France in Large Format in 1989 by an American Student ~ Vintage Everyday

Here is a black and white photo series of France in 1989 taken by Eesomest.

“I took a photography class while studying in France in 1989. The professor had brought with her an extra field camera -- one that fits a negative of 4x5 inches -- and gave me a few instructions on using it. The process is involved, requiring a tripod, focusing hood, negative carriers, and lots of patience. The results can be stunning, however, with detail not yet reached even by the most expensive digital sensors (except for composited digital images). The photos here, as scanned, are over 100 mega-pixels each.”

“Large format cameras require a deliberate, stately pace. You must select your subject with painterly care, for you typically only have a few negatives in your kit. You focus first, insert the film, and then wait for some moment of provident choice to snap the shutter. In a sense, the process dictates the subject matter, usually landscapes, composed scenes, or portraits. But in the limitations are great opportunities of creativity. Many of the timeless photographs we admire were done with large format cameras, including much of Ansel Adams's work. And there’s something entrancing and magic about the process, the care it requires, the focusing of an upside-down image on glowing ground glass.”