Joan Guillamat's First Impressions with the LomoGraflok 4x5 Instant Back

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We equipped Barcelona-based architectural photographer Joan Guillamat with our latest LomoGraflok 4x5 Instant Back to see how he explores large format in instant form. Check out his review and interview below.

© Joan Guillamat

Hello Joan, could you introduce yourself to the readers of our Online Magazine?

I'm an architectural photographer based in Barcelona. Having to work in digital, I absolutely love analogue photography for my personal work, especially processing in the darkroom with black and white pictures.

Tell us about your photographic background. What is your story? When did you start taking photos?

I started photography on a family trip to Iceland when I was 14. The beauty of nature made me pick up a camera. Then I spent many years as a nature photographer doing landscapes, birds, and macrophotography. That was a big chapter in my life until I began with architectural photography, which became my profession. At the moment I'm returning to nature again for personal works, but this time working with the large format camera and black and white photography instead of doing it with digital cameras on color.

© Joan Guillamat

You mainly work as an architectural photographer: how did you get into architecture photography?

I'm in fact an architect, so it was a natural thing for me to begin taking pictures of the built world. By the time I finished my studies I was already working for well-known architects and enjoying it a lot, so it was a natural thing for me to go full time into architectural photography.

How long have you been shooting in large format? What do you like most about shooting with large format cameras?

In 2014 I got back to analogue photography, just for my personal work. After some years as a full-time architectural photographer working with a digital system, I felt like I was losing my passion for photography so I got back to what I fell in love with: analogue photography.

After rebuying my very first camera, a Nikon F3, I realized that I was not happy with the resolution that a 35 mm film was giving me, so I quickly bought a large format camera, also because it had the movements I needed for architectural photography.

The thing with large format cameras is the process: you have to visualize the picture before you make it, almost all the decisions are made before you even touch the camera.

© Joan Guillamat

With which cameras have you used the LomoGraflok Instant Back?

A Chamonix 45F-2.

Have you ever taken instant photos with a large format camera before?

I never took instant photos with a large camera before, but it was on my mind to try it as some of my big references in architectural photography were doing that back in the time to check exposition and composition. Gabriele Basilico was one of them.

© Joan Guillamat

Tell us about your experience with the LomoGraflok Instant Back. What impressed you the most?

First of all, the LomoGraflok gave us a chance that did not exist in our days, so it's like a gift to the world of photography: to have a unique piece of equipment feels so nice. The LomoGraflok is super easy to use once you are familiarized with the process. To work with the large format camera and see results at the moment is an incredible feeling.

Do you think the LomoGraflok could become an addition to your equipment?

For sure, large format instant photography is a language by itself!

You are very passionate about film photography and you also print fine art silver gelatin photos yourself: do you have your own darkroom?

Yes, I'm lucky to have a darkroom next to my studio. It's for sure a dream made true. The thing that satisfies me most about photography is printing, and the process and results of doing it in a darkroom give me a great dose of pleasure.

Do you have any interesting projects or collaborations in the pipeline?

I'm currently traveling very often for work and the ability to start a personal project is quite difficult, but I see myself with the large format camera surrounded by nature with ease.

© Joan Guillamat

Follow Joan on his Instagram profile and see more of his works in his website.

written by melissaperitore on 2021-12-04 in #gear

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