I was recently faced with the challenge of photographing from a low angle in very muddy, rocky and sometimes dusty conditions. I first tried this on my knees with a focusing cloth and quickly determined that it would be painful to continue this way. For this project, I was using my prized Anba Ikeda 4x5 for which there is no off the shelf right angle viewing device. I ended up buying a Toyo binocular viewer on a popular auction site. It was essentially new in the box and pretty affordable. Having access to a machine shop, I was able to modify some architectural aluminum pieces and create some "hangers" which I then attached to the viewer's frame by drilling and tapping some small holes to which they could be screwed in place. I applied some 3M 235 photo tape to the metal surfaces of the hangers so as to prevent damage to the cameras wooden and plated parts. An elastic headband was all that was needed to block out extraneous light from the entering between the viewer and the gg. I was able to get down to about 24" above ground which worked out very well for me.
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