Correct Winter Exposures

We often get asked the question “How long will it take to expose my cyanotypes in the sun?” and the answer to this is always “It depends.”
With winter drawing is and with not much sunlight we want to give some pointers on how long it will take to expose your cyanotypes in the winter.
If the weather permits and it’s not raining exposing your prints outside is always preferable. The best time for exposing is around noon, this is when the UV is the strongest. Put your paper pointing towards the brightest part of the sky. Exposure times will vary depending on time of day and weather conditions (see below).
If it’s raining you can expose inside. If you do this you can put your paper in a window but expect longer exposure times. You may need to test to see if your window glass blocks UV.

The examples below demonstrate under and over exposing.

Exposure not long enough

Not enough UV - the final result will be washed out and lacking detail.

Correct exposure time

The correct amount of UV - the final result will be balanced and detailed.

Exposure too long

Too much UV - the final result will be dark with lost detail.

Real Exposures

November Bright Sun

Cyanotype exposure on a sunny day in November at noon UK using the app.

November Light Cloud

Cyanotype exposure on a light cloud day in November at noon UK using the app.

November Overcast

Cyanotype exposure on a cloudy day in November at noon UK using the app.

November Rain

Cyanotype exposure on a Rainy day in November at noon UK using the app.

November Snow

An exposure in winter snow through a single glazed window in November at noon UK using the app.

Mixed Sun & moving cloud (soon)

Watch the app exposure on the fly as the weather changes from sun to cloud and back repeatedly.

Related Tutorials

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