Blue Beauty: Cyanotypes (1 Session)
Adult Workshop | Registration opens Monday, February 9, 2026 8:00 AM EST
Discover a historic photographic printing technique that you can do in your own backyard! This workshop will provide you with a brief introduction to the cyanotype process, which was discovered by John Herschel in 1842 and used for over a century to reproduce drawings and images (it was especially popular among engineers, thus the term "blueprint"!) The gorgeous deep blue hues of cyanotypes will transform your images. You will learn how to prepare your photosensitive material and make prints outside in the sunlight, using found objects and transparencies as your negatives. The workshop will also explore techniques for printing on fabric, as well as toning your images to alter their final color.
What you will learn:
- Brief history of cyanotype
- How to prepare paper with solution
- How to expose photograms and negatives in sunlight
- Demonstrations of printing on fabric and amber toning
Accessibility Note: This studio has partial stair access. The main workspace is reachable via an alternate entrance, but some areas require stairs. Please contact adulteducation@fleisher.org to discuss accommodations.
Alex Orgera
Alexandra Orgera is a photographer living and working in Philadelphia. After receiving her B.A. in Science and Humanities from Carnegie Mellon University, she pursued the study of photography through coursework at Universität der Künste, University of the Arts, and Project Basho, and in 2015, she co-founded The Halide Project, an organization dedicated to encouraging the practice of traditional and alternative process photography. Her work makes use of hand-made cameras and other experimental photographic techniques to explore the world in which we live.