Phases of an LF photographer??

[DrPablo]

I've gone through two stages so far:

The first was to try to reproduce in LF all of my favorite DSLR pictures that I'd taken.

Now I'm in a stage of virtual paralysis, not wanting to go through the effort of taking pictures unless I'm completely inspired. It's making me very indecisive.

[Frank Petronio]

I'm in the full moon phase myself. But give me a few days and I'll wane.

[Michael Graves]

I'm in Phase IV.

Phase I: He's gonna focus? Boff of us???
Phase II: I got a good shot!!! Now to buy four MORE boxes of film!!!
Phase III: "Hey, Michael. That's a great shot of our cat!" "Thanks, Mom. But it's dad."
Phase IV: I finally shoot 12 sheets and only pull the back dark slide out five times.

[Lazybones]

I'm in the Phase where I am going to sell off all my other cameras (except the C-8080) and go 99% LF.

[Rory_5244]

I'm at the phase where I entertain thoughts of beating a certain digital shooter with an 8x10 LF camera.

[william linne]

I'm at the phase where I have about 300 old lenses staring at me,daring me to use them, every time I walk into my back room.

W.

[Eric James]

I'm at the phase at which I force myself to leave my 35mm kit at home - and sometimes I succeed.

[Lazybones]

I'm at the phase where I entertain thoughts of beating a certain digital shooter with an 8x10 LF camera.

OH NO YOU DIDN'T!

I only use it like polaroids.

[Ed K.]

More phases:

1. Swearing off (or at?) eBlah forever
2. Getting a larger refrigerator to keep more film on hand
3. Selling off all the nice medium format gear
4. Comparing the cost of it to hi-end digital
5. Comparing productivity to hi-end digital
6. Questioning one's sanity, then getting sentimental
7. Scouting and looking more than shooting
8. Doing post mortems on that thick stack of negs and chromes
9. Spending more time shooting instead of hanging around here
10. Spending more time hanging around here instead of shooting or printing
11. Not making mistakes too often anymore, but not making great images either
12. Making lots of great images that have flaws any real photographer would find
13. Caring too much
14. Not caring enough
15. Taking too much time at it
16. Taking too little time doing it
17. Liking Deardorffs
18. Hating Deardorffs
19. Thinking of the lab as the evil film eater
20. Thinking of the lab as a set of artists who don't get credit for their great work
21. Using labs
22. Swearing off labs forever
23. Feeling special and part of some elite group
24. Feeling like a bum when the charge card bill arrives
25. Convincing the wife
26. Listening to the wife
27. Giving up
28. Starting again
29. Thinking too much, testing too much
30. Wasting materials
31. Chaos
32. Zen
33. Running around looking for something to shoot
34. Shooting things that work with LF photography
35. Trying to shoot things that aren't so great for LF with LF
36. Being a true amatuer in the pure sense of it
37. Figuring new angles or gimmicks to make a living at it
38. Criticizing others
39. Appreciating others
40. Teaching
41. Learning
42. Doing
43. Selling prints
44. Selling rights
43. Selling, especially to other photographers

Ah..and while I certainly haven't thought of all the "real" phases, the final one for many, one that many of the phases lead to is:

44. Selling to other photographers, by working at a camera store in the rental or film department, or perhaps by conducting workshops and writing how to books after a long line of hard-won acheivements. Of course, 44a, mastering the art of appearing to know nothing except how to find the goodies that new hot shot wants to rent or buy.

[Rory_5244]

wow