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=== Making Leaf Prints === | |||
I first learned about photosynthesis photography through a video from the YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qETedzsFIE Applied Science], which inspired me to try it myself. The guide outlines the process in four steps: exposing the plant, clearing the leaf, developing the leaf, and drying/conserving the leaf. | |||
=== Exposing === | |||
[[File:1paperclip.jpg|frameless|thumb|Negatives held by paper clips|533x400px]] | |||
[[File:2metalmesh.jpg|frameless|thumb|Negatives held by contraption|533x400px]] | |||
Exposure is central to photography. It involves selecting a subject and composing an image to be captured on photosensitive film, or in this case, a leaf. The aim is to capture anything that appears in front of our camera, but we'll start with contact exposure. Contact exposure entails using an object or subject to block light hitting the film/leaf, creating an image. This can involve letter cutouts, silhouette shapes, or an existing photo negative. To experiment, I took several portraits with a medium format camera, which simply means the negatives are larger, about 6x6 cm in size. Initially, I used paperclips to attach the negatives to the leaves, but later I changed to a setup involving a metal mesh backing and a glass plate in front, sandwiching the photo negative between the glass and the leaf for detailed imprints. | |||
Choosing the right plant is crucial. The video I followed used a geranium, likely due to its well-documented starch formation. Without access to a geranium, I opted for a Cyclamen, noting its similarly thick leaves. I also experimented with other plants, like pothos (Epipremnum aureum). Unlike conventional photography, where exposure times are fractions of seconds, this method requires hours, aligning with the natural rhythm of the sun that plants are adapted to. You can place the prepared leaves in a sunny spot or under grow lights controlled by a timer for over 7 hours of quality light. Alternatively, projecting an image onto a leaf with a light projector for about half an hour can also yield good results. | |||
=== Clearing === | |||
[[File:3clear1.jpg|frameless|thumb|Leaves in ethanol|533x400px]] | |||
[[File:4clear2.jpg|frameless|thumb|Leaves almost fully cleared|533x400px]] | |||
The next step is the clearing of the leaf. A leaf serves many functions in a plant, but for our purposes in photography, we need a structure that suspends the colored starch molecules in something clear to provide good contrast. To prepare the leaf accordingly, we aim to remove any elements that obstruct this clarity, including the chloroplasts that give the leaf its green color and enable starch formation to begin with. After they've fulfilled their role, preventing further starch formation is crucial to maintain the image. | |||
To achieve this, I soaked the leaves in ethanol, the type you can buy for cleaning or camping stoves, for a few days. The video presented several options, including boiling the leaf in methanol, ethanol, and propanol. Boiling in methanol yielded the best results there, but considering its potential health and fire hazards, I sought an alternative. | |||
The soaking method worked well for the Cyclamen, but for the pothos, it created brown spots that rendered it unusable. However, cooking it in ethanol for about 20 minutes was effective. It's important to be cautious during this process to avoid accidentally setting it on fire and to keep the vapors contained, either with a lid or something that allows them to condense. | |||
After this treatment, the ethanol turns green, and the leaf becomes white and very fragile to the touch. To prepare the leaf for the developing/coloring step, I let it soak in water until it regains the flexibility of a leaf again. | |||
=== Developing === | |||
Now, we arrive at the most exciting step: making the starch visible. We use Lugol's iodine solution, invented by a French doctor two hundred years ago and utilized for various purposes. This reddish liquid turns starch a very deep blue/black upon contact. We allow the leaf to soak in a bath of this solution until it's fully saturated and the solution has had enough time to permeate every cell of the leaf. This process usually takes about thirty minutes to an hour, resulting in the leaf adopting the color of the solution. | |||
Next, we need to clear the leaf of the excess Lugol's solution left over after coloring the starch. Another soak in water should do the trick; this is when we can see the images for the first time. If satisfied with the clearing of the leaf, which typically involves multiple water changes over a few hours, I then take the leaves out for drying. | |||
=== Drying === | |||
The drying step is fairly straightforward. Simply place the leaves in tissues under a stack of books and let them sit for a few days. However, it's important to ensure that the tissues don't contain starch, as residual Lugol's solution could react with it and stain the leaves. A quick test with a few drops of the solution on the tissues can confirm their suitability. | |||
During drying, the leaf may shrink significantly, but I suspect that applying more pressure with additional weight on top could mitigate this shrinkage. | |||
And there you have it: small leaf prints and a procedure that might help us to repurpose the camera. | |||
=== Adapting the Process === | |||
To integrate this process with a camera, we need to modify the exposure step—the act of taking the photo. Contact exposure previously offered a lot of freedom, including abundant light and the ability to directly use an already captured image. However, using a plate camera introduces new considerations. This type of camera involves inserting slim casings that hold photographic film or plates into the camera, followed by the removal of a metal plate to expose the photosensitive material. After exposure, the metal plate is reinserted, and the casing is removed, only to be opened in a darkroom to prevent accidental exposure. | |||
Given that a leaf is significantly less sensitive to light, we don't need to be as concerned about light leaks and accidental exposures. For the duration of the photo capture, the leaf must be mounted inside the camera at the focal plane, exposed to light only through the camera's lens. To achieve this, I 3D printed a module that fits into the slot normally used for the film casings. This module holds the leaf flat against the focal plane, with the leaf's stem extending out the back and remaining attached to the plant. To maximize the chances of capturing a good image, we should select a subject with strong contrast and lighting, acknowledging that the leaf will receive significantly less light compared to the contact exposure method. | |||
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=== Conclusion === | |||
This is a layman's attempt to create a bridge to a photographic process using tools that are located relatively low on the technological tree, are easily replicable, and can be easily disposed of. It's an effort to step against the current of long chains of dependency that support our current society. These dependencies are not inherently bad as they delegate complex tasks and allow for a high degree of specialization. However, it becomes problematic when these dependencies fall under monopolies and distance us from our ability to sustain a civilized life should any link in this chain of dependencies break. While these global chains connect the world and encourage global communication and thinking—a positive outcome—it's concerning when essentials, like our food supply, come from the other side of the planet. There should be an awareness of our physical needs and how to satisfy them locally, fostering a culture that understands how to sustainably meet these needs without relying on extensive global dependencies. | |||
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== References == | == References == | ||