Hello and welcome to Form Level Photo.
My name is Michael Barrett and I am the photographer responsible for the photos on this website. I practice only black and white photography, and I use all formats from small half-frame 35mm to large 5"x7" film.
These days my primary tools are my Leica M4 35mm camera using Minolta M-Rokkor lenses. And my wooden field Tachihara 5x7 camera using an assortment of Rodenstock lenses but primarily a Rodenstock 180mm f/5.6 lens.
Most of the work you see in my portfolio are handmade darkroom prints which is what I focus on. I prefer to do printing the "old-fashioned way" using an enlarger.
I appreciate you stopping by!
Thank you
-Michael Barrett
“Form Level” is based on the idea of Plato’s “Theory of Forms”. Though we may never know if Plato's Theory is correct, I believe we may be able to experience it in our life. I believe that one can occasionally glimpse perfection, perfect form, whether it be in art, music, or literature. I believe we have the ability to do so. For me, photography can play an integral part in this for in a photo we are able to see the world in a way that it was never intended for us to be able to see it; instead of only being able to focus on one thing at a time, a photo allows us to look at an entire scene, a stolen moment of time, and view it in its entirety, and be able to investigate it. I think this gives us a unique ability to view what otherwise would not be able to be seen. I like to think about photography as a search for Platonic Forms, for the ultimate Form of Beauty, through a lens.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.