Karl L.C3.A4rka as photographer Karl Lärka

village street in Östnor, doorway of rombogården right. photo: karl lärka/mora bygdearkiv

karl lärka s photographs characterized concern document disappearing culture. people, animals , buildings portrayed in own context. people cultivate land, work in forest, build houses, wash clothes, cook or pose working horses. describes weddings, people, interiors, transhumance , village streets great sense of feeling composition , quality.

many of lärka s portraits typically documentary. people portrayed in daily chores, in positions , attributes choose themselves. differ studio portraits of time, in people dressed , posed. connection swedish labour movement, lärka known democratic photographer . let people decide wear, how wanted stand, , whether or not should smile or not. documentary work procedure of lärka shown in recording of older people s stories, method combined photography.

during photographic career, lärka experienced great developments in photographic technique. in days of 20th century used photographic plates, other serious photographers. got first box camera during time @ folk high school. later changed larger-format american camera acquired retailer had bought photographing thieves in shop @ sollerön.

lärka experimented mixtures of magnesium , potassium permanganate flash , did reverted enlargements before enlargers arrived, illuminating photographic paper through camera lens.later, when had access enlarger, lärka copied pictures onto fine-grain film able show pictures in skioptikon (a form of slide projector) @ lectures.

the large plates heavy, , when exposed, lärka forced find dark space , reload. when first sheet film arrived, work made easier , there no longer risk light disappear while reloading, had happened before.

one of cameras american large format camera, made 13×18 in (33×46 cm) plates, equipped separate shutter (thornton-pickard snap-shot, 1–1/80 sec), aplanat b no 4 lens e suter (basel) , separate waterhouse stop (1:4 or 1:8). used 3 smaller folding cameras format 10×15 cm. in later life, when no longer photographed professionally, got modern camera 135 film , took both color , black-and-white photos.