Come on, I need to test this film

I guess the tMax works!
Great fun family portrait with a story attached..

Very nice Tony! How do you like the Linhof?

Wow I bet they are glad they made the effort for you. Congrats.

Great fun picture.

If you want a critique, I'd feather the light to the far person which would even out the light on all three. If not, in printing just burn the one closest to the light.

In fact, to nit pick, situate the one with long sleeves closest to the light, and short sleeves farthest.

But still a great picture.

Michael

Lovely, lively picture.

Amazing how the most inpromtu moments end up being the best. This is a great portrait. A REAL portrait, not posed or fake. Well done.

This is pure fun, Blansky's comments are good ones to use and remember. I like it, the expressions are wonderful!

Charlie...............................

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I also think Michael's comments are spot on. I just set up one soft box about 45 degrees to the left. If I thought this was going to turn out as anything other than test fodder I would have used some large reflectors on the right to bounce a bit of life in to the shadows. I have some big square pieces of white foam which normally do the trick. I'm a bit annoyed at the light fall off on the right and the body disappearing into the shade but as Sam says impromptu moments often capture the "magic" and can not be well planned! In the final print I did a gradual burn across the left side to even up all the tones so the skin values are matched.

Nicole, I like the ruggedness of the Linhof and it is very versatile with all the cleverness of German design in a neat package. It pays to set aside some time in the lounge with the camera on a tripod and practice all the movements and functions. Also learning the approximate position on the rails of each lens you have pays off. There are printed rail inserts and little adjustable metal "stoppers" you can get to mark infinity focus points which I haven't yet adjusted properly on my camera for the lens I have. I find the double extending rail set up a bit fiddly sometimes but with practice it becomes easier. I don't have any matched lens cams to use the rangefinder feature but I imagine that might be fun to do. It is a camera I think I will keep so in time I may pick up a few more bits and pieces so I can use all its capabilities. I recently bought a wooden 5x7 field camera and the "feeling" in using them is quite different. It's hard to describe but I think about it in terms of being able to "tame" the wooden camera whereby the Linhof tames you! But once tamed it will be a generous master.