If you were to teach a 4x5 workshop, what would you cover?

brofkand

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Folks,

It's likely that within the next month or two I'll teach a workshop on the 4x5 camera for my local craft center. The center has 4 4x5 cameras that were donated over the years and I am meeting with the director tomorrow to go over them to make sure they're in good condition. The darkroom is equipped with 2 Omega enlargers that can handle 4x5 negatives.

The workshop will likely be a 1- or 2-day event, not a 5 week class or anything like that. The students will have film camera experience, and darkroom experience (the craft center's intro to B&W class will be a prerequisite), but presumably no large format experience.

I think the most important points to cover are movements, metering, focusing, and processing of the 4x5 film (we'll be using trays, as the craft center got rid of their hangers and tanks years ago...sad). I have an SP-445 I will bring to the workshop, but since I only have one I doubt we'll be using it in the workshop.

Anything you'd be sure to cover, or things you think we can leave out of the workshop? In the future I'd love to do a toning workshop, an advanced B&W printing class, etc., but for now the 4x5 class is the one that has an opportunity soon - any advice is appreciated!
 

MattKing

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Loading film holders (including dust suppression).
Roll film options.
Depth of field with large format (for those used to smaller formats).
Lenses and shutters and lens boards.
 

RSalles

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Take a look at Harvey Shaman "The View Camera" book. In the chapter "Controlling Image Shape" you'll find a good starting point to a subject that is one of the main reasons why we choose LF then any other one. It can drive great interest to the audience, IMO,

Cheers,

Renato
 

Sirius Glass

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Handling film and loading film holders
Loading the film and setting up the exposures ==> Do not pull the darkslide until the shutter is closed and cocked
Flipping to the next film sheet without fogging the film ==> Two sided holders, Grafmatics, Changing bags
Depth of field and how to work with movements to control it
Good film development practices

Sheet film, since the cameras do not have the interlocks that we are familiar with, have many innovation and interesting ways to screw up.
 

rthollenbeck

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1) Get your wife interested in photography.
2) You learn by getting out and taking.
3) The biggest and/or most expensive lens don't necessarily give you any better pictures.
4) save yourself a lot of trouble, get a film dryer.
5) 8x10 is 4x as much film as 4x5.
 

munz6869

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ɐıןɐɹʇsnɐ 'ɐıɹoʇɔıʌ
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How to cheerfully explain what you're doing to curious bystanders - piquing their interest in the art, and maintaining a 'joie de vivre' so that you don't just get annoyed at the interruption, but enjoy the social experience (this includes methods to politely say 'I'll just finish making this picture before the light disappears, and then I'll explain!', as well as techniques to keep explanations short and interesting...)

Marc!
 

MattKing

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A quick 4x5 contact print would be a good idea as well.
 

Craig

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If they already are experienced photographers, then you only need to focus on what is different in LF: Film handling, such as loading holders, movements, focusing and bellows factors. Lens coverage when using movements and the possibility of vinigentting. Vibrations when the wind makes the bellows act like a sail! And above all, patience. LF isn't a fast acting camera compared to 35mm.
 

Soeren

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The consequences of Murphy's Law applied to Large Format Photography.
 

silveror0

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Pros and cons of field cameras vs modular monorails for studio & landscape usage.
Tripod vs no tripod.
Darkcloth options.
Value of fresnel lens and focusing loupe.
Proper technique for inserting/removal of film holder & inserting/removal of darkslide.
Patience vs haste.
 

Larry the sailor

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The properties of reciprocity failure.
 

removed account4

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the mechanics of the camera and film holders
the difference between a small format camera
(where there is usually a meter and mechanism to close the lens )
and a large format camera ( except the super d ) where the user does it all
simple movements like tilting to compensate for converging / diverging lines
( getting a tall building in the frame )
loading a film holder/notch codes
loading film in a camera
making exposures...
 

Michael W

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If you have darkroom access paper negatives can be a good teaching tool - students can see how to load under safelights, then go outside to make exposures, then back to darkroom to quickly develop.
 

locutus

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Direct Positive Paper might be a good idea in that case, but keep in mind its extremely limited exposure latitude so plan ahead for that.

If you are in a studio anyway and teaching some still life setup with artificial lights that should be easy enough.
 

jeffreyg

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How many students? If you have a two day course I would cover the key points you mention during the first morning, have a practical session in the afternoon, discussion and questions/answers and process the film taken the second morning and printing an image and critique/questions/answers the second afternoon. Trying to cover too much in two days doesn't work in such a situation. You could have follow up courses for those who remain interested. Not everyone taking the course will go out an buy a large format camera.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/
 

Rick A

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I would keep it simple. First, a short dissertation on the camera, what it is capable of, what you must do, differences between what their small format does for them that they must do for themselves.
Second, a trip to the darkroom for a tutorial on film handling. Here I would stress the importance of cleanliness, which starts with clean hands (far too many times I've seen comments regarding fingerprints on film). Loading and unloading film holders(using dummy film in daylight). Follow with lights out, time for the real thing. I would limit each student with only one holder(two exposures).
Time for an outing. I don't recommend studio still life, rather (weather permitting) landscapes. I see no need to overwhelm neophytes with more complex set ups(save for another class).
Back to the darkroom, unload and develop. End of day one
Second day, revue of day one. Inspect negatives, printing and proper clean up. I think that the class is limited on how much time each gets with only two enlargers.
Return to the studio to assess the final prints, possible matting and display.

This requires much planning and preparation and an itinerary provided for the class. The OP has stated there are four cameras, that would limit the class to four students. I would only add students IF there is anyone who has their own camera, and just wants to learn how to use it. Bear in mind, this would require more darkroom time on day two.
 

Luckless

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Things that I personally would want to walk away from a 2 day intro class would be points such as camera basics.

How does a large format camera differ from my 35mm or medium format rigs?
What different kind of cameras are on the market? (Press cameras, field cameras, monorail. Maybe toss in a quick talk about fixed box cameras with pinhole.) - Also useful to talk about style and approach to using them, vs other styles of cameras.
What are the options I have for shutters?
What kind of lenses are out there, and what kind of things do I need to keep in mind when I buy stuff. - Lens boards, examples of gotchas such as lenses that actually fit in something like a Busch Pressman.
How do movements work, what are their effects.
Film handling, and options. - Quick look at how different film holders work, film vs plate vs paper.


In short the big thing that I would care about are reminders of various gotchas and issues to look out for (pin holes in bellows?). Odds are if someone has an interest in large format then they've probably read about them online and are coming to you in a 'vaguely aware' state of mind, and are looking for hands on experience in how stuff actually works. A 1-2 day workshop sounds like something to take if you're on the fence about wanting to step up to working with large format. Does the gear and suitable workflows fit the photographer's style and state of mind? It is after all not a field of photography for everyone, and I feel it is a disservice to the arts to try and convince someone that they should use large format if they honestly better served with different gear.

Also keep in mind the value of broken gear in a class setting for something like this. Sticky shutters. Fogged/hazed/fungus filled lenses. Worn out adjustments. While they might not be the greatest thing to actually work with, they are still great tools to demonstrate the sort of things one has to watch out for. It doesn't need to be a detailed training workshop on actually fixing any of it.


Of course another option would be to open it up to questions prior to the class starting. Have people write in when they sign up for it about why they're taking the class, and what their goals are. Use that to tailor what you present. Maybe everyone has more of an interest in the processing rather than capture end of things. (In which case a class where you show up with a number of dried and ready to go negatives to work with might be a better option.)
 
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