Members' Gallery: David Francis
My first experiment in photography was in 1940 at the age of seven. Seven years later it became a serious hobby when a photographic club was set up at my secondary school in 1947. Materials were scarce and the equipment primitive, but that did not deter me from progress.
At the local library I had access to the "Amateur Photographer" and I fell in love with the reproductions of bromoils, particularly of silver birch trees.
The equipment I used in the early days was plate cameras of all sizes, a favourite being Thornton-Pickard Ruby Reflex.
Years later I attended a Bromoil workshop conducted by the members of the Bromoil Circle. I was invited to join it and eventually appointed Exhibition Officer. In 2000 I became Hon. Secretary of the Society taking very keen interest in promoting the interests of the Circle and the Bromoil process generally.
I am a retired teacher and taught extra-curricular Photography to A Level to school pupils and Photography at Adults Evening Institute. My main high school subject was Physics with secondary Chemistry and Mathematics.
Alas, as yet I have not bromoiled a silver birch tree!
Samples of David's Work
