Late spring through late fall are great times to gather materials for nature crafts to keep you busy throughout the winter months.

In your makeshift darkroom, you'll need water, a low-watt red lightbulb or a "safelight", and Number 3 photographic processing paper. You'll also need 3 trays: one filled with developing solution, another with a chemical called "stop bath", and the last, with a solution called the "fixer". These are available at a photographic supply store.

After you have selected your subjects and arranged them on paper, suspend the light 3 feet above, and turn it on for 5 to 15 seconds. You'll have to experiment to find the proper exposure time. The portions of the paper that are covered by your subjects receive no light, and remain white. If you wish more than a black and white photo, rearrange them on the paper for other exposures of 2 to 4 seconds each. Above is a Virginia Creeper made from 3 exposures by nature photographer James H. Carmichael, Jr. (Note it has been color altered during the scanning process).

To process, first agitate the paper in the developing solution for about 2 minutes. After the image forms, place the paper briefly in the stop bath and then the fixer. Rinse in running water for at least 5 minutes, then wipe it off.