Who knew. Plants contain phenols, the very same chemicals found in darkroom developing fluid. It is possible to harness these phenols, with a little kitchen chemistry (tell Spot Jones, my long-suffering chemistry teacher) so that the plant makes the image.
The phenols interact with the silver halides in photographic paper, and a fogged pack can be used to make phenotypes.
In the same way I elastic-banded/bulldog-clipped the shit out of negatives against Cyanotype or salt print paper, you can encourage the plant material to make a snug fit between glass and paper, then expose the glassy sandwich to UV till the plants do their thing.
It’s random. It’s hard to control. I worked out fairly fast I needed kitchen roll and tweezers. The splashes are of course part of the aesthetic. Here are a few images of the process. These might find their way into one if the alternative photography workshops happening over the next two Wednesday Workshops. Come and join us.