8x10 - a comedy of errors

[Ben Horne]

Yes, there are a lot of critics here, but not all of us failed to appreciate your photography activities or video records of them. Thanks for sharing, as well as joining this forum. Please ignore the naysayers and come back often!

Thanks! Your comments are much appreciated. We are all in this together, and one of my goals is to get more people to shoot film so it stays around as long as possible. If we don't vote with our wallets and get more people into the large format community, who knows how long film availability will last.

If you don't mind saying, was the repair done by Hiromi, Richard Ritter or someone else?

The Ebony was repaired by a good friend of mine who is a very talented photographer and wood worker. It works as good as new, which is great. I have another friend who at one point had the exact same camera, and replaced the ground glass. He has since sold the camera, but still had the original ground glass, and he sent that to me to replace the broken ground glass on my camera.

The Ritter camera sustained substantial damage, and after about a month of reaching out to Richard, I still didn't hear back so I decided to cut my losses and sell it on Ebay. It is definitely repairable, but there were many parts that needed to be replaced. It was a very fun camera to setup, but was a bit difficult to switch between wide angle and normal/long lenses, and I had to tension it with some cord to keep it more stable in the wind. If I hadn't put cord on it that night, I'm pretty sure my Nikon 150mm SW would have ended up in the salt water.

I'm likely twice your age. Despite living in southern California since 1978, my wife and I made our first visit to Death Valley last December. It was remarkably calm until the evening before we were scheduled to leave for home. Then all wind hell broke loose. I not only envy your solo trips, thereby avoiding spousal "be careful" admonitions for simply stepping off a trail, but am also jealous of your youth and equipment carrying ability. Welcome, and keep on keepin' on.

Death Valley is a pretty awesome place. One could spend a lifetime exploring that park, and over the 8 consecutive years I've visited, I've definitely seen a pretty wild range of conditions. Back in 2015 I had to have my 4Runner's windshield replaced because of a dust storm that pitted it. I've learned to stake down my tent a special way, and put rocks on top of the stakes, flip my sleeping back upside down during the day (so it doesn't fill with fine dust), and now I have more stuff to keep in mind with the camera gear. I put out a video a little while back putting peoples suggestions to the test for the best way to hold down a camera in the wind. Many of the things people swore were better than a weight bag ended up being about the same. Pretty crazy stuff. I just got back from a backpacking trip to a Canyon I haven't visited before, so I look forward to sharing those videos in the next couple weeks. :-)

[Ben Horne]

Ben, more power to you! Thanks for your post above. Oftentimes a 'critical spirit' in oneself stems from jealosy, a need to feel superior, or both, or other needs that the critic has.

I saw your videos, and thank you. As to the damaged cameras, if it were I, I would be so sick when I saw them I might have puked. My reaction and concern for you was the terrific expense of repairing them.

Read the naysayers, consider whether there's any suggestions that are truly helpful, and apply a large discount to the rest. And keep on doing your camera work.

Thanks Peter!

[Vaughn]

I went on many photo trips with a friend who had the same light-weight 4x5 as I do. He carried his on the tripod over his shoulder, and while risky, he explained that by having the camera ready-to-shoot, he might be able to make an image (that he otherwise would have missed) that was worth more than his camera. An excellent point, and I do it a bit myself with 4x5 and 5x7. 8x10 is too bulky for me so it stays in the pack until I set the tripod up. And I take a little more care when I am out on an extended trip without possible camera replacement.

When the image (or series of images) is possibly worth more than the camera/lens, on the tripod and over the shoulder, or left out over-night, can be a worthwhile risk. Somewhere along the line many of us have risked more than just camera gear to be there. (bodies, souls, marriages, bank accounts, etc).

[Jim Becia]

I know that you can't please everyone, and that isn't my objective, but wow, tough crowd here. My goal with the videos is to share the actual honest experience of going on solo shooting trips and backpacking trips. They might not be everyones cup of tea, which is just fine. I have been shooting large format since 2009 and sharing the video journals since 2010, so I have been at this for a while now. My camera has spent more nights set in place than I can count, and it was only this year that I had a problem with it. Our winter storms in California were especially powerful. I knew something bad would happen sooner or later, and was willing to accept the consequences when it did. It is a calculated risk, not a matter of being uninformed. I wasn't mad when it happened, and the Ebony has since been repaired. Without leaving the camera overnight, some of my portfolio photos through the years wouldn't have been possible.

For those that think I must be rolling in money, that is incorrect. The income I earned from my photography just barely covered my expenses in 2016 (the cameras were broken in 2017). I am just a guy that loves putting in a lot of hard work to visit some pretty cool locations with an 8x10 on my back, hearing the click of the shutter, and telling the real honest story about my experiences in the field, both good and bad. It is easy to be an armchair quarterback these days on an internet forum, but it takes a lot more work to get out there, expose some film, and do what you love -- and that is my goal.

-Ben

Ben,

Classy response. Having seen some of your results from these overnight setups, it has worked out well for you in terms of getting the shot. I have left my Ebony 8x10 overnight for one shot, but it was just outside my van and in easy reach if the wind had picked up.

For those who have not had a chance to watch Ben's videos, take some time to do so. Ben has a passion for large format photography that few can equal.

Keep up the good work!

[peter schrager]

Ben I've watched your videos and appreciate what you are doing. I've only done LF for some 40 years now and I'm still learning
Death Valley aint no easy place to go and photgraph. I'm here in los angeles if you ever care to meet up.
have a great day everyone!
peter

[Peter Collins]

+1 Jim Becia!

[agregov]

Speaking of tips, Ben have you ever thought of adding B&W to your shooting? It's one of the advantages of shooting with film holders, trivial to swap between color and monochromatic. If budget ever permits, I'd recommend taking a workshop from Michael Smith/Paula Chamlee. They're both master 8x10 shooters and their printing technique for making silver chloride contact prints would fit nicely with your focus in making high quality images. They also spend lots of time on composition and a detailed portfolio review. They might even be open to you making some video of their facility for your YouTube channel. I attended last year and it was great. More info. here FYI:

http://www.michaelandpaula.com/mp/ht...17-June-2-4-10

If you ever need a pad in Seattle, feel free to PM me. Have a full color and B&W darkroom. Also, know a number of LF shooters here to meet up with. Cheers.

[Ben Horne]

I went on many photo trips with a friend who had the same light-weight 4x5 as I do. He carried his on the tripod over his shoulder, and while risky, he explained that by having the camera ready-to-shoot, he might be able to make an image (that he otherwise would have missed) that was worth more than his camera. An excellent point, and I do it a bit myself with 4x5 and 5x7. 8x10 is too bulky for me so it stays in the pack until I set the tripod up. And I take a little more care when I am out on an extended trip without possible camera replacement.

When the image (or series of images) is possibly worth more than the camera/lens, on the tripod and over the shoulder, or left out over-night, can be a worthwhile risk. Somewhere along the line many of us have risked more than just camera gear to be there. (bodies, souls, marriages, bank accounts, etc).

Let's face it, LF cameras are just light proof boxes. The images on the other hand can be worth far more. When people baby their gear too much and never take risks, I think that might be reflected in their work. Camera are just tools, and tools can be repaired or replaced.

[Ben Horne]

Ben I've watched your videos and appreciate what you are doing. I've only done LF for some 40 years now and I'm still learning
Death Valley aint no easy place to go and photgraph. I'm here in los angeles if you ever care to meet up.
have a great day everyone!
peter

Thanks Peter! Death Valley is a pretty awesome place. I look forward to heading back there next year.

[Ben Horne]

Ben,

Classy response. Having seen some of your results from these overnight setups, it has worked out well for you in terms of getting the shot. I have left my Ebony 8x10 overnight for one shot, but it was just outside my van and in easy reach if the wind had picked up.

For those who have not had a chance to watch Ben's videos, take some time to do so. Ben has a passion for large format photography that few can equal.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks Jim! I look forward to seeing the photos you got from your Spring trip!