Hi everybody!
John here from hot and muggy coastal Florida.
Prior to June of 2018 I had never shot a single piece of film in my life. During the summer of 2016 I was living on my own in New Mexico. Working for the government on a 4-days-per-week schedule, I spent virtually every weekend driving around the vast expanses of the New Mexican plains and deserts hiking, taking pictures, meeting interesting characters, and getting hassled by the border patrol. Late on a September afternoon a few weeks before I was scheduled to move to Wisconsin to be with my girlfriend, I took a panoramic photograph of a huge thunderstorm high above the plains. I eventually had this image printed out and subsequently entered it into a juried exhibition. I won Best-in-Show and was thinking pretty highly of myself.
A few months later, I was speaking to an art director about my portfolio. He was less enthusiastic (rightfully so), but during our conversation he mentioned the name "Clyde Butcher" and recommended that I check his work out. I walked back into work and visited his site. I was instantly drawn to his gorgeous black and white large format images. At the time, I had no idea what large format photography even was. I went home that evening and ordered my first large format camera, an Intrepid 4x5.
Now, over 3 years later, I am so thankful I had that conversation back in 2018. I love everything about large format photography: the technical skills required to produce a lovely print, how slow and thoughtful one must be, and how carrying a huge camera down a trail is an excellent conversation starter.
Currently, I use a Chamonix 45F-2 and an Intrepid 8x10. In the near future I plan on either upgrading my 8x10 to a Chamonix or Richard Ritter, or maybe I'll finally pull the trigger on my dream format: 7x17 or 12x20
John here from hot and muggy coastal Florida.
Prior to June of 2018 I had never shot a single piece of film in my life. During the summer of 2016 I was living on my own in New Mexico. Working for the government on a 4-days-per-week schedule, I spent virtually every weekend driving around the vast expanses of the New Mexican plains and deserts hiking, taking pictures, meeting interesting characters, and getting hassled by the border patrol. Late on a September afternoon a few weeks before I was scheduled to move to Wisconsin to be with my girlfriend, I took a panoramic photograph of a huge thunderstorm high above the plains. I eventually had this image printed out and subsequently entered it into a juried exhibition. I won Best-in-Show and was thinking pretty highly of myself.
A few months later, I was speaking to an art director about my portfolio. He was less enthusiastic (rightfully so), but during our conversation he mentioned the name "Clyde Butcher" and recommended that I check his work out. I walked back into work and visited his site. I was instantly drawn to his gorgeous black and white large format images. At the time, I had no idea what large format photography even was. I went home that evening and ordered my first large format camera, an Intrepid 4x5.
Now, over 3 years later, I am so thankful I had that conversation back in 2018. I love everything about large format photography: the technical skills required to produce a lovely print, how slow and thoughtful one must be, and how carrying a huge camera down a trail is an excellent conversation starter.
Currently, I use a Chamonix 45F-2 and an Intrepid 8x10. In the near future I plan on either upgrading my 8x10 to a Chamonix or Richard Ritter, or maybe I'll finally pull the trigger on my dream format: 7x17 or 12x20
