articles - Nigel Goldsmith photography & film

Cyanotype Workshop: Creative Printmaking with Light & Nature

Discover the magic of one of the oldest photographic printing processes in this hands-on cyanotype workshop!
Ideal for staff development, team building, or simply taking time out to enjoy a mindful and creative activity, this session introduces participants to the beautiful world of cyanotype—an accessible and engaging analogue photographic process that uses sunlight to create striking blue and white prints.

During this relaxed, beginner-friendly workshop, you will:

Learn about the history and science behind cyanotype printing
Explore composition using natural materials (like leaves, flowers, feathers) or personal objects
Create your own unique cyanotype prints on paper or fabric or other materials
Learn about experimental cyanotype techniques
Leave with your finished artwork and the knowledge to try it again at home

No artistic background is needed—just curiosity and a willingness to play. Cyanotype is a great way to reconnect with nature, experiment with design, and take a break from the digital world.

Whether you’re looking to recharge, try something new, or connect with colleagues in a creative setting, this workshop offers a refreshing mix of learning and hands-on making.

This workshop has been delivered widely at universities, schools and to commercial clients.

multiple exposure cyanotype image of ferns

Fluxus Museum – experimental film commission 2025

I have been commissioned along with around 20 other artists to produce a new piece of work to be shown at the Fluxus Museum in Paros, Greece for the summer of 2025.

The work I have created is titled ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ the main subject is the enormous harbour side cranes at a busy container terminal. The video is accompanied by an audio track blending ambient sounds recorded around the port.

Film still from Buy Now, Pay Later.

The exhibition runs until the end of September 2025.

Buy Now, Pay Later in exhibition © Fluxus Museum 2025

Print sales

Most of my pictures can be purchased as high quality prints. I have added a few of the popular images below along with the prices of prints both framed and unframed.

I normally use Paypal to handle the transaction. If you are interested in buying a print, send me an email letting me know which picture you are interested in buying and I will send you the payment info.

Steps (60cm x 40cm print) £280 framed, £180 unframed.

Loading (60cm x 40cm print) £260 framed, £180 unframed

Original multiple exposure cyanotype print 60cm x 60cm – framed £350, unframed £250

Cranes (60cm x 40cm print) £260 framed, £180 unframed

Ship breakers, Chittagong 12″x12″ £180 unframed

Deep Water – currently on show at the RWA in Bristol

My new short film, Deep Water which was partly funded thanks to a WEVAA bursary has had a busy few months having been selected for 3 exhibitions . This summer it was selected for the Black Swan Arts Open in Frome where it won the Digital Media prize. It was then selected for the 44AD Open in Bath and it can currently be seen at the RWA in Bristol until January ’25.

Deep Water is part of an ongoing series of art films and photographic essays exploring the scale and impact of the linear economic system on the planet. The project first started on a beach in Bangladesh in 1997.

Over the years, this project has involved photographing on board the world’s largest container ship, I have travelled to numerous ports, and visited the eventual graveyard for many of these ocean going giants in Chittagong in Bangladesh. The work produced has been show in galleries and film festivals in the UK, Italy, Czech Republic and Mexico.

Film still from Deep Water

View of gallery wall with video artwork displayed on screen in foreground

Black Swan Arts Open 24

Gallery space full of people looking at artwork on display

Private view, Black Swan Arts Open

Ship breakers, Chittagong in Bangladesh 1997 where the project first started.

Experimental darkroom workshop

Building on my standard intro to analogue photography and darkroom practice workshops, I also offer experimental analogue photography and darkroom workshops. Some of the topics I cover are completely camera-less such as photograms, multi-enlarger photograms, water-grams and chemigrams. Sessions can also include pinhole photography, extreme pinhole photography and cyanotype printing.

The experimental darkroom workshop is popular with schools, colleges, staff development activities and individuals. If you are interested in this workshop, please get in contact and I can call you back for a chat at a convenient time.

Photograms of ripples in water or ‘watergrams’

Photogram of objects using cyanotype process

Broken bones and brake lights – cyanotype

6 month pinhole photograph Cheney Court near Bath

Photograms and luminograms washing