Why press cameras are a good way to go. Hand held 4"x5" photography and can be used as a view camera with some movements.
I posted some of the movement. Not all and those it has are limited, but very useful. It depends on the press camera and the particular model.
I met with the director today and saw the cameras. There was an Omega View that is perfectly complete, even with a nice Sekonic light meter, Polaroid pack film and 545 holder, the works. Two Calumet CC400 cameras: one with a broken ground glass and no lens, the other with a siezed shutter 135mm 5.6 lens. And then the jewel - a beautiful Deardorff 8x10 with 8x10 and 4x5 reducing back, a few 8x10 film holders (for both glass plates and film), Wollensak 333mm (? memory hazy on focal length) lens complete in a custom-made wood carrying case.
I relayed my concerns in giving the Deardorff to students, but the Calumets and Omega are good to go - that gives us 3 cameras. Coupled with the 2 Omega D-2 XL enlargers, we're ready to go. And APUG's help in things to cover in the class has been a great help. I'll be sure to write back on how the first class went - when it happens!
I'm going to ask you, Sirius since you shoot both. Which do you get the best image with shooting hand held, your 4x5 press camera or your Hasselblad?
I had a Crown once and I couldn't hold it steady with my bad back. I had no problem with the Hasselblad that I had.
Before you take your shot, lock everything down. It's amazing how easily a standard can move when you jam a holder into place.
The Deardorff in the condition you describe with additional 4x5 back should be worth north of $2000. Talk to the director and maybe it could be sold to finance repairing the other stuff and/or buying additional items. Today you can buy real nice used 4x5 monorails for $200 or less. Being straight forward to use and having all the movements, monorails are great for students to learn on.
As long as I am a member and have access to the Deardorff and I have a say-so, it won't be sold. I am going to use it! Besides, being a state-owned university we can't sell anything (they can only surplus it where it's sold at an auction along with all the other surplus property like desks, chalkboards, old computers, etc. - and the department doesn't get that money).
It's likely that we'll be able to pick up another monorail camera either from another department on campus as surplus equipment, or we'll be able to get one donated from a local camera store. I doubt they're selling through the 4x5 monorail cameras they've picked up over the years on trade, but who knows.
shouldn't you as the workshop leader know the answers for all of this?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!
shouldn't you as the workshop leader know the answers for all of this?
shouldn't you as the workshop leader know the answers for all of this?
Well, I'm glad that you will be able to use it. It would be a shame to let it collect dust.
I know students can be rough on cameras.
One quick further thought. A 4x5 neg contact printed on a sheet of 8x10 paper makes a fine picture and the students can contact print without having to first learn how to drive an enlarger
Good Luck
1 or 2 days? I would recommend guiding them through the process of making, developing, and printing an image. Actually you don't have enough time to cover that very well. Not much room for hands on work because you need to give some detailed lectures (several hours).
I did a 5 day course in 4x5 B&W and three whole days were spent in the darkroom. There is so much to learn...
1-2 days, really?
I pretty much agree with Vaughn except I may consider doing a contact sheet of the film.... I also would not go into movements but just basic info.I have taught the use of 4x5s quite a lot during the 24 years I was with the university. My instruction was geared toward people who would be taking the cameras out and using them for assignments, then what to do once they came back to the darkroom.
What and how you will teach will depend on the needs and experience level of the students. For two days, I would not consider enlarging as a practical subject of the class...unless it was along the lines of one straight, quick-and-easy 11x14 print from one negative as a demo.
Better yet, buy a pack of this: http://www.freestylephoto.biz/9012-Blueprint-Printables-Design-andamp-Print-Pre-Coated-Cyanotype
...and have everyone make a couple cyanotypes. LF is the cats meow for alt processes!
FIRST DAY
Intro to camera:
Set up cameras in teams of two
Explore cameras...lens operation, movement controls, focus, film holder use
Loading holders
Image control:
Take cameras out (or studio) and practise composing images w/o film.
Exposure controls:
Have everyone expose two sheets
Development of film
-----End of day one
DAY TWO
Examine dry film
Retake image if needed, two new images if not.
Develop film
Make cyanotypes
I pretty much agree with Vaughn except I may consider doing a contact sheet of the film.... I also would not go into movements but just basic info.
"If you were to teach a 4x5 workshop, what would you cover?"
My basic outline is:
Types of large format cameras
Large format camera components
Lenses and shutters
Step by step, how to take pictures with a large format camera
Large format film:
choices of film
loading and handling film
Camera movements (how, when and why to use them)
As a student, if I were to take a 4x5 workshop, here is what I would expect to be covered:
Why choose a 4x5 camera
Types of 4x5 cameras
4x5 camera features and controls
Lens selection
How to change lenses
Tripod selection
What camera movements are available
How camera movements can solve various problems
4x5 camera accessories (loupe, focusing cloth, light meter, cable release, case, etc.)
Shooting with roll film
Shooting with sheet film
Loading sheet film holders
Developing sheet film
Demonstration of how to use the 4x5 camera to take a class photo
Just too complicatedSorry first post from me on the forum. I have been contemplating a large format sometime in the next few years. Where I live I have to order anything and everything because none of it is available locally and classes for anything is practically non-existent and any info I get is book or web based.
Things that I would like to know, given this is a 1-2 day course:
- Types of large format cameras
- Bonus to the above, which panorama backs I could use (6x12, 6x17) with what size
- Movements, although all are beneficial, which are of a greater priority since not all cameras have them all.
- The image is inverted and how to frame and focus, should be a short segment.
- Lens types and lens equivalents to 35mm, how to change lenses and a brief talk about how lenses are attached to their boards.
- Other items to consider, light meter, release cable, filters. I guess this would be brief.
- Tripods and heads.
- Transporting gear. What to look for in a bag.
- Film backs, types and how to load them as well as transporting film. How many shots would you typically do in a day to give the audience a feel for a typical day.
- The need for patience.
Thats just what a large format wannabe like me would be looking for and as a student there would be a few other things I have missed due to not knowing about it.
Just too complicated
One,lens
One back
One film
The less movements the better..KISS
How to load film properly.
There is polaroid film...worth every penny although I haven't used the new 55I wholeheartedly agree with Peter on this. Your Work Shop is 2 days for beginners. Even if you use a monorail you it would probably be best to simply teach them as if it was only a press camera. Maybe even just show them tray devolpment with a couple sheets you shot.
IMHO LF obstacle for most people is to slow down and step by step what your doing. If you forget one step you missed the shot. If they leave knowing just that, you've done them a huge favor.
If I had Polaroid film and 4x5 backs, maybe I'd even do several practice runs that way so they could all see it right away when they failed..... in a condensed amount of time. Oh well.....
1 or 2 days? I would recommend guiding them through the process of making, developing, and printing an image. Actually you don't have enough time to cover that very well. Not much room for hands on work because you need to give some detailed lectures (several hours).
I did a 5 day course in 4x5 B&W and three whole days were spent in the darkroom. There is so much to learn...
1-2 days, really?
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