Jane Norman

Photographer by day….cyanotyper by night. Well, not quite, as you need sunlight for cyanotypes!

Cyanotypes, otherwise known as ‘blueprints’ or ‘sun prints’ are sort of a natural arty side-step to my life as a photographer, as it’s a process. Plus you never quite know what you’re going to get, but practice is proving fun perfecting it, combining the traditional blueprint technique of rich Prussian blue and whites, with modern day photography, which allows me to add pops of colour.

Each piece of these designs are drawn by hand on to acetate, exposed to sunlight on special light sensitive paper and made into cyanotypes, washed, photographed and cut into individual pieces and layered on the computer to create the final designs. I then make them into prints and greetings cards – and have also started making them into bags, which are also proving popular.

I am very much the product of the Blue Peter generation, making and glueing, sticking and colouring – as well as starting my photography career at the age of 8, with a number of fuzzy pictures for my Brownie Photography Badge.

Fast forward on a few years and I’m still doing the same thing, although my photographs are now much sharper, plus a stint at West Surrey College of Art & Design for my BA (Hons), then Bournemouth Media School for TV work…followed by all sorts of creative work, overseas and here – including (the old) Blackmore Vale Magazine.