Edward Weston close-ups - how??

[Jim Jones]

There is a book of his writings on photography. It is a collection of articles and letters. It may actually be called "On Photography". I have a copy somewhere in my house. He describes his equipment and technique more than his daybooks.

The title is Edward Weston on Photography, edited by Peter C. Bunnell and published in 1983 by Gibbs M. Smith, Inc., Peregrine Smith Books. Another interesting book of writings about Weston by others is Edward Weston Omnibus, edited by Beaumont Newhall and Amy Conger and published in 1984 by the above publisher.

 

[Jim Jones]

Some accounts say he also used an ancient Rapid Rectilinear with the aperture modified to stop down to f/256. 8x10 contact printed negatives captured at this aperture would appear fairly sharp if the subject had few sharp-edged details.

Beaumont Newhall wrote in Edward Weston Omnibus: "On June 24, 1924 he purchased for 25 pesos a second-hand Rapid Rectilinear lens. This type of lens had long been considered obsolete, if not archaic. Years later he gave this lens to his son Brett, who has most generously presented it to the George Eastman House. It bears no maker's name. On the barrel is inscribed: "8x10 THREE FOCUS" and the inscribed dedication, "To Brett -- Dad, 1937." Examination on an optical bench proves it to be an unsymmetrical form of Rapid Rectilinear of 11 1/4-inch focal length, well made and well centered. It has no shutter -- Weston used a behind-the-lens Packard shutter -- but an iris diaphragm marked "R.O.C. and C. CO." (Rochester Optical and Cameras Co.). The smallest opening is marked "256." Measurement proves this to be the long-obsolete "Uniform System.' the equivalent of f/64."

 

[Jim Noel]

Computing the proper lens for closeups is often related o mathematical formulae. This is correct, but not easy for many people.
The simple method s to measure your maximum bellows length. A lens half this long will barely enable you to make an image at life size. For closer views,use a lens about 70% as long..
Example: Maximum bellows length = 300 mm; for a 1:1 image use a 150mm lens. For an even closer view use a 135mm lens.
An even shorter lens can be used for the closer view but the 135 is a common length and easily found.
Someone mentioned a wider lens. This is totally unnecessary because a lens which will barely cover 4x5 at infinity will easily cover 8x10 if the bellows is extended far enough.

 

[removed account4]

Weston used an 8X10 Seneca for most of his LF work. One lens he used for a very long time was a 12-21-28"
Turner Reich convertible.

hi john

i thought he also used a graflex slr ( like a 3x4 one ) too,
i haven't read his bio or autobio .. / daybooks &c
did he use the slr for portraits ?

sorry for my ignorance!
john

 

[removed account4]

thanks greg !
i guess i gotta get reading his books !
my ignorance often times shows as much as my epidermis

 

[Mark Minard]

Are you thinking of Brett? I dont remmber Edward burning anything but its been decades since I read his writing.

Somewhere in the daybooks (I have the 2 volume Aperture copy) he mentions burning sections he'd written.

 

[Mark Minard]

The title is Edward Weston on Photography, edited by Peter C. Bunnell and published in 1983 by Gibbs M. Smith, Inc., Peregrine Smith Books. Another interesting book of writings about Weston by others is Edward Weston Omnibus, edited by Beaumont Newhall and Amy Conger and published in 1984 by the above publisher.

Thanks, for some reason I totally missed Omnibus. I'll have to pick up a copy.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

This is an oft repeated canard - and no one cares to note that that archetypal '$5' translates into the equivalent of the mid to high hundreds of 2010s dollars. A not insignificant sum of money even in today's market.

very good point!

 

[darkroommike]

He also used very small apertures and consequently very long exposures, at least on the still lifes. Also mentioned in the daybooks, as I recall, the vegetables and shells were exposed for a few hours in some cases, for example.

Modern photographers tend to avoid apertures like f/64 because of sharpness loss from diffraction, but the trade-off is less depth of field. I don't think anyone will complain that his aperture was possibly too small for optimum sharpness on Pepper 30.

Another good read, having to do with Edward, is Through Another Lens, by Charis Wilson, who is the lady he met in the timeframe where the published portion of the Daybooks end.

Keep in mind that f/64 or smaller on a large format lens will have a physically larger "hole" than the same aperture on a MF or 35mm lens, so less diffraction for the same aperture.