Ksenija Spanec

In what precise moment lumen printing came into my knowledge and focus, I really can't remember, but it was a relief realizing that on hot summer days when nothing is moving or willing to move, not even to think to be creative, there is still a thing one can do without much effort but obtaining such beautiful results. 

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The black and white silver gelatin paper, or black and white resin coated paper miraculously reveals it's colors by placing plant objects on it's surface and exposing it to the sun. These colors are subtle, dreamlike magic.

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My lumen printing process is very simple as placing the flower on the paper surface, covering it with the glass and leaving it under the sun for several hours. What follows is taking advantage of modern technology, by scanning the print, without fixing it first, correcting the contrast, or color if I feel like. The print is then stored into the light proof box, waiting to be fixed some day.

 

I did some large prints of scanned images, on archival paper, just to see how it would look like and must admit I loved it.

 

The human activity in any field has become harmful to the environment since the time industrial revolution took place. The photography is not an exception. I really don't think any photographic process is safe, maybe some are less harmful than others.

Lumen printing might be on safer side, by using expired photographic paper, without chemicals, just exposing the print to the sun. It doesn't need to be fixed, but kept in the dark after scanning.

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The simplicity and using expired materials is what makes the process more sustainable, in my opinion. I like to compare this process to "arte povera".