One of the principle themes of nineteenth-century photography is images of flowers and leaves in different contexts. In the early history of photography, these objects were used to test processing chemicals. To measure light sensitivity, photographic emulsions were applied to leather and paper. The efficiency of an emulsion was tested with the use of leaves and flowers. These trials led to the emergence of the first photograms. Patterns from the unique texture of flowers and leaves were also applied on photographic paper.

Inspired by Anna Atkins, I printed the photographs using cyanotype, a technique dating back to the nineteenth century. Atkins was one of the first female photographers to become interested in botany. She used cyanotype blueprints, invented by her friend John Herschel, to create the typology of algae, and prepared photograms of hundreds of plants and self-published these works in her book Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions (1843–53). This happens to be one of the most valuable early photography books that has survived and it goes without saying that it has been a major inspiration in my work.