Medium format cameras produce higher quality images as they use much larger film than the standard 35mm. The various formats available are 6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7 etc. This feature concentrates on the 6x6 format. With 6x6 the ease of composing the composition by not having to rotate the camera either horizontally or vertically means it’s more flexible.

The rectangular format of most cameras encourages photographers to crop tight around a subjects face or torso. The 6x6 square format encourages the photographer to give their subjects more space.
Below are some great examples of the square format on DeviantArt.


Diane Arbus favoured the use of the square negative. Arbus often printed her images full frame to emphasise they were un-cropped. Arbus’s style placed the subject in the centre of the frame to focus the viewer’s attention on the subject and not on the overall composition. ‘I work from awkwardness. By that I mean I don't like to arrange things. If I stand in front of something, instead of arranging it, I arrange myself.’ She also got her subjects to face the camera looking directly at the lens. Her use of flash in daylight gave her subjects a surreal element and a sense of isolation distancing the subject from their surroundings.



The Holga is a plastic toy camera loved by many. It’s an inexpensive form of medium format photography. It is renowned for its light leaks, blackened edges and lack of sharpness which can actually add an interesting effect to any image.



So whether you use a professional medium format camera or an inexpensive Holga, film or digital, whether you crop your images to make them square or not just go out and experiment with the square format!

Below are some links to help you on your way.

• Handy tips for composing a square
  
• Another site with tips for composing a square
  
• Philip Greenspun discusses choosing a medium format camera
  
• Sources of inspiration. Online portfolios focusing on square format
  
  
  
  • Keith Laban
    
  • Michael Kenna Sally
    
  • Gall
    
  • Keith Carter
    
  • Charlie Waite
    
  
  
• Hasselblad Website
  
• Holga Website
  
• Holga Photo Galleries