What subjects do we shoot?

[James Phillips]

I shoot mostly landscapes and isolated or ignored old buildings, sheds and barns. I would like to try portraits but am too uncomfortable around people I do not know to be telling them what to do. I like the wide-open spaces but do admire those of you who will set up in a busy city and merrily shoot away. Recently I pulled out an old 35mm rangefinder (it was in a moment of weakness :>) ) and have become more fascinated with candid shots. I think it will take quite a bit before I am comfortable setting up my 4x5 and casually shooting candid shots in a downtown area even a small town like I live in. Oh well there are many things to shoot where I do go and the air is crisp and fresh.

[Jim Billlups]

Junkscapes...

[John Elstad]

I find it interesting that many of us are drawn to subjects that represent a time gone by, as we ourselves as lf photographers work in a medium that many consider archaic and obsolete. Is it because we long for the lazier pace of a simpler time, or perhaps miss the fine craftsmanship that is now seldom found? I don't just think it's a coincidence.

[Natha Congdon]

These days I'm working on a portfolio of portraits of women, many in masks and/or costumes, many shots in "exotic" locales such as the Australian outback and the Andes (two recent examples; I travel a lot for work). These are all shot with a 12X20 camera, for platinum contact printing. Often, there is a lot of "seting up" work involved, for example, a friend of mine in her wedding dress sitting on a limb in the tree in our back yard, shot as a vertical; an author friend lying on a huge pile of books, reading. I find the 12X20 format, originally intended for "banquet" group shots, to be a very stimulating aspect ratio for environmental portraits. It's really got me thinking about space anew, esp after years of shooting the much more square 4X5 and 8X10 formats.

Nathan

[Hal Hardy]

OK, I'm awake now and want to ammend my posting on photographing the dirt bikers. I should have prefaced it with:

Like everyone else, I shoot static subjects of whatever grabs my attention at the moment. Because I dearly love big honkin' negs, I occasionally try to do something that the camera wasn't designed to do in the hopes that it will work in spite of itself.

[fishfish]

I photographs the Nude, and 19th Century Architecture; both suit the high degree to detail the large negs give me, and both take great advantage of the movements and controls LF provides. Interestingly, most of the models I work with prefer the large format sessions to those where I take smaller cameras - they say the pace of 8x10 shooting is more relaxing!

[Dave Schneidr]

My main subjects are rural architecture of the previous century. Grain elevators before they were slip formed concrete, farm houses before they made the cover of Ranch Beautiful, barns before the advent of steel sheathing. That an any artifacts of our lost rural heritage, a Farmall Super M rotting on side of the road always makes me stop. South Dakota is the most fertile territory for this work.

[Mat Nikon]

Old Airplanes!! Also landscapes and cityscapes and our new airport.

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=187249

I shoot the planes because its easy. Not too many people around in the museum to give me the weird looks.

By the way, would you guys be kind enough to state where youre from also? I think most LF shooters are probably from the US and Canada because that is THE place for LF with all the huge National Parks and Wisner and Canham and Ebay AND Kodak etc. (Are there a lot of LF shooters from Switzerland, home of Arca and Sinar?)

I think I saw one poster from South Africa, home of the Panfield camera. (Too lazy to figure out from email address.) Me I'm from Malaysia. I know there are some LF shooters in Malaysia because I've seen the forensic evidence. (Old cameras for sale, 4x5 films on display, animal droppings etc.)

[looker]

going to a biplane show tomorrow in bartlesville ok. my bro rebuilds rotary engines and his company will have a sponsor's tent to display their wares(mainly continental, lycoming)... i'm taking my point and shoot.

a gsw,

trib

[Mat Nikon]

Drat! Now I have to lookup what the hell are "groynes". The other one I know and I'm normal weird. (Or normally weird.)