Vintage Optics

The Philosophy — A Different Way of Seeing

Vintage optics require a different way of seeing. They ask for patience. For intention. For a sensitivity to nuance that modern systems often smooth away. With care, and the proper technique, they become powerful tools for creating images that carry depth, character, and a sense of lived experience.

Like an air-cooled Porsche or a vintage mechanical watch, these lenses offer something tactile and enduring. They invite you to slow down. To embrace imperfection. To create images that move beyond the precision of pixels into something more human, images rooted in portraiture and cinematic storytelling. As Mark de Paola will often say, "It is what a lens cannot do that defines its character."

You're invited to join Mark de Paola and Camera West in exploring a rich menu of vintage optics, from wide to telephoto, coast to coast, experiencing each lens within the unique environments and contexts that reveal its distinct character and persona.

The Series — Three Cities · Three Focal Lengths

Across three cities and three focal lengths, photographer and director Mark de Paola guides a select group through an immersive study of vintage optics, weaving lecture, hands-on shooting, and in-depth critique into a cohesive, experiential learning environment. Each program stands on its own; together they form a comprehensive exploration of optical character, paired with the complementary backdrops of San Francisco, New York City, and Palm Springs.

• Part I — San Francisco: Wide · Aug 7–9, 2026
• Part II — New York: Standard · Oct 30 – Nov 1, 2026
• Part III — Palm Springs: Telephoto · Dec 4–6, 2026

Choose Your Session — Select a City & Focal Length

Part I — San Francisco (Wide · Aug 7–9)

• Dates: Aug 7–9, 2026
• Location: Camera West, San Francisco
• Focus: Wide · 21–35mm
• Cohort: 8 Maximum
• Format: In Person · 3 Days

Part I of the series begins at Camera West San Francisco, August 7–9, focusing on wide focal lengths, optics uniquely suited to cinematic portraiture within real environments. Participants work between the documentary energy of San Francisco's streets and the expansive landscapes of Northern California, learning to frame the human subject within both intimate and epic contexts.

The Vintage Optics Menu. A curated selection of rare and iconic vintage glass, full lineup to be announced.

In Mark's Work · Wide

How wide optics hold the human subject within its environment, from Mark de Paola's body of work.

Three-Day Schedule

Friday · 4:00 – 7:00 PM · Camera West San Francisco

An intimate opening evening introducing the philosophy and visual language of vintage optics.

• Welcome lecture and program overview
• Lecture: Seeing Beyond Resolution, the Emotional Language of Vintage Glass
• Deep dive into select vintage 21–35mm lens designs and their rendering characteristics
• Understanding optical behavior: contrast falloff, flare, aberration, focus roll-off
• Introduction to the Vintage Optics Menu
• Guided lens selection based on creative intent
• Image studies from Mark's body of work
• Q&A and informal discussion

Saturday · 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM · On location

A full day dedicated to practice, experimentation, and discovery.

Morning · Maiden Lane

• Hands-on shooting with model collaborator
• Work in natural light environments
• Real-time guidance from Mark on shaping light and composition through vintage glass
• Lunch provided at Camera West San Francisco

Afternoon · New location (TBA)

• Continued shooting with lens swaps encouraged
• Exploration of different focal lengths and rendering styles
• Individual feedback throughout the day

Sunday · 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM · On location

A day focused on reflection, editing, and developing a deeper understanding of your work.

Morning · New location (TBA)

• Continued shooting with lens swaps encouraged (complete all 35mm tests)
• Return to Camera West San Francisco · lunch provided

Afternoon

• Image selection and sequencing
• Discussion: pre-visualization vs. post-production (the de Paola approach)
• Group wrap-up session
• Images projected on the Leica Cine 1
• Individual feedback from Mark de Paola
• Final discussion: integrating vintage optics into your long-term practice
• Open Q&A

Select optics from the program will be available for purchase.

Maximum 8 participants · Select optics from the program will be available for purchase on site.

Cancellation policy: 60 or more days before the program, full refund. 30–60 days, 50% refund. Less than 30 days, non-refundable.

Every Session — What to Expect

• Small, intimate group setting (maximum 8 participants)
• In-depth lectures and optical theory grounded in real-world practice
• Hands-on shooting with rare and vintage optics
• Direct, personalized feedback from Mark de Paola
• 1:1 and group wrap-up discussion
• A refined understanding of how to see with intention

Participants leave with a body of portraiture created across shifting light and varied optical renderings, images that serve as both a foundation for their practice and a deeper understanding of how lenses shape visual language.

Who This Is For

Designed for photographers with a working understanding of their camera who are looking to deepen their visual language through optics, light, and portraiture. Ideal for those working in portrait, fashion, or cinematic image-making.

Equipment

• Bring your own camera, or borrow a Leica SL3 or Leica EV1
• Camera West provides a rotating selection of vintage optics
• Bring your own SD card (also available for purchase on site)

"It is not what a lens can do, but what a lens cannot do that defines its character." — Mark de Paola

The Instructor — About Mark de Paola

Photographer & Director

Mark de Paola is a New York City–based fine art and fashion photographer and director whose work spans film, fashion, and commercial storytelling. His clients include Vogue Spain, Vogue Mexico, Gucci, Oscar de la Renta, Prabal Gurung, Aveda, Estée Lauder, Brioni, and Saint Laurent.

His fine art work is held in the collections of MoMA New York, The Getty, the San Diego Center of Photographic Arts, and the TOP Museum in Tokyo. He has directed hundreds of fashion and beauty films and is currently developing multiple feature projects following his debut film A Stab At Heaven starring Ema McKie.

De Paola has spent his career in a relentless pursuit of understanding optics, testing, refining, and mastering lenses to precisely translate his vision across film, fashion, and fine art. His work is driven by a deep study of perception, bridging photography with neurobiology and cognitive psychology to explore how we see, feel, and remember.

Questions? — Learn More About the Masterclass

Ask us about the program, the optics, scheduling, or what to expect. Use the "Ask Us a Question" contact form (fields: First name, Last name, Email, Phone, Your question).

A Camera West Program

Three cities. Three focal lengths. One way of seeing, with intention.