Thx I have some problems with english from time to time
Finally got my Gowlandflex 4x5 CLAd and did some test shots - here the very first one! There's some newbie mistakes which might be apparent from the scan, but I'll get better.
Although I tried to get the most of the subject matter, it's still dull - it's from my balcony late in the evening, and I just wanted to test everything out.
Technical specs
- Camera: Gowlandflex 4x5
- Lens: Schneider-Kreuznach 180mm f/5.6
- Film: Fuji Velvia RVP50
- Exposure: f/5.6 @ 45 seconds
- Scanner: Epson V700 @ 300dpi, 48-bit color, default unsharp mask, Digital ICE, straight to JPEG so no other processing
Feedback on the composition, and ideas for improvement on the technical aspects much appreciated!
Maybe it would be better if you were at ground level, rather than your balcony. Looks good otherwise.
Peter
I can almost read the maker of the lens cap
Thank you! Solid is the word... I might have underexposed just a tad.
That wasn't it Although I have a Mamiya C220, it has a dual lens cap, so forgetting the lens cap on the taking lens is a real threat with the Gowlandflex.
I either slipped the film incorrectly in the film holder and didn't notice it, or somehow managed to get the dark slide on the wrong side of the film when putting it back in after exposure. Out comes the film holder, with a brown evenly exposed film flapping around At least it was the right way around!
edit: found out what went wrong: the used film holder I bought had a sheet of film left in the holder, and I didn't notice it when inserting my film. Gives a whole new meaning to double exposure. Too bad the film was exposed when I fiddled with the holder - perhaps it was a sheet of film from Ansel Adams!
this is my first LF shot, I have posted this elsewhere on here i believe. i have shyed away from large format and been concentrating on 35mm, but these big negatives... i'm currently looking at some sort of press camera option that wont cost a fortune so i can shoot more easily and more portable than my mono-rail 4x5.
I just sold my field camera after getting a crown graphic. Being able to shoot hand-held, with a rangefinder, is really useful for candid portraits. You can of course put a press camera on a tripod, if necessary.
You should be able to get one for $200-$300 in working condition with a lens.
(we're flickr contacts, btw)
This is from my first batch, if not the exact first one, of large format in 30 years. All I had was the Super Angulon 65mm, shot about f22 in the late afternoon.
Taken wandering Selby Gardens in Sarasota near closing hour.
Metered using the Zone System as best I could.
First attempts at scanning were dismal (posted elsewhere on forum), first I tried a fluorescent bulb over a HP OfficeJet. Then I bought an Epson 4490 scanner for $129 new (it is NOT a full width scanner at 70mm, but works for the price with PS) on *bay and laid the neg on the glass, scanning the left first and then the right side. Photomerged the two images in CS4 Photoshop and finally a good scan.
Taken with FP4+ and developed in Caffenol in a Starbucks thermal mug.
Some fogging in lower left, possibly from the bellows not being properly secured, all criticism is welcome. = my dear wife don't like this much...
This forum is great exchange of like-minded artists. Kudos to all who venture here.
Getting started in 4x5 can be affordable, just take it slow and KISS.
John Allaman
(Sarasota)
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