Start with LF from scratch....

[moohunt21]

Hi,I'm a beginner who fall in love with 4x5 and 6x17 format.
(I just start about photographing 6 month ago with out any knowledge and never been to any class, workshop or even 135 camera)
I'm going to do one project by using 4*5 format with B&W film.
I want to know what should I learn more?
(I know just how to basic spot meter reading, zone I to X (just what it is), basic film developent, f-stop, speed shutter, DOF)
{Now I'm reading about zone system and how to use it}


About the photo I like the photo took by Sally Mann so much,it is about tone, figure, and even light she see in the picture.
So,any photographer got the tone like her? I'll love to see their photos.
And if I like the tone like that, can I make it happen?

I like to take a photo of landscape, seascape, skyscape, cityscape, tree, river, and specially food.


I want to be a food photographer and food stylist.
I failed in love with food and photographing

I'm in Thailand.
My name is Moo.
Thanks.


Ps. Sorry about my english, I'm not good with it.

[Steve Feldman]

Dear Moo,

Your English is just fine. You are on a long trip filled with great adventures.

My suggestions: Learn the mechanics of using a 4x5 camera. Start simple. Read as much as possible - start with Steve Simmons book "Using the View Camera" . Borrow or rent (don't buy) a 4x5 camera and lens, an incident light meter (learn this first before trying a spot meter), my advice is not to start out trying to learn the Zone System, a few 4x5 film holders, a sturdy tripod, a dark cloth (a black t-shirt or jacket will do fine). It really doesn't matter which camera you start with - Speed Graphic or Burke and James or Cambo or Calumet or Toyo or whatever you can get near your home. Start with a 135mm to 165mm lens. This is a "normal field of view". Oh! and some black & white film too. And a strong friend to help you carry all of it. Find a lab or a friend who can develop the film and maybe print for you. You'll learn to develop film and print later (this is another skill that you'll learn. It's not difficult. But it will take some time.

Expose film. Make mistakes (you will). Most of all - Have Fun.

Regards,

~Steve

[Eric James]

Welcome Moo,

You came to the right place! I discovered this website and forum about five years ago; at the time I knew nothing about large format photography and I, like you, started from scratch. My first picture was completely black, but with the help of the forum members, the forum archives (via the search function) and the home page articles (the so called, "static page" articles) I've made some nice images.

Perhaps you've already discovered the static page articles: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/ It's not only a good place to start, but you'll find yourself returning to reread articles and reference tables.

We will be learning traditional black and white images making together because I, like many others, have found that our favorite color films and labs are fading away in this digital age.

Good luck and thanks for joining,

Eric

[Tim Meisburger]

Hi Moo,

Welcome to the Forum! I too started as a beginner in LF just a few years ago, and since I live in Thailand too, had no one to show me what to do, so almost everything I know now about LF I learned online, and particularly on this forum.

If you want to shoot food, you will want color film, which I can no longer find in Thailand. (Perhaps you will have better luck searching in Thai.) IQ Labs develop 4x5 E6. Black and white can be ordered direct from Shanghai on ebay.

Good luck!

[moohunt21]

I forgot to tell you that, I already have
1. tripod head
2. darkroom bag(changing bag) for be a dark cloth too.
3. 7 of 4*5 holder
4. 203 and 127 lens
5. spot meter

those're all I have.
I borrow chamonix from my friend but now I feel like I need to give him back, so I think I should buyone

To Mr. Tim
Good to hear that someone still use a LF in Thailand
I want to know, are you using Shanghai film??? How they are???


And thanks all of you very much .

[Tim Meisburger]

Yes, I use shanghai. It seems fine to me, but I am not experienced enough to really see differences in film. Also because I have seldom used anything but shanghai (and Velvia 50), but I bought a box of Adox Art 50 recently when I was in the UK, so it might be fund to shoot the same scene with Shanghai and the Adox and see if I can see a difference. In general, I have tried to use just one film, to minimize variables.

[AF-ULF]

Practice, practice, practice.

When you decide on a camera, practice with it until using it becomes second nature. If you have an extra fifteen minutes at night, take out the camera and set it up from scratch a couple of times. Play with the movements until you can adjust the camera without thinking about which knob you have to turn. Cock the shutter and adjust the f/stop over and over, make practice exposures. You don't have to expose film, just work with the camera. Soon you won't even have to think about the mechanics of the camera and you can concentrate on the image.

[ki6mf]

I would pick one film, paper and chemical combination and work with that combination till you get results you want then make changes if needed