top ten things I wish I'd known...

[tim48v]

Here's a short list of what I wish I'd know when starting in large format:

 

[Horatio]

Thanks for the tips. You've inspired me to practice without film.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Every word is good. Nothing here was new to me, but a reminder does no harm.

He forgot to mention: hit the gym. By the time you haul a view camera and suitable tripod, three or four film holders, meter, dark cloth, two or three lenses, water, and your lunch up a mountain, you'll appreciate every leg press, every mile on the treadmill, every shoulder row. Large format equipment is heavy, and anything you carry for more than a hundred meters gains weight with every step.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Edward Weston told Ansel Adams that there is nothing more than 50 yards [meters] from the car worth photographing.

 

[cjbecker]

I enjoyed that, the delivery was good!

 

[awty]

11. To look and dress like your high school science/maths teacher and grow a beard if you can.

 

[tim48v]

Thanks for the feedback! We're working on the followup videos. Suggestions welcome.
BTW, haven't shaved in 32 years!

 

[Molli]

Thanks for the feedback! We're working on the followup videos. Suggestions welcome.
BTW, haven't shaved in 32 years!

Please don't tell me that a beard is obligatory! I haven't shaved in 32 years either and I'm guessing (hoping!) that it will be at least another thirty two years before I even think of putting a razor near my face!

 

[sterioma]

I don't shoot large format (yet?) but you've got a new suscriber to your channel
Most of what you presented applies to other formats as well.

 

[markbau]

I would add: Come up with a good system to identify when a sheet has been exposed and when it hasn't been exposed, turning the dark slide around is used by some but some of us never pull the dark slide completely out, I use stickers to signify when a sheet has been exposed. Double exposures can be quite creative when done intentionally but my double exposures just went in the bin.

 

[Vaughn]

Edward Weston told Ansel Adams that there is nothing more than 50 yards [meters] from the car worth photographing.

Yeah -- but he had a beautiful young woman to drive him!

 

[pentaxuser]

Yeah -- but he had a beautiful young woman to drive him!

Drive him to what though?

pentaxuser

 

[Vaughn]

Drive him to what though?

pentaxuser

You've seen the photographs!!!! An incredible team -- The book authored by Charis and Ed, California and the West is one of my favorites that I own. They camped a couple times at a local beach that was one of my boys' favorites to go to (Moonstone Beach). Edward had trouble with the long exposures in the redwoods -- camera movement, tripods sinking into the duff during exposure...that sort of thing, so did not have a wealth of images from my area here.

Charis always drove -- Edward looked for images.