Graflex Users Workshop Proposal later this summer in Tonopah Nevada

Sirius Glass · Jul 28, 2022

jimgalli said:
Summer took a funny turn and I'm helping friends with the electrical wiring in a dream workshop. All new construction. The cameras have been languishing and for the life of me I can't seem to work up much enthusiasm right this minute. I'm 70 in less than a month, so maybe this is it? Can't seem to remember why I'm supposed to take pictures and what to take a picture of.

Sonny, most of us are older than you. So what were going to do? Make oval wheels for your Model T?

Ron (Netherlands) · Jul 28, 2022

Jacques Henri Lartigue and his camera

Jacques Henri Lartigue was an extraordinary photographer. He was a recreatonal photographer and did not have to earn his money with photography, being born in a wealthy family. At a tender age he produced good photographs, which he continued to do until he died. His photographs were often...

www.largeformatphotography.info

from the above site (its quite a long thread):

markjwyatt · Jul 28, 2022

jimgalli said:
Actually we're right at the fence of area 52 so folks should get their will in order and plan on being abducted by UFO's. We'd definitely make some memorable history though.

Would be really cool to get a Speed Graphic into a flying saucer and get some shots. Of course we already learned in the Simpson's that all you can really see is a Pong game...

Ron (Netherlands) · Jul 28, 2022

One of the four cars in the race (at least a partly restored car) was auctioned by Bonhams and provides some of its history:

Bonhams Cars : 1913 Th. Schneider 5.6-litre Grand Prix Two Seater Chassis no. 14122 Engine no. 22

Company founder Théodore Schneider was a racer at heart – he had taken part in competition at the tiller of a Rochet-Schneider (a company he had also founded) as early as 1896– so it was quite in character that he should enter a team of four cars for the 1913 French Grand Prix, each fitted with...

www.bonhams.com

...and better get out your camera's to a race like this one:

and another picture of the car at the 1913 race:

MTGseattle · Dec 13, 2022

I recently acquired a 4x5 Graphic with a working focal plane shutter. I've enjoyed this thread. If one doesn't own any barrel lenses, can you simply leave the lens (in shutter) on "B' and use the FP shutter? Sorry if that's a ridiculous question. The Speed Graphic info is scattered quite far and wide on the various forums.

I dig the Model A's that a few of you have too. Very cool.

Sirius Glass · Dec 13, 2022

jimgalli said:
This is a proposal to solve a single problem with singular equipment. I want to duplicate the "Lartigue" effect of the leaning wheels on race cars at speed only possible with graflex curtain shutters. I am limiting myself to film and shutter speeds available off the shelf in 1908 - ish.

Here's what I propose; We'll take my '29 Model A Roadster out on our local dry lake bed and duplicate the distance and speeds of the 1908 race cars. We'd need a mobile dark room to get quick answers. I'm picturing a line of nuts with Graflex focal plane cameras standing in a row with a Model A speeding past them at 25 to 50 feet away. Not sure the "A" can actually go fast enough. It can achieve 60 or so. Those 1908 beasts may have been moving at 90+ mph.

There would be wine involved. Cars coming at you at great speed at close distances out in the middle of the desert. What could possibly go wrong? If the Model A can't achieve the necessary speed, we might need motorcycles. Tall wheels.

My initial guesses are that he was using his 3/8" slit at about 1/100 second f5.6 -ish with asa 25 film. Maybe they only had asa 12 or 10 in that time frame which gets you down in the 1/30th ranges. We know he was panning the moving vehicle. Sound like fun?

View attachment 294528

If we get back on topic now, but summer we might actually be able to pull off this workshop.

jimgalli · Dec 13, 2022

MTGseattle said:
I recently acquired a 4x5 Graphic with a working focal plane shutter. I've enjoyed this thread. If one doesn't own any barrel lenses, can you simply leave the lens (in shutter) on "B' and use the FP shutter? Sorry if that's a ridiculous question. The Speed Graphic info is scattered quite far and wide on the various forums.

I dig the Model A's that a few of you have too. Very cool.

Yes of course. Your leaf shutter lens on B or T is exactly the same as a barrel lens.

grat · Dec 13, 2022

MTGseattle said:
If one doesn't own any barrel lenses, can you simply leave the lens (in shutter) on "B' and use the FP shutter?

I'd use "T", or the "Focus mode" if it's a Graphex shutter-- actually, I have used it that way. Works fine.

gone · Dec 14, 2022

Keep in mind that the fastest top speed for a race car in 1908 was a Fiat that achieved an average speed of nearly 150 MPH on a one mile course. On a public road. I'm old, but actually didn't attend this event, so blame google if they're incorrect.

The car shown in the op's original post could have been going roughly 100 MPH in a straight line. The tilted wheels thing was due to a shutter curtain that ran vertically from top to bottom. I had assumed that it went horizontally.

jimgalli · Dec 14, 2022

Doh, the Ford is breathing really hard at 65 mph.

MTGseattle · Dec 17, 2022

Thank you @grat

Graflex Users Workshop Proposal later this summer in Tonopah Nevada

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