AUSTRALIAN 10x8 PHOTOGRAPHER ~ DOUG SPOWART

For Australian Photographer Doug Spowart, merely taking photographs is not enough. His interest in the image-making process and experimentation with all camera formats from 35mm, to 120 roll film and 10x8 motivates him to explore unusual concepts in picture taking. From 1987~1994 he was committed to the task of producing large format images, which led him on a journey of discovery. Here is his story.

10"x8" Photography, My experiences. . . .

The landforms of Australia are my principal subjects. As a photographer, the natural world provides me with a puzzle in the form of a seemingly unordered collection of forms, shapes, outlines, colors and textures. On the exposure of every sheet of film the I hope that the resulting photograph will portray visually the quintessence of the subject. I consider that to share these images with others is perhaps my paramount objective; not just to show my skill as a photographic practitioner, but to put the viewer in touch with the landform that was before me.

My normal photographic interests are image related, my maxim being that technical perfection is subordinate to picture content. However, fired by a desire to capture a subject in all it's finite detail, something that only large format cameras can do, I made a conscious decision in 1988 to work towards making images of the highest quality using a 10x8 camera. This objective was to subject me to what some might call ~ archaic, cumbersome and restrictive photographic devices and their attached regimens and mechanics. I wanted to give it a go! My desire to strive for the 'best' that large format photography could offer required an investigation.

Firstly, I had to understand what the pictures of the Masters looked like? Experience has shown me that pictures in books can be deceiving as photomechanical reproduction processes can enhance important image characteristics like apparent sharpness and tone scale. Examples of quality large format black and white imagery are hard to find in Australia, especially the works of the recognised great Masters of the American southwest. So a visit was made to the Australian National Gallery in Canberra to view the images contained in their collection by the masters ~ Adams, Weston, Gowin and others. For further research gelatin silver prints were purchased from Fred Picker's Zone VI Catalogue and selected images from the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite. Next I worked with Queensland's only committed 10x8 image-making practitioner at the time ~ Maris Rusis. Only then could the task ahead be fully comprehended.

For over ten years I have had in my professional photography kit a little used 10x8 Sinar P camera and a modest range of lenses and accessories. So the purchase of hardware did not present any major difficulties. I have been a practitioner of view camera technique for many years, first as a student and later as an educator. My first 10x8 images of recent times were produced in November 1989 . Patience, constant reappraisal and modification of technique were to follow. As I work in the landscape my equipment has to be transported by foot. No four wheel drive RV's can climb Ayers Rock, negotiate mountain ridges or weave a path through limestone crevasses. My basic outfit of a Sinar P 10x8 camera, one or two lenses (usually a 300mm f 5.6 Schnieder Symmar-S and a 121 f8 Schnieder Super Angulon), three film holders, spotmeter, filters and various accessory items is carefully stowed in a large backpack. The tripod is either carried in the hands or balanced on the shoulder like a rifle. Other necessary items packed for the Australian bush are insect repellents, sunscreen and, hopefully never to be used, a snake bite kit of compression bandages.

The technique that I usually employ is that of locating an interesting subject, something that has either design qualities or a sense of the magnificence of the natural environment. On occasions the camera pack is placed in a central location and the area searched for the best position. The set-up of the camera from it's individual components of rail, standards, lens etc can be quite quickly achieved, often to the surprise of fellow bushwalkers. Evaluation of subject, modification of camera position can take longer. I don't usually prop and wait for hours for light angles to change. The subject and the camera position are selected on the basis that at this time these important elements are the best. On occasions, however, poorly lit subjects or those that have great potential but need changes relating to season or atmospheric conditions are noted for future attention. Kodak T Max 400 is the emulsion I prefer and is exposed at a personal film speed of ISO 200.

The exposure determination is based upon the required aperture as defined by the Sinar's depth of field scale and my desired tonal reproduction of the subject. Filtering for tone control and contrast enhancement is an important aspect of my technique. Only one exposure of each image is usually taken. Dust is perhaps the greatest problem working in the outback. All film holders are meticulously dusted throughout after each use and even the inside of the camera's bellows needs occasional vacuuming. At all times except during exposure the film holders are kept in 'click' or 'zip' seal bags. But still there exists a risk unless you follow the recommendations of one of my mentors who overcomes dust problems by never photographing pictures which have blue skies, and, always photographs areas where frenzied texture and pattern camouflage the black shadows of dust.

All films are processed a single sheet at a time in an 11"x14" tray using well seasoned Kodak T Max RS. The 6~9 minutes spent in total darkness rocking and rolling the tray seems to be good therapy; time spent speculating on the theories, practises and lives that have replicated the same procedures for over 150 years. Printing is accomplished using variable contrast papers and a Leitz Focomat V35 Enlarger as the light source. Preferred papers are Kodak Polyfiber, Ilford Multigrade FB and Oriental Seagul Select VC. Each paper offers certain characteristics which dictate their use, the principal requirement is gloss surface to enable the best range of tones to be reproduced. I use a 'Gravity Works' 10"x12" contact frame which I have modified to make it function to my requirements. Velcro loop tabs have been attached to the ends of the rubber tubing clamps to hold them on to velcro hook tabs on the enlarger's baseboard. Otherwise they tend to spring onto the negative area when loading the negative and paper. A sheet of thick glass has replaced the dust attracting acrylic sheet supplied with the unit. I always use 10"x12" paper and usually print an information strip on one side of the excess paper edge. This strip is made from a clear film on which the details are written with a high density ink drawing pen.

Dust removal of both the negative and the contact frame glass is achieved by viewing both surfaces by strong oblique lighting. For this purpose I normally use another enlarger. Dust and fluff is either blown away by compressed gas or flicked by a finger tip. Dodging and burning in are carried out using a dodging wand and a cardboard rectangle which has been cut to form the various shapes commonly used. More complex burning in is accomplished by hand shadow works.

Australian outback light is harsh and direct, skies are usually without clouds or atmospheric effects like mist and fog. My images are usually printed a little on the hard side to reflect illumination characteristics of the landforms portrayed. The visual effect of these prints reflect the barren desert and the uncompromising nature of the Australian bush.

Although the images in this collection represent the achievement of my personal objective, it has not been easily attained. To appreciate the difficulties one must consider a number of things. Bushwalking with 35 kilos of apparatus can be downright uncomfortable; of the concentration required it is to locate and isolate the subject, the patience required to wait for the cessation of subject-blurring wind, the coming or going of direct sunlight, the methodical regimen of composition, focus plane, depth of field and exposure selection. Hours in the darkroom processing are a combination of elation and frustration, due to the high expectations that one must have for each image both technically and conceptually.

Large format practitioners are at the mercy of the vagaries of minor things overlooked, the possibility of minute defects caused by things beyond all reasonable control. I have to admit that not all of these images can be considered as being absolutely perfect and from my sympathetic appraisal of the images of the large format Masters the same applies to some of their work. For me "Photography may be the bastard child of a liaison between science and art"*, but large format photography can sometimes be just a bastard.

But there is joy! There are the impressions of fleeting moments of carefully chosen, cherished environments captured on 80 square inches of film which portray the infinite beauty of the subject in a way that only the large format camera can fix from light.

DOUG SPOWART FAIPP, M.Photog
© Doug Spowart 1993

* With apologies to the unknown author of this misquoted concept.