Large Format 101

Everything you might be wondering about big cameras

WORK IN PROGESS

In order to keep this moderately simple, I’m not going to go on long winded explanations of what each camera is and what it can do… yet. There are a lot of resources out there already at your fingertips for any information you want to know, you just have to know what to search for. But accessing the information is not the problem. I can find anything I have questions about in a book or on the internet forum, but I have years of experience and relatively good technical knowledge of how these machines work. I’m trying to put my mind in the place of the beginner who doesn’t know anything about large format, cameras, or photography for that matter. For me, it wasn’t that long ago when I first picked up a camera and shot my first roll of film. Photography was, and continues to be, a mystery to me, but I was surprised how quickly I learned to love the process. The purpose of this series of articles is to pull down the curtain of mysticism on all large format, and perhaps photography in general and show you, as simply as possible, a fresh introduction to the art, so that anyone is capable of learning the large format workflow.

As a brief introduction I have prepared some preliminary questions addressing who, what, where, when, and why large format.

What is large format?

Two main factors define large format in photography. First: any single image that is at least 4x5 inches (9x12 cm), notably in sheets or plates. Second: front and rear of the camera is separated by a flexible bellows. There are other minor differences that you can find here.

When was large format invented?

In 1826, when photography as we know it first started, photographs were made on glass or metal plates. There was no standard at the time so sizes varied by the photographer’s preference. These ranged from gem tintype (¾ x 1 inch) to mammoth plates (18x22 inch). Plus everything in-between.

Who is large format for?

In 1900 Kodak released their snapshot camera designed for the armature photographer and middle class people and families, the Kodak Brownie Camera. This concept of armature snapshot photography sparked a revolution in the industry. No longer was the labor of making photographs a labor intensive skill. It could be done by anyone and taken anywhere. Kodak’s slogan for this camera says it all. “You press the button, we do the rest.”

This and other photographic technologies allowed the process of making photographs faster and easier in the 20th century. There became a clear division in the market for professionals and armatures. Large format as we know it today was one of those avenues for professional photographers and artists. However, in the time of this writing large format is even more accessible than ever before thanks to the low cost of manufacturing parts, rising interest in film photography in general, and the abundance of left over gear from the past 150 years or so.

Why large format?

The truth is that large format is not for everyone. I know this because everyone uses a camera differently. Large format is probably the least flexible camera system of all in some regards. It is big, heavy, slow, and can be frustrating to get things right. A large negative wont make your photographs better, they might actually get worse for a while. Facing the challenges of learning a new process can be fun and rewarding, but there is no doubt it will be a struggle. If you are willing to stick through the difficulty, you might find the reward at the end very enjoyable.

(Nico on his YouTube show explains the idea of large

  • (Pro) Slow ; (con) Large format and fast are like oil and water, point and shoot is not really an option here.

  • (Pro) Methodical ; (con) With more methods to the process, there can introduce more points where one can make more technical errors.

PROS

  • Slow and methodical /More steps can introduce more errors

  • A tripod is a must / handholding is possible but not practical in most situations.

  • Lens selection is vast and not married

  • Being more mindful about each picture means higher success rate/ Less film or fewer exposures.

  • Each photograph is physically separate from another

  • Control over image creation in utilization of camera movements.

  • Control over the negative in developing

  • Extreme potential resolution in scanning or enlargement in prints

  • Cost for entry can be very low


CONS

  • Subject to more human error

  • Equipment is large, cumbersome, and gets heavy quickly

  • Sheet film can present new challenges when developing

  • Film choice is very limited

  • Film can be a very large expense

  • Costs can exponentially rise when problems occur

The Camera

In order to answer this very simple question you must understand some basics about the architecture of the large format camera. If we start with the earliest form of cameras we end up with literally a box that light can not enter (camera obscura) This light tight box can theoretically be any size, but for the large format camera its about the size of a gallon of milk, if it were square. Like all cameras that we use and enjoy today, we are presented with two functioning ends. The front and the back; the front containing an opening for the lens and the back containing a method to hold film in place.

So far this should sound very familiar since all camera are constructed this way: Light tight box no matter the size (iPhone, Nikon, Hasselblad, etcetera.) with a lens on one end and a film or light sensor on the back.



  1. Negative

  2. Print