He Made His Own Large Format Camera and Old School Flash Powder

Most photographers who build their own cameras, especially large format cameras, started out driven by an interest in traditional photographic processes. For South Africa-based Nikolai Nielsen, however, discovering camera building was a fortunate accident. Anyone who knew of his passions -- mainly chemistry, pyrotechnics, and rocketry -- would be surprised that he took up making cameras for what he calls "from scratch" photography. However, motivated by his DIY spirit and a chance event that int...