Cold snap: Experimenting with ice lumen prints

I’m predominantly a portrait photographer and socially engaged artist, but over the past five years I’ve been developing a more sustainable creative practice in response to the climate emergency.

Having completed Carbon Literacy Training accredited by the Carbon Literacy Trust and become certified as a Climate Aware Photographer, my creative practice and socially engaged work have shifted towards more eco-friendly approaches including cyanotypes, anthotypes and lumen prints. 

What are lumen prints?  

Lumen prints are an alternative photographic process that involves creating images without a camera. An object or piece of organic material like a flower or a leaf is typically laid on a piece of light-sensitive photographic paper, clipped into a contact frame, and exposed in UV light to create a silhouette. Lumen prints don’t appear to have a single inventor but certainly have roots in the early photographic experiments of scientists like William Henry Fox Talbot, who developed the photogram process in the 1830s.

This process is very mindful and accessible, which is why I like to use it in my workshops with community members. Although there are some general rules of thumb, it’s an experimental approach resulting in unpredictable, unique and one-of-a-kind images. How your lumen print turns out depends on various factors including time, temperature, light, moisture and the type of paper you use. And that’s where the fun is: I love the surprising effects and colours that you get, from muted tones to vibrant hues. 

It’s a historical process that I’m pushing with contemporary exploration in my ice lumen work.

What are ice lumens and where did this idea come from?

My creative practice typically explores loss and fragility. I’ll often purposefully destroy my cyanotypes, lumen prints and anthotypes – for example by naturally bleaching them out, leaving them in the rain, or putting them underground to be nibbled on by worms in the soil. I’m not sure if ice lumens have been tried before, but in the cold UK winter of 2022, I decided to experiment with how snow and hard frosts could affect my usual lumen print process.

I create ice lumens in two ways. In the winter, I’ll expose my lumens overnight in a hard frost, or wedge them into the ground underneath falling snow. I’ll then remove the prints at sunrise or a few hours later, depending on how bright the day is.

In the summer, I’ll use ice cubes or ice slush from the freezer which let the light through in different ways. The melting ice also creates pools of water, which interact with the light-sensitive chemicals in the paper, leading to colour shifts and unique patterns.

Sometimes I’ll add organic materials on top; other times I just leave the paper out in the elements and allow nature to take over. I’ll often experiment by adding other secret eco-solutions to the water in my ice cube mix.

Try my method for yourself and share your results

To create ice lumens, you’ll need:

• Photographic paper (I typically use whatever expired papers I can get on eBay, but I particularly like Ilford Multigrade RC Deluxe Pearl)
• A hard frost, snow or ice cubes/slush
• Daylight
• Tupperware container
• Organic materials like flowers, leaves etc that will give you a good pattern.

Winter version (in darkness)

1. Whilst outside in the dark, take a piece of photographic paper out of the envelope (keeping the rest of the paper sealed in the black bag). I tend to wear a safelight headtorch to see what I’m doing.
2. Site your materials:
1. Option 1 (hard frost, no snow): Place your photographic paper in a container (I use an old Tupperware box). Add organic materials like leaves, petals, or other objects to enhance the textures and patterns. Generously spray or drop water across the top so that it pools on the paper ready to freeze. 
2. Option 2 (snow): Bury your photographic paper a couple of centimetres under the snow or weigh it down with organic material in early snowfall.
3. Expose your paper overnight and into the light of the following day. 
4. Remove your print and allow it to dry in a dark place before scanning.

Summer version (in daylight)

1. Take a piece of photographic paper out of the envelope (keeping the rest of the paper sealed in the black bag). 
2. Working in a dark space or quickly in the light, place your photographic paper in a container (I use an old Tupperware box) and add organic materials. Use ice cubes or slush directly on the paper to weigh it down. 
3. Expose your paper to sunlight. 
4. Remove your print and allow it to dry in a dark place before scanning.

Looking after your lumen prints

To avoid any toxic run-off, I don’t tend to fix my lumens and store my originals in a dark box. However, to stop the print from fading completely — and if you want to display the original — it will need to be fixed. This can change the contrast and colour of your print, so you might also want to scan it first. If you’d prefer to fix it, please be careful when disposing of your fixer or use an eco-friendlier solution like a salt fixer.

Sometimes I’ll photograph the prints in situ, so that the snow or ice becomes part of the final work. But I mostly tend to scan my lumens (without any colour editing, although you can do this if you prefer) and I’ll often use the resulting prints as negatives for creating cyanotypes. 

I’d love to see your results! Share your experiments via Instagram using #icelumen and #rpswomeninphotography. 

Resources

My sustainability statement: https://www.margebradshawphotography.co.uk/climate-emergency-actions

My cameraless work: https://www.margebradshawphotography.co.uk/cameraless

The Sustainable Darkroom: https://sustainabledarkroom.com/ 

Alternative Photography: https://www.alternativephotography.com/

Website: https://www.margebradshawphotography.co.uk/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margebradshawphoto/ 

All images © Marge Bradshaw.

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