Large Format Film Portraits
The literal fulfillment of our name. A portrait made with the same deliberateness, intention, and craft that defined photography’s greatest era.
Ground Glass Photography is named after the frosted focusing screen on large-format view cameras — the surface where the photographer studies the image, upside down and reversed, before making a single deliberate exposure. These sessions are that philosophy made real.
Where a digital session produces dozens of frames, a large format session produces four to six — each one composed under a dark cloth on an actual ground glass, each exposure deliberate, each frame carrying weight. The resulting silver gelatin prints have an archival life of 250+ years. The negatives will outlast every hard drive, every cloud subscription, and every file format that exists today.
There are vanishingly few photographers still working with large format cameras. The skill, equipment, and darkroom expertise required to produce this work are not available from AI, from phones, or from most professional photographers. This is not a novelty — it is the highest expression of the photographic craft.
What Makes This Different
Every Frame Is Intentional
A digital photographer might make 200 exposures in a session. A large format photographer makes six to eight. Each sheet of film costs real money, takes real time to compose, and demands real commitment before the shutter opens. The constraint is the value.
Physical Objects That Outlast Everything
Silver gelatin darkroom prints have an archival life of 250+ years when properly processed and toned. The digital files from a standard portrait session require functioning hard drives and compatible software to survive a decade. The print will outlast all of them.
The Full Analog Experience
You will see the image on the ground glass under the dark cloth. You will hear the shutter open and close — once. You will understand, in your body, that something just happened that cannot be undone or repeated. That is the experience people remember.
Compared to Commissioned Art
A commissioned oil painting portrait costs $3,000–$15,000+ and takes weeks. A large format film portrait delivers comparable permanence, gravitas, and one-of-a-kind physicality at a fraction of the cost — and it is real, not an interpretation.
Large Format Film Packages
Limited to 4 sessions per month. Film processing, scanning, and hand-printed darkroom work require dedicated time that cannot be compressed.
The Ground Glass Session
$1,800
- 90-minute session
- 8×10 large format view camera
- 6–8 sheets of large format film
- 4 final selects, professionally scanned
- 1 contact print from your favorite negative
- 2 archival silver gelatin prints (8×10)
- In-person or video consultation
- Reshoot guarantee
Delivery: High-resolution scans within 3–4 weeks. Silver gelatin prints within 5–6 weeks.
THE DEFINITIVE PORTRAIT
The Ground Glass Commission
$3,500
- 2–3 hour session
- 8×10 large format
- 10–15 sheets of large format film
- 6 final selects, professionally scanned
- 1 exhibition-quality silver gelatin print (16×20, matted & framed)
- In-person planning consultation + location scouting
- Wall art consultation with room mockups
- Your negatives returned to you
- Reshoot guarantee
Delivery: High-resolution scans within 3–4 weeks. Framed exhibition print within 8–10 weeks. This is craftsmanship, not rush work.
Add-Ons
Additional exposures (8×10): $75/sheet
Additional contact print (8×10): $200
Additional silver gelatin print (8×10): $200
Additional silver gelatin print (11×14): $350
Additional silver gelatin print (16×20): $550
Professional hair & makeup: $150–$250
Ideal For
Individuals, couples, executives, artists, or anyone who values intention over volume — and wants a portrait that exists as a physical object, not just a file. Legacy portraits. Executive commissions. Heirloom family portraits. Milestone celebrations. Gift commissions. Fine art collectors. Anyone who wants a portrait that will outlast them.