"Broken Fences" This small cyanotype contact print was exposed directly from a 2 1/4" black and white film negative in mid-day sunlight
"Spokes," a cyanotype on photosensitized watercolor paper, contact printed in direct sunlight from a 2 1/4" film negative.
Just this past week, photography icon Kodak announced its bankruptcy. In spite of that dire news and the fact that the company failed largely due to its reluctance to embrace digital photography in a meaningful way, film photography is not a lost art. In fact, film photography is seeing a resurgence along with a host of other archaic photographic processes. Lately I’ve been shooting a little more film, and looking for ways to expand my horizons within the art of photography, including the beautiful, blue cyanotype print.
The cyanotype process was invented in 1842 by English scientist Sir John Herschel, who saw it as a way to reproduce diagrams and plans. Even today, most of us know cyanotypes for their more common use in making blueprints. It was pioneering British female photographer Anna Atkins who first saw potential in cyanotypes as an photographic medium. Wikipedia has an excellent article about cyanotypes here and about Anna Atkins here.
A photogram of Algae, made by Anna Atkins as part of her 1843 book, "Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions," the first book composed entirely of photographic images.
Unlike the more common silver prints used in traditional black and white photography, blue cyanotypes use a combination of irons to chemically sensitize a surface (which could be paper, fabric, or other receptive surface). Cyanotypes are exposed by UV rays from the sun or a UV lamp, and rinsed in water to stop development. It’s a very simple process!
Cyanotypes are contact prints and can be printed from film negatives, from digital negatives made on an inkjet printer, or from objects such as flowers placed directly onto the paper.
See many more great cyanotypes on the Flickr cyanotype group page here.
Make your own cyanotypes
Want to mix the chemicals and coat your own cyanotype paper (or other surface) from scratch? This alternative photography page provides a recipe and explains the process. Be safe with the chemicals!
Or for the less ambitious, you can purchase very affordable cyanotype paper that’s sensitized and ready to use. Just place an object or negative on the paper, expose to sunlight for 10 – 15 minutes, and rinse. Click here for Cyanotype papers ready to use
Interested in making a large digital negative on your inkjet printer to make contact prints from? This book will show you how:
See more of my own black and white photography
Visit me at my Web page here, or say hello on Facebook here.
Thanks for reading!
~Keith
Last year I photographed the landscape and architecture of the small town of Harriman (map), in East Tennessee. Harriman was built by temperance activists in the 1800s with the intention of establishing a utopian society, free of alcohol. One of the fascinating buildings I photographed there was the Temperance Building, which has served many purposes over the years including occupation as a university building and a jailhouse. Apparently some visitors liked the building so much, they decided to stay in the afterlife.
The Reportedly Haunted Temperance Hall in Harriman, Tennessee
Yes, the Harriman Temperance Building is reportedly haunted and a Tennessee paranormal investigation team has the evidence to prove it. The Chicago Tribune reports that the city of Harriman has approved broadcast of the evidence on a Web-based paranormal program, and will authorize paid tours and overnight visits in the building, which the city owns. The proceeds will be used to aid in restoration of downtown Harriman.
Last week, by unanimous vote, the six-person city council agreed to let Ghost Hunters of Southern Tennessee — G.H.O.S.T. Paranormal — show footage caught during a night spent inside the city-owned building. It will be aired on January 27 on the web-based Paranormal Network.
The haunting is a part of local lore, said Mayor Chris Mason, who grew up in the town of about 7,000 residents. Ghost enthusiasts often visit the Temperance Building, but G.H.O.S.T. Paranormal “found an exceptional amount of paranormal activity” there, said the mayor.
– Excerpt from Chicago Tribune article by Tim Ghianni
Read the full Chicago Tribune story here.
See a photograph of the purported ghost in the Temperance building here.
No ghosts here: Wooden handrail on the interior of the Temperance Building in Harriman, Tennessee, black and white photograph by Keith Dotson, 2011.
"The Remains of Utopia -- Harriman Tennessee." This is not the Temperance Building, but another part of Harriman's aging downtown.
To see more of my photographs, visit my Webpage here. Or come visit me on Facebook and let’s talk about photography.
Thanks for reading.
~Keith
"Black ink in the Wet Dawn" Black and White Photograph by Keith Dotson, 2012
WINTER TREES
The wet dawn inks are doing their blue dissolve.
On their blotter of fog the trees
Seem a botanical drawing
Memories growing, ring on ring,
A series of weddings.
Knowing neither abortions nor bitchery,
Truer than women,
They seed so effortlessly!
Tasting the winds, that are footless,
Waist-deep in history–
Full of wings, otherworldliness.
In this, they are Ledas.
O mother of leaves and sweetness
Who are these pietas?
The shadows of ringdoves chanting, but easing nothing.
– Sylvia Plath
See more of my black and white photographs here.
Or visit me on Facebook.
Thanks for reading.
~Keith
Introducing my new Savannah Portfolio
Over the holidays I had the pleasure of experiencing Savannah, Georgia for the first time. In spite of the non-stop rain and unseasonal humidity, I was completely charmed and disarmed by this fascinating Southern coastal city. Savannah is simultaneously haunting and haunted, creepy and beautiful, historic and dynamic, artistic and thriving. Savannah has done a wonderful job maintaining its old colonial charm while becoming a vibrant modern city. It reminded me a lot of New Orleans, but cleaner and more successful (no offense — I love New Orleans too!). As with all my photographs, I wanted to capture the essence and spirit of the place, more than the place itself. Savannah has a lot of essence (and apparently plenty of spirits too)!
Below is a sampling of my Savannah Portfolio, a collection of 19 black and white photographs, available in one size, at two price points, depending on your choice of paper. Remember these are real silver-based photographic papers, not inkjet or other print media. Whether you live in Savannah, or just love black and white photography, I think these prints will add something special to your home or office decor — but then I am biased!
About the prints
All prints are sold at size, signed by the artist au verso, unmounted and without mat or frame. They ship carefully protected to prevent damage. Every print is made to order, so please allow approximately one week for RC prints to ship and approximately 3 weeks for fiber-based prints to ship.
Option A) Museum Quality Fiber-Based Silver Gelatin Prints
$600.oo + 18.00 Shipping
- 16″ x 24″ Borderless
- Stunning museum-quality fiber-based prints on Ilfobrom Galerie Fiber paper
- Semi-gloss real Silver Gelatin photographic print
- Double thick at 315gsm
- Processed to archival standards
- Signed au verso in pencil (on the back)
- Ships in approximately 3 weeks from time of order
Option B) Resin-Coated (RC) Silver Based Prints
$150.oo + 18.00 Shipping
- 16″ x 24″ Borderless
- Crisp and beautiful prints on real resin-coated true black and white photographic paper
- Luster Surface real photographic print
- Beautiful tonal range and image sharpness
- Standard paper thickness
- Signed au verso in black ink (on the back)
- Ships in approximately 1 week from time of order
Order Form is Below the Photographs
Image 01: Avenue of the Oaks, Savannah
Image 02: Colonial Park Cemetery, Downtown Savannah
Image 03: No. 101 Savannah, Georgia
Image 04: Cast-iron Cemetery Fence, Savannah
Image 05: Ironwork Detail -- Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah.
Image 06: Carousel Horse on Balcony Post, Savannah
Image 07: Cobblestone Streets with Puddle Reflection, Savannah
Image 08: Cemetery Bench, Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah.
Image 09: Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah
Image 10: Tiny Angel, Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah
Purchase Your Fine Art Prints Here
Ordering is safe and secure with your credit card through Paypal. I can also process credit card payments over the telephone using “Square” Credit Card Processing on the iPhone.
Your private information will not be shared with anyone ever. I’m a working artist, not a spammer. I appreciate your support!
Savannah Portfolio: Fine Black and White Photographs
My photographic goals for the year…
- Travel more
- Shoot more
- Continue learning and improving
- Set up my photo darkroom and get back into using film more often
- Pick up two new art galleries to show my work
- Get more work in TV shows and – even better – movies!
One of my goals is to use more film, and get my darkroom back up and running. What are your goals for 2012?
What are your goals and resolutions for 2012? Share them here or come over and talk to me about photography on Facebook.
On a recent visit to the Museum of Appalachia, in Clinton, Tennessee, I saw for the first time some startling work by a deceased folk artist I’d never heard of before.
A display from Cedar Creek Charlie's polka-dot house at the Museum of Appalachia. The figure is wearing Charlie's actual clothes, as you can see in the family portrait of him below.
The strange work of “Cedar Creek Charlie” Fields left me so fascinated (and a bit unsettled), I had to learn more about him. Fortunately, members of his family have posted information and photos about Charlie, and their RootsWeb page is supplemented by a great synopsis of his art on the Smthsonian’s folk art Website. Born in 1883, Charlie was a bachelor who lived in a cabin with his mother in rural Appalachian Cedar Creek, Virginia. After her death in the 1930s, Charlie began painting every surface of the cabin in red, white, and blue squiggles, stripes, and polka dots. He even painted a set of clothes, which he wore to greet visitors. He worked and lived in Cedar Creek until his death in 1966.
Charlie Fields, also known as Cedar Creek Charlie, in a family photo posted on their RootsWeb site.
Charlie's cabin seen in a family photo posted on their RootsWeb page about Charlie.
Some of Charlie’s work was downright creepy, like the cabinet with baby dolls seen in the photo below. But apparently he was a fun-loving and popular local character, who built a ferris wheel in his yard and welcomed families with children to tour the house and enjoy the rides.
Some of the painted folk art of Cedar Creek Charlie -- CREEPY?
I encourage you to learn more about this fascinating American original by visiting his family’s well-illustrated page about him here: http://rootsweb.ancestry.com/~varussel/photos/cedarcreekcharlie.html. Or read about his artistic legacy on the Smithsonian’s page about him here: http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artist/?id=1536.
Thanks for reading!
~Keith
Hey everyone. I’m attaching a coupon code good for 10% off #photograph purchases exclusively on my Etsy store. Valid from November 25, 2011 – December 11, 2011 (but it’s actually active now — shhh don’t tell anyone!)
Save 10% on photograph purchases through my Etsy store with this coupon code. Click to open as a PDF)
Click the thumbnail to open a PDF of the coupon to grab the code.
Thanks!
Keith
Updated on 12/16/2011 to include two more photos featured on “Melissa and Joey”:
Thanks to TV network ABC Family for using my three five photographs in a recent episode of “Melissa and Joey,” starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence. If you happen to see the episode, give me a shout and let me know!
Melissa and Joey - Graphic courtesy of ABC Family
Five of my black and white landscape photographs were recently featured on the TV show "Melissa and Joey"
Find out more about me and my work on my Website, or come over and talk to me about photography on my Facebook page.
Thanks for reading! ~Keith
I’ve gotten quite a few questions about how I made my custom “Welcome” tab on my Facebook fan page for Keith Dotson Fine Art Photography.
There are several software companies out there to help you accomplish making custom iFrame tabs for Facebook pages, but I used one that’s simple, fast, and FREE — Static HTML iFrame Tabs.
You can essentially build a custom html Web page to fit within the iFrame tab, if you have the skill, or you can take the easy route like I did. My custom tab is simply a JPEG graphic pasted into the frame. Static HTML makes the process easy to follow and they have great FAQs. By the way, I get no compensation for this tip, and I have no financial relationship with Static HTML.
You can see my custom tab on my Facebook page here, and while you’re there, be sure to “Like” my page!
Thanks for reading!
~Keith
Art Buyers: My Photographs are Available for Posters, Prints, Greeting Cards, Calendars and More!
Photography for Image Licensing and Broadcast Usage
Black and white photographs add a distinctive artistic sensibility and timeless beauty to licensed products.
As a fine art photographer who specializes in black and white images, I’m excited to offer my catalog of photos for select licensing opportunities. All of my photographs are available for licensing (except, of course, a few which are currently under exclusive contract).
Contact Me to Arrange Licensing
If you’re an art buyer, art director, or product manager interested in licensing one of my photographs, please contact me here.
I’m easy to work with and experienced in arranging licensing agreements. I can supply high-resolution art in a variety of formats through email, drop box, or FTP. I have an extensive catalog of black and white landscapes, cityscapes, abstracts, and locations.
Browse my work samples here: http://www.keithdotson.com/photographs.html.
Here’s a short list of places my licensed images have appeared so far:
Check back often. I’ll keep this updated as new opportunities arise.
FILM AND TELEVISION:
My photographs are available for motion picture and television use. They continue to appear in a growing list of television programs and advertisements.
Melissa and Joey TV sitcom
Three photographs appeared in this ABCFamily sitcom, Fall 2011
Gossip Girl TV drama
Two photographs appeared in a restaurant scene, Fall 2011
Pier 1 commercial
Five photographs licensed for a TV spot for Holidays 2011
Charter Communications commercial
Three photographs licensed for a TV spot, Fall 2011
Spiriva pharmaceutical commercial (with elephant)
Two photographs appeared in this widely broadcast national TV commercial, Spring 2011
See the TV spot here
Two photographs by Keith Dotson appear in this Spiriva elephant TV commercial, 2011
PRINT AND PUBLISHING:
Black and white photography is particularly well-suited for print applications. My photographs have been licensed for many retail and fine art products. High-resolution images are available for even very large posters.
Sunflower Greeting Cards
This detailed macro photo of a sunflower is currently available in The Netherlands and the other Benelux countries, October 2011
Yellow Heart - Highly-detailed Sunflower macro photograph by Keith Dotson is available on greeting cards in The Netherlands
Chicago River at Night, a black and white photograph by Keith Dotson
Posters of “Chicago River at Night”
One of my most popular photographs, Chicago River at Night was licensed by a publisher in London for global distribution on posters. October, 2011.
Calendar for Historic Indian Agency House Museum
One of my photographs was used to represent a historic Wisconsin house and museum in a 2012 calendar.
Fathead / SMART Squares
SM/ART Squares has licensed 13 of my black and white photographs for retail on Fathead.com as repositionable vinyl art prints, 2009 – present.
See my prints here
Urban Outfitters
US retailer Urban Outfitters sold my photograph Public Market, Seattle as a fine art canvas in its retail stores and online. The canvas prints sold out in less than six months and received rave reviews on the Website’s ratings page. May, 2009.
Contact me if you’d like to use my photographs on an upcoming project.
And remember to check back often. I’ll keep these listings updated as new projects are announced!
Thanks for reading! ~Keith