Turn desert sunlight into cyan-blue prints in a three-hour Palm Springs workshop. Learn the 19th-century cyanotype process, expose images with found plants and prepared negatives, and leave with several framed prints.
More ways to explore the area's outdoor wonders
The desert sun is direct, clean, and impatient — perfect for making cyanotypes. You arrive at a shaded table on a dry arroyo edge, the light sharp enough to silhouette a feather or leaf in a single exposure. The instructor prepares emulsions while wind moves skeletal branches like quiet hands arranging props.
Difficulty
easy
Duration
3 hours
Fitness Level
Light — suitable for people comfortable standing and working at tables for the session length
Wildlife
History
Cyanotypes were developed in 1842 and later adopted for botanical and engineering copies; Palm Springs sits on ancestral Cahuilla territory with a long tradition of working with native desert plants.
Conservation
The desert is fragile—avoid collecting live plants or disturbing habitats; use fallen material or supplied props and follow Leave No Trace principles.
Reserve your spot on the Make Sun Prints in the Desert today and enjoy a trusted, highly rated experience designed to help you make the most of your adventure.
Sun protection
Bring a wide-brim hat and sunscreen — strong UV both accelerates exposures and risks sunburn during outdoor setup.
Stay hydrated
Carry a 1L bottle — the desert air is dry and three hours in sun can dehydrate you quickly.
Secure your prints
Bring clips or a small clipboard to hold coated paper steady in breezy conditions; wind can ruin a wet emulsion.
Photograph your process
Use your phone to capture negative placements and exposure setups so you can repeat the technique at home.
Wide-brim hat
Shields face and lungs from direct sun during outdoor exposures.
summer
Reusable water bottle
Maintains hydration in dry desert air throughout the class.
Clips or clothespins
Useful for holding paper flat when wind is present.
Camera or smartphone
Document setups and finished pieces to help replicate the method at home.