LF documentary photography

[dcypher]

Are there any documentary photographers who shoot LF around on this forum? I am interested to see your results! Links to contemporary LF documentary shooters are also welcome.
I'm planning to shoot 4x5 inch for a project on a Speed graphic in the near future so it's always good to see what others can do...

[Martin Miller]

I consider that a large component of my work is documentary. I mostly use 8x10.

[mandoman7]

Isn't all photography documentary, with the variation being the amount of text that's getting in the way? ;)

[dcypher]

Yeah, all photography can be seen as documentary :-) But I am looking for images in the line of this: http://www.phild.ch/main.php?c=1 (touareg rebel series) Documentary/photojournalism, more dynamic images than only portraits or still life.

[mandoman7]

The only thing different about the work you've suggested is the subject matter. There's no craft in those shots, just a guy who had access to some terrorists. Sometimes that's enough to produce a set of good photos. Access.
In general, however, the importance of tonality and sharpness gets less important as the content and sense of drama increases. Most famous war photos were shot in 35mm and are out of focus (maybe a few with speed graphics). People don't worry about those compromises when the statement is successful and the photo has impact.
By the same token, quiet nature scenes in small format just don't cut it.
The important thing is to decide what your message might be, or what is that you want to explore, and then choose the system that puts you there.
Lots of people have gotten impressed with the sharpness of LF and then tried to apply it to other things without sorting these factors out.
In the old days, before small cameras, there were some good documentary's done in LF. Check out Walker Evans's work in the Appalachians.

[Allen in Montreal]

I consider that a large component of my work is documentary. I mostly use 8x10.

Martin,

I just went through your web site,
very nice work!
I like many of the images, ok all of the images, but

B-52 Strategic Bomber 1955

is really nice.

[monkeymon]

Yeah, all photography can be seen as documentary :-) But I am looking for images in the line of this: http://www.phild.ch/main.php?c=1 (touareg rebel series) Documentary/photojournalism, more dynamic images than only portraits or still life.

this is not made with large format? looks digital, so why shoot large? These are nice images, hard to take.. and with large format, even much more harder.

There is plenty of documentary images made with large format, like weegee:

http://www.amber-online.com/exhibitions/weegee-collection

But you know, these were some ruff men... carrying big cameras and making that ONE shot count is not easy!

Speed graphic was the norm of newspaper industry for a long time, so there are huge quantities of documentary photography made in large format.

[Don Dudenbostel]

I shoot 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10 B&W in my documentary work. I'll post images when i get back to the studio.

LInk to mixed 35, MF and LF

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=5045

You'll find some LF in this but probably not identified as such.

[BradS]

I do LF documentary work but I don't bother to post much of it on the web anymore as most folks either, don't get it, think it mundane or boring or say shit like "there's no craft to it".



Also, for whatever its worth, I think there is a big difference between photojournalism and documentary. I I'd categorize the Toureg rebel series as photojournalism - maybe. Certainly not documentary in my mind.

[Ed Richards]

http://www.epr-art.com/katrina/html/index.htm

Ed

[Don Dudenbostel]

http://www.epr-art.com/katrina/html/index.htm

Ed

Great work!

[venchka]

A Speed Graphic, a handful of Grafmatics and go for it.

Show us what you get.

[Roger Vadim]

The work of Phillipe Doudou (http://www.phild.ch/main.php?c=1) on the Touareg the OP was quoting looks like it was done with lots of postprocessing and the by now cliché 1.2/85mm lens on a Canon DSLR.
Very boring shots to me, he's got that advertising background, and the Touaregs are looking like the Nike ads he also has on his website...

Wayne's said it already, take a Speed Graphic (better a Crown, tiny bit lighter), a Monopod (the trick to shoot with a Speed in doc style) and lots of film...

have fun!

[dcypher]

According to this link he shot the Tuaregs with a view camera. Might be a 6x9, my French isn't that good... Maybe he combined digital with film: http://www.phild.ch/GQMakingOf/GQ_makingof-2008.pdf
Got myself a Speed a while ago, planning to start shooting with it seriously in the near future and will definitely show the results (if I get any :-) )

http://www.epr-art.com/katrina/html/index.htm

Ed
Ed, nice images


I shoot 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10 B&W in my documentary work. I'll post images when i get back to the studio.

LInk to mixed 35, MF and LF

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=5045

You'll find some LF in this but probably not identified as such.

Don, some nice work in that series...

[monkeymon]

i did a bit of searching a found out he actually uses 4x5 for some of his images.. just shows why large format does not stand out in tiny internet pictures.

i liked this shot really much, it show some softness in corners so it must be something pretty fast on pretty large film:

http://blogoscoped.com/worldpressphoto/large/7.jpg