Welcome to The Dark Slides: Why We Still Shoot Large Format

In an age where digital photography dominates the landscape, we find ourselves drawn to a practice that demands patience, intention, and intimate connection with the craft. The Dark Slides collective brings together passionate large format photographers who believe that the deliberate process of sheet film photography offers something irreplaceable.

What is The Dark Slides?

The Dark Slides is a collective of large format landscape photographers dedicated to preserving and celebrating the tradition of analog photography. Our name comes from the dark slides used in 4x5 and 8x10 view cameras—those protective covers that shield our precious sheets of film until the moment of exposure. We're not merely nostalgic for the past. We're actively engaged in demonstrating why large format photography remains vitally relevant today.

Why Large Format? Why Now?

In a world of instant gratification, large format photography asks us to slow down. Each sheet of film costs several dollars. Each exposure requires careful setup, precise focusing, and thoughtful consideration. You can't "spray and pray" with an 8x10 view camera.

This constraint becomes liberation. When you have limited exposures, each one matters. You study the light. You wait for the perfect moment. You understand your subject intimately before ever releasing the shutter. The result isn't just a photograph—it's a collaboration between photographer, equipment, and environment.

The Benefits We Still Pursue

Unmatched Image Quality: A single sheet of 8x10 film captures detail that modern digital sensors still struggle to match. The tonality, the subtle gradations of light and shadow, the three-dimensional quality—these aren't just technical specifications. They're the visual poetry that drew us to photography in the first place.

The Meditative Process: Setting up a view camera forces presence. You can't check your phone while composing under the dark cloth. You're fully engaged with the scene, the light, the camera. This mindfulness produces not just better photographs, but a richer experience of being in the landscape.

Timeless Negatives: Our film archives will outlast any hard drive. These negatives, properly stored, will produce beautiful prints a hundred years from now. We're not just making photographs—we're creating artifacts for future generations.

The Learning Curve as Teacher: Large format photography demands technical mastery. Understanding exposure, zone system, film development, view camera movements—these aren't obstacles, they're the foundation of photographic understanding. The discipline required makes us better photographers across all formats.

Our Mission

The Dark Slides exists to inspire, motivate, and educate. We want to show both seasoned photographers and curious newcomers why large format remains compelling. Through our collective work, workshops, and shared experiences, we demonstrate that this "obsolete" technology continues to produce some of the most powerful images being made today.

We're here to answer your questions:

• How do you start in large format?

• What equipment do you need?

• How do you process sheet film?

• Where do you find inspiration?

• What makes a location worthy of the large format investment?

Join the Conversation

Whether you're a practicing large format photographer or simply curious about the process, we invite you to follow our journey. Through this blog, we'll share:

• Behind-the-scenes stories from the field

• Technical tips and techniques

• Equipment reviews and recommendations

• Inspiration from master photographers

• The honest challenges and rewards of analog photography

Large format photography isn't easy. It's not convenient. It's not quick. But it's deeply rewarding in ways that transcend mere image-making. It connects us to photography's roots while pushing us to create our best work.

This is why we shoot large format.

This is why The Dark Slides exists.

Welcome to our collective vision.