Patience and connections

I cannot wholly describe the rush of excitement when you make a connection of how ‘things’ work. The lightbulb moments of discovery. Of course, there have been many people before me, but that doesn't matter. The dopamine drug release is immeasurable, and I am about to burst. My words come out in the wrong order because I am so excited then I tic.
This time the chemical reward is released when I understand the link between pinhole photography, lumen prints and solargrams. I have just processed my first ever solargram using a home-made solar can. Set at a high vantage point facing south, loaded with lustre multigrade paper. I leave the can out for just a week because I want to make sure that I am conducting the experiment correctly. Scratch that, its because I am impatient!
Solargrams are like lumen prints in that exposure times are prohibitively long. You cannot put the exposed prints into developer because the prints will turn black. If you resolve to fix them, then you must be prepared to lose some or all of the beautiful colours and tones you have captured. I am a risk taker, and I am afraid I lost many images because of my determination to own them. I did not want to let the sun eventually steal them from me. It was painful to let go of the physical prints, but then I lost them anyway in my determination to keep them.
Back to my solar can experiment, created with guidance from photographer Justin Quinell: I will post a link to his tutorial at the end of this blog post. Justin advises that you scan in your solargram. You have essentially one chance, maybe two and then you can also keep the physical exposure in a lightproof environment. Doing what I was told, (for a change), I was rewarded with my first charming solargram. A lesson in listening, chemistry, physics, and acceptance.