Richard Learoyd and his Camera Obscura Prints

[Dave_B]

Folks:
It was a sunny day in NYC and we visited the International Center for Photography which we do on occasion. There was an amazing photo there made by Richard Learoyd where he used a room-sized camera obscura to directly print to a very large sheet of photographic paper (Ilfochrome). The photo was amazing, the detail and the tonality were unlike anything I have ever seen in a print. It really must be seen in person. That is some serious large format photography. If you are in NYC anytime soon, I recommend the ICP as worth a visit. An interesting aside is that each print is unique unlike printing from a negative.
Does anyone have any technical details about how he does this? I assume he can't use a lens and must use a pinhole as i doubt there are any LF lenses out there with five foot image circles. I'm curious how long it takes to make an image.
Thanks,
Dave B.

[r.e.]

Thanks, I'll be there later this week. I gather that Learoyd's piece is part of the ICP's Dress Code exhibit. For how he did it, go to this ICP page and click on his name: http://www.icp.org/site/c.dnJGKJNsFq...ress_Codes.htm

Is that the photograph that you are talking about?

How was the rest of the exhibit?

[Dave_B]

Thanks, I'll be there later this week. I gather that Learoyd's piece is part of the ICP's Dress Code exhibit. For how he did it, go to this ICP page and click on his name: http://www.icp.org/site/c.dnJGKJNsFq...ress_Codes.htm

Is that the photograph that you are talking about?

How was the rest of the exhibit?

Yes, that was the photo. In person the details are amazing, like no print you have ever seen from a negative. The ICP exhibit was quite interesting but I am a fan and go whenever they have a new exhibit. There was a series of photos of women in African dress on the top floor that were also quite stunning. Any idea of what kind of lens he used?

[r.e.]

No, but there's a close-up portrait on his quite minimalist web site, of what appears to be the same girl: www.richardlearoyd.com

[Nathan Potter]

What is the size of the print?

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[csant]

I'd be really curious to know what lens he used, too. I am not aware of any such huge image circles, and judging from the small digital reproductions, image quality doesn't degrade too much when getting to the edge of the images.

[Vaughn]

Just a technicality, but isn't the definition of a Camera Obscura one that precludes the use of a lens?

Sorry -- just did some Googling and see that some of the definitions include the use of a lens. It is also the name of a couple different bands, an episode of Dr. Who, a novel, an album, and who knows what else!

[Doug Howk]

Abelardo Morell has been doing some beautiful work with camera obscura Also a Photographer in Virginia is doing it in a Camera Truck

[r.e.]

Abelardo Morell has been doing some beautiful work with camera obscura

There's a video on his web site from the BBC series Genius of Photography that shows him setting up a camera obscura image in Venice.

[mcfactor]

Yeah, I saw an exhibition of his at a gallery on 5th ave last month (I think). The images were stunning! The richness and beauty was unparalleled.