The Large Format Photography Podcast

You can join in the fun at our Facebook Group

And now our Flikr group curated by Colin Devroe

Get Twitter updates for the show from Andrew –

Or from Simon –

Email feedback, ideas and questions for the podcast

largeformatphotographypodcast@gmail.com

Podcast Hosts Social Media presence

Simon Forster

https://www.instagram.com/simonforsterphotographic/

Andrew Bartram

Erik Mathy

A not updated website.

IG probably best for all things including rabbits.

The East Bay Photo Collective

MentalCollodion with Simon Riddell (srfilmphotography.co.uk)

Saturday Nov 26, 2022

#62 Simon Riddell - Wet Plate Saved My Life

Saturday Nov 26, 2022

From Simon’s website - “I specialise in analogue and alternative forms of photography, this is my passion. Currently, I'm immersed in practicing the art of Victorian wet plate photography, invented in 1851 the process is still to be rivalled today. There are only a small number of people worldwide practicing wet plate.

I became an artist in 2016, travelling through various analogue and darkroom disciplines. In 2021 I won a global wedding award for my natural portraiture. I also worked closely with Channel 4 on the set of SAS: Who Dares Wins.

I have a bespoke studio and darkroom located at the top of the picturesque Nigg Hill, Ross-Shire, in the Scottish Highlands. The rest of my time is spent in the Isle of Skye, where I'm currently immersed in the Skye Collodion Project”.

And….. so very much we didn’t talk about.

If he survives his daring adventure up a mountain, in December, with wet collodion…..then I’m sure we will have him back on to finish the story…….

With Simon though, we are not at all sure there will be an ending in sight.

Things we chatted about on the show:

Andrew met Simon at the Photography Show in Birmingham and sat in awe as he presented some images from his widely publicised “Mental Collodion” body of work. If you aren’t familiar with this visual exploration of one man’s recovery from depression and PTSD then maybe take a look at these links.

Introducing MentalCollodion: Shining light on mental health struggles - EMULSIVE

As we knew Simon was embarking on a project called #PeakPerserverence and that part of this “adventure” would involve filming a documentary with footage from the trip and interviews with mental health professionals we thought we would start there.

Simon is trying to raise some extra cash for the trip and has a Go Fund Me page which explain more about the project.

https://www.srfilmphotography.co.uk/peakperseverance

https://www.gofundme.com/f/peak-perseverance-documentary

One of the therapies Simon has used with great success is EMDR, we didn’t really go into any detail in the chat but here is a link.

What is EMDR? - EMDR Institute - EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION AND REPROCESSING THERAPY

Simon and his fellow adventurers will spend time on the Cuillin Ridge helped by Mountain Guide Adrian Trendall – you can read more about this environment and Adrian here.

All Things Cuillin

One (and there are a few) of the challenges of using wet plates on a mountain, in December is the lack of washing water so he has asked Steve at Chroma Camera to make a “holding tank” for his plates, which can be filled with water to stabilise the exposed plates for later washing.

Chroma Camera Ltd

Our Erik mentioned this Eric – who also does things up mountains.

Eric Bouvet | Paris | Facebook

Simon has had lots of help and encouragement from Markus Hofstatter, Borut Peterlin and Shane Balkowitsch.

Markus Hofstätter (@mhaustria) • Instagram photos and videos

Borut Peterlin Photography – Borut Peterlin is a fine art photographer and educator, dealing with wet plate collodion process, albumen printing, salt printing, carbon printing and woodburytype printing processes

Shane Balkowitsch Wet Plate Collodion Ambrotype Photography

And whilst we were referencing inspirational wet plate photographers we had to mention our buddy Dave Shrimpton.

https://daveshrimpton.co.uk/

LFPP links -

You can join in the fun at our Facebook Group

And now our Flikr group curated by Colin Devroe

Get Twitter updates for the show from Andrew –

Or from Simon –

Email feedback, ideas and questions for the podcast

largeformatphotographypodcast@gmail.com

Podcast Hosts Social Media presence

Simon Forster

https://www.instagram.com/simonforsterphotographic/

Andrew Bartram

Erik Mathy

A not updated website.

IG probably best for all things including rabbits.

The East Bay Photo Collective

Afghan Box Camera Project

Sunday Oct 02, 2022

#62 Sammy, The Afghan Camera Lady

Sunday Oct 02, 2022

#62 Sammy the Afghan Camera Lady

Erik and Andrew are joined by the force of nature known as the Afghan Camera Lady for an enjoyable natter.

Sammy has a background in commercial photography but with the help of her local analogue photography group Leicester LoFi became obsessed with the Afghan box camera.

Currently Sammy takes her huge “portable darkroom and studio” camera to festivals and weddings to make unique “instant” portraits.

Bursting with enthusiasm and ideas for how she might develop her work Sammy made our life easy for this recording.

Things we chatted about on the show:

When Sammy lived in Leicester she discovered they had an Afghan Box Camera and decided there and then that “it was a camera to match her personality”.

www.leicesterlofi.co.uk

For all things related to these wonderful cameras you should look at the Afghan Box Camera Project Website.

This project was initiated early in 2011 by Austrian artist Lukas Birk and Irish ethnographer Sean Foley. The aim of the project from the outset was to create an urgent record of the disappearing art of Afghan box camera photography and make that information freely available online for all. Funding for the project in 2011 as in 2012 came primarily via crowdfunding on the KICKSTARTER website. The Visual Anthropology Dept. at Goldsmiths University, London has also contributed funding.

The discussion turned at some point to the “6 degrees of separation” that led to Erik being a co-host on the show so we ended up talking about the work of former guests Wayne Martin Belger and Jenny Sampson.

"The Beauty of Decay" Project (waynemartinbelger.com)

jenny sampson photographyJenny Sampson Photography jenny sampson photography, gallery tintypes

Erik is building a camera around an RB67 back and Mamiya press lenses to take an Instax Wide back – Friend of the show Ethan Moses has helped him a lot.

CAMERADACTYL

A man with a similar brain for camera design is Steve Lloyd of Chroma Cameras and you can see what he can offer you here.

Chroma Cameras – Unique 4×5, medium, instant and 135 format..analogue cameras

Last but not least it was Suffolk photographer and all round lovely chap Mark “Jimmy” Hickford who first suggested that Sammy would be a good guest for the show.

Mark 'Jimmy' Hickford (@jimmyshootsfilm) • Instagram photos and videos

https://twitter.com/Jimmyshootsfilm

LFPP links -

You can join in the fun at our Facebook Group

And now our Flikr group curated by Colin Devroe

Get Twitter updates for the show from Andrew –

Or from Simon –

Email feedback, ideas and questions for the podcast

largeformatphotographypodcast@gmail.com

Podcast Hosts Social Media presence

Simon Forster

https://www.instagram.com/simonforsterphotographic/

Andrew Bartram

Erik Mathy

A not updated website.

IG probably best for all things including rabbits.

The East Bay Photo Collective

http://www.alystomlinson.co.uk/personal/ex-voto/

Stay Safe

Wednesday Jul 06, 2022

#61 Alys Tomlinson - Vera, Lost Proms and Gli Isolani

Wednesday Jul 06, 2022

Alys was first on the show in 2019 following the hugely successful launch of her 5 year “Ex Voto” project researching modern day pilgrimages across Europe and photographing the relics/offerings left in the landscape (the ex votos) and the people she met along the way.

Since then she has published “Lost Summer” photographing teenagers who lost their summer prom due to covid, winning first prize in the 2020 Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait competition.

In 2022 Alys completed her second Kickstarter for her new book Gli Isolani (The Islanders) – link below to pre order the book from GOST books.

Things we chatted about on the show:

The Ex Voto project.

Lost Summer.

http://www.alystomlinson.co.uk/personal/lost-summer/

The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/nov/24/lost-summer-prom-images-win-over-judges-of-taylor-wessing-photo-portrait-prize

Gli Isolani (The Islanders).

http://www.alystomlinson.co.uk/books/

Huckleberry Fine art represents Alys and you can see an exhibition of her latest work from 6^th September.

https://hackelbury.co.uk/exhibitions/

Alys got her original inspiration for the work now known as The Islanders from a visit to the Venetian Cemetery Island of San Michele 20 years ago.

http://www.venice-guide.info/San_Michele.php

Erik talked about his recent commission to photograph the Gravel bike event.

https://theradavist.com/stories-from-unbound-gravel-2022/

LFPP links -

You can join in the fun at our Facebook Group

And now our Flikr group curated by Colin Devroe

Get Twitter updates for the show from Andrew –

Or from Simon –

Email feedback, ideas and questions for the podcast

largeformatphotographypodcast@gmail.com

Podcast Hosts Social Media presence

Simon Forster

https://www.instagram.com/simonforsterphotographic/

Andrew Bartram

Erik Mathy

A not updated website.

IG probably best for all things including rabbits.

The East Bay Photo Collective

https://www.nbcnews.com/specials/after-the-riot-capitol-attack/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1GOkpqLm4ctRy9gAgT1cbbiUa5gPcp9kxQuMtwZJNA0WWkFLK7Tkrhh4Q

Stay Safe

Friday May 13, 2022

#60 Frank Thorp V, Capitol Chap

Friday May 13, 2022

Frank is an NBC producer and off air reporter who uses his access to the USA Capitol building to explore his film obsession.

Using a Speed Graphic camera and Aero Ektar lens he made a moving photo essay 100 days after the January 2020 storming of the Capitol building.

“After the Riot” is a series of portraits of 12 individuals who work in the building, made in locations that resonated with each person (from the day of the storming) and aims to bring a sense of closure to the subjects and indeed to Frank who was also in the building on that fateful day.

Project links.

See Frank’s portraits here as well as the YouTube video with interviews.

Things we chatted about on the show:

The community darkroom that Frank learned at:
https://www.theartleague.org/

Richard Avedon was mentioned as one of the photographers Frank looked to before embarking on his portraiture project – Erik mentioned this book “Portraits of Power”.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Richard-Avedon-Portraits-Renata-Adler/dp/3865216757

Frank has started using Jason Lane’s dry plates – just to make his life a little harder.

https://www.pictoriographica.com/store/c5/www.pictoriographica.com/store/c5/All_Production_Dry_Plates.html

Frank owes a debt of gratitude to his friend David Burnett and Erik mentioned his body of work documenting the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

https://www.davidburnett.com/gallery.html?gallery=Aftermath&folio=Galleries#/0

Eugene Richards “War is Personal”.

https://eugenerichards.com/war-is-personal

James Guerin got a shout out as Frank is considering how he might make pinhole photography work for him in the Capitol building.

https://realitysosubtle.fr/

Mark Wilson, the legendary Getty photographer Frank got his first 4x5’s from.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/2020/11/20/tough-salty-outside-soft-kind-inside-remembering-getty-images-mark-wilson/

Frank Thorp’s social media:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/frankthorpv/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/frankthorp

LFPP links -

You can join in the fun at our Facebook Group

And now our Flikr group curated by Colin Devroe

Get Twitter updates for the show from Andrew –

Or from Simon (Yes he’s still part of the show) –

Email feedback, ideas and questions for the podcast

largeformatphotographypodcast@gmail.com

Podcast Hosts Social Media presence

Simon Forster

https://www.instagram.com/simonforsterphotographic/

Andrew Bartram

Erik Mathy

A not updated website.

IG probably best for all things including rabbits.

The East Bay Photo Collective

https://nomadicphotoark.com/

Stay Safe!

Wednesday Mar 09, 2022

#59 The Nomadic Photo Ark

Wednesday Mar 09, 2022

#59 The Nomadic Photo Ark

Monica Jane Frisell and Adam Scher travel the USA with their mobile darkroom, studio and office telling the stories, in recordings and 8x10 portraits of people they meet on their way.

Both were clearly fated to meet and undertake this life-changing adventure.

Living the dream?

We think so…..

Project links.

The website is the place to go to for all things Nomadic Ark.

Travel blog, links to Twitter and Instagram plus ways you can support them financially through Patreon or print sales,

There are some You Tube videos showing the building of the Ark and more.

Subscribe and follow along.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7IIUnMFUceSralFgUsdGYA

https://twitter.com/nomadicphotoark

https://www.facebook.com/nomadicphotoark

https://www.instagram.com/nomadicphotoark/

Things we chatted about on the show:

Working with Laura McManus https://unglobalcompact.org.au/our-board/

Monica photographed domestic workers and sought to give them a voice.

http://www.monicajanefrisell.com/domestic-workers-of-nepal-3

https://fineartphotoawards.com/winners-gallery/fapa-2015-2016/amateur/portrait/gold-award

More links here http://www.monicajanefrisell.com/

Shortly before Covid 19 turned the world upside down Monica and Adam met and a synergistic relationship (always the best) began to bloom.

Adam’s strength lay in sound recording and is this, combined with Monica’s passion for traditional large format photography that has led to the (working title) Portraits of US project.

Adam has cycled, well, miles across the USA and Europe and we speak about it in the show.

Adam completed a leadership course with the Adventure Cycling Association,

https://www.adventurecycling.org/

Had a bad bike accident, cycled along the US coast and then met Monica…..

Giles Duley

https://www.legacyofwarfoundation.com/

The rest is unfolding.

LFPP links -

You can join in the fun at our Facebook Group

And now our Flikr group curated by Colin Devroe

Get Twitter updates for the show from Andrew –

Or from Simon –

Email feedback, ideas and questions for the podcast

largeformatphotographypodcast@gmail.com

Podcast Hosts Social Media presence

Simon Forster

https://www.instagram.com/simonforsterphotographic/

Andrew Bartram

Erik Mathy

A not updated website.

IG probably best for all things including rabbits.

The East Bay Photo Collective

http://www.gordonszetophotography.com/

Stay Safe

Saturday Oct 23, 2021

#58 Gordon Szeto- Pandemic Days and Nights

Saturday Oct 23, 2021

“I like to see myself as a storyteller. Photography happens to be the way I tell stories. I see the world in a certain way and try to create visual images to take viewers on a journey.

I gravitate towards emotional, ethereal and dream-like imagery and I use cameras like pinholes and lenses like the Aero Ektar 178mm as tools to create the look and feel I strive for”.

Gordon’s links

https://www.instagram.com/bokchoyboy/

Things we chatted about on the show:

Photographers who have had an influence on Gordon’s work or who he has admired……or maybe random links from Erik.

Gordon has made some wonderful night work, so has another photographer.

Todd Hido - http://www.toddhido.com

Gordon Parks - https://www.gordonparksfoundation.org/

Susan Burnstine - http://www.susanburnstine.com/

Keith Carter - https://www.keithcarterphotographs.com/

Alexi Titarenko - http://www.alexeytitarenko.com/

Portraits…..plain environmental, isolated…..two different approaches.

Richard Avedon - https://www.avedonfoundation.org/

Jane Brown - https://photogpedia.com/jane-bown/

John Harding, City College - https://johnhardingphoto.net/

One camera, one lens, standard development………or not?

John Blakemore - https://www.johnblakemore.co.uk/

We discussed the topic of story telling with pictures and image sequencing.

Niniane Kelly - https://www.analogforevermagazine.com/niniane-kelley

Ann Jastrab - https://photography.org/staff/

81b’s photo collective - http://www.81bees.com/ ter

LFPP links -

You can join in the fun at our Facebook Group

And now our Flikr group curated by Colin Devroe

Get Twitter updates for the show from Andrew –

Or from Simon –

Email feedback, ideas and questions for the podcast

largeformatphotographypodcast@gmail.com

Podcast Hosts Social Media presence

Simon Forster

https://www.instagram.com/simonforsterphotographic/

Andrew Bartram

Erik Mathy

A not updated website.

IG probably best for all things including rabbits.

The East Bay Photo Collective

http://www.sandykingphotography.com/

Stay Safe

Wednesday Sep 29, 2021

#57 Sandy King, The Pyro Cat

Wednesday Sep 29, 2021

#57 Sandy King

Louisiana born and bred, lover and teacher of Spanish literature, citizen of the world, fine art printer, abstract landscape photographer…..oh and did I mention he also loved staining developers so much that he developed his own?

I first became aware of Sandy King as, like many others, I began investigating Pyro staining developers. There is much, much more to Sandy than his work developing PyrocatHD and today we scratch away at the surface.

Sandy’s links

Things we chatted about on the show:

As we are chatting I can see Erik Mathy moving his fingers over his keyboard as he sends links to us all via our messenger chat . He seems to be able to pick up on things the guest is saying, do the Google research and send the links over and still keep track of the conversation....clearly he isn’t a proper male!

http://meetingbenches.com/2020/03/the-perfect-past-jose-ortiz-echague-aesthetics-and-photographic-techniques-of-pictorialism-gum-bichromate-and-coal/?fbclid=IwAR1k9jt-bQqVNegLAwSzeC2BxdQAffWcToBAG_d14ipnyJk4wrYfOs9WGrE

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1144285.The_Keepers_of_Light_A_History_Working_Guide_to_Early_Photographic_Processes?fbclid=IwAR0PklWhjdNfcEg1xoVtEHpBJVYUEYVvBlMS2O5FJ1XiJ3hO57LpUp9tlXM

https://groups.io/g/carbon?fbclid=IwAR2deRdt4MKE_ANQBbyE6k2u3Qp4TtCiR2H4E4sIYZbYG8a8FoLEL7QbSB4

https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/?fbclid=IwAR0x1u-gqvqZ2rDcR5KLD7p7SXVh721RdV8LNy0SzxEaCjniRfdp29PXXd4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Golden_Age_theatre?fbclid=IwAR2PPay1VXxeem_N5CiYQOw3IJG427SNqdE_fMIVdltX9Nb9AGfq2-f26LY

Sandy mentioned Sam Wang a few times – I hope I have the correct person here – either way it’s pretty interesting.

https://www.alternativephotography.com/sam-wang-review/

Phil Davis, author of Beyond The Zone System is a book that I have but despite several attempts remains impenetrable to me. I was, therefore pleased that even Sandy struggled with it…..at least on the first read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1751148.Beyond_the_Zone_System?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=tmCGIQZMnD&rank=1

Of course the much mentioned article by Sandy on Pyro developers which is available from his website.

http://www.sandykingphotography.com/resources/technical-writing/pyro-staining-developers

Also.

http://www.sandykingphotography.com/resources/technical-writing/notes-on-pictorialism

And PyrocatHD formula and notes from Unblinking Eye.

https://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Pyrocat/pyrocat.html

LFPP links -

You can join in the fun at our Facebook Group

And now our Flikr group curated by Colin Devroe

Get Twitter updates for the show from Andrew –

Or from Simon –

Email feedback, ideas and questions for the podcast

largeformatphotographypodcast@gmail.com

Podcast Hosts Social Media presence

Simon Forster

https://www.instagram.com/simonforsterphotographic/

Andrew Bartram

Erik Mathy

A not updated website.

IG probably best for all things including rabbits.

Stay Safe

Monday Sep 06, 2021

#56 Erik & The Tubers

Monday Sep 06, 2021

#56 Erik & The Tubers

Just over twelve months ago, Andrew and Simon were joined by the wonderful Jenny Sampson after being spotted on the front page of the relatively obscure BBC.co.uk website with a striking wet plate image. During an excellent discussion of Jenny's work, we touched upon and fell over Jenny's description of her collaboration with the Rolls & Tubes Collective; a group of photographers taking the inexplicable Covid related toilet roll shortage and recreating some of photography's greatest moments with bog roll.

An excellent body of work was created and now Jenny along with Colleen Mullins, Christy McDonald and Nicole White have a sold out publication and success beyond their wildest dreams.

To catch up the story, we've sent Erik all the way to California to delve deeper into the project and relive the journey.

The Rolls & Tubes Collective links;

Rolls and Tubes

https://www.instagram.com/rolls_and_tubes

Colleen Mullins

Colleenmullins.net

https://www.instagram.com/colleen_mullins_photography

Christy McDonald

http://www.christymcdonald.net/

https://www.instagram.com/christymphoto

Nicole White

nicolewhite.net

https://www.instagram.com/othernicolewhite

Jenny Sampson

Jennysampson.com

https://www.instagram.com/jennysampsonphotography/

https://www.instagram.com/jennyruth22/

Links from discussions:

Diane Arbus, twins

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-VJiXygMgi

Frederich Sommer cut paper piece

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-VARIaAEu5

Harry Callahan

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAkzvfiFbDV

Josef Koudelka

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-cWJztgbKG

Robert Frank

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_NMB13lR9l

Christopher Williams

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_pl5nHFUPs

David Maisel

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-VWG-ogfdT

Ken Rosenthal

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_uwPzhFfYU

Alex Soth

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-aLpWvgPnf

Anna Atkins

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAQM7z2lFyH

Talbot - mid 19th century

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-feGZzgoib

Aaron Shirreff

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-hp-9AgCpG

Dorothea Lange Hwy 45

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAX9lSjlJ5P

Philadelphia Photo Fest 2020

https://www.2020photofestival.org

LFPP links -

You can join in the fun at our Facebook Group

And now our Flikr group curated by Colin Devroe

Get Twitter updates for the show from Andrew –

Or from Simon –

Email feedback, ideas and questions for the podcast

largeformatphotographypodcast@gmail.com

Podcast Hosts Social Media presence

Simon Forster

https://www.instagram.com/simonforsterphotographic/

Andrew Bartram

Erik Mathy

A not updated website.

IG probably best for all things including rabbits.