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Welcome

The Dave Butcher Black and White Photo Library contains tens of thousands of images as archivally processed silver gelatine film negatives, mostly medium format 7x6cm and 6x6cm. These can be printed directly onto traditional darkroom materials or scanned for use in many different applications.

Working exclusively in black and white with Mamiya 7 film cameras and Ilford film to produce stunning landscape photographs and striking city shots his work is widely published in books and magazines. He is the author of 6 books. His images can be seen in numerous advertising and PR projects, and Dave’s original black and white pictures are popular with interior designers, businesses and homeowners alike.

about dave butcher

Dave Butcher has over forty years experience in photography and the photo industry, including working for Ilford between 1981 and 2002.

As an Ilford Master Darkroom Printer, and probably the last active professional darkroom printer trained by Ilford Photo, he combines his creative talent with an in-depth technical knowledge of the processes involved in black and white film developing and darkroom printing to produce distinctively unique prints using traditional darkroom methods and materials.

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Browse the Photo galleries

uk cities

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uk landscapes

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world cities

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world landscapes

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Courses

landscape Courses

dave butcher runs black and white landscape photography courses for film camera users, with his wife Jan, in the beautiful English countryside of the Peak District National Park.

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darkroom workshops

Come on one of Dave’s darkroom workshops to learn the easy way to make black and white prints. Particularly suitable for beginners and those wanting to improve their skills…..

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masterclasses

Dave is an Ilford Master Darkroom Printer and gives black and white darkroom printing masterclasses to colleges and universities on behalf of Ilford Photo…..

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Dave Butcher is supported by Ilford Photo and Harman Technology to encourage the use of Ilford film and paper products for photography courses using film cameras, darkroom workshops, professional masterclasses, lectures and exhibitions.

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Newsletter

You can read the latest edition of my “News in Black and White” newsletter and sign up to recieve them in future as emails by using the form below.

You can also read all my previous email newsletters as PDFs from the archive.

Blog

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  • Friday 1st March in the Lake District was a dull day all day. I didn’t take any photos with my proper camera just a few phone photos when I remembered. We intended to catch the 10.45am ferry from Ambleside to […]

  • Thursday 28th February and the weather has turned. It was cloudy and threatening to rain, a bit chilly to start with too. No brightness at all but a few reflections photos, a bit of mist at times and a waterfall. […]

  • Wednesday 27th February 2019, another warm blue sky day. Chilly start then temperature rose to 12°C, warm work walking the couple of thousands of feet over Heron Pike to Great Rigg. Chilly breeze on top. Then via Alcock Tarn to […]

  • Today, Tuesday 26th February 2019, was forecast to be another warm blue sky day. We decided to make the most of the weather and go high, from Ambleside to Dove Crag in fact. Of the 3 ridges running north from […]

  • We’re in the Lake District for a few days. As it’s February we expected snowy mountains requiring axe and crampons but temperatures of 15°C for a few days and mild weather for a couple of weeks means everything is looking […]

Testimonials

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  • Hi Dave, I just wanted to say a big thank you for a fabulous weekend. When I book courses blind, I am never quite sure that they’ll deliver what I originally had in mind. I have to say that I got exactly what I needed from you and a whole lot more! I now have the confidence to start up at home and I understand the basic process well enough to experiment. I suspect that I’ll take some time to master the basics and then come back to you for the next stage… I’ll certainly keep in touch. It was so kind of you to give me enough equipment to get going with. You’ll be pleased to know that I have also invested in a Leica M4 (it was that or the M6 and I liked the classic look of the M4 a little more!) after some heavy research last night, so I’m well on the way! Also, please thank Jan again for her kindness and hospitality. She’s very understanding to have strangers invade her home like I did! You both were so welcoming and I’m glad we’re no longer strangers ?All the best and take care”, AGB, Cambridge, 11-July-2016
    DB
    Marketing Manager
  • Hello Dave and Jan. Thank you both very much for my darkroom day. You provide, as always, great hospitality, a relaxed atmosphere and a great deal of helpful tuition, just hope I can retain a high percentage of it. I also found that turning over negative holder, as yours, made it sit down better and eliminated the bit of stray light that I was having to block out. The small bits like that all add towards a smoother workflow. Thanks again,
    BF
    -
    Creative Space Inc.
  • It is a good thing as an artist to continually train, push forward, develop and improve, so I set myself a challenge to book a course with an Ilford Master Printer. Dave Butcher, who is based in Derbyshire, worked for Ilford Photo for 21 years, including running the photographic printing department and more recently has become a genius teacher. The course was split over two full days and time was spent working from my own medium format 6×6 negatives and included using all four different enlargers in the darkroom. The experience of using this range of equipment, although confusing at first, was invaluable. Now it is time to put all I’ve learnt into practice and disappear back into my own darkroom enlightened and much improved.”
    APT
  • A good Sunday to you both, hope you have enjoyed some rest and relaxation since I left on Wed afternoon. The journey back was horrendous. I didn’t make it to my sister until 10.50pm and between pelting rain, huge HGVs, gusting wind and Manchester in the rush hour felt a nervous wreck. Next time I will fly/bus it. However the days tuition has been of great help. I thought you would like to know Dave that after a day in the darkroom, using split grade I have produced A print I can 95% say I am pleased with – a dappled sunlight in woodland. Thank you. The photographer I was trying to remember for his Japanese prints is Michael Kenna and the reason I couldn’t shoot the winter tree further to the right is of course a whopping pylon! Is April 18th/19th any good for a two day location/darkroom tuition booking?” JR, Scotland, 20-October-2013
  • Hi Dave, good to hear from you and pleased to hear you are planning to reprioritise in 2014. I continue to benefit from my time with you – more confidence in the darkroom. Unfortunately I have been quite unwell since I returned. I am keeping my schedule for the beginning of the year clear at the moment until I see a significant improvement in energy levels. I will be back in touch in January to see what time you still have free for a weekend with you. I am looking forward to some snow and have the film loaded in readiness. In the meantime all the very best to yourself and Jan”,