Introduction to large format

Why such a big camera?

It’s a fair question. A view camera is bulky, slow, expensive to run and requires a tripod. It’s not discreet. It’s not fast. It doesn’t forgive mistakes.

And that’s precisely what makes it interesting.

When you work with large format, every exposure has a cost. Not so much financial as mental: you prepare, you meter, you check the plane of focus on the ground glass, you insert the film holder, you slide the dark slide out, and then — and only then — you expose. That deceleration demands a different quality of attention. And when the negative comes out right, you feel it.

This workshop is the first step. Not the final one, but the necessary one to find out if large format is for you.

Contents

• Anatomy of a view camera: body, lens, film holders and standards
• The ground glass: how to compose and focus
• Basic movements: tilt and shift — what they’re for
• Loading sheets in the dark
• Light metering and compensation for large format
• Exposing your first sheets in the studio or outdoors
• Tray development and reading the result

What’s included

• Use of the view camera, lenses and film holders
• 2–4 4×5" sheets per participant
• Developing chemicals
• Use of the darkroom

What to bring

• Nothing. All materials belong to the lab.

Not included

• Additional sheets (+€4/sheet)
• If you want to continue, the Large Format 4×5" workshop is the natural next step