Post your first (LF) shot

[Ian Lascell]

October 1992, Treman Park, Ithaca, NY
Shot on Tri-X, with a really heavy monorail camera. That is all I can remember of the details. This was also my first stab at using the zone system.

[Greg_Thomas]

I figured I do the most awkward, wrong self-portrait possible with my first shot and then everything would be improvement from there on out! FP-100C45 on my Crown Graphic, May 2009.

[baronvonaaron]

First ever shot for a LF class at FSU, circa september 2007. Toyo-view 4x5 w/ 210mm lens (i think), ilford delta 100 (i think).

[Scratched Glass]

My first 4X5 shot, taken with a toyo 45A II in 1998(?), and one of my first scans with my new Epson V750 today. Unremarkable in all respects.

[Bob Kerner]

This thread popped up just in time for me to share my first shot since recently returning to LF. Didn't want to stink up the "Landscape" thread with it.

A few weeks ago, eddie gunks was kind enough to let me use one of his cameras to "ruin some film" as he put it, to determine whether or not to try my hand again at 4x5. This image is a scan (with a humble Canon all-in-one device) of a contact print of an image made on Ektar. I cropped it to conceal some blemishes in the sky, most likely dust from unloading in a changing bag in the field.

It's soft because I didn't use a loop and forgot to zero the standards when I first set up. Live and learn. But nice enough to cause me to keep trying.

[Chuck P.]

Shade trees on the local community college campus----bad dust problem

[Sirius Glass]

A humpback bridge in the western part of Virginia. Taken with my 1953 4"x5" Pacemaker Speed Graphic hand held with the 135mm lens.

Steve

[MumbleyJoe]

I stopped by an Oak grove not too far from my work the day I got my new 4x5. I took one film holder with me as I hiked out looking for a scene to shoot. After spending FOREVER getting the thing focused I snapped what was technically my first shot, and as I put the dark-slide back in the film fell out (and its not the last time that happened). I flipped the holder over and shot this frame - my first "successful" LF shot.

There was certainly a realization about what a change it was going to be at that moment - I took me about an hour from parking the car to actually taking the shot, and I had no more film with me and had to head back... very different from firing off digital shots of course.

Given how long it took me to get even remotely comfortable with my camera, this first shot actually didn't turn out too terribly on a technical level. Of course, there's not a creative element to it at all either. :-P



Tachihara 4x5, Schneider 90mm f/8, Fuji Provia 100F - June 2008

[gnuyork]

October 1992, Treman Park, Ithaca, NY
Shot on Tri-X, with a really heavy monorail camera. That is all I can remember of the details. This was also my first stab at using the zone system.

I clicked on your image without reading your post and I said "hey I know that place" and sure enough... I was just there last spring. My dad and I did a 20 mile backpacking trip along part of the finger lakes trail and ended our trip at Treman. I was planning to bring my 4x5, but by the time I had my pack full of the essentials, I knew it was just too much to bring the all the gear.

We did the trip in 2 days and brought our dogs (two labs). I was beat. It would have been much worse carrying all the camera gear in addition, but I sure wish I had it once we were inside Treman park!!

[icanthackit]

Wow, some of your "first shots" are pretty nice... lol.

I took this just a week ago with my school's only 4x5 camera, a Tower Press Camera. It's just a view out the back of my apartment.