Books on Action Large Format Photographer?

PhotoPham · Sep 2, 2022

As the title mention were there any celebrated Large format users that did fast action work? When did I ask this question most people bring up modern examples like Dave Burnett but there has to be some other people in the past right? I want to buy some of their books and learn and study their work.

pentaxuser · Sep 2, 2022

I suppose it depends on what you classify as "action" but my head is having difficulties in imagining even a 4x5 in most action shots which require a physical movement of the camera i.e I can just about imagine a form of predictable action frozen in a confined space where the camera waits for it to happen but the "decisive moment" must have been largely luck in any form of "flowing unpredictable action

There are some Atget shots that may qualify depending on how you define action

pentaxuser

Nicholas Lindan · Sep 2, 2022

I remember (or these days, remember that I remembered) seeing a ~1950 article on making a magazine cover photograph of trick waterskiers doing a pyramid at the Wisconsin Dells. The photographer had an 8x10 & tripod on the top of a speed boat that traveled along side the skiers. Magazines at the time demanded 8x10 shots for their covers - hence the availability of Kodachrome in 8x10 (sigh).

AnselMortensen · Sep 2, 2022

Lartigue, perhaps?
Sports photographers used Big Bertha press cameras with long lenses into the early '60's for boxing, baseball etc.

Mike Crawford · Sep 2, 2022

How about Weegee? I'm rather fond of this book.
https://southamptonsagharborbooks.c...e-cynthia-young-paul-strand-and-ralph-steiner

reddesert · Sep 3, 2022

Most US press photographers used Speed Graphics into the 1940s-50s. That includes a lot of WW II photographs (with notable exceptions).

Winston Link used a 4x5 in all of the train photography that he is famous for. Whether Link's photos are action, staged, or both is a matter of definitions.

Sirius Glass · Sep 3, 2022

Mike Crawford said:
How about Weegee? I'm rather fond of this book.
https://southamptonsagharborbooks.c...e-cynthia-young-paul-strand-and-ralph-steiner

reddesert said:
Most US press photographers used Speed Graphics into the 1940s-50s. That includes a lot of WW II photographs (with notable exceptions).

Winston Link used a 4x5 in all of the train photography that he is famous for. Whether Link's photos are action, staged, or both is a matter of definitions.

Weegee and every sports and news photographer until the 1960's tool action large format photographs. I use a 1953 Pacemaker Speed Graphic.

Paul Howell · Sep 3, 2022

Despite a lack of long lens press cameras were the standard until replaced by TLRs quickly by 35mm. As noted above newspapers like the LA times had a modified Speed Graphic with a long lens, don't recall how long the lens was, that was used in the press box to shoot football and baseball. A 4X5 negative could be cropped quite a bit. Ralph Crane shot a group of teems in the 50s playing chicken driving hot rod. He shot at a slow shutter speed to blur the background with his Speed. Saying that most sport shots were staged.

jtk · Sep 3, 2022

It's great to remember how successful those guys were.

Sadly, Life Magazine and its competition is ancient history. Happily todays guys do similarly astounding work (see Sports Illustrated, especially basketball coverage.

PhotoPham · Sep 4, 2022

AnselMortensen said:
Lartigue, perhaps?
Sports photographers used Big Bertha press cameras with long lenses into the early '60's for boxing, baseball etc.

Thank you for the lead.

Mike Crawford said:
How about Weegee? I'm rather fond of this book.
https://southamptonsagharborbooks.c...e-cynthia-young-paul-strand-and-ralph-steiner

I'll order the book! thank you!

reddesert said:
Most US press photographers used Speed Graphics into the 1940s-50s. That includes a lot of WW II photographs (with notable exceptions).

Winston Link used a 4x5 in all of the train photography that he is famous for. Whether Link's photos are action, staged, or both is a matter of definitions.

Thank you for the lead!

The graflex mentions and Big Bertha makes me happy since I own a working 5x7 SLR. Im trying to expand its potential via learning.

MattKing · Sep 4, 2022

If you look for books on older sports photography and journalism photography they may have the examples you seek.
The most iconic image that I've ever printed - from the original Charlie Warner negative - 4x5 and I expect a Speed Graphic:

Bannister and Landy in the final turn of the 1954 "Miracle Mile".
The photo was taken by Vancouver Sun newspaper photographer Charlie Warner. The negative was in the Vancouver Sun's archives.

CMoore · Sep 4, 2022

MattKing said:
If you look for books on older sports photography and journalism photography they may have the examples you seek.
The most iconic image that I've ever printed - from the original Charlie Warner negative - 4x5 and I expect a Speed Graphic:
View attachment 315135

Bannister and Landy in the final turn of the 1954 "Miracle Mile".
The photo was taken by Vancouver Sun newspaper photographer Charlie Warner. The negative was in the Vancouver Sun's archives.

Didn't Martin Maunkacsi do a lot of this type of stuff.?

Books on Action Large Format Photographer?

PhotoPham

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Sirius Glass

Paul Howell

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PhotoPham

MattKing

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CMoore

Books on Action Large Format Photographer?

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