Hello from the Last Frontier

[BoonieFox]

Hello everybody, from way up North in Alaska. My name is Todd, and I'm a WWII reenactor, which is actually the main reason I'm interested in large format photography. I decided to combine my two passions, history and photography (despite being pretty much a newbie when it comes to photography), to get the best of both worlds! I figure it'll be a nice change of pace from always portraying a rifleman, and I'll get to provide authentic photos of the reenactment so others don't have to break authenticity to do so (taking out a cell phone or digital camera, for example). Not to mention, being in Alaska there's no shortage of good photography opportunities. I'm still working out the kinks - I'm trying to decide if I'm going to scan the negatives, or set up a darkroom in my tiny bathroom. I have a feeling that a darkroom setup would be more nostalgic and satisfying, but the scanner would take up less space - Decisions, decisions.

Anyways, I can't wait to get my hands on my Speed Graphic (working out a deal now) so I can start taking pictures!

- Todd

[RSalles]

Hi BoonieFox,

Welcome aboard. About the choice between wet printing or scanning, You'll have to try both, if not, how can we appreciate your future work?
Wet printing is a nice thing, takes time and practice to come well, but are just perfect with the subject and medium you're planning to use,

Cheers,

Renato

[John Kasaian]

Welcome aboard!
I flew a Super Cub up in your part of the world in '92.
It sounds like you've got some exciting projects to look forward to with that Speeder!
Have you found a copy of Morgan and Lister's Graphic Graflex Photography yet? It's an invaluable resource along with www.graflex.org

[Fr. Mark]

Welcome aboard! One of my neighbors, a collector, has an Army issue press camera of some type or other. I also think that a few smaller format cameras went to war, too. One of the nice things about big negatives is contact printing---no enlarger needed. On the re-enacting side, a couple years ago my boys went to the Army Heritage Center in Carlisle, PA on a home school special day with re-enactors from all across US history incl. WW2.

[Leszek Vogt]

Welcome to LF. AK offers many wonderful spaces/vistas....and I tend to visit whenever I can. One of my intimate moments was when taking photos of grasses in the water (Kodachrome + pola) while awaiting a train from Whittier. Those were the days when you couldn't drive there :>). Naturally, an eagle was sitting on the branch nearby.

Good luck deciding.

Les

[Sirius Glass]

Welcome to Large Format Photography Forum

[Tim Meisburger]

Welcome to the forum. Contact prints are easy to make in a closet, and are period appropriate, so for sure give it a try. I use a scanner to check my negatives, and save digital copies of the negatives I don't find good enough to want to print. I don't have a printer, so I am either digital display or wet print.

[Alan Gales]

Oh shoot! I thought you was one of them little green alien fellas. Ain't the last frontier the same as Space, the final frontier, in Star Trek?

Anyway, welcome to the forum!