Curious as to how many cameras landscape photographers use

Vaughn · Jul 19, 2018

jtk said:
Sounds like few of the "landscape photographers" on this thread hike any significant distance from the road.

I rarely want to photograph scenes from the road, but Saint Ansel often did.

A lot of it depends on where the road is. LOL!
I still backpack with my small cameras -- Rolleiflex or the Gowland PocketView 4x5. Maybe even the Eastman View No.2 (5x7) on a short trip down along Redwood Creek for a few nights.

I'll drive, then wander away from the van for 4 to 8 hours with the 8x10 (60 lbs, all told, from 5 to 7 film holders)...hopefully doing more photographing than walking, but I'll walk a few miles. Zion was nice for that -- pick a side canyon and see how far one could go...often no one else around. Same sort of thing in Death Valley. My last trip there I worked about four days in the same relatively small area, rather than drive all over the place and catching pieces of places.

PS...My last big photo trip was an artist-in-residence in Zion National Park. I drove down there with six cameras. Sm Sony digital, Rolleiflex, Brooks VeriWide100, 5x7, 8x10 and 11x14. Eight formats, if one counts the 4x10 and 5x14 images. I was there for a month, so each camera came in handy for the what where when and whyever I was photographing. Riding my bicycle up and down the canyon made the 120 cameras or the 5x7 the best choices. After a long day of carrying the 8x10, the next day might be a more leisurely hike with the 5x7.

I had to hike a ways for this image -- did not even know about this fall before I started hiking up. Taken 25 years ago (1993) at the young age of 39 -- I'd love to have those legs and lungs again!
A 5x7 carbon print:

ME Super · Jul 19, 2018

This is particularly relevant to me today as I went up Pike's Peak today with my son, daughter, and son-in-law. I had my two (Pentax) 35mm SLRs with me, one loaded with Velvia 50 and the other loaded with Provia 100F, so one for landscapes and one for people. I also had my most recent camera purchase with me, my Stereo Realist. It was loaded with Portra 400. Oh, and my cell phone which has a digital camera built into it. Each camera came along with a different purpose in mind. So technically today I had 4 cameras with me.

I don't typically travel with this many, usually 1 camera (or maybe two of one is loaded with B&W and the other with color film) is enough.

jtk · Jul 19, 2018

ME Super said:
This is particularly relevant to me today as I went up Pike's Peak today with my son, daughter, and son-in-law. I had my two (Pentax) 35mm SLRs with me, one loaded with Velvia 50 and the other loaded with Provia 100F, so one for landscapes and one for people. I also had my most recent camera purchase with me, my Stereo Realist. It was loaded with Portra 400. Oh, and my cell phone which has a digital camera built into it. Each camera came along with a different purpose in mind. So technically today I had 4 cameras with me.

I don't typically travel with this many, usually 1 camera (or maybe two of one is loaded with B&W and the other with color film) is enough.

That's similar to my auto "traveling" kit...two Pentax ME, three nice primes, one incredible Samsung NX20, two Samsung zooms (I'd avoided zooms previously). I also bring a fine, smallish tripod but rarely use it. For hiking I carry the Samsung kit, which is about the same bulk as the Pentax kit. The Pentaxes are better for people but the Samsung does a better job with detail for non-people. Sadly, Samsung will be toast one of these days...much like local, professional E6 processing.

jtk · Jul 19, 2018

Vaughn said:
A lot of it depends on where the road is. LOL!
I still backpack with my small cameras -- Rolleiflex or the Gowland PocketView 4x5. Maybe even the Eastman View No.2 (5x7) on a short trip down along Redwood Creek for a few nights.

I'll drive, then wander away from the van for 4 to 8 hours with the 8x10 (60 lbs, all told, from 5 to 7 film holders)...hopefully doing more photographing than walking, but I'll walk a few miles. Zion was nice for that -- pick a side canyon and see how far one could go...often no one else around. Same sort of thing in Death Valley. My last trip there I worked about four days in the same relatively small area, rather than drive all over the place and catching pieces of places.

PS...My last big photo trip was an artist-in-residence in Zion National Park. I drove down there with six cameras. Sm Sony digital, Rolleiflex, Brooks VeriWide100, 5x7, 8x10 and 11x14. Eight formats, if one counts the 4x10 and 5x14 images. I was there for a month, so each camera came in handy for the what where when and whyever I was photographing. Riding my bicycle up and down the canyon made the 120 cameras or the 5x7 the best choices. After a long day of carrying the 8x10, the next day might be a more leisurely hike with the 5x7.

I had to hike a ways for this image -- did not even know about this fall before I started hiking up. Taken 25 years ago (1993) at the young age of 39 -- I'd love to have those legs and lungs again!
A 5x7 carbon print:

Vaughn, It's wonderful to read about your photographic exploits: I admire your commitment. It's strange when people identify as "landscape" photographers but don't put much physical work into it. I never aspired to landscape photography, have always been a diverse graphic person. At same age as you, it's been reassuring to remember that a few men are keeping that lantern lit.

Vaughn · Jul 20, 2018

The 'physical work' is the most fun! Developing can be a chore, but I develop 8x10s five at a time in a Jobo drum...I am working, but I am also having Christmas holidays regularly! One never knows exactly what surprises, what gifts, might come out of the drum! But to be young again and carry a 90 pound pack (including 4x5) down into the Grand Canyon for 11 days! Wish I had known more about photography and seeing back then (late 70s/early 80s) -- maybe I'd have a decent image from all those trips down in that big crack.

I am laxed about what one does or does not do to get the image one wants, landscape or otherwise. There are rural and urban landscapes, landscapes made in wildernesses and city parks. Landscapes from the road are fine, as long as they work. As long as it is ethical and does no harm. But then, I don't even like leaving footprints if it can be avoided.

jtk · Jul 20, 2018

Vaughn said:

The 'physical work' is the most fun! Developing can be a chore, but I develop 8x10s five at a time in a Jobo drum...I am working, but I am also having Christmas holidays regularly! One never knows exactly what surprises, what gifts, might come out of the drum! But to be young again and carry a 90 pound pack (including 4x5) down into the Grand Canyon for 11 days! Wish I had known more about photography and seeing back then (late 70s/early 80s) -- maybe I'd have a decent image from all those trips down in that big crack.

I am laxed about what one does or does not do to get the image one wants, landscape or otherwise. There are rural and urban landscapes, landscapes made in wildernesses and city parks. Landscapes from the road are fine, as long as they work. As long as it is ethical and does no harm. But then, I don't even like leaving footprints if it can be avoided.

Click to expand...

Think what it'd be like for us now, to have done little exploration on foot, mostly gawped out car windows, stopped for moments at famous "views" and only stayed in hotels/motels, rather than sleeping under the stars,

Arthurwg · Jul 20, 2018

Hasselblad, Xpan, Leica M6, but not usually all at once.

Vaughn · Jul 20, 2018

jtk said:
Think what it'd be like for us now, to have done little exploration on foot, mostly gawped out car windows, stopped for moments at famous "views" and only stayed in hotels/motels, rather than sleeping under the stars,

I personally like EW's method. Find a lovely young lady to love and drive you across the country (or just California) while you look for images and photograph. Camp out, eat cheaply and well, and enjoy! One of their favorite camping spots was Moonstone Beach, CA -- and it was one of my boys' favorite places to go for the day as they grew up.

norm123 · Aug 27, 2019

Almost all the time with 2 Fujica camera (GW690II and GSW690). Sometimes a Sinar F2 4x5 when it's not too far from the car.

jim10219 · Aug 27, 2019

Three. But I don't hike long distances. Maybe five miles a day, at most.

I usually carry one film camera, most likely my 4x5 Speed Graphic, and my DSLR. The DSLR is for snapping tons of photos. The 4x5 is for when I find a place worth stopping and spending some time with. The third camera, is my cell phone. It's used for vacation photo type stuff. "Here's my wife and I in front of a waterfall!" "Here's a tree trunk that looks like Ernest Borgnine!"

Alan Edward Klein · Aug 27, 2019

Theo Sulphate said:
"Anything more than 500 yards from the car just isn't photogenic."

-Edward Weston

Great line; I agree. With my bad back, I try to stay in the parking lot or aside the road. Plus, who needs to deal with all those ticks and Lyme disease?

Alan Edward Klein · Aug 27, 2019

Katherine J Gillis said:
I'm a traditional B&W retoucher & spotter and have worked on landscape photographs for years. Some of the most beautiful shots ever. Never thought of asking this and would love to know.

i was watching retouching of Clyde Butcher's 60" and larger prints when I visited his Venice, FLorida gallery a few years ago. He's also doing digital prints lately and has switched from many film cameras to digital cameras due to his advancing age. Here's a link to his page that shows the equipment he used and uses.
https://clydebutcher.com/about-the-artist/technical-information/

jtk · Sep 10, 2019

Theo Sulphate said:
I know that feeling.

From AA's images (among others) I was inspired to make photographs and improve. I felt I could makes images I was proud of.

Looking at David Muench's color work, about 20 years ago (before digit*l), I felt overwhelmed: that he'd done it all, that there was nothing for me to do and I should just put my cameras away.

In the late 70s a magazine publisher paid me several hundred $$ to duplicate/restore a handful of DMs chromes from the 50s. Too bad digital cameras didn't exist.

KenS · Sep 11, 2019

As my mentor would say... some 60-odd years ago...
" One at a time makes for 'good fishing'

Ken

Philippe-Georges · May 26, 2020

Hasselblad (just a Planar 80mm and SWC/M), Linhof Technorama 617S, preferably handheld (I dislike tripods), Y2 - YG - O - R filters and Tri-X (not a camera but at least as important)...

RalphLambrecht · May 28, 2020

Katherine J Gillis said:
I'm a traditional B&W retoucher & spotter and have worked on landscape photographs for years. Some of the most beautiful shots ever. Never thought of asking this and would love to know.

for simplicity, I've settled on one camera for all genres(Hasselblad 501c); haven't found anything it can't do yet.

Sirius Glass · May 28, 2020

RalphLambrecht said:
for simplicity, I've settled on one camera for all genres(Hasselblad 501c); haven't found anything it can't do yet.

Two for me Hasselblad 503 CX and Hasselblad 903 SWC.

juan · May 28, 2020

Wehman 8x10, Graphic View II 4x5, Speed Graphic 4x5, Crown Graphic 4x5, Super Speed Graphic 4x5, Speed Graphic 2x3, Graflex RB Series B 2x3, Mamiya RB-67, Mamiya C3 TLR, Nikon F 35mm, Nikon F2 35mm, Kowa SET 35mm, Nikon D300 digisnapper, Nikon D750 digisnapper.

Could it be that I have too many cameras?

Philippe-Georges · May 29, 2020

Who want more?

Curious as to how many cameras landscape photographers use

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