Print images on green leaves!

April 20, 2006 @ 11:00PM

Print images on green leaves!

By Haje Jan Kamps

Completely out of left field, this story, but it turns out that you can use leaves as photographic paper, by using light and iodine to dye the starch in leaves dark.

Random? Well, yes, but it is a fun project, and the results are nothing short of stunning. How does it work?

The chlorophyll in healthy green leaves captures light and uses its energy to join together carbon dioxide and water. The result is the organic compound we call starch. It is the basis of much of the food we eat. Starch is white, but if you drop a small amount of a solution of iodine on it, the starch turns black. So that’s it really.

Why didn’t I think of that? Err, never mind. Go read the article and prepare to be amazed!

Do you enjoy a smattering of random photography links? Well, squire, I welcome thee to join me on Twitter - Follow @Photocritic

Comments

Anonymous

5 years ago

didnt you ever do this when u were 12 at school. not that amazing TBH

Anonymous

5 years ago

Heh, I thought about doing this something similar but my idea was to somehow detect the varying amounts of oxygen that the plant was giving off. So, the part of the plant that’s exposed to more light then the more oxygen that part of the plant gives off. Hmmm, maybe setup some sort of magnesium sheet that’ll convert to magnesium oxide when oxygen reaches it and reacts with it? But then you’d have to somehow prevent the oxygen in the air from reacting with the sheet. Also, it’d probably have to be a pretty long exposure to generate enough oxygen to be effective. Thoughts?

Anonymous

5 years ago

Looks like an interesting project. I’m not sure about the ‘soaking in hot meths’. I was going to try it until I read that section – it sounds a little scary for my liking. Certainly not one to put on the gas stove :)

Anonymous

2 years ago

I really liked your blog! Keep up the good work.