VIEW CAMERA: SOMETIMES BIGGER IS BETTER!

August 26 – 29, 2010
Camden, Maine
Tuition: $850

The focus of this three-day large format workshop is two-fold: becoming proficient at camera operation and understanding the proportional relationships of composition between the different formats. If you are new to view cameras you will be able to use any of mine, including the 5 x 7, 5 x 12 and 8 x 10. Intermediate and advanced photographers have the opportunity to become more consistent and effective in operating their own equipment as well as trying out some of my own. This workshop offers a “no sales pitch” opportunity to contrast and compare today’s view cameras before you buy!

Using a view camera is what I call “base ten digital photography” - it takes both hands and all your fingers. It is the ultimate opportunity to get out from behind the computer screen and look on a real ground glass. You will see the world upside down and backwards and return to the days of thinking before shooting. Planning your camera position, choosing the right lens to give you the view you want to see and then actually seeing the image on the ground glass before you put the film in. It is old style photography to the nth degree!

Making my own photographs with a view camera is how I work best. Taking time to set the camera up, knowing that I have to compose with care to get everything right. Checking light readings, thinking about how I want tonal values to appear later in the print. Seeing the image inverted on the ground glass abstracts it for me and allows me to see the design and composition without worrying about what the object is. For me, working with a view camera is almost a method of meditation, of relaxing deeply, seeing and working within myself. The multitude of physical and mental steps required to make an image requires that setting up the camera becomes a ritual. This physical ritual frees up my mind to focus on what caught my attention in the first place. It allows me to stop over-analyzing the subject and simply compose the image on the ground glass. The rewards of working with a larger negative when printing aren’t to be under rated either!

I invite you to join this world of large format photography. It is both a way of seeing and a way of working. Whether you are new to these cameras, need a refresher course after having set yours aside for a while or you’ve just bought a newer or bigger camera – this workshop is a great place to begin your journey!

Registration

To register for this workshop please contact donna@tillmancrane.com. For questions about the workshop contact tillman@tillmancrane.com.

Transportation, lodging (for Maine)

Airports:

Portland, ME (PWM) served by several major airlines
Rockland, ME (RKD) served by Continental Express

Rental Car:

Portland has most major Rental Companies available.
Rockland has Budget, Enterprise

Lodging:

Camden has many lovely B&B’s, hotels and motels of varying price ranges. Visit the Chamber of Commerce web site for details: www.visitcamden.com.

Meals:

Breakfast - On your own.
Lunch - Ordered out or on the road.
Dinner - Most evenings out to a restaurant as a group; one evening at my home.

Field Trips:

Several will be made locally.

Film Processing:

We will develop some film each evening. Depending on the number of participating photographers and the amount of film shot. I cannot promise that all film shot during the workshop will be processed for you but everyone will be able to process some. We will make contact prints in order to evaluate our work.