How often do you tilt for Theo?

[Leigh]

To answer the original question... pretty seldom. I usually use DoF.

The only occasion I normally have to need Scheimpflug is with architecture, if I'm shooting
a house with a front yard full of flowers or other interesting stuff.

In the more general case, I either ignore the foreground and let it go soft, or re-frame the
image so that area is not in the photo in the first place.

As David said, the amount of tilt required is quite small, usually only a couple of degrees.

I always tilt the back, leaving the front vertical, since doing so does not change the framing.

- Leigh

[ROL]

In the more general case, I either ignore the foreground and let it go soft, or re-frame the
image so that area is not in the photo in the first place.

Huh? By changing lenses? Are you perhaps referring to cropping, post exposure?

[djdister]

To answer the original question... pretty seldom. I usually use DoF.

The only occasion I normally have to need Scheimpflug is with architecture, if I'm shooting
a house with a front yard full of flowers or other interesting stuff.

In the more general case, I either ignore the foreground and let it go soft, or re-frame the
image so that area is not in the photo in the first place.

As David said, the amount of tilt required is quite small, usually only a couple of degrees.

I always tilt the back, leaving the front vertical, since doing so does not change the framing.

- Leigh

So, would it be fair to say that if you are planning on stopping down to f32 or smaller anyway for DOF purposes, there is little value (in general) to applying tilt/swing?

[Vaughn]

When one works primarily in the dense temperate rain forest, one uses any method possible to create a well focused/DoF image. First two are in the redwoods (8x10 and 4x5), the third one in the beech forests of New Zealand (4x5).

[Bernice Loui]

Camera movement really depends on what needs to be done. For the majority of outdoor stuff where the lens is used at near infinity focus, camera swing/tilts are not used much if at all. Shift/rise is more common to position the image on the ground glass along with moving the camera and tripod as required to get the expected composition on the GG. If the entire area needs to be in focus, I'll use anything between f11 to f45, most often being f16-22. This applies to 5x7 or 13x18cm film format.

Once the image is no long focused much at infinity, it all changes. I'll use swing/tilt/shift/rise on front/rear as required to get the areas that must be in focus at the largest aperture, then stop down only as much as required to meet this requirement. This could be any aperture from full lens aperture (typically f4.5 to f11) to f45.

It requires precision to do this as swing/tilts are usually less than 5 degrees, often just 1-3 degrees. If the camera detents do not allow this fine degree of adjustment, it is off my list. The other requirement is absolute camera alignment, both front and rear standards must be parallel with absolute repeatability. While many value light weight allowing the camera and all to be easy to carry and back pack, the trade off is stability and precision. On a good high quality geared movement view camera controlling camera movements to one degree is not too difficult, doing the same on a very light weight field camera is not as easy and the weight of a camera helps reduce camera movement during exposure and control the impact from shutter release. This is real world trade off between studio mono rail cameras that are un-reasonable to go back packing with vs field camera being used for studio table top work.

Camera movements are extremely useful and another image making tool that makes a good view camera special.



Bernice

I pretty much just started out with LF but now that I've shot a couple of sheets I begin to wonder on movements, specifically Scheimpflug tilting. I'm trying to learn a bit how to do it and while I kind of get the idea I find the practise challenging but fun. My question is how often you seasoned veterans use it. Always? Sometimes? I shoot mainly landscape/cityscape and if I stop down to 32 or even 64 it's still super sharp and I find as soon as I tilt the front it's harder to focus.

How big of a deal is it really? Would you say it's essential or just a near trick you do sometimes if you have objects close by in the composition?

[Greg Miller]

It requires precision to do this as swing/tilts are usually less than 5 degrees, often just 1-3 degrees. If the camera detents do not allow this fine degree of adjustment, it is off my list. The other requirement is absolute camera alignment, both front and rear standards must be parallel with absolute repeatability.

Bernice

So, obviously no wooden cameras for Bernice

[Bill_1856]

How often do you tilt?

Virtually never with 4x5, 5x7, and Whole plate -- just stop 'er down all the way, and accept a little softness at infinity if need be. 8x10 might be a different ballgame, however.

[Leigh]

So, would it be fair to say that if you are planning on stopping down to f32 or smaller anyway for DOF purposes, there is little value (in general) to applying tilt/swing?

Of course, generalities are their own worst enemy.

I think in many cases movements are over-used.

Viewers get uncomfortable when a scene looks "odd".

For example, when shooting a multi=story building I may use movements to partially correct the convergence toward the top, but not completely. When a person looks at that building, they see the top of the facade smaller than the street-level portion. They expect a photo of that building to look essentially the same.

Only the photographer can determine what's important in an image, and what is extraneous to his intent.

- Leigh

[Leigh]

Huh? By changing lenses? Are you perhaps referring to cropping, post exposure?

I don't understand your questions.

I said nothing about changing lenses, and did not infer that.

As to post-exposure, I may re-frame an image on the enlarger when I print it.

- Leigh

[djdister]

Of course, generalities are their own worst enemy.

- Leigh

Yeah, generalizing can be dangerous to one's health

Anyhoo, going the other direction, the movement I use absolutely the most is rise/fall of the lensboard...