Alternative Photography Processes – Historic Methods Reimagined /

My work in alternative processes merges historic photographic techniques with a contemporary, fine‑art approach. Using hand‑mixed pigments, layered surfaces, and experimental printing methods, I create unique works in gum bichromate, salt printing, cyanotype, and analogue film photography. These tactile processes connect photography to its material roots while inviting fresh interpretations in a modern context.

handmade cyanotype prints

Handmade Cyanotype Prints | Toned Cyanotypes & Workshops London

I’ve always been drawn to the cyanotype process—not just for its history, but for the way it merges light, chemistry, and chance into something unpredictable. In my London studio, I teach both traditional and experimental cyanotype techniques, from hand-coating papers to toning and layering. Each workshop is about slowing down, exploring, and discovering what this blue process can reveal.

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gum printing artist uk Gum Printing Artist UK — Ian Phillips-McLaren - tri colour gum print held next to the digital version on screen

Gum printing artist uk

Why Gum Printing Still Matters in the UK / Why Gum Printing Still Matters in the UKBy Ian Phillips-McLaren Gum printing — or gum bichromate — is one of those processes that never quite behaves. It’s slow, messy, unpredictable, and

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Foraged Pigments – Making Images from the Land

Foraged Pigments

Foraged Pigments & Site-Specific Materials / Foraged Materials in Image-Making /  This page explores how natural materials gathered from the site of the image-making — soil, river water, ash, hay, and more — are integrated into my prints. These foraged

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Analogue Film Photography – Working with Film Cameras & Darkroom Techniques

Analogue Film Photography

Analogue Film Photography / A lifelong practice in craft, precision, and creative play. Analogue Film Photography / There’s something uniquely powerful about working with film. The slow process, the weight of the camera, the smell of developer in the darkroom

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