In this session done by Iqbal Mohamed, students of batch 22 went on a journey through time and were introduced to the large format camera – what many considered as the pinnacle of film photography. As one student put it, “this was serious photography!”.
The large format film camera boasted the incomparable 4×5 inch film in the back and allowed for 16 types of movements. This gave the photographer a huge amount of control on the perspective and the focal plane while making an image – not to mention the creative possibilities.
Most students were seeing a large format camera for the first time. It was a window into a different time and a different approach to making images. Later in the day, Iqbal sir also showed them some transparencies shot on the film camera.
So, how does the large format camera and its movements translate to digital photography? Meet tilt-shift lenses – the modern cousin of the large format camera. But these lenses only replicate a portion of the capabilities of the large format camera. Batch 22 students learnt how these lenses work and all the types of images and genres of photography in which they can be used, both technically and creatively.
Check out the video for more!.