Making the Negatives: Photoshop

The basic process is simple:
1. Import digital image into Photoshop.
2. "Desaturate"
3. Adjust using "exposure" or "levels."
4. "Invert"
5. Print onto transparency--I have used Inkpress and Pictorico with good results.  Use an inkjet printer.

Of course nothing about this process is simple.  Different levels of contrast will give different results.  I spent quite a bit of time researching "the perfect negative," but then decided to just play around in Photoshop.  After all, I am not trying to make the perfect photo...  Below are the Photoshop results; tomorrow the magic happens with the actual cyanotype printing.

Experimenting with contrast:

Layering, inversions:

Filters:

Making  negatives out of old cyanotypes:

Playing with previous compositions:

Converting Drawings:

I also played with distortions, but don't want to post without permission from the distorted people (or their parents)...