Wildlife in Large format

[sethlatimer]

I am wondering if anybody has had any success shooting wildlife with a large format camera? I usually hike around Utah's Wasatch mountains and see quite a bit of deer, moose, birds. My usual weekend outing is about 4-7 miles round trip, with a folding camera, lightweight tripod and couple lenses.

Any tips that make shooting wildlife with a 4x5 camera easier?

Any pointers to other resources I could study?

After two failed opportunities I realize now that I should have my camera assembled on the tripod ahead of time, with my longest lens and cable release attached. I am in the process of re-configuring my backpack to accommodate this.

[lenser]

Like any hunting or stalking situation, it would be best to try to learn the locations where the subject congregate, feed, bed down, etc. and the times of day and then try to arrive and get into the best "hidden" mode you can find. Preset everything on the camera that you can and avoid all noise that's possible. If you are going to be close, avoid perfumes, colognes, scented deodorants food smells or anything else that could distract the subjects or attract predators to you. Being there and ready is more likely to produce good results than accidentally stumbling on to a situation.

If you aren't a hunter, mine the ideas of any of your friends who are.

You might also do a search for books on "hunting" with a camera and adapt the techniques from smaller formats to what you would need to do with 4x5.

I've seen several great and very close up large format wildlife images from the glass plate days when nothing else was available, so obviously it can be done quite well. One was of a cougar in a tree in a very angry posture which the caption stated was taken from only a few feet away.

[Bill_1856]

Horses for courses.

[Drew Wiley]

Most wildlife photog requires quite a bit of patience (more than I've got) and some familiarity of the habits of the species you're interested in. I've successfully shot wild horses with LF and long lenses. Otherwise, I've set up my 8x10 in a setting and waited
quietly unless the critters just got used to me, and otherwise hoped that they'd move
where I wanted to, and have the light hold. Got some deer shots that way, and obviously
things like sleeping seals, but otherwise more fun than success trying. Sometimes the animals got so curious about the gear that they approached too closely to focus upon.
Foxes and coyotes have walked up and sniffed the darkcloth. One time a fox took a nap
in the shadow of the cloth while I was standing there. On the other hand, I once had some
wild boars take offence, and had to keep my eye on a nearby tree just in case.

[Drew Bedo]

Taxidermy—thats the ticket.

[jp]

Eliot Porter, before he got big into landscapes, photographed birds with LF (and probably super slow kodachrome)

I'd consider it quite a challenge considering the usual tools of the trade are DSLRs and supertele lenses.

[Vaughn]

I had a image all set up in the redwoods and started my exposure -- a herd of Elk showed up and started munching right in the scene I was photographing. It was a long (5 minutes or more) and none of the elk showed up in the image. When the bull started to make rude noises at me, I broke my record for breaking down the camera and getting into my pack!

A bear walked into my scene last month -- but stopped for about 3 to 5 seconds of a 45 second exposure...and did not show up the negative, either.

These three deer along Redwood Creek (Redwood National Park) were very tame and posed quite nicely for me (across the river and on the left). They were munching in the camp about 20 feet away before crossing the creek and bedding down for a mid-day nap. Try National Parks...the animals near popular areas almost pose for you.

Scanned 4x10 carbon print

[jp]

As far as tame deer go, Paul Caponigro's "Running White Deer" is LF.
http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/sto...lCaponigro.php
Quality work, but it doesn't excite me.

[Vaughn]

Yes, the deer were being raised by a farmer and herded for the photograph, as far as I recall.

Still an amazing image, IMO. I'd pay $100 for a large excellent quality digital print of it.

Vaughn

[Lenny Eiger]

It's an iconic image by one of this country's great photographers. Paul Caponigro is, by my reckoning, a national treasure.

Lenny