carl chiarenza

[SBruce]

hello,

i've been thinking about lately trying to challenge myself into a emulating a photographer - trying to match his style and see what i could learn from it. i chose carl chiarenza because of this statement:

"The view camera photographer is forced into a contemplative mood while he works. See in this light the disadvantage of bulky equipment and accessories such as tripods becomes and advantage. It sets the pace for the seclusion under the dark cloth. Facing the ground glass, isolated, all of his facillities are centered on the Luminous image. He cannot help being absorbed by the many possible realtions he can create within the movable frame. He loses himself in this world of light over which he can excercise a measure of control."

no matter how much i research, though i can't find out what kind fo camera and film technique he uses. i want to publish a book of photography and sell 1000 copies of it with photographs that remind people of his work yet its strong enough that its not completely alike it. what kind of camera/film does he use?

[BarryS]

Right on his website there's an interview, and he mentions using a Polaroid MP-4 copy camera. I'm sure you could call him and ask him about his favorite film, but I'm not sure that gets you anywhere. Why not find a camera and a film that works for *you*? If you outline the types of photographs you want to take (eg, small collages, outdoor abstracts, etc) I'm sure the photographers on this board can help you find something that suits you.

[David A. Goldfarb]

For the kind of images that Chiarenza is most known for--found abstractions--the specific camera or film isn't that important. He shoots large format, which enables him to reproduce fine detail, which I think is important to what he does. It allows him to control the shape of objects in the frame and to adjust the plane of focus. And from the passage you've quoted, we know that he likes the experience of composing on the groundglass under the darkcloth, which eliminates distractions in the surrounding environment. These things can be done with most any view camera in whatever format is comfortable to you, and with virtually any modern film you like.

The main thing, though, is having an eye for these abstractions--to look at a wall of peeling paint or the crack in a door and know where the photograph is.