LF portraits - working with subjects

romosoho · Jan 8, 2025

Hi all,
I don't usually do LF portraits, but I thought it would be fun to try them with my sister-in-law, who just had her first baby. These are not "high expectation/leverage" photos. If I mess them up, no big deal. But, of course, I want to position myself for success.

What I'm curious about it how you balance the time it takes to focus and load the camera with having them sitting still for X amount of time. Are you asking them to pose in position for maybe 1-1.5 minutes while you focus, load, shoot, etc? That feels like a long time to make someone sit relatively still. I'm not doing super shallow DOF portraits, but sharp focus is still my goal.

I really enjoy seeing the LF portrait work in this group. I've taken a lot of inspiration in the compositions, but want to get this part, working with the actual subjects, right.

Thanks.
Allan

koraks · Jan 8, 2025

romosoho said:
Are you asking them to pose in position for maybe 1-1.5 minutes while you focus, load, shoot, etc? That feels like a long time to make someone sit relatively still.

Yup. That's why LF portraits often don't work well with kids, animals and other subject matter that can't be directed to sit still.

romosoho · Jan 8, 2025

koraks said:
Yup. That's why LF portraits often don't work well with kids, animals and other subject matter that can't be directed to sit still.

Well, as I said, if it doesn't work out that's fine. But what do you say when working with subjects, when you do LF portraits? I would still like to try, and want to position myself for success as best I can. Thanks.

koraks · Jan 8, 2025

romosoho said:
But what do you say when working with subjects, when you do LF portraits?

If they're someone new I'm working with, I briefly explain the process of making a photo - i.e. that there's a period of framing that's less critical, followed by a focus and and expose phase, both of which are critical in terms of their posture. I make sure to indicate clearly at what point they need to hold still and that they need to continue doing so until I tell them to relax. As said, that works reasonably well for people who can hold still reasonably well. Evidently, it results in rather static portraits, which is one reason why I rarely use LF for that purpose.

Some photographers use a neck rest for the sitter to help maintain posture. It used to be popular (still is, in fact) for collodion wet plate since the exposures were kind of long.

It's different if you have an LF camera with a separate viewfinder; something like a speed graphic or a Travelwide. In that case, you can take more spontaneous shots.

Pieter12 · Jan 8, 2025

LF portraits can be most rewarding. They needn't look old-fashioned or wooden. The subject needn't hold a pose, just be in position--seated is most convenient--while you fiddle around behind the camera. The magic comes once you pull the dark slide, you are directly engaged with the subject, there is no camera between you. You can have the subject look directly into the lens, or at you, but you can see the instant that resonates and immediately fire the shutter. If at all possible, use strobe lighting so you can use a smaller aperture and don't have to worry about subject blur. Avedon used 8x10 extensively for portraits, another photographer to look at is Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, especially his book Face to Face. He also used a very simple strobe set-up that did not vary much with different subjects. timothy greenfield sanders at work

romosoho · Jan 8, 2025

Because of the setting (it'll be in my mother-in-law's back yard) I can't really set up and dial in lighting, other than maybe a reflector. But thank you.

Pieter12 · Jan 8, 2025

romosoho said:
Because of the setting (it'll be in my mother-in-law's back yard) I can't really set up and dial in lighting, other than maybe a reflector. But thank you.

Avedon just used natural light for his In The American West portraits, shot on Tri-X. He did bring white seamless for a backdrop, but that would not have affected the light on the subject much.

blee1996 · Jan 8, 2025

I did a few LF portraits with kids, who are less patient. I used a length of yard with a small button/bell on one end, and the other end tie to the camera. When I finish focusing, I measure the yarn so that the small button touches their nose or in between their eyes. Then they can relax. After I cocked the shutter, adjusted aperture, making sure flashes are working properly, and pulled out the dark slide, I quickly check focus using the yarn. Then I ask them to hold still for 1 second, and trigger the shutter. The only time they need to stay still is when I focus on the ground glass, as well as when the photo is taken. And the yarn with a red button cheers them up too, since it is kind of funny.

romosoho · Jan 8, 2025

blee1996 said:
I did a few LF portraits with kids, who are less patient. I used a length of yard with a small button/bell on one end, and the other end tie to the camera. When I finish focusing, I measure the yarn so that the small button touches their nose or in between their eyes. Then they can relax. After I cocked the shutter, adjusted aperture, making sure flashes are working properly, and pulled out the dark slide, I quickly check focus using the yarn. Then I ask them to hold still for 1 second, and trigger the shutter. The only time they need to stay still is when I focus on the ground glass, as well as when the photo is taken. And the yarn with a red button cheers them up too, since it is kind of funny.

Thanks. I've had another suggestion for the string for checking focus. The baby is 2 weeks old right now so I doubt I'll be able to interact with him much . But the advice is well taken.

I'm going to do portraits of my nieces, too, also just for fun. They (twins) are both 6 so hopefully will take a bit of instruction...again, this is mostly for fun. I'll have my digital with me for the majority of stuff.

MattKing · Jan 8, 2025

Consider setting up with a target - a hair salon mannequin head is good - and then bringing in your subjects.
Props that double as a fixed location for focusing are helpful. That is why posing stools and lecterns are often seen.

Maris · Jan 8, 2025

A while back I shot six full face portraits with a Tachihara 810HD view camera and the process went smoothly because almost all the work had been done before the sitter arrived.

I used a stand-in seated in a posing chair to set exact focus. Then I ran a string ending in a small bead from the camera to the stand-in. String length was adjusted so that when the bead was between the subjects eyes and the string was taut the subjects eyes are in exact focus. Camera focus was then locked down because the string and bead would guarantee image focus and I would not have to look again at the ground glass or get under a focussing cloth.

Then I checked light meter readings, adjusted for bellows extension, set the aperture, the shutter speed, and cocked the shutter. Since the session was only going to take a few minutes and my sunny-day light wasn't going to change so I would not have to meter again. Next a film holder was put into the camera and the dark-slide was pulled. The film was now waiting inside the darkness of the camera for the first exposure.

Finally the sitter arrived, took their place in the chair, did the bead and string routine, held their head still, turned their eyes to the lens, dropped the bead, and I fired the shutter with a long cable release.

The fastest portrait in photography comes from a preset view camera with a big sheet of film waiting behind the lens - but only for the first shot!

After that there is a bit of work: changing film holders, cocking and firing the shutter, and bantering with the sitter until the end of the session. I'm in control because the string and bead delivers focus, the light is constant, the sitter's chair stops them wandering out of frame, and the long cable release lets me fire the shutter with my hand behind my back. The sitter doesn't know when to flinch.

Harry Callahan · Jan 9, 2025

There also were LF cameras with coupled rangefinders.

Donald Qualls · Jan 9, 2025

Harry Callahan said:
There also were LF cameras with coupled rangefinders.

Another place where a Speed Graphic, Crown Graphic, or other press camera shines. Coupled RF, parallax compensating viewfinder, option for Grafmatic to reduce film holder changing time, and if you're using the front shutter there's (usually) a good flash sync output as well (in case you have the resources to use flash).

Pieter12 · Jan 9, 2025

MattKing said:
Consider setting up with a target - a hair salon mannequin head is good - and then bringing in your subjects.
Props that double as a fixed location for focusing are helpful. That is why posing stools and lecterns are often seen.

The photographer is going to a location to make these portraits. It would seem that recruiting a human stand-in might be easier than hauling around a dummy head and something to position it properly, especially when human beings don't necessarily pose like a styrofoam head. They tilt their heads, slouch, turn their bodies, lean on things, etc. I would opt for fast film and as much light as possible without making the subject(s) uncomfortable to enable a small stop and a practical shutter speed. A battery-powered strobe or even a speedlight can help.

benveniste · Jan 9, 2025

romosoho said:
Hi all,
I don't usually do LF portraits, but I thought it would be fun to try them with my sister-in-law, who just had her first baby. These are not "high expectation/leverage" photos. If I mess them up, no big deal. But, of course, I want to position myself for success.

What I'm curious about it how you balance the time it takes to focus and load the camera with having them sitting still for X amount of time. Are you asking them to pose in position for maybe 1-1.5 minutes while you focus, load, shoot, etc? That feels like a long time to make someone sit relatively still. I'm not doing super shallow DOF portraits, but sharp focus is still my goal.

I really enjoy seeing the LF portrait work in this group. I've taken a lot of inspiration in the compositions, but want to get this part, working with the actual subjects, right.

Thanks.
Allan

I've only done a few LF portraits and it was only with patient adults. In talking with them, I found it was useful to explain what I was doing along with some jokes. As for focusing, I would mark a spot on the floor with gaff tape and focus on a stool placed at that spot. That allowed me to correct focus fairly quickly. When they were available I'd use quickloads (typically Astia 100), although removing a dark slide wasn't significantly slower.

MattKing · Jan 9, 2025

Pieter12 said:
The photographer is going to a location to make these portraits. It would seem that recruiting a human stand-in might be easier than hauling around a dummy head and something to position it properly, especially when human beings don't necessarily pose like a styrofoam head. They tilt their heads, slouch, turn their bodies, lean on things, etc. I would opt for fast film and as much light as possible without making the subject(s) uncomfortable to enable a small stop and a practical shutter speed. A battery-powered strobe or even a speedlight can help.

To each their own.
The advantages of a place-able target that never argues is that it can be used without having a person at hand. It can help with dealing with the light too.

Pieter12 · Jan 9, 2025

MattKing said:
To each their own.
The advantages of a place-able target that never argues is that it can be used without having a person at hand. It can help with dealing with the light too.

I agree. But the disadvantage is getting the subject into the same position, especially if one is dealing with a baby.

romosoho · Jan 9, 2025

Pieter12 said:
The photographer is going to a location to make these portraits. It would seem that recruiting a human stand-in might be easier than hauling around a dummy head and something to position it properly, especially when human beings don't necessarily pose like a styrofoam head. They tilt their heads, slouch, turn their bodies, lean on things, etc. I would opt for fast film and as much light as possible without making the subject(s) uncomfortable to enable a small stop and a practical shutter speed. A battery-powered strobe or even a speedlight can help.

The dummy head could come in handy for driving in the carpool lane on the way up to my mother-in-law's house, though

My plan is as you've described. HP5 is my choice (my EI comes in about 250 when I'm souping in F76+, in terms of eyeballing the shadow detail and looking at it once scanned), and I'll try to find a good time of light that isn't too intense/directional yet abundant. I'll be shooting at a fairly small aperture to try and get some DOF. Like f22.

Lighting isn't going to be an option. The location will be in a small backyard with tables, chairs, plants, etc. At best I'll be able to put a reflector on a table to put some light back on them.

Thanks!

MattKing · Jan 9, 2025

romosoho said:
Lighting isn't going to be an option. The location will be in a small backyard with tables, chairs, plants, etc. At best I'll be able to put a reflector on a table to put some light back on them.

While adding lighting might not be an option, observing carefully ahead of time how the light falls, and how slight changes in angle and position of view might affect the result, is always part of the equation.
A photo of a child looking up slightly toward the photographer, and also toward the open northern sky, might be perfectly well lit and very flattering.
And the ground behind can be a good background, or a terrible background.

romosoho · Jan 9, 2025

MattKing said:
While adding lighting might not be an option, observing carefully ahead of time how the light falls, and how slight changes in angle and position of view might affect the result, is always part of the equation.
A photo of a child looking up slightly toward the photographer, and also toward the open northern sky, might be perfectly well lit and very flattering.
And the ground behind can be a good background, or a terrible background.

Yes, thanks. Actually something I'm trying to brainstorm on is how to tame the background, without bringing something of my own (again, space to hang a backdrop or anything is limited). It's hard to put lighting in because it's a busy area. It's also hard to find a good background because it's a busy area.

Mick Fagan · Jan 9, 2025

I've done portraits in the backyard many times, using the larger than roll film negative is a real help which enables you to crop out what you don't need.

The best way I've found with young children, is for the mother to be seated and feeding the child, or wait until the child is fed and sleepy, and if possible, before the child goes to sleep.

These two versions of the same negative which are in my media account, show the full negative and the cropped and printed negative.

Full Contact print of the end of the session

This is a full scan of the contact print of my previous upload. As you can see there is a bit of a crop. The crop of the other picture is very close to the 12x16 crop Mick.

www.photrio.com

End of the session!

After a session using 35mm, I shifted to the 4x5 format where I did two horizontal and two vertical shots. We both knew what we wished to do from the 35mm shoot, this was the first of the four sheets, it was the best. I hope this looks...

www.photrio.com

LF portraits - working with subjects

romosoho

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Full Contact print of the end of the session

End of the session!

LF portraits - working with subjects

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