For photographers who have dabbled in the darkroom, and even some who haven’t, the concept of photographic paper isn’t new—nor is the concept of how the photographic image ends up on the photo paper.

“Photographic paper is paper coated with light-sensitive chemicals, used for making photographic prints.

Photographic paper is exposed to light in a controlled manner, either by placing a negative in contact with the paper directly to produce a contact print, or by using an enlarger in order to cast an image from the negative onto the photographic paper and exposing it to light.

Photographic papers are then subsequently developed using the gelatin-silver process to create a visible image.” (1) 

Considering this process and the reaction that occurs on the photo paper from the light that is being controlled through the negative… would it be possible to use grass as photo paper? Well, British artists Dan Harvey and Heather Ackroyd discovered just how to do that, and the work is incredible. They have been experimenting with the natural medium for years, exploring endless artistic possibilities surrounding seedings and photosynthesis. (2)

In order to create these large-scale portraits, “they project a negative onto a dark wall of greenery, causing corresponding parts of the surface to germinate depending on how much light they receive. the more sun an area receives, the darker the pigmentation becomes and when moving further away from the work, the clearer the resolution. the compositions articulate the ephemeral and present qualities of existence, where the living work can remain for years or only several months.” (2)