The Large Format Photography Podcast

Happy to report that I’ve been featured on the Large Format Photography Podcast with Andrew Bartram and Simon Forster (as mentioned in my previous post).

A lot of the programme was dedicated to the zone system, with Andrew and I doing our best to improve Simon’s grasp of it. If you’re struggling to work out what the zone system is all about, our musings just might help, as they did for Simon who is still finding his way. Other topics included my large format work, darkroom printing, the idea of fine prints, travel, and the Hypersensitive Photographer’s Podcast.

Do browse the previous episodes, they feature many excellent and interesting photographers. Please click the image above for a link.

The photographs that spur you on

This post is a more developed version of a question I asked on Twitter about black and white photography (although it pertains to any photographic work, colour included). Which of your images inspire you and make you want to make more?

The question is simple enough, but it does bear a little qualification. I have a handful of images that to my mind represent what the medium of photography can do. They are not necessarily ‘great’ pieces in a wider sense, but they do ignite my photographic imagination. They normally have a least one outstanding technical quality; perhaps they are also subconsciously tied to pleasant memories and therefore quite personal. The point is that they are markers in my mind for what I can achieve in other situations, and they spur me on.

Do you have such images (I wager you do, of course)? Just to be clear, I am writing about photos that you have taken. If anyone would like to share within these pages, send me a high resolution version of your most evocative one and I’ll construct a little gallery post.*

* Send a high resolution version of your image, along with a title, your name, and any technical details you feel are relevant to: richard.ianpickup@gmail.com. By submitting your image you grant me free use of it on my website and related social media, and demand no payment. You confirm that you have complied with any legal restrictions bearing on its making, and have secured all necessary model permissions. The photographer retains copyright of their image.

Physical Grain

“There are a plethora of websites designed to be little more than photographic “like farms”. Here at Physical Grain we’ve taken the opposite path: we feature only one image and the story behind it per week. We want to give you a chance to interact with the photographer and dig into the story of their image. Below, you will find the latest work from our featured film photographers over the past six months. Much more can be found in our archives. Images and words contributed by people with a story to tell; people just like you from every corner of the globe.”

— Ray Larose, Physical Grain

This week saw my image Sermon on the Sand featured on Ray Lorose’s website Physical Grain. I’m really happy that my image has been included; there’s the obvious personal pleasure in seeing one’s work valued and appreciated by others, but it’s worth highlighting Physical Grain as a website and concept too. 

I can surely recommend taking a look: you’ll find a carefully selected gallery of film-based images, each with an accompanying backstory or short technical insight. As Ray states above, he’s deliberately tried to avoid the simple ‘liking’ format of some social media platforms, and instead focusses on but one image a week. There is an elegance and simplicity to the work, and one can certainly see Ray’s guiding eye at work in the selections. It’s not always easy to find sources of images that are of consistently high quality, but Physical Grain is one of those places. The link below will take you directly to the site if you’d care to take a look.