Try Out This Fun in the Sun Activity

Check out this super cool, fun in the sun, activity! I’ve been wanting to experiment with sun prints ever since a fellow photographer friend told me about them. Naturally, I ordered some right away and then promptly placed them somewhere “special” (meaning I have no Earthly idea where I’ve put them – ugh!). After several searches of my house, I gave up and ordered some more, haha.

Well, I’m here to tell you that it was worth the hassle and extra expense because these are pretty fun. They also require zero skills, so don’t be deterred in the slightest if you’re on the fence.

If you’re wondering what the heck sun prints are (like I was), basically, you take special photo paper, place items on top of it, and let it expose (or sit in the sun) for about 15 minutes to create a spiffy silhouette. Technically, you can use anything you like, but I went with flowers, leaves, and such. This project has all sorts of potential though, and you could get crazy creative with it if you wanted to.

Obviously, you want to follow the directions on the package of paper, but here are a few tips and tricks… For starters, the paper begins to expose as soon as light touches it. So, open (and close) the package quickly and arrange your items in a speedy fashion. It’s also best to do so in the area you plan to expose the paper so that you don’t have to worry about your design getting messed up in transport because you’re in a rush to get to the sunlit area (lemme tell you, leaves tend to flutter off…). Once you’ve created your design on your paper, let it sit in direct sunlight for 15 minutes (or per package instructions). Then, remove your items and rinse the paper in cold water. Once you do this last step, the paper will turn blue and the silhouettes will turn white. I feel it’s important to mention that since I initially found the color of the paper rather underwhelming, but fret not, it gets prettier! Lastly, let your print dry and enjoy your new work of art.

This is a super easy project with nearly instant gratification, which will also have you feeling creative and playful. I encourage you to give it a try. And if you do, please feel free to share your work on social media. (Slap #loofphotofunigpics on your image for Instagram, or share in the Facebook comments of the sun print post.) I can’t wait to see what everyone creates!!

PS: If your first attempt is a flop, give it a few more tries. The packages come with several pieces of paper, which is a blessing since not every sheet is going to produce a masterpiece.

PPS: The featured image is actually of the print my daughter created because hers turned out the best. She totally outshined the rest of us, haha. She also had a knack for finding the coolest foliage for our project.

🙂