First time shooting Large Format

Axle · Mar 14, 2013

Back in February I picked up a rather stripped down Speed Graphic, 203mm Ektar Lens, Film holders. I scored a 90mm from KEH, new lens board off Ebay. Last Saturday I finally had the guts to load up four sheets of HP5. Last night I processed the film in a unicolor drum and rotatory base. Two sheets in Xtol, two in HC-110. Well one shot was bad, it was the one where someone had knocked the camera a bit while exposing. The two ones in xtol were alright, not perfect, a bit over exposed, but they were also the first processed. But the final shot I got...I'm pretty pleased with.

Tech details.
Anniversary Speed Graphic
Schneider-Kreuznack Angulon 1:6,8/90
Ilford HP5+ @ ISO-400
1/10" @ f/32
Dev: Kodak HC-110 Dil. B 5:00 @ 20C

This is going to be fun!

antmar · Mar 14, 2013

Welcome to the club.
Every start is difficult but you will be wiser at the end.

BainDarret · Mar 14, 2013

Wow! The Lister Block from my old home town Hamilton, Ontario!
Nice quality, you're off to a good start.
Try using the rising front with the camera level to remove the converging vertical lines.

Mike

shutterfinger · Mar 14, 2013

you've been addicted.

LJH · Mar 14, 2013

shutterfinger said:
you've been addicted.

Yep; I was thinking, "It might be your first shot with LF; I bet it's not the last!!"

Toffle · Mar 14, 2013

Great for a first shot. As Mike said, one of the real advantages of large format is the ability to correct things like converging lines.

The 203 Ektar and 90 Schneider are GREAT lenses to be starting with.

Cheers,
Tom

Sirius Glass · Mar 14, 2013

LF photography offer many more ways to screw up a photograph than 35mm or MF.

StoneNYC · Mar 14, 2013

When you guys say the converging lines are messed up do you mean the bulge in the corner of the building?

~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

MattxMosh · Mar 14, 2013

I personally like just a touch of converging lines, but thankfully LF gives me the chance to mess that up all the time!

Toffle · Mar 15, 2013

Yes, lots of ways to mess up a shot with LF... and I seem to invent new variations all the time. The aesthetic of converging lines is an open topic, but it's best to learn the basic techniques anyway. Then you can decide if and how much correction suits a particular image. I'm sure just about everyone has tried at least one shot where they reverse-corrected lines for effect.

Cheers,
Tom

Jim Jones · Mar 15, 2013

StoneNYC said:
When you guys say the converging lines are messed up do you mean the bulge in the corner of the building?

~Stone

Converging lines are lines that are parallel in the subject, but converge towards a point in the image. In this example, they converge towards a point far outside the top of the frame. This can be corrected by having the back of the camera perfectly vertical and adjusting the framing by sliding the lens upwards. You will probably run out of the coverage with that lens, but this can be partly corrected in printing. The apparent bulge is typical for barrel distortion in a lens, which doesn't sound likely with that 90mm.

Axle · Mar 15, 2013

Ah, this is what I love about the community here at APUG

Thank you all for the kind words and suggestions! I am going out again Saturday and will play with the limited movements I have in my camera!

Robert Ley · Mar 15, 2013

Very nice shot keep up the good work. Remember that you will have more failures in the beginning, but don't lose faith.

My only suggestion is that if you want to learn how to use your new view camera that you stick with the 203 Ektar as it has a much larger image circle than the 90 Anglon.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

k_jupiter · Mar 15, 2013

Robert Ley said:
Very nice shot keep up the good work. Remember that you will have more failures in the beginning, but don't lose faith.

My only suggestion is that if you want to learn how to use your new view camera that you stick with the 203 Ektar as it has a much larger image circle than the 90 Anglon.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Image circle coverage is not usually a problem with a Speed Graphic.

Grumpyshutter · Mar 15, 2013

Ha-ha! You've done it now Axel! From now on you'll spend most of your time fiddling with the movements with your head buried under the darkcloth. It addictive. Welcome to the club!

ps. Be prepared for a lot of questions from curious members of the public.

pps. Very nice result for a first effort. Well done.

Grumpyshutter.

StoneNYC · Mar 15, 2013

Jim Jones said:
StoneNYC said:

When you guys say the converging lines are messed up do you mean the bulge in the corner of the building?

~Stone

Converging lines are lines that are parallel in the subject, but converge towards a point in the image. In this example, they converge towards a point far outside the top of the frame. This can be corrected by having the back of the camera perfectly vertical and adjusting the framing by sliding the lens upwards. You will probably run out of the coverage with that lens, but this can be partly corrected in printing. The apparent bulge is typical for barrel distortion in a lens, which doesn't sound likely with that 90mm.

Click to expand...

Thanks Jim,

I think I understand, really can't wait to get my LF so I can practice all this, a shame I don't have the money yet, that 127mm(or 137 I forget off hand) Shneider Lens sitting in a box is just taunting me...

~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

First time shooting Large Format

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