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.
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