Written by Rummel Medina
Photos by Danielle McGotty
Friday, Feb. 26, saw the opening reception of Pretty Good Pictures, an exhibition displaying the work of the students in Tom Fisher’s Large Format II class. The photographs, taken by Fisher and 13 of his students, were up for display at the Oglethorpe Gallery through Sunday. The show displayed photographs taken by large format cameras (4×5 or 8×10) and printed on a variety of mediums from colored and black and white prints to copper paper and platinum prints.
The opening reception was received well with a completely full gallery from opening to closing. “It’s a popular show,” said Professor Fisher when asked about the crowd, “we’ve done it for the last four or five years, and people expect it to be really good work.” As pleased as Fisher was with the attendance, he did not anticipate the popularity of this year’s showcase. “I [did] expect a crowd but this was shocking. The minute we opened the door it was packed!”
When asked about working with the large format cameras, fourth-year photography student Alexis Hagestad commented that “It really gives you the opportunity to slow down and understand what you’re really photographing. The process of setting it up, taking it out, zeroing the camera and reading the light… it’s such a technical and lengthy process but at the same time it’s such a beautiful process.” Hagestad went on to compare the process to digital photography. “I find it really slows you down so you can focus on what you’re shooting.”
Professor Fisher elaborated on the process of working with large format, which he studied under the famous landscape photographer Ansel Adams, “The way you see the image is so different, because you’re seeing the lens projected image upside down and backwards… If you use it, it actually makes you better at composing images.”
The students displayed their understanding in their displays which varied from architecture to portraits in both outdoor and studio settings. In regards to the variety of the show, Fisher explained that “the class is very open ended and asks them to match the technical aspects with the ideas that they have.”
Pretty Good Pictures held a magnificent display of Large Format photography. If you are interested in working with large format, Fisher stated “it’s really great for people who have the patience and want to make an image that goes beyond what they can do with any other material.”
