Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 37

Thread: Views of Georgia shot exclusively on 4x5" Velvia

  1. #1
    Zndrson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Longmont, Colorado
    Posts
    66

    Views of Georgia shot exclusively on 4x5" Velvia

    Hey Guys. Great to have a forum here dedicated to Kickstarter. I'm working on a project that is essentially a survey of Georgia landscape and nature. I'm shooting it all on Velvia 100F and compiling the images in a book. Any attention is greatly appreciated!

    Thanks for looking!

    http://kck.st/1pURrQM

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails DSCF2229-1-2.jpg  

  2. #2
    Kirk Gittings's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Albuquerque, Nuevo Mexico
    Posts
    9,864

    Re: Views of Georgia shot exclusively on 4x5" Velvia

    A couple of questions and/or suggestions. This is a site with many accomplished and talented LF photographers. We see many proposals like this. Most fail but some have been very successful. I hope you don't mind some constructive suggestions?

    You should show more actual work directly in the proposal. Why are you showing a black and white? You need to show a really stunning example of what you propose to do. To prove that you are capable of accomplishing the project. And you should state why you are the one to do this project.

    Also I wonder about your stated costs. Where are you going to get professional scans done at this price: "the slides will need to be scanned professionally. This has an approximate cost of $400 for 80 or so slides."? $5 a piece for professional scans? Where? I do scanning for a couple of pro photographers who are friends and I charge $25 per scan. And I know my limitations. When I need a really first rate scan for myself or others I pay someone else (Lenny Eiger) over $100 per scan.

    Good luck with this. Your financial request is really not too substantial so it may fly.
    Thanks,
    Kirk

    at age 73:
    "The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
    But I have promises to keep,
    And miles to go before I sleep,
    And miles to go before I sleep"

  3. #3
    Zndrson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Longmont, Colorado
    Posts
    66

    Re: Views of Georgia shot exclusively on 4x5" Velvia

    Quote Originally Posted by Kirk Gittings View Post
    You should show more actual work directly in the proposal. Why are you showing a black and white? You need to show a really stunning example of what you propose to do. To prove that you are capable of accomplishing the project. And you should state why you are the one to do this project.
    Hi Kirk, Thanks for the feedback!

    I agree that more similar work would be good to show, and I do have this work, but the images are from other parts of the country like Colorado and Montana. I want all images in the Kickstarter page to be from Georgia. That being said, very soon (next week) I'll be renting an RV and doing some traveling around the state to get a head start on the project. I'll be shooting Velvia (expired, but still). Thus, with an update, I'll be showing very recent work shot with the correct film.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kirk Gittings View Post
    Also I wonder about your stated costs. Where are you going to get professional scans done at this price: "the slides will need to be scanned professionally. This has an approximate cost of $400 for 80 or so slides."? $5 a piece for professional scans? Where? I do scanning for a couple of pro photographers who are friends and I charge $25 per scan. And I know my limitations. When I need a really first rate scan for myself or others I pay someone else (Lenny Eiger) over $100 per scan.
    I received a quote from a lab out west that charges $3.50/slide for a moderately sized file. Factoring in a slightly higher resolution, I factored in $5/scan. Worst case scenario involves buying an Epson V700 (which I plan to do eventually anyway) for $600 or so dollars and performing some wet scans myself. I intend this book to be 28x21cm, so extremely high resolution files are not necessary


    Quote Originally Posted by Kirk Gittings View Post
    A couple of questions and/or suggestions. This is a site with many accomplished and talented LF photographers. We see many proposals like this. Most fail but some have been very successful.

    I've seen the work of other photographers on this forum, and I certainly do not hold myself in the same category. However, not attempting a project because other photographers are more experienced is silly. I'll be working on a smaller scale version of this project even if it does not get funded. The Kickstarter will fund the book and allow for more film to be purchased so that many images can be taken within a relatively small amount of time, thus, allowing for the book to be completed within a short amount of time.

    Regardless of what happens, I'm eager to get outside and expose some 4x5 :-)

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Boston, MA, USA
    Posts
    1,512

    Re: Views of Georgia shot exclusively on 4x5" Velvia

    Zack,

    Good luck with the project.
    It sounds cool and we can only wish the best with this - but have only one point - why are you shooting slide?
    As you will be scanning the film, you are much better off with negatives, as most scanners are not designed to scan slides (unless you are going with a drum scan, and even then it does not really matter), and you can get pretty much any color/contrast you like once the image is on the computer. What you cannot do is add detail where there is none, because of the very small envelope of performance and precise tolerance slide films have and prescription in exposure and processing that they require. The material is cheaper, better, easier to work with, and the chemistry is also cheaper.

    You should have a look here at a recent discussion about printing from slides (even though you will be scanning): http://www.largeformatphotography.in...=1#post1159954

    How will you be processing the films? I can only assume you have all the gear needed.

    Good luck!

  5. #5
    Large Format Rocks ImSoNegative's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    McCaysville Georgia
    Posts
    1,617

    Re: Views of Georgia shot exclusively on 4x5" Velvia

    don't forget north Ga, blue ridge, fannin county area, some of the most beautiful area around.
    "WOW! Now thats a big camera. By the way, how many megapixels is that thing?"

  6. #6
    Large Format Rocks ImSoNegative's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    McCaysville Georgia
    Posts
    1,617

    Re: Views of Georgia shot exclusively on 4x5" Velvia

    yes and good luck on your project it does sound really good
    "WOW! Now thats a big camera. By the way, how many megapixels is that thing?"

  7. #7
    Zndrson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Longmont, Colorado
    Posts
    66

    Re: Views of Georgia shot exclusively on 4x5" Velvia

    Quote Originally Posted by koh303 View Post
    Zack,

    Good luck with the project.
    It sounds cool and we can only wish the best with this - but have only one point - why are you shooting slide?
    As you will be scanning the film, you are much better off with negatives, as most scanners are not designed to scan slides (unless you are going with a drum scan, and even then it does not really matter), and you can get pretty much any color/contrast you like once the image is on the computer. What you cannot do is add detail where there is none, because of the very small envelope of performance and precise tolerance slide films have and prescription in exposure and processing that they require. The material is cheaper, better, easier to work with, and the chemistry is also cheaper.

    You should have a look here at a recent discussion about printing from slides (even though you will be scanning): http://www.largeformatphotography.in...=1#post1159954

    How will you be processing the films? I can only assume you have all the gear needed.

    Good luck!
    Thanks for the response!

    You bring up a good point. I have no numbers or concrete reason for using slide film over negative film. The best way I can sum it up is that there is something supremely satisfying about gazing upon a direct positive. Its one of a kind. This is why I shoot a lot of Polaroid. It makes the photograph an object. Slide films and Polaroids have a quality about them that are hard if not impossible to achieve with digital/negative film. Once the film is exposed and processed, there's not another step to be had to achieve a satisfying image. That's it. You're holding a pure photograph in your hands. If you've been lazy in your exposure and development then you'll receive a poor result. If you've been diligent through all aspects of the image making process the reward is extraordinary.

    Most of that awe is null after scanning and subtractive printing, but the high image quality and beautiful color rendition is still there for the most part.

    I shoot negative film all the time and love processing BW, but for this project I wanted to branch out and shoot slides again.

    Some will cringe at reading this, but I'll be using the taco method to develop the slides. I'm able to fit four 4x5 sheets in my tank at a time. I have a proper tank but I always get better, more even results with the taco method in the cylindrical tank. Plus it can be inverted. I'll be running some tests with this method in about a week. If I can get consistent results then that will be the answer. If consistent results can't be achieved I'll be on the lookout for another alternative. I'll be posting updates to the Kickstarter page with more info including successes and failures.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Boston, MA, USA
    Posts
    1,512

    Re: Views of Georgia shot exclusively on 4x5" Velvia

    Quote Originally Posted by Zndrson View Post
    Thanks for the response!

    You bring up a good point. I have no numbers or concrete reason for using slide film over negative film. The best way I can sum it up is that there is something supremely satisfying about gazing upon a direct positive. Its one of a kind. This is why I shoot a lot of Polaroid. It makes the photograph an object. Slide films and Polaroids have a quality about them that are hard if not impossible to achieve with digital/negative film. Once the film is exposed and processed, there's not another step to be had to achieve a satisfying image. That's it. You're holding a pure photograph in your hands. If you've been lazy in your exposure and development then you'll receive a poor result. If you've been diligent through all aspects of the image making process the reward is extraordinary.
    Scanning slide film is extraordinarily harder then scanning negatives.

    Getting proper exposure on slides is infinitely harder then on negative.

    Processing slides with the very best of equipment, by the most experienced operators is by far more demanding then negative, and requires precise temp control, agitation, and timing (none of which, BTW, are possible with the taco method).

    Quote Originally Posted by Zndrson View Post
    Most of that awe is null after scanning and subtractive printing, but the high image quality and beautiful color rendition is still there for the most part.
    As you are by far more likely to have a better negative then a slide, that will scan better then a slide, i think you will find that for the most part, that awe of looking at a 4X5 slide is lost in the many black and white blotches which were once a dark puddle and bright clouds.

    Quote Originally Posted by Zndrson View Post
    I shoot negative film all the time and love processing BW, but for this project I wanted to branch out and shoot slides again.

    Some will cringe at reading this, but I'll be using the taco method to develop the slides.
    It is a fine thing to want to branch out, but you cannot use the taco method and be "diligent through all aspects of the image making process" at the same time.

  9. #9
    Kirk Gittings's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Albuquerque, Nuevo Mexico
    Posts
    9,864

    Re: Views of Georgia shot exclusively on 4x5" Velvia

    Getting proper exposure on slides is infinitely harder then on negative.
    Infinitely is a bit extreme. With practice I would say a touch harder if your shutter speeds, light meters and development is spot on-plus a bracket on either side. For decades photographers successfully shot transparencies for most anything in color to be reproduced in 4 color. For 20 years, to get the highest quality for all possible uses of an architectural image we shot 4x5 chrome, 4x5 color neg, and 4x5 B&W neg and 35mm slide on every shot. Over 20 years this was tens of thousands of shots. Never blew one and I am no genius nor am I in particular favor with the god's of photography .
    Thanks,
    Kirk

    at age 73:
    "The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
    But I have promises to keep,
    And miles to go before I sleep,
    And miles to go before I sleep"

  10. #10
    Zndrson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Longmont, Colorado
    Posts
    66

    Re: Views of Georgia shot exclusively on 4x5" Velvia

    Quote Originally Posted by koh303 View Post
    It is a fine thing to want to branch out, but you cannot use the taco method and be "diligent through all aspects of the image making process" at the same time.
    I respect your position, and most likely you are 100% correct. This is why I'm giving the process several trial runs to see if it is a viable process. If not, then I will move on to other home developing options. Part of the fun of this project is experimenting to see what the most economical/stable methods are of bringing slides to life. I'm a believer in using what I have first, and then moving on to other options when the ones currently at my disposal are exhausted.

    Developing slides using the taco method may indeed be a pipe dream. I'm not married to the idea, but I do want to make sure its unattainable before I completely rule it out.

    I'll be able to make a decision within the next couple weeks.

Similar Threads

  1. SFMOMA "GEORGIA O'KEEFFE AND ANSEL ADAMS Natural Affinities"
    By drew.saunders in forum Announcements
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 28-Apr-2009, 17:57
  2. film exclusively
    By cobalt in forum Cameras & Camera Accessories
    Replies: 41
    Last Post: 9-Sep-2008, 10:07
  3. PS approach for fogged Velvia 100 shot?
    By keithwms in forum Digital Processing
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 17-Nov-2007, 17:21
  4. Is stop neccesary with "one shot" film deveoping?
    By John Kasaian in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 12-Nov-2007, 13:50

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •