s: Clyde Butcher on Shooting with a Large-Format Camera

“When people see my camera, they’re often surprised—it’s a big, heavy box on a tripod. It’s called a large-format view camera, and I use it because of the extraordinary detail it can capture. The camera doesn’t work like a little handheld camera. It’s slow and deliberate. I slide a sheet of film into the back, usually 8x10 or even larger. The lens projects an image onto a piece of ground glass, and I look at it upside down and backwards. That might sound confusing, but it forces me to really study the composition, the light, and the balance of the scene before I take the shot. The beauty of this kind of camera is its movements. I can tilt, shift, and swing the lens and film plane, which lets me control focus in a way no small camera can. That’s how I get both the cypress knees in the foreground and the clouds far in the distance sharp at the same time. It’s not a fast process. Each photograph takes time, but that’s part of the experience. Slowing down helps me connect more deeply to the landscape. Every image I make is intentional—it’s about honoring the Everglades, honoring Florida, and hopefully inspiring others to see the beauty worth protecting.”