Taking a image dead center

[jamiek]

Hi, does anybody have any tips for taking an image keeping the subject and the sky/horizon dead center?

I am forever moving my tripod a little bit this way, then its too much then a bit the other way. Then the horizon has moved off line.

If rear swing did not manipulate the image this would be great as I would only have to swing left or right a little.

Thanks.

[Joanna Carter]

To obtain vertical centering, adjust the front rise/fall. To obtain horizontal centering, adjust the front shift.

There are other solutions but this is a start.

[cjbroadbent]

Stick a strip of Magic tape across the middle of the ground-glass and draw a fine black line parallel to the edge.

[Frank Petronio]

Crop afterwards

[Joanna Carter]

Crop afterwards
Post-processing isn't as much fun as doing it all in the camera ;) :p :rolleyes:

[cjbroadbent]

Post-processing isn't as much fun as doing it all in the camera ;) :p :rolleyes: Full Circle. I posted a rant on Rangefinderforum about the Leica M9 having a "Vintage B&W" setting. Sorry this has nothing to do with horizons.

[Henry Ambrose]

level the camera
level the camera
level the camera

every time you move it

look at the ground glass
its a little picture
its your picture
use it

make it right
then expose the film

[jamiek]

To obtain vertical centering, adjust the front rise/fall. To obtain horizontal centering, adjust the front shift.

There are other solutions but this is a start.

Joanna, thanks for some reason I thought that would still distort my image.

Thanks for the replies.

[Lachlan 717]

Joanna, thanks for some reason I thought that would still distort my image.

Thanks for the replies.

Jamiek,

Perhaps try to get your hands on Adams' book, The Camera or Steve Simmons' book, Using the View Camera.

They will both give you a much better understanding of how the total view camera functions, and how front versus rear movements impact the final image.

[Joanna Carter]

Joanna, thanks for some reason I thought that would still distort my image.
Horizontal and vertical shift do not distort the image, that only happens when you use swing or tilt.

[jamiek]

Horizontal and vertical shift do not distort the image, that only happens when you use swing or tilt.

Thank you, there is not much shift but a little to make the difference I need most probably.

[patrickjames]

Why don't you try a geared head?

[csant]

Horizontal and vertical shift do not distort the image, that only happens when you use swing or tilt.

…unless you shift so far as to reach the edges of your image circle, when the image quality can get some alterations, there can be light fall-off, or the image circle can just end - depending on the lens.

[Frank Petronio]

Well if you get really anal about it, then you have to account for the film shifting and tilting a degree or two, especially with larger, thinner, floppier film.

[Scott Knowles]

All the answers save one, your eyes. I have to keep watch on vertical and horizontal lines because I suffer from a prism effect. The eyes don't see the horizon on the same level. My glasses correct for this but I often find shots off, especially when using one eye (viewfinder or loupe) and have to keep checking objects and subject lines.

[Brian Ellis]

Gridded ground glass

Geared tripod head (e.g. Bogen/Manfrotto 410)

[Joanna Carter]

Gridded ground glass

Geared tripod head (e.g. Bogen/Manfrotto 410)
Totally agreed. Without those, things can be a lot more difficult.

[David Karp]

Depending on what you are photographing, using front vs. rear shift or rise can make a difference. If you want to keep all of the subjects in the same relationship, it is better to use the rear movements (if you have them on your camera).

[RichardRitter]

Why must the subject be in the dead center?

[Alan Davenport]

I am forever moving my tripod a little bit this way, then its too much then a bit the other way.

Stop moving the tripod. Use the movements in the camera.

[Chris C]

Well if you get really anal about it, then you have to account for the film shifting and tilting a degree or two, especially with larger, thinner, floppier film.

This has annoyed me on countless occasions, but then again I'm fussy like that. I need to start remembering to give my holders a little tap right before placing them in the camera.

[Roger Thoms]

Why don't you try a geared head?

My thoughts.
Roger

[Leonard Evens]

Horizontal and vertical shift do not distort the image, that only happens when you use swing or tilt.

That is correct, but let me quibble a bit. When you shift horizontally or vertically one standard relative to the other, you do move the positions of vanishing points relative to the edges of the frame. If the shift is not too large, this won't matter much.

[cjbroadbent]

That is correct, but let me quibble a bit. When you shift horizontally or vertically one standard relative to the other, you do move the positions of vanishing points relative to the edges of the frame. If the shift is not too large, this won't matter much.
Quite.
Say you are shooting a jug of milk (or a cow) for a double-page spread. To get the jug out of the center-page gutter and maybe leave room for copy on the side, you shift the film over a bit. Nothing changes except that you are getting close to the image circle limit.
If you choose, instead, to shift the lens over, you will be looking at the jug from a different point of view, imperceptible with the cow but quite noticeable with the jug.
That makes using a Technika awkward sometimes in the studio and confirms the rule that there will never be enough background.

[rdenney]

Stop moving the tripod. Use the movements in the camera.

Yup.

With a fixed-body camera that doesn't have shift, if the back is vertical, the horizon will be in the center (of course, the horizon may be hidden by an intervening mountain, but that's another issue). With a view camera, if the back is vertical and the lens is level with the back, the horizon will be in the center.

It's easier to manage by leveling the camera bed or monorail, and then using rise and shift of the rear standard to adjust what's in the field of view. Field cameras complicate this by requiring one to tilt the camera bed to effect a rear shift or rise, so people do it with the lens standard instead for convenience. But then, as Christopher has described, that does move the point of view slightly which will affect the perspective rendering. Moving the rear only will never affect the perspective rendering. It's one of the reasons monorails are more intuitive for me.

Rick "who uses those bubble levels, and usually keeps a torpedo level in the bag as well" Denney