An Unusual question fro all of you - part II??

[Saulius]

Stephen, When out in the field taking landscape photogrpahs I carry my 35mm camera with several lenses as well as my 8x10. Upon seeing an enticing composition I first pull out my 35mm with a lens combination that closely matches what I forsee using with the LF camera and lens. What I then do is walk around looking through the 35mm to get a better sense of where to first place my tripod and LF camera and to see if the composition will work. It saves me some time in moving my big heavy LF camera around on tripod from spot to spot until I find the right vantage point. This doesn't always work but seems to help me. Another thought is to become very familiar and proficient at setting up your camera. It may be the difference between catching or missing a scene in which the lighting is quickly changing or fading. I've missed a few at being too slow and clumsy with my camera. Lastly if you can get your hands on the publication LENSWORK issues 33 and 34 there may be something of interest to you. In issue 33 the editor talked about a 100 prints project in six weeks and follows it up with some observations in issue 34 "The Importance of Structure". Some tidbits from issue 34 "I can be much more productive when I define a project and then set about the task of executing it. When the definition is missing, the execution tends to be random, unfinsihed, inconsistent and mostly theoretical. One of the keys to success is to frankly face our limitations and work within them." You can buy back issues on line at http://www.lenswork.com/ These ideas may help you be more productive, which may or may not help in getting you more exhibition quality prints. Best of luck.

[e]

Lenswork is a great mag! Perhaps to be sucessful it's necessary to work on ones weak points as well as our strengths...but we need to recognize them first! This we rarely if ever do ever do for ourselves.We need to have an honest eye and heart...but with NO judgemental qualities to alter the reality of our position.Just to SEE...clean and clear!

[Saulius]

Ooops, a correction on my previous post. The article - Getting Serious: The One Hundred Prints Project is found in Lenwork issue 21 not 33 according to their web site.

[Neal Shields]

One thought would be to use the shutter off of a Graflex Super D. It allows you to focus at full aperture and then stops down automatically to the taking aperture when the shutter is tripped. Thus saving one whole step in the exposure process. Also you could use UV filters instead of lens caps.

Also if you use Grafmatic backs, you can buy extra septums and instead of loading septums in the field, you can just swap out septums in a changing bag which would be very quick. If this doesn?t make sense, see the Graflex.org web site.

However, the king of rapid fire 4X5 has to be Peter Gowland. Get one of his Gowlandflex cameras (4X5 and 8X10 TLRs), and you eliminate several steps in the normal view camera picture taking process. You can leave the Grafmatic back in place, leave your shutter speed, and aperture set. They are a bit heavy however, so I hope your Llama doesn?t spit on me if we ever meet.

Keep in mind when everybody tells you about these great artists that didn?t do very much, all of the stuff that Michaelangelio did during his life time. Read ?The Agony and the Ecstasy?. The birth of American Art Photography coincided pretty much with the Beat era so prolific output would not be expected.

However, I have been trying to get a satisfactory picture of a door with vines around it for several months, so I don?t think I can aspire to your 6 or 7 a day.

[Erik Ryberg]

I prescribe a 4x10 pinhole camera that has to be taken apart to be loaded, five sheets of film, and a 7 day backcountry trip.

[Geoffrey Swenson]

Perhaps I am too late to ask, but could we see some of your work? It might give us a good insight into what you consider exhibit quality images, and also to see what your work offers to mankind.

Regards,

GS

[QT Luong]

I've been faced with this situation at times. For my National Parks project, I often travel to a remote area for a relatively short period of time, during which I want to bring back some good (whatever it means) images. What I found help me the most was <ul> <li> Understand the location and the light, in order to be able to select the right subject for any given conditions. Previsualize the effect of changing light, and return later to nail the image. <li> Keep moving, watching, and exploring. The more you see, the more you are likely to find something to your liking. </ul>

[thomas gage]

great question...my response is a little late but since i just found this place yesterday-4/10/02, what the hell..similar to another response, i just decided to leave the 4x5 system at home and now use a very simple, elegant 2x3 camera called the galvin view, that i bought on ebay for $400.00...it uses horseman 120 roll film backs and with a carbon gitzo tripod and small back pack i can go all day and never feel over over loaded...i am my own llama...also, using roll film uninhibits me...hand processing b&w sheet film is laborious and the thought of "just more darkroom work" sometimes stops me in my tracks...i give generous props to any one using an 8x10 or larger format without an assistant but for me a lighter load in general seems to be the answer for uninhibitted creativity in the field...not a personnally imposed creative quota...tg.