Large format photography

For over a hundred years, the view camera has been the tool of leading photographers. It was the view camera that was used to make virtually all 19th century images as well as most of the 20th century masterpieces. Even today, in the age of digital photography, it offers unmatched image quality and is still used, albeit usually with a digital sensor, in leading advertising studios or in atteliers of outstanding photographers such as Paolo Rovesi. Even the American government, who have recently advertised a 100 000 USD a year job for a view camera photographer, is convinced of the advantages of analog large format photography.

Curiously enough the format was recently espoused by the digital world where not only digital backs (that are not truly large format) are available but also cameras with a sensor that is truly 8×10 inches.

Unfortunately, for many people large format photography, using a view camera, seems to be something difficult, incomprehensible, complicated, almost impossible to master, even though it allures and tempts at the same time. On one hand it charms, interests, on the other slightly overawes with the size of the camera, lack of any electronics, the necessity to process the negative yourself. The negative that frequently can’t even be placed in a tank. It also scares with the expenditure, which imagination blows up out of any proportion and which is not nearly as high in reality.

Being unable to use a view camera is also a frequent barrier that stops us from picking up some of the most interesting techniques such as the wetplate collodion or glass plate negatives and makes us unable to carry out many projects that ‘have been sitting at the back of our heads’ for a long time.

For those of you, who want to master the view camera, take off the spell and learn its secrets, we have prepared our newest, three day workshop. It will give you an opportunity to break all barriers and fears, to learn not only the basics but also advanced methods of using a view camera. And all this in the comfort of my personal lab in Trąbki Wielkie in Poland, taught by an experienced instructor, with assistance of an experienced model and make up artist.

A workshop means, first of all, practice. Working in a small group you will have an opportunity to become comfortable with various large format camera types, will learn to use them and utilise all the photographic possibilities they offer. You will photograph architecture, landscape, portrait, fashion and still life both in the studio and outdoors as well as learn to develop the pictures and copy them to make photographic prints. You will also learn to make unique in camera positives on reversal developed photographic paper.

The programme of the workshop covers 24 hours of practical work including two shoots with models, a session devoted to landscape and architecture as well as studio work on close-up/macro photography and still life photography. There will also be time to learn the basics of processing and copying large format black and white negatives as well as some basic historical processes.

Participants will have at their disposal:

• 3 view cameras,

• a fully equipped darkroom,

• photographic strobes,

• large format photographic materials for both negatives and positives,

• all materials necessary for print and negative development.

Date: 23-15 April 2025

Location: Trąbki Wielkie, Poland

Nearest airport: Lech Wałęsa Airport, Gdańsk Rębiechowo

Turor: Radosław Brzozowski

Maximum number of participants: 6

Price: 1790 PLN