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http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/h...ge-format.html
Summary: flat stitching with T/S lenses, although 4x5 occasionally used for "fine art".
Large format nature photographers who have moved to digital: William Neill, Charles Crammer, Joe Holmes, David and Marc Muench, Carr Clifton... who else ?
British landscape photographer Joe Cornish!
Never thought I would see the day this one time large format film purist moved to digital but in his latest book 'Scotlands Mountains' http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scotlands-Mo...5843169&sr=8-1 he talks about his experimentation with medium format digital backs.
To be honest I can understand why these guys shooting hundreds or thousands of sheets per year for their living would move, as the digital quality rivals film, it is more cost effective to shoot digital.
For me, on the other hand, shooting 10x8 as an escape from my IT day job, with the quantities of film I shoot, I would never dream of shooting digital, I love the escape from the technology.
Julian
Last month I went to the Museum of Natural History in London to see the results of this year's Museum/BBC wildlife and landscape photography competition. Dykinga was one of the judges. Every single award-winning photograph was made with a digital camera.
Where did you get the idea that Joe Holmes was going digital? He preaches it a lot,
but last time I talked to him he hadn't invested a dime in it yet. By the time you add
up all the necessary components for the Arca needed to realistically shoot for stitches
in the field, not only have you spent a fortune, but the weight is already up there with
the Technika he conventionally carries. Plus you have the fragility issue. We had about a two hour discussion about it in my office not long ago. I believe he still scans from 4x5. Couldn't care less what stock photographers like Muench do.
I haven't, still living in los angeles. I don't know where digital is but I don't want to go there:)Quote:
Originally Posted by QT Luong
Were closing in on the end folks, and it sucks. And everyone wonders why sheet film is disappearing. Enthusiasts likely make up the majority of users now. I've got enough color film for decades, as long as they sell E6 kits I'll be okay. People just don't know quality when they see it anymore. Kinda like sitting in the theater when the movie comes up and it's out of focus, no one gets up (but me) to alert the staff!
Drew, if you don't know what someone you've talked to is up to, just go to their website. One can shoot MFD and at the same time scan his 4x5 archives.
Vinny, film is still widely used by artists (as opposed to "stock photographers" who have influenced a generation, been exhibited in museums, and have dozens of monographs).
QT - I know Joe tested a bunch of stuff, but as I stated, I don't know if he actually
invested in any of it. Last time I talked to him, he was hypothesizing about a Mamiya
back and Arca system of his own. For his typical needs, I believe it would be unrealistic, because as we backpackers all age, the weight of any system becomes progressively important. He delves into all kinds of things to get a degree of expertise
in them, just like I do, so we talk shop from time to time - but taking the dive is another matter. Maybe he's done it, but I'll no doubt bump into him and find out directly. He certainly hasn't converted me, in any event. Just too much can go wrong
with MF digital in the backcountry, and it would be damn expensive to repair.
http://www.josephholmes.com/news.html says "Lessons learned while moving from 4x5 film to medium format digital capture" not "while pondering the move".
DrewQuote:
Couldn't care less what stock photographers like Muench do.
Dismissing David Muench as just a "stock photographer" seriously underestimates his career. If I remember a converstaion a few years back, he studied with Callahan at RIT. The last time I looked he had like 20 monographs still in print. I would put his career up against many so called "successful artists".
Quote:
Muench’s work has been exhibited in numerous museums and galleries, including the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop, California. A shared exhibit with Ansel Adams and Jack Dykinga was mounted at the Phoenix Art Museum, The Center for Creative Photography, and the Museum of Northern Arizona. He was commissioned by the National Park Service to provide 33 photographic murals presenting the landscapes of the Lewis and Clark expedition. These are on permanent display at the Jefferson Expansion Memorial under the Arch in St. Louis. Monumental in concept, the 15 foot tall panels extend more than 350 feet along their wall. His work also hangs in numerous private collections. He has published over 50 exhibit format books.
Honestly, I don't see why anyone would still shoot color 4x5 with the 20+ megapixel cameras and great TS lens that are out now. If I was shooting color I would be all digital without hesitation.
If you are printing digitally. What are the advantages to shooting 4x5 transparency/negatives and scanning? Is the resolution gap still a factor?
What am I missing?