About Pete

Pete Swann became fascinated by photography at the age of 11, and washed cars to earn money to buy cameras and film.  Before long his bedroom had become a darkroom and he was developing and printing black and white photos.  He kept this up for many years, but in the late 1990s made the inevitable switch to digital.  It was a big disappointment by comparison, poor image quality, and no substitute for the magic of the darkroom, the richness and texture of silver/gelatine prints.  

Digital cameras have improved immeasurably over the years, but Pete was delighted to discover, around 2017, that film was making a comeback.  Apparently many young people find digital photography just as uninspiring as he does.  Perhaps they’re also attracted by the fact that most film cameras are way cheaper, and last much longer, than their fragile digital descendants.  There’s probably one lurking in your grandpa’s shed just waiting to have new life breathed into it…

Having re-discovered film, Pete was drawn towards larger formats – 6x6cm, 6x9cm, 5×4″, 10×8″-  in pursuit of a certain quality of image, something with timeless appeal.  Large formats present a world of detail, depth and tonal richness.  Lens movements offer whole new levels of artistic control, and 10×8″ negatives make fabulous prints even without enlargement.  It’s the holy grail of analogue photography.  Even the very best digital cameras struggle to match the quality.  However, the huge scale presents some logistical challenges: you need a darkroom, and a big camera bag…

How do you get into 10×8″ with a tiny budget and no darkroom?  Build it yourself, of course,  so that’s what Pete did.  He bought a 1920s Ross Xpres lens and one film holder, and built the Camera Caerulea Magna in between (see Cameras), designing his own guillotine shutter in the process (see Shutters).  Then he built a darkroom no bigger than a wardrobe.  For the price of a basic digital SLR he was in the game…