How NOT to Do Large Format, Illustrated -- :o)

QT's list of various ways to waste film in large format cameras has been, and remains, both informative and humorous.

Here, an illustration: why we test fire the shutter BEFORE removing the dark slide... LOL

http://home.comcast.net/~w7apd/public/shutter_test.jpg

Alan,

Ah yes, the classic unintentional self-portrait. I love it!

Kerry

And what words did you pronounce 1 second after this shot, Alan ?

This photograph conveys the sharp contrast between the tangibly metallic character of industrial society and the ephemeral realities of human experience. The locomotive force of artistic expression manifest here cannot be denied, yet the artist clearly struggles with his place in the mise-en-scene. The void beneath the foreground vehicle is profound, but the artist's face nevertheless retains a certain transparency, hinting at a lightness of being entirely at variance with the weighty formalisms of the shop setting.

Definitely an artist to be watched...

Another good thing is to check the protruding camera bed while composing...

Are you still alive?

Oren,

That is beautiful.

"Ah yes, the classic unintentional self-portrait. I love it!"

Also looks like the classic unintentional too-wide-of-lens-coverage-to-avoid-getting-the-bed-rail-in-the-picture problem.

"Definitely an artist to be watched..."

Oren - what say you about the intentional empy chair in the near-rule-of-thirds-part of the lower frame? A powerful metaphor for a bygone era of transportation? (BTW, I know I've read some of your art critiques. That was you, wasn't it?)

"Ah yes, the classic unintentional self-portrait. I love it!"

Also looks like the classic unintentional too-wide-of-lens-coverage-to-avoid-getting-the-bed-rail-in-the-picture problem.

A very efficient use of mistakes. I usually make mine one at a time, therefore wasting twice as much time, film and effort. Alan learned two lessons from a single sheet of film - much more cost effective.

Kerry

This reminds me of something that happened over twenty years ago when I was repairing motion picture cameras for a living. A co-worker had just bought a mint used Rollei and he brought it in to work to show me. I removed the lens cap and stared into the taking lens while "testing" the shutter. After doing so I asked "is there film in this camera"? His response was "there's film in all my cameras". I figured he was just kidding. A week later I arrived at work, sat down at my bench and saw a 5x5 out of focus print of my mug sitting there. Written in the margin was "is there film in this camera"?