A new photographic exhibition showcasing modern pictures taken with a Victorian camera has opened at the West End House gallery in Smarden, Kent.
Photographer, painter, video artist and musician Terry Hulf, who lives in Winchelsea Beach and whose studio is shown above, and his artistic partner Tom Evans, opened the show on Monday April 30 with a talk about an 1888 ultra-large format camera they use which takes 15in x 12in negatives.
The exhibition shows Evans-Hulf pictures, many taken in Bixley Wood (East Sussex) and some portraits. They are all in black and white. Tom and Terry work as photographers/artists collaboratively, each respecting the other’s opinion on every shot, which may be the length of exposure or the visual seen through the camera.
Tom explained that the combination of 19th-century equipment and chemistry with advanced digital technology gives results unlike any other.
He said: “The giant camera ‘sees’ the world in a different way. It captures an enormous amount of detail, but objects and people slide in and out of focus, exposures are long, snapshots and action photography are impossible; hallucinatory clarity and detail melt into hazy softness.”
The weight make it difficult to manoeuvre, so every step has to be planned and managed, leading to an awareness of what can and cannot be photographed and this care is certainly visible in the beautiful pictures.
The West End House Gallery in Water Lane, Smarden, is worth a visit as, apart from exhibitions there are many other items to choose from, such as pottery. Visit the gallery site for more information. The exhibition is open until May 28 and the gallery opens Thursday to Monday from 10am-5pm.
To have a portrait done, contact Evans-Hulf
Photos : Heidi Foster