Photographing the Empordalia Wine Cooperative Posted On 3rd October 2019 To Magazine & Stories
Chris Cheetham has recently carried out a photographic project for the Empordàlia wine cooperative, situated in the beautiful, mountainous region of Catalonia.
Capturing Wine Making Equipment on Ilford HP5 Film
Rustic Detail
The project was inspired when Chris was purchasing a bottle of wine from the wine cooperative “Empordàlia” and saw all of the old wine making equipment at the back of the room. He thought the intricate detail of the rustic machinery would make a great photographic project using his 10x8 Sinar film camera.
Capturing Wine Making Equipment on Ilford HP5 Film
Chris asked the staff for permission to take the photographs and arranged to come back the next day. Having thought that it would just be on a digital camera, it’s safe to say the staff were a little surprised when they saw Chris turn up with 6 camera cases of equipment and a large technical camera on a tripod. He took 10 images on Ilford HP5 film, some of which required a 2 minute exposure at F45.
Capturing Wine Making Equipment on Ilford HP5 Film
Proudly on Display
He then processed the film and made contact prints, producing one 20x16 print on Ilford MGFB Classic 16x20 inch/ 40.6x50.8cm paper. At this stage, it was just a personal project. Memories of an enjoyable trip to Catalonia. But when a friend saw the prints, he wanted to show it to the boss of the Empordàlia. The boss, Simon Casanovas Parés loved it and asked Chris if he would be able to print all 10 shots so they could have them framed to hang in the wine merchants. The photographs are now on permanent display there.
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About The Author
Chris Cheetham
Chris Cheetham is a British contemporary photographer born in Southport in 1951. After moving to London, he opened his own photographic business and worked from his studio in Chelsea.
Fine Art photography was his passion, which saw him carrying out numerous projects both at home and abroad.
He now works between Brighton, on the South coast of England, and in the Spanish mountainous region of Catalonia where he prints all of his own gelatine silver prints in his custom built darkroom.
His work has sold at both the Michael Hoppen Gallery in London and Staley-Wise Gallery in New York. His prints have also been successfully selling at International auction houses such as Sotheby’s, Bloomsbury, Forum and Dorotheum.