Fine Art & Eco-Friendly Photography: Connecting Art with Nature

My artistic practice is dedicated to sustainable photography through non-toxic, darkroom-free processes.

I work exclusively with organic materials to transfer images in a way that honours both the medium and the environment.

Techniques like chlorophyll printing and anthotypes allow me to explore the deep connection between humans and nature, and reflect on the impact we have on our surroundings.

I also work with cyanotype and lumen printing, two historic photographic processes known for their low toxicity. These techniques let me explore the permanence of camera-less photography while incorporating my own natural pigments.

Phytograms printing invites me into the inner chemistry of each plant and flower, revealing the unique visual possibilities each one holds.


A Sustainable Vision

I believe in eco-conscious art. If leaves and flowers could see us, I imagine them as living mirrors—extending their function beyond photosynthesis to become symbolic, interactive portals. My work is an invitation to reflect on our environmental footprint through the beauty of experimental photography.

I do not use any post-processing or chemical fixatives. I intentionally embrace the ephemeral and the beauty of impermanence, challenging the traditional notion that art must last forever. For me, the fleeting nature of these pieces is part of their emotional impact and meaning.

Cristina Zaletta portrait in a beautiful chlorophyll print with nasturtium and poinsettia leaves. Chlorophill print make with grow lights.

Chlorophyll prints

Chlorophyll printing is an alternative photographic technique where a sun-bleached image is created directly on a plant leaf. It uses sunlight to fade the green chlorophyll in the leaf. The process involves placing a positive image on a transparent sheet on top of a leaf, holding them in place with a frame, and then exposing them to sunlight for several hours or days.

See collection
Quebracho toned cyanotype .Lighthouse. Botanical toned. Cristina Zaletta. Canada

Cyanotype

Cyanotype is one of the oldest photographic printing processes, known for its distinctive deep blue color. Invented in 1842 by the British scientist Sir John Herschel, it uses a simple chemical reaction between ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide. When paper or fabric coated with this light-sensitive solution is exposed to ultraviolet light—usually sunlight—the areas hit by light turn a rich Prussian blue after being rinsed in water and can be toned whit natural pigments and tannins.

See collection
Caladium Anthotype. Alternative photography reveals beautiful succulent plants . Cristina Zaletta Canada

Anthotype 

Anthotype photography is a cameraless printing process that creates images using light-sensitive pigments from plants. The process involves making an emulsion from crushed plant material like flower petals or berries, coating a surface with it, arranging objects on top, and exposing it to sunlight until the light bleaches the parts of the paper not covered, leaving an image in the plant's color.

See collection
Lumen print Cameraless alternative process .The natural beauty of Rhododendron flower captured in a light sensitive paper . Cristina Zaletta . Canada

Lumen

Lumen photography is a cameraless alternative process that uses sunlight to expose objects, such as flowers and leaves, on silver gelatin photographic paper, creating unique solar photograms. The sunlight causes the paper to "self-develop," resulting in a color print without a chemical developer, although the colors are often temporary and can be altered or preserved by a chemical fixer. The process can also use expired photographic paper, which often produces even more dramatic and varied colors.

See collection
Phytogram pansy flowers in 35m film. Cristina Zaletta . Canada

Phytograms

A phytogram is a cameraless photography technique that creates images by using the internal chemistry of plants to interact with photographic film or paper. It involves soaking plant material in a solution (like one with washing soda and vitamin C) and then placing it on photographic emulsion, allowing sunlight to act as the "developer" and form an image. The process reveals the structure of the plant and can result in beautiful, often abstract, and unpredictable visual effects.

See collection