Graphic For Reportage/Street Photography

[byronfry]

I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of a photographer, or some set of photographs that uses 4x5 for reportage photography. I am trying to get my mind around how to use this camera that way.

I bought mine to shoot portraits with originally, but it didn't quite work for me and I have past the duty onto my rolleiflex, but I find it hard to make a good reportage image with the square format.

Thanks!

[Ed Richards]

WeeGee was the master, but in reality, most reporters of the 30s and 40s used Graphics. But is this what you mean by reportage?

[Daniel_Buck]

It's not really "reporter" or "street" photography, but I use my speedgraphic 4x5 in the pits of vintage auto races, hand held, no tripod, and no setups. So I guess that's kind of like reporter/street photography. I mostly focused on the cars, but there are some shots with people in them too:

http://www.buckshotsblog.com/?p=519

http://www.buckshotsblog.com/?p=211

And then here are some set-up fake crime scene photos, with the 4x5 speedgraphic. Again, no tripod. The scenes aren't real, but they are in somewhat of a reporter style (I guess similar to WeeGee?). Some in this link are digital, some are 4x5 speed.

http://www.buckshotsblog.com/?p=423

[BrianShaw]

Find a copy of Morgan and Lester's classic book, "Graphic Graflex Photography". They describe the topics in which you seem interested.

[Frank Petronio]

Simon Norfolk

[byronfry]

thanks!

[Martin Shakeshaft]

Simon Norfolk

I think you will find Simon's work is all taken with a tripod.

Martin

[jbenedict]

It's not really "reporter" or "street" photography, but I use my speedgraphic 4x5 in the pits of vintage auto races, hand held, no tripod, and no setups. So I guess that's kind of like reporter/street photography. I mostly focused on the cars, but there are some shots with people in them too:

I have used my Crown in similar situations. The big negative is nice for high quality shots. I've used it for action shots on the track, too. You really have to pick and choose your shots because taking a stream of six shots is kind of impractical.

[Miguel Curbelo]

I might be wrong, but I remember reading somewhere that Simon Norfolk used a Wista DX.

[Bosaiya]

I use a 4x5 and 3x4 for a lot of handheld reportage photography.

[Allen in Montreal]

Your insect pix are great!!


I use a 4x5 and 3x4 for a lot of handheld reportage photography.

[Bosaiya]

Your insect pix are great!!

Thanks, Allen! The bugs are all shot on a tripod (actually two for stability). I do a lot of handheld large format work as well but I don't post it publicly.

[Glenn Thoreson]

Speed and Crown Graphics were made to be hand holdable. Almost all newspaper reporters used them in the '40s and '50s. Just consider it a big rangefinder camera, such as the Leica, et al, and go for it. Get your range finder accurately set for the lens of choice and try to get used to judging the light and exposure
settings by eye. That way you can get grab shots that otherwise would not be gotten. The famous Weegee normally covered the night beat. His method was to have the aperture and shutter speed pre-set, so all he had to do was quickly focus and shoot with flashbulbs. There is a man, one David Burnett, who is still using a Speed Graphic for feature photos.
Look up some archive photos from the '40s at any major newspaper site and you will see what can be done.

[Daniel_Buck]

The famous Weegee normally covered the night beat. His method was to have the aperture and shutter speed pre-set, so all he had to do was quickly focus and shoot with flashbulbs.

This works pretty good, particularly when using a flash at similar distances for each shot. This is how I do it (accept I use slow film, so I can keep the aperture open wide), but instead of flash bulbs I use a recyclable stroboflash.

And if you use relatively fast film with a stopped down aperture and a decently powerful flash, you really don't even need to change the focus much if you are shooting at similar distances, most everything around your distance will be in focus.

[r.e.]

Byron,

Have a look at the work of Paul Strand, who used the SLR version of a Graphic, and Dorthea Lange, just as a start.

If you do a search, you'll find a number of discussions on this site about using Graphlex cameras for documentary and even street photography.

Somewhere on the internet, there is an audio interview with Weegee about how he worked. I saw a URL for it, and heard it, within the last two weeks; just can't put my finger on where it is right now.

Sounds like you've recovered from your camera going overboard :)

[Bosaiya]

Weegee and Bresson (http://www.pdnpulse.com/2009/06/vintage-recordings-of-cartierbresson-and-weegee.html)

[al olson]

We were using them for sports photography back in the 50s and 60.

See the following thread for hand held hockey photos.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=32416&highlight=hockey+photo

[Glenn Thoreson]

Daniel, you're exactly right. If you stop down and can get within reasonably close disance to your guide number equation, it's a point & shoot situation. Mind you, news photographers weren't trying to make an artist statement. They were simply getting the shot, which at the time, wasn't going to reproduce all that well anyway. For what it's worth, I do a lot of day time point & shoot style photos with large format cameras, including Speed Graphics. It works pretty well. I always thought focusing was over rated anyhoo. :D

[Bosaiya]

We were using them for sports photography back in the 50s and 60.

But didn't you also think the moon was made of cheese?

[Daniel_Buck]

it's not!?

[Bosaiya]

Don't be silly, it would spoil in it's own atmosphere.

[r.e.]

Daniel, you're exactly right. If you stop down and can get within reasonably close disance to your guide number equation, it's a point & shoot situation. Mind you, news photographers weren't trying to make an artist statement. They were simply getting the shot, which at the time, wasn't going to reproduce all that well anyway. For what it's worth, I do a lot of day time point & shoot style photos with large format cameras, including Speed Graphics. It works pretty well. I always thought focusing was over rated anyhoo. :D

Isn't this also how a lot of photographers who are trying to make an artist statement also do it? LIke, say, Cartier-Bresson and his street photographer pals? Except that they tend to combine zone focusing with a lens of 50mm or less.

[Toyon]

WeeGee was the master, but in reality, most reporters of the 30s and 40s used Graphics. But is this what you mean by reportage?

Actually Graphics were used up into the 60's. I was watching footage of Lee Harvey Oswald being led into jail and he was shot with a graphic as he was being shot by Jack Ruby.

[Bill_1856]

Speed Graphic was also the camera of choice for Margaret Bourke-White.