What sets
Wassmann's photography apart is not only the spectacular
locations that he chooses to shoot but his keen eye
for using composition and color to lure the viewer into
the scene. Years of studying painting have given him
a different perspective on the photographic process. "Talk about
f-stops and shutter speeds make my eyes glaze over, says
the artist. I'm only interested in the final image as seen
by the viewer. I use only the most basic techniques to
create my images." This attitude is not surprising
when you learn that his training was as a painter, not
a photographer, when in school at the Pennsylvania Academy
of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. "It was my search for
spectacular compositions for my paintings that led me to
learn photography".
While his technique
may be basic, the camera he uses for most of his images
is anything but. One thing viewers comment on the most
is the extraordinary clarity of his pictures, even when
enlarged to mural size. This is the result of shooting
with a "View Camera" that uses a film size of
4x5 or 8x10 inches, many times the size of the standard
35mm film that most people use.
The
large film size allows even minute areas of a scene to be
recorded in perfect detail. This comes at a price however
in time and money. It takes Wassmann at least 15-20 minutes
to set up the camera and each sheet of the film needs to
be individually processed unlike regular roles of film. His
images of Easter Island and Antarctica, places where most
won't go to the trouble to take the bulky view camera,
are astonishing in the depth of color and detail. There
are moments so fleeting, however, that there isn't time
to set up the 4X5. In these cases Wassmann relies on the
Mamiya 7 medium format camera or a 35 mm Canon A2. These
cameras have been the portals for some of his most famous
images such as surfing dolphins, rainbows and spectacular
lightning strikes over the Pacific ocean.
A new database of images, which can
be purchased on-line is now available. Please follow the
link below to view over 100o of Wassmann's image from around
the world.
The
large film size allows even minute areas of a scene to be
recorded in perfect detail. This comes at a price however
in time and money. It takes Wassmann at least 15-20 minutes
to set up the camera and each sheet of the film needs to
be individually processed unlike regular roles of film. His
images of Easter Island and Antarctica, places where most
won't go to the trouble to take the bulky view camera,
are astonishing in the depth of color and detail. There
are moments so fleeting, however, that there isn't time
to set up the 4X5. In these cases Wassmann relies on the
Mamiya 7 medium format camera or a 35 mm Canon A2. These
cameras have been the portals for some of his most famous
images such as surfing dolphins, rainbows and spectacular
lightning strikes over the Pacific ocean. 