Large format photography and young people

No. But other young people, especially other photographers, have come over, interested in what I was doing.
 
I was 28 when I started, if that counts? Otherwise a resounding no. But then again I almost never randomly meet any LF users at all, regardless of age.
 
Hi,

Our local arts centre is actively supporting young people to make analogue images and "zines", documenting their experiences in our town.

The excellent facilitator leading the project is a 35 mm and medium format user.

If she used LF then the young people would gain experience of our format.

This example may be unique to Barnsley and Wakefield (where the lady also works) but I reckon this pattern will be common elsewhere.

Robert
 
I agree with NAS, I'd call below 30 young for large format.
I met someone mid 20's last month and another who was 60, says a late 50 yr old!
 
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Perhaps people need some previous experience of engaging with photography, before they come to LF. So, from iPhone to some kind of digital camera. Then curiosity brings a first experience of film and the new skills needed. That first film experience would usually be with 35mm film. After that, I think most of us will have experienced climbing the ladder of negative size. There might be a bottleneck when the need for a tripod manifests itself. And speaking of process, that has its own path - from the local chemist to the fascinating intricacies discussed on this forum. All this takes time and a degree of financial flexibility too.
All this suggests a certain amount of life lived before the bug strikes.
 
A lot of these youngsters today dont have the attention span for anything techy. Instax is more their choice.
 
Came across a "young" one just near home but its his profession so that's not the same
I think when young many folks go through phases obsessions impulses its normal , it happened to me,
it still does but it takes longer to get through them as you learn to be more selective(run out of things you will try)
There are a lot of distractions these days and many are instant so it does make folks a bit scatty.
 
One of my nieces was shooting LF at 18/19, we met up with @Alan Clark in Goathland, I guess 20/21 years ago. A hilarious night with the director & some of the crew from Heartbeat.

I began using LF at 22 or 23. I have met a few young LF users I sold my Cambo monorail camera to a 19 year old. Young LF users tend to be photography students..

Ian
 
I think is partly due to the type of photography one is exposed to first, and partly the pragmatic issue of the size of LF gear and darkroom items. That's ignoring running costs, of course.

I had a limited chance to use 4x5 in a college photography module (geology course). Most of my fellow students were not sure why the 4x5 monorail even existed. I didn't get to LF myself for another 20 years. By then, 35mm finders were really hard work. I had space and funds to support the equipment.
 
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