Why have a camera this big:
Well, back in the days before modern film and enlargers if you wanted a 16x20 portrait you had to make a 16x20 negative. I grew up with one of these portraits on the wall in our home. A portrait of my great grandfather. The image had a smoothness, a lovely tonality and a "Stateliness" that is hard to define or even compare to today. Every button and thread in his wool coat had a presence and clarity and begged to be looked at a little closer.
Today there is no logical reason why one would want to make a super large negative or glass plate just to make a "photograph" But when people see a portrait from this camera they stop asking why.
What size film does it take?
The answer to this question is: Any size it wants!
The camera has an 8x10, 11x14, 20x24, 16x20 and 20x24 film holders and also takes glass plate holders in all the aformentioned sizes.
Is this the coolest camera in existance?
Yes!
The 20x24 Polaroids are pretty cool too but just limited to polaroid film.
http://www.polaroid.com/studio/20x24/index.html
Moby C is a HUGE polaroid camera in NYC, I am not sure that it gets used a lot these days.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/essays/vanRiper/011120.htm
Or
http://robroy.dyndns.info/lawrence/mammoth.html
And my "Tent Camera Obscura" (Link Coming Soon) (King of the Hill)
Is the largest portable camera that I am aware of producing massive negatives 48"x48"
Link to explain Camera Obscura:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_obscura
Wet Glass Plate Photography.
The best explanation of this process is here:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eastman/sfeature/wetplate.html
Yes, this camera takes glass plates!
Albumen, Salt Paper, Cyanotype.
These are some of the processes that require a negative to be contact printed,
This camera produces such a negative.
Have Mammoth will travel?
Yes, one of the coolest features of this camera is that it can be disassembled from her studio and taken on location.
She now works in Cambridge MA and Kennebunk Maine, we are exploring option to rent her further afield.
What is the cost of a portrait with this camera?
Depending on the size and final print type prices range from about from $450 to $1800. and sometimes a bit more. Please remember that after the initial photo shoot the ammount of time in the darkroom can be anywher from a few hours to 20 to 40 hours on a single print.
Contact me:
