Should I give up LF and go miniature?

[Michael Graves]

Having shot nothing but 5x7 or 8x10 for the past few years, I had forgotten how light a 4x5 Speed Graphic was. I spent the day wandering around the Green Mountains of Vermont today shooting with that baby. The camera, tripod and a small back with film holders, light meter and dark cloth was lighter that my 8x10 by itself. It was amazing!!

I'll process the negatives tomorrow and see if I got anything worth while. But I did have one interesting experience. My wife was driving and we went past this amazing barn with all kinds of attached silos and hay lofts and other cool addendums and the sun was just sinking down toward the horizon, so the light was great. I screamed for her to stop and she did. This old guy, about sixty-five or seventy years old was just coming out of the barn. So I jumped out and asked him if it was all right if I took a picture of his barn.

"Well, shoot," he said. "Whatever would you want a picture of THAT for?"
"I like it."
"So go right ahead."

He watched me while I set up the old Speed Graphic and composed the shot. I was working pretty fast because I figured I only had the light for a few minutes. When I was done, he said, "Hell, boy. That camera of your is older than I am."

"Could be," I said. "I was made back in the late fifties or early sixties. What are you? About forty five? Fifty?"

"Yeah, right." Then he chuckled. "I got me one of them digital cameras. It take right nice pictures and you can see what you got right away!"

You know, until he said that, I had been intending to offer him a print of the photo if it came out well. Now he can stick it in his ear.

Or not. I guess it ain't HIS fault.

[Capocheny]

Michael,

Offer him a print and he'll realize the error of his ways!

Remember, "a person knows only what he knows unless he's shown something different."

Cheers

[Marko]

Michael,

Offer him a print and he'll realize the error of his ways!

Remember, "a person knows only what he knows unless he's shown something different."

Cheers

Hey guys,

Go easy on the old fellow - he's using what was recomended to him by all the "experts" he knows and the thing probably really fits his needs.

After all, how many of you are using ready-to-go templates for your web pages and are happy with results?

[Capocheny]

Hey guys,

Go easy on the old fellow - he's using what was recomended to him by all the "experts" he knows and the thing probably really fits his needs.

After all, how many of you are using ready-to-go templates for your web pages and are happy with results?

Hi Marko,

Your point was my point as well. I wasn't meaning to be hard on the old fellow.

So, until someone shows him something different, he'll most likely think digital is the be all, end all.

That's why I suggest that Michael send him a print (to show him the "error" of his way. Yes, yes... this was said as a "tongue in cheek comment." )

Cheers

[Marko]

Hi Marko,

Your point was my point as well. I wasn't meaning to be hard on the old fellow.

So, until someone shows him something different, he'll most likely think digital is the be all, end all.

That's why I suggest that Michael send him a print (to show him the "error" of his way. Yes, yes... this was said as a "tongue in cheek comment." )

Cheers

Actually, my point was that even after he's shown some seriously different, he might still like his digital better because it might still be better solution for him.

Just like so many serious photographers prefer to use ready-made web templates even after they are shown some serious web design examples.

IMHO, there are two reasons for this:

1. He/They is/are not professional(s) and hence not in need of anything more complex than the most simple ready-to go "solution".

2. He/They is/are not professional(s) and therefore may not be capable of really noticing the difference.



Tongue in cheeck or not, that's actually fine as long as his/their chosen method fullfils his/their needs.

[Michael Graves]

You're absolutely right, Marko. I have a Canon Rebel XT that I used to make the photos that went into my last two books. I'm not about to shoot that many sheets of large format film and then spend all that time in the darkroom, knowing that Thomson's graphics reproduction is mediocre at best. This is a time and a place for digital.

Just like there's a time and a place for pictures of old barns.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I found I couldn't appreciate the attractions of 4x5" until I had used 8x10" for a few years. No reason not to shoot both!

[BrianShaw]

I'm sure glad that I didn't need to buy a Rolls Royce to learn to appreciate my Mercedes!

[Michael Graves]

I'm sure glad that I didn't need to buy a Rolls Royce to learn to appreciate my Mercedes!

Hmmmm. Wonder what I can do to more fully appreciate my wife?

[Michael Graves]

Here's the first negative that I scanned from the old Speed.