypes also have a special connection to the history of the medium. In the 19th century, botanist and photographer Anna Atkins used cyanotype to create some of the earliest photographic books, documenting algae and plant specimens through this process.
Today, artists continue to use cyanotype to explore our relationship with the natural world.
For many participants, creating a botanical cyanotype is their first experience of seeing photography in a completely new way – not as something captured by a camera, but as something created through direct contact with nature.
2. Textile and lace impressions
Cyanotype works beautifully with fabric, making it a favourite process among textile artists, designers and anyone interested in pattern and texture.
Materials such as lace, embroidery, crochet, woven fabrics and old textiles can create incredibly detailed impressions.
The weave of the material becomes visible. The shadows and gaps create layers of blue and white. Something familiar is transformed into an abstract photographic image.
I am especially drawn to textiles because they often carry personal stories.
A piece of clothing, a handmade object or a fragment of fabric can hold memories of a person, a place or a particular time in life.
When these materials are translated into cyanotype, they become more than patterns – they become records of touch, history and connection.
This relationship between objects and memory is an important part of my own photographic practice.
3. Images made from photographic negatives
Although cyanotype can be created without a camera, photographers can also use their own images within the process.
A digital photograph can be converted into a transparent negative and exposed onto cyanotype-coated paper. This creates a handmade photographic print that combines contemporary photography with a historic technique.
The results are often unexpected.
Fine details may appear differently. Contrast becomes important. Shadows transform into rich blue tones. The photograph becomes something physical rather than simply a file on a screen.
For photographers, cyanotype offers a chance to revisit their images through a slower, more experimental process.
A familiar photograph can become something completely new.
4. Abstract compositions using everyday objects
One of the most enjoyable aspects of cyanotype is discovering the photographic potential of ordinary things.
You can create beautiful prints using objects found around your home or studio:
- buttons
- keys
- feathers
- tools
- paper cut-outs
- shells
- jewellery
- handwritten notes
- household objects
Objects do not need to have an obvious artistic purpose. Sometimes the most interesting images come from unexpected combinations.
A collection of small objects can become an abstract composition. A simple shape can create a striking graphic image.
Cyanotype encourages us to look differently at the world around us and notice the beauty in everyday details.
5. Experimental layered cyanotypes
Once you understand the basics, cyanotype becomes a space for experimentation.
You can create layers by exposing different objects at different times, combining photographic images with natural materials, adding drawings or creating multiple exposures.
Each layer adds another story.
This is where cyanotype becomes especially exciting because there is no single “correct” way to work. The process invites exploration.
Some prints may be carefully planned. Others may emerge through chance.
Both approaches are equally valuable.
The most memorable cyanotypes are often the ones where the maker allows themselves to be curious and open to surprises.
What will you take home from a cyanotype workshop?
At the end of a workshop, participants usually leave with more than just finished prints.
They leave with a new understanding of photography.
They experience how light can become a creative material. They discover how everyday objects can tell stories. They learn a historic photographic process that they can continue exploring at home.
Most importantly, they experience the joy of making something with their own hands.
In a world where most images are created, stored and shared digitally, creating a handmade photograph feels meaningful. The print becomes an object – something physical that carries the memory of the moment it was created.
Read more about my studio practice →
Join a cyanotype workshop at Montsalvat, Melbourne
My cyanotype workshops are designed for beginners, artists, photographers and anyone curious about exploring a slower, more tactile approach to image-making.
You will learn the fundamentals of the cyanotype process, experiment with different materials and create your own unique blue photographic artworks using sunlight.
All materials are provided, and no previous experience is required.
Whether you come to explore photography, connect with nature, experiment creatively or simply try something new, cyanotype offers a beautiful reminder that making images can be a process of discovery.
Sometimes the most memorable photographs are not the ones we capture.
They are the ones we create.