About Cameras | Blog/Procedures

Welcome to my Blog and Procedures. My name is Daniil Seiljus, and this blog is a dedicated space to document my journey through the world of black and white analog photography.

​"I understand that the world is digital, but I am specializing in the Fine Art side of photography. Just like a sculptor works with stone instead of 3D printing, I work with silver and light. It’s a rarer skill, and that’s what makes my work 'Daniil Seiljus Photography' unique."

Camera Blog

Split-Grading In The Darkroom (4x5)

​By exposing for the shadows and developing for the highlights, I am able to capture a wealth of information on the film negative. This allows me to then go into the darkroom and precisely control the highlights and contrast during the development process with Ilford resin coated paper . I use the technical calculations of the light meter (Sekonic L-308X) and the chemistry of the darkroom to create crisp images that unleash texture and atmosphere.

Daniil Seiljus

Why Contact Sheets Are Important ?

A contact sheet is the definitive roadmap of a photographer’s technical and creative process, serving as a comprehensive visual record where every exposure from a shoot is printed at actual size on a single sheet of paper. For a large-format photographer, it acts as a vital diagnostic tool that allows you to evaluate the success of your Zone System calculations, shadow detail, and overall exposure consistency across a series before committing to the labor and expense of a final master print. Beyond the technical, it preserves the narrative "near-misses" and the evolution of your composition, providing an unfiltered look at how you navigated the light and the landscape to arrive at your final vision.

Daniil Seiljus

Slowing Down... No Rush...

​As a black and white landscape photographer, I focus on the scale and vastness of the world in its current state. Working with 4x5 large format film allows me to slow down and engage deeply with the environment. Following the Ansel Adams tradition, I exposed the 4x5 film specifically to preserve the textures in the shadows, then used the process of split-grading and burning-in the sky, resulting in a crisp image.

I created this site not just as a portfolio, but as a record of my practice and procedure. To me, film is about the intentionality of the slow process, the patience required to wait for the right light and discipline of having only a few frames to capture a memory.

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