The Light source: Making a cyanotype series
The cyanotype printing process uses sensitized iron compounds. It requires hand-coating the paper, exposing it to sunlight, and depending on the UV light, the exposure time is determined. It is a creative chemical process that takes minutes to hours to achieve a result. Once washed, the bright whites and Prussian blue emerge. The cyanotype process was an intentional choice in the creation of this series, minimizing the use of harsh chemicals in the photographic printing process.
Point Prim Lighthouse PEI is the oldest lighthouse in PEI. Built by Isaac Smith in 1845. The lighthouse is a round brick, circular structure towering 60 ft high. Point Prim is one of the most picturesque lighthouses, set on a peaceful peninsula with sandstone cliffs and fir trees lining the point, creating the most timely scenery and a beautifully inspired backdrop.
‘Considering Light’
Cyanotype Landscape Series- P.E.I. 2025
The following series explores a personal narrative of yearning for open spaces, places we are close to, and those we are still exploring.
The Cyanotype once known as ‘The Blueprint’ is a traditional photographic printing method, invented by Sir John Herschel in 1842. It was originally the way of making an architectural print before computers and printers, it’s now considered an alternative photography process using chemistry to create the image, as a historical and archival medium.
As a photographer, educator, and artist, Rei finds inspiration in the ocean, landscapes, Island nature and architecture of the North Atlantic.
On Prince Edward Island, a sense of simplicity resides in the coastal and agricultural and wooded landscapes, we find in some of the heritage architecture, in the presence of lighthouses, old homesteads, and the charm of the wood-shingled farms and barns. Most often, these weathered in-between spaces, where the manmade and nature meet, exhibit a resounding presence, offering a sense of wonder, as we look at the same place anew.
By working in this way and connecting the disciplines of architecture and space and traditional photographic printing, I have highlighted the heritage structures in PEI; the relics of our time, with the beauty of the unchanged landscape. This connection is the focal point of the Cyanotype series, designed to archive a rapidly changing ideal; the fragile awakening of space restoring a natural balance.
Rei,2025
Current Exhibit- @The Kings Playhouse- Georgetown, P.E.I
Open June-Oct, 2025 10-5pm