Show Us Your LF Creative Selective Focus

[IanBarber]

I am interested in all the movements from my Chamonix but lacking the knowledge on how you can use them creatively so would really like to see what others have manage to achieve

[Fr. Mark]

http://www.kennethleegallery.com/html/tech/ViewCameraMovements.php

[goamules]

There is a good Ansel Adams book that shows what to do for movements.

[Vaughn]

All from 4x5. Gowland Pocketview w/ 150mm/f5.6 lens.

Creative Selective Focus involved selecting everything to keep in focus. :cool:

[Luis-F-S]

I am interested in all the movements from my Chamonix but lacking the knowledge on how you can use them creatively so would really like to see what others have manage to achieve

It's all covered in Leslie Stroebel's, "View Camera Technique" in far greater detail than you're going to find here. Get one of the older editions, cheaper and View Cameras haven't changed that much.

[toffle]

Kodak 35, magnification nearly 1:1. Fairly early in my LF days, so it's on my Calumet CC-401, probably with a 203 Ektar 7.7. Exploring movements to keep as much of the text as possible in focus whilst knocking everything else off. (think Scheimpflug in reverse)
167741

[Vaughn]

Great example of creative use, toffle.

Ian, there are good books/guides out there, but I found the best way is to get comfortable behind the GG and try all the movements out. Early on, I would get the camera ties into knots -- hopelessly tangled with the image on the GG. I would have to return all the movements back to the neutral positions and start over -- usually with a minimum of movements. I do fairly straight-forward landscapes that usually does not require one to get too creative with movements. One 'creative' way I use movements is tilting the back -- either getting trees, etc to 'straighten up' and sometimes to get them to converge (or the opposite) even more, depending on the needs of the image. Can't find a good image to show that right now.

[IanBarber]

Ian, there are good books/guides out there, but I found the best way is to get comfortable behind the GG and try all the movements out. Early on, I would get the camera ties into knots -- hopelessly tangled with the image on the GG. I would have to return all the movements back to the neutral positions and start over

I think this is pretty sound advice, I have spent most of the day just doing this with some static objects and to be honest, i have learnt quite a bit especially tilting the rear standard to change the object's perspective

[toffle]

Great example of creative use, toffle.


Thank you, Vaughn. That means a lot coming from you.

This print took first place in a local photo contest several years ago, pitted against overly sharpened HDR landscapes and pictures of dogs. (the prize was that I got to keep the display mat and frame... gotta love small towns) Still, the early nod went far in convincing me that I wasn't wasting my time with LF. (It wasn't until I got a used Burke and James 8x10 that I really started wasting time. :rolleyes: )


One 'creative' way I use movements is tilting the back -- either getting trees, etc to 'straighten up' and sometimes to get them to converge (or the opposite) even more, depending on the needs of the image.

This also works with manipulation of horizontal perspective. It can be quite striking.

Cheers,
Tom

[williaty]

I used to work frequently by "misusing" the LF movements in college. Here are some examples:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1466/26507324780_684262979e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/GomYa3)erin_okeefe_window.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/GomYa3) by Ty Williams (https://www.flickr.com/photos/35468151137@N01/), on Flickr

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1494/26507362990_3cb9aec49e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/GonavQ)erin_okeefe-bathroom_sinks_proxy.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/GonavQ) by Ty Williams (https://www.flickr.com/photos/35468151137@N01/), on Flickr

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1480/26755465736_1f107a2129_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/GLhKPo)sarah_grass20060206_proxy.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/GLhKPo) by Ty Williams (https://www.flickr.com/photos/35468151137@N01/), on Flickr