jamie young
Member
Large format to me has always been about a particular look you want, that requires a certain tool to obtain. I've always loved the detail that large film cameras give. The clarity and different look of a contact print have drawn me to large format from the start. After seeing photos by Wynn Bullock, Edward weston, Ansel Adams, etc, I couldn't wait to get a LF camera, and got my first one, a 8x10 Deardoff, when I was 18. Maturity definitely wasn't a factor for me. I still love LF photography, though I've headed more toward pictorialism for some of my work, using softer older lenses, and limited dof. This is a different reason to choose LF photography.
I think it's all about what you want your photos to be, and using the right tools to get it. The style of shooting is very different too. One shoots a lot less, and tends to think about the shot more, because of the longer set up time. My cirkut photography is a extreme example of that. Lot's of stuff to haul around. a big set up time which can also include film cutting and spooling, and processing each shot individually, makes me very thoughtful about what i spend my time shooting. It does generally take away the spontaneity of a shoot, but there are better tools for that anyway.
I think it's all about what you want your photos to be, and using the right tools to get it. The style of shooting is very different too. One shoots a lot less, and tends to think about the shot more, because of the longer set up time. My cirkut photography is a extreme example of that. Lot's of stuff to haul around. a big set up time which can also include film cutting and spooling, and processing each shot individually, makes me very thoughtful about what i spend my time shooting. It does generally take away the spontaneity of a shoot, but there are better tools for that anyway.