Film & Large Format Photography

There is something very different about working with film.

Having worked in locations around the world using a range of analogue cameras and formats — including Chamonix large-format field cameras, Yashica twin-lens cameras and Fuji 6×7 systems — I have found that film encourages a slower, more considered approach to photography.

This 1-to-1 day is designed as an introduction to the analogue world for photographers who would like to dip their toe into film photography, explore different formats and discover how working with film can bring something new and creative to their photography.

The Scottish Highlands provide an exceptional setting for this. From dramatic landscapes and changing weather to ancient woodland, the Atlantic rainforest and wildlife, there are countless opportunities to explore how different film formats respond to the environment.

During the workshop, you will have the opportunity to work with three different film formats and camera systems, experiencing the distinctive characteristics and working methods of each.

We will explore:

• Large-format photography using a Chamonix field camera
• Medium-format twin-lens photography using a Yashica
• Fuji 6×7 medium-format photography
• Different film stocks, including Kodak and Ilford
• Choosing film to complement the subject and available light
• Using filters and understanding their effect on the final negative
• Different aspect ratios, shapes and formats
• Metering a scene accurately
• Understanding exposure and working within the limitations of film
• Using a loupe to examine negatives and focusing screens
• Large-format focusing techniques
• Tilt and shift movements
• Understanding how camera movements can influence perspective, focus and depth of field

Rather than simply demonstrating the equipment, the day is about using it. You will have the opportunity to work with all three formats and experience the very different ways each camera encourages you to see and compose an image.

Film requires a different mindset from digital photography. There is no instant review, no endless sequence of frames and no opportunity to immediately check whether you have captured the image.

Instead, we slow down, consider the scene, read the light and make deliberate decisions.

That process can be incredibly rewarding — and it can ultimately influence the way you approach photography with any camera.

The day includes the equivalent of two rolls of film — 16 exposures.

This limited number of frames is intentional. It encourages a thoughtful approach to composition, exposure and image-making rather than relying on volume.

Following the workshop, your negatives will be professionally processed and posted back to you, giving you the opportunity to see the results of the decisions you made during the day.

• 8 hours of 1-to-1 tuition
• Use of three different analogue formats:
  • Chamonix large-format field camera
  • Yashica twin-lens camera
  • Fuji 6×7 system
• A selection of Kodak and Ilford film
• 16 exposures / two-roll equivalent
• Film processing
• Your processed negatives posted back to you
• Practical tuition and guidance throughout the day
• Pen and notepad for making notes during the workshop
• A pre-workshop 40-minute Zoom consultation
• Short photographic critique

Every 1-to-1 tuition day begins with a pre-booked 40-minute Zoom consultation before your workshop.

This is an important part of the experience and allows us to prepare the day specifically for you.

During the session we will discuss:

• What you would like to achieve from the day
• Your current experience and photographic interests
• The equipment you have available
• What equipment you may need to bring
• Suitable clothing and footwear
• The location and conditions we may encounter
• Any particular photographic challenges you would like to work on

You will also be invited to share one photograph for a short critique.

This gives us an opportunity to understand your photography before we meet and helps ensure the workshop is shaped around you, rather than following a fixed classroom-style programme.

Whether you have never loaded a roll of film before, have an old film camera sitting at home waiting to be used, or are an experienced digital photographer looking for a completely different way of working, this day offers an opportunity to explore analogue photography in a relaxed and practical environment.

Working in the Highlands gives us the freedom to respond to whatever the landscape provides on the day. Weather, light, season, landscape, woodland and wildlife can all influence where we work and which format we choose.

The aim is not simply to teach you how to operate an old camera.

It is to introduce you to a different way of seeing, thinking and making photographs.

• Duration: 8 hours
• Format: 1-to-1 private tuition
• Film: 16 exposures / two-roll equivalent
• Film stocks: Kodak & Ilford
• Processing: Negatives professionally processed and posted to you
• Pre-workshop: 40-minute Zoom consultation
• Cost: £600