Beginning LF in the tradition of Alec Soth, Stephen Shore

[v.kapoor]

Hello,

I have been shooting 35mm and MF for a few years now and am excited to jump into LF photography. I'm a huge fan of color LF photography in the style of Soth and Shore.

I've been reading many articles and learning about the process, but still haven't had a chance to use one. I've even read previous threads on "What camera should I buy?"
I've seen various options for used kits on Craigslist, Blue Moon Camera, et al, but want to be careful not to bite off more than I can chew. I've considered a Toyo 45a, a Toyo 45cf and even a Linhof Master Classic.

Do you think a Linhof (used) would be a good way to jump in, or is that overkill? Any suggestions for a good first lense (or two)? I can't figure out what Soth uses with his 8x10.

I want to make beautiful environmental portraits inspired by Soth, if that gives you an idea. Do I need many movements in order to make portraits like that?

Thanks for reading and excited to be here!

[Christopher Barrett]

Nice, I dig Soth's work too. His images appear to be a fairly normal perspective. I'd guess he mostly uses a 300 on 8x10. So for 4x5, I'd get maybe a 135 and 150.

[Richard Wasserman]

Christopher is correct. Alec Soth used a 300mm lens on 8x10 for his early work such as "Sleeping by the Mississippi".

[Winger]

Don't feel like you'll be locking yourself into a "system" with your first camera. Start with something simple to get the main procedure down and see if you like it. Then think about what camera characteristics you'd need to do more or if you're fine with whatever you get. These days, if you buy something used, you've got a decent chance of not losing money by reselling it later. Lenses aren't like the smaller formats where you need certain mounts (Nikon to Nikon, Pentax to Pentax, etc..). You'll just need lens boards that fit the camera you get and most lenses will fit it.
Just jump on in! Find something you can afford and go for it.

[Luis-F-S]

Do you think a Linhof (used) would be a good way to jump in, or is that overkill? Any suggestions for a good first lense (or two)? I can't figure out what Soth uses with his 8x10.

I want to make beautiful environmental portraits inspired by Soth, if that gives you an idea. Do I need many movements in order to make portraits like that?

Thanks for reading and excited to be here!

Overkill!!!!!!! I doubt you'd use any movements in order to make portraits, or 90 % of general photography. I'd get either an inexpensive monorail (think Sinar F2, Toyo or Calumet) or a flatbed (think Wista, Zone VI, Nagaoka etc) and a 210 (Schneider, Rodenstock, Nikkor or Caltar) lens. Later on you can get a 120-135 or so. I doubt you'll see any difference in the major brands, just get it in a modern working shutter (think Copal!). Whatever you buy, you'll probably change in a year or two, so keep it cheap!

L

[Peter Lewin]

Since you mention Alec Soth, just for fun, here is a link to a short article on his view cameras: https://alecsothblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/03/worlds-worst-photo-interview-question/.
His Philips and Canham's are modern takes on wooden folding field cameras, so clearly any wooden field camera would put you in the same ballpark. (Philips no longer makes cameras, Keith Canham makes a 5x7 wooden camera with a 4x5 reducing back, or his metal field camera, the DLC^2, but they are costly and hard to find used.) You will be using a 4x5 rather than Soth's 8x10, but then the 4x5 is much less cumbersome to work with, and everything is less expensive. As was pointed out earlier, around a 150mm lens is the 4x5 equivalent of a 300mm on 8x10. When you work out your budget, remember that you need to allow for a tripod, tripod head, holders, and a light meter in addition to your camera and lens.

[v.kapoor]

Peter,

I saw that post on Alec's site! Thanks for reminding me of it.
Do you think a Canham would be overkill at a beginning user? Would you have any recommendations for more affordable models- I only see one Canham for sale on eBay for > $2k

Thanks again!

[Alan Gales]

The two Toyo's you are looking at will do the job. Also a used wooden Shen Hao will work. I've seen used Shen Hao's on Ebay sell for as low as $700.00.

Like mentioned earlier, a 150mm lens on a 4x5 camera will equal a 300mm lens on 8x10. These focal lengths are considered "normal" focal lengths just like an 80mm on a Hasselblad or a 50mm on a 35mm Nikon camera.

Look for a lens as mentioned earlier in a modern Copal shutter. Most modern Rodenstock, Schneider, Nikon or Fuji lenses are real close in performance. Let price and condition be your guide as to which to buy. Don't get bogged down by brand name.

Buy something inexpensive and spend your money on film. Eventually you will form your own opinions about cameras and lenses and may decide you prefer a different camera. Most of us didn't keep our first large format camera.

Have fun and welcome to the forum!

[Robclarke]

I think most would tell you not to get a linhof master technika first as they are expensive. However I jumped straight into LF with one and have been very happy with it. They are beautifully made and a joy to use. You can even do handheld lf with it if you get your lenses rangefinder calibrated.


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[Peter Lewin]

Peter,

...
Do you think a Canham would be overkill at a beginning user? Would you have any recommendations for more affordable models- I only see one Canham for sale on eBay for > $2k

Thanks again!
I wouldn't use the word "overkill." While there is always some enjoyment from owning an absolute top-of-the-line camera, ultimately a view camera is a flexible box with a lens at one end and a film holder at the other. I would instead approach it from a budget angle, where the amount of money you are comfortable spending has the largest impact on what you buy. There is nothing "wrong" with a beginner owning a Linhof or a Canham, but you certainly don't need one. My second view camera was a Wista Field, and it was a pleasure to work with. Really, most of the wooden field cameras are very similar, so it comes down to what you can find in good condition and a price you are happy with. They all have sufficient movements. The biggest difference comes at the extremes, meaning their ability to handle very wide angle lenses (say something wider than 90mm) or longer than 300mm; the vast majority handle lenses in between well, and any camera will be fine with a 135-150mm which is what several of us have recommended as your starting point.

A couple of personal facts. My second camera, after a Rollei 35mm, was a Leica M4. I loved it, but I could afford it, and it was much more camera than I needed. But I loved both the quality of the camera and its "feel." So that would have been overkill to some. My first view camera was a Sinar F, the second was a Wista Field, and my current is a Canham DLC upgraded by Keith to the current DLC^2 model. Could I have done 95% of what I do with the Wista? Certainly, but I also enjoy the workmanship of the machined aluminum Canham (and it handles my 80mm wide angle with a bag bellows, which is the 5% extra capability over the Wista, and would handle a lens longer than my 300mm, if I ever needed one). My point is that ultimately there is no such thing as "overkill" because a lot depends on how much you feel like spending on the camera as an "object" as opposed to as an image-making device.

[Drew Bedo]

Welcome to the LF world and the LFP community. The pool of knowledge, experience and talent here is deep and wide.

Jump-In? Two ways to go there. Either go all-in with a brand new high-end outfit (Canham, Linhoff, CVhamonix, Schneider, etc.) and that will be in the thousands . . .or slide in with a kit of used and/or ower end components (Speed Graphic, Burk & James, Ansco, Kodak 2D and so on).

Either way, there will be a learning curve in technique (EVERYTHING is manual) and a significant adjustment in creative process. However much you think you want to create images in the style or spirit of an established LF photographer, in the end you may not enjoy the continual direct manipulation of the gear (I do) or managing all the moving parts of a LF outfit. I have, myself, forgotten some small, essential and expensive piece of gear and walked off irretrievably leaving it in the tall grass. That's a hard lesson to learn.

Whatever you do, please post here and let us know what direction you take and how it is going.

Cheers

[Bill_1856]

Don't waste your time and money. Color is better done with a digital camera.

[Luis-F-S]

Don't waste your time and money. Color is better done with a digital camera.

+1!!! I'm trying to remember was it Paul Strand who said that color and photography have nothing in common?

[Luis-F-S]

Christopher is correct. Alec Soth used a 300mm lens on 8x10 for his early work such as "Sleeping by the Mississippi".

Do you know what stove Julia Child used? She was such a great cook, I'd like to get the same stove! ;)

[Richard Wasserman]

Do you know what stove Julia Child used? She was such a great cook, I'd like to get the same stove! ;)

I don't know, but judging from how good a cook she was, it must have been a very nice one...

She once told a story of when she was doing a demo at a department store and the hotplate she was supposed to cook on didn't work. She used a clothes iron instead. Might there be a lesson here?

[Luis-F-S]

I don't know, but judging from how good a cook she was, it must have been a very nice one...

She once told a story of when she was doing a demo at a department store and the hotplate she was supposed to cook on didn't work. She used a clothes iron instead. Might there be a lesson here?

Maybe she used an iron all the time. Sort of proves my point! Thanks for the insight! L

[JMO]

Don't waste your time and money. Color is better done with a digital camera.

After about 5 years with my Linhof Master Technika Classic and related gear; where I thought (like the OP) at the beginning that I would shoot landscapes and other subjects maybe 50 to 70% with color film; I have found that I like my digital gear, process and results better for color work. And so, I am seriously considering selling most or all of my 4x5 color film. However, since establishing my darkroom about 3 years ago I've become more and more enamored with B&W photography using my Linhof MT and 6x7 MF cameras. I still shoot lots of digital for color, but the B&W and its process (leading to traditional silver gelatin prints) has become an enjoyable addition to my photography hobby. I have always enjoyed challenging myself with learning curves, and it helps that I have been retired now about 2.5 years so have the time to devote to this traditional B&W process. I don't know the OP's age, or stage in life, but for me I wish I'd started on this journey with B&W film photography much earlier in my life so I'd be that much further up the learning curve, and have enjoyed the journey that extra time. ...

[Peter Lewin]

On the other hand, most professional chefs do use professional stoves, which for example offer higher BTU burners than the typical domestic ones, and definitely more BTUs than a clothes iron. Obviously the point is that a great chef or photographer can work wonders with almost any functional equipment, which isn't to say that they wouldn't prefer better. Do you think Weston would have turned down a well-equipped darkroom, saying he just loved his bare lightbulb?

[Luis-F-S]

My point is that it's not the stove, or the camera or lens but the knowledge of the "operator". I suspect that Weston was perfectly happy with his bare bulb because even to this day, if I understand it correctly, that is how his contact prints are made!

[Alan Gales]

My point is that it's not the stove, or the camera or lens but the knowledge of the "operator". I suspect that Weston was perfectly happy with his bare bulb because even to this day, if I understand it correctly, that is how his contact prints are made!

Be careful where you are treading. Ken Rockwell was raked over the coals for saying that the camera doesn't matter. ;)

[Alan Gales]

Don't waste your time and money. Color is better done with a digital camera.

Really? Then why does my Fujifilm digital camera have a bunch of film simulation modes? :)

[v.kapoor]

Maybe she used an iron all the time. Sort of proves my point! Thanks for the insight! L

Your point is nothing new, and there's really no point in hijacking this thread to make it.
Thanks.

[v.kapoor]

Peter, this was really helpful. Thank you for your insight!


I wouldn't use the word "overkill." While there is always some enjoyment from owning an absolute top-of-the-line camera, ultimately a view camera is a flexible box with a lens at one end and a film holder at the other. I would instead approach it from a budget angle, where the amount of money you are comfortable spending has the largest impact on what you buy. There is nothing "wrong" with a beginner owning a Linhof or a Canham, but you certainly don't need one. My second view camera was a Wista Field, and it was a pleasure to work with. Really, most of the wooden field cameras are very similar, so it comes down to what you can find in good condition and a price you are happy with. They all have sufficient movements. The biggest difference comes at the extremes, meaning their ability to handle very wide angle lenses (say something wider than 90mm) or longer than 300mm; the vast majority handle lenses in between well, and any camera will be fine with a 135-150mm which is what several of us have recommended as your starting point.

A couple of personal facts. My second camera, after a Rollei 35mm, was a Leica M4. I loved it, but I could afford it, and it was much more camera than I needed. But I loved both the quality of the camera and its "feel." So that would have been overkill to some. My first view camera was a Sinar F, the second was a Wista Field, and my current is a Canham DLC upgraded by Keith to the current DLC^2 model. Could I have done 95% of what I do with the Wista? Certainly, but I also enjoy the workmanship of the machined aluminum Canham (and it handles my 80mm wide angle with a bag bellows, which is the 5% extra capability over the Wista, and would handle a lens longer than my 300mm, if I ever needed one). My point is that ultimately there is no such thing as "overkill" because a lot depends on how much you feel like spending on the camera as an "object" as opposed to as an image-making device.

[Luis-F-S]

Your point is nothing new, and there's really no point in hijacking this thread to make it.
Thanks.

So why are you fixated on a 12" lens?

[Serge S]

I don't know, but judging from how good a cook she was, it must have been a very nice one...

She once told a story of when she was doing a demo at a department store and the hotplate she was supposed to cook on didn't work. She used a clothes iron instead. Might there be a lesson here?

Interesting story about the iron. She was resourceful.
After she died, her kitchen was placed in the Smithsonian.
I remember seeing a photo of it when it was in Cambridge, Mass., based on that observation.
She would of had a nice camera:)

[Alan Gales]

So why are you fixated on a 12" lens?

The OP is a fan of Alec Soth and wants to use a lens with the same perspective. Alec Soth used a 12" or 300mm lens on his 8x10 so it was recommended to the OP to use a 150mm on his 4x5 for environmental portraiture.

[Drew Bedo]

Folks: Food is food— color is NOT B & W—and film is film, NOT digital capture.

There have been thousands of pages written about color vs B & W and more thousands of pages discussing the characteristics of various emulsions, both from a technical approach (development, d-max,saturation/hue and all that—with graphs and curves of everything) as well as the visable esthetics of prints from film. Digital has a similarly large body of discussion, much of it using acronyms and abbreviations( that look like my grand kid's text messages).

Each is its own little continent in the world of photography. If you don't like the cold of Alaska, go to Australia. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen (so, now we're back to food).

The OP needed a welcome to our LF world and asked for some strategic advice. I told him what a great bunch we all are .. . . . and now I'm a little disappointed.

[Rodfjell]

OP, I had my first LF camera for 6 months before I bought a better one. I got an old used Wista 45 field camera - the metal ones. Not all the parts worked and there were pinholes in the bellows BUT since I spent very little on it that freed me up to spend more on film and the other things you'll find you want/need down the line. The cheapest option would arguably be the Intrepid Camera from England, a 135mm f/4.7 Graflex Optar and Wista/Technika style lensboard. And you would be very happy with it. The camera with that lens would be no more than 2 lbs so any old tripod would work as well.


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[callmebrick]

The OP needed a welcome to our LF world and asked for some strategic advice. I told him what a great bunch we all are .. . . . and now I'm a little disappointed.

Artists are weird.

Engineers are weird.

Here we've got Artist-Engineers and Engineer-Artists.

[mathiasprinz]

To add to whats been said: I personally much prefer the look of C41 color film, both scanned and ra4-printed, over any results I´ve gotten with digital cameras. Scanning has got a bit of a learning curve, if you want to to it yourself. Balancing color isn't always easy, but if you get it right it's just great. If you like the colors of the Work of Soth and Shore (this school was my reason to go into large format also), large format C41 is the way to go, if you ask me.

If you want to shoot in that style, your setup should be quick to set up and lightweight. A Technica should meet those requirements. The Canham DLC that was mentioned meets the same requirements. The Technica is probably a bit quicker to set up and possibly a bit more sturdy, the Canham a little lighter and offers more flexibility in movements and bellows extension. It was my first large format camera, it`s still the only 4x5 i use. Lenswise, all modern 150mm will do. On 4x5, 150mm lenses seem even more universally useful to me than 50mm on 35mm for example. I really think you can go without anything else for starters.

[v.kapoor]

Thanks Mathias!

Your first LF was the Canham DLC or the Technica? Do you shoot the Canham as a 5x7 or with the reducing back?
Would love to seem some of your photographs.

[mathiasprinz]

Glad to be of help. There is a 4x5 version of the Canham DLC (see here: http://www.canhamcameras.com/DLC2.html). I have version one of this camera. Very pleasing! I don't have my latest stuff scanned and ready at the moment, but everything that you can find here http://www.mathiasprinz.com under ›preperation for departure‹ is made with a canham dlc, a rodenstock apo sironar 150mm and a wierd reprofilm called Fuji CDU II - hence the blueish ›blade runner‹ vibe.

[Jonathan Barlow]

Hello,

I have been shooting 35mm and MF for a few years now and am excited to jump into LF photography. I'm a huge fan of color LF photography in the style of Soth and Shore.

I've been reading many articles and learning about the process, but still haven't had a chance to use one. I've even read previous threads on "What camera should I buy?"
I've seen various options for used kits on Craigslist, Blue Moon Camera, et al, but want to be careful not to bite off more than I can chew. I've considered a Toyo 45a, a Toyo 45cf and even a Linhof Master Classic.

Do you think a Linhof (used) would be a good way to jump in, or is that overkill? Any suggestions for a good first lense (or two)? I can't figure out what Soth uses with his 8x10.

I want to make beautiful environmental portraits inspired by Soth, if that gives you an idea. Do I need many movements in order to make portraits like that?

Thanks for reading and excited to be here!


Why don't you just get the same camera & lens as Alec Soth or Stephen Shore? Then you can't make any excuses about your equipment as you produce your images.

[v.kapoor]

Why don't you just get the same camera & lens as Alec Soth or Stephen Shore? Then you can't make any excuses about your equipment as you produce your images.

Two reasons: I can't afford 8x10 and like I said, I'm inspired by them, I don't want to be them. I'm also a beginner, that's simply looking for suggestions that would suit someone just getting started in LF photography.

[ventdesable]

Hello,

Here in France I started with a symmetrical camera. It was a Sinar, it could have been an Arca Swiss. It is what I found the easiest way to discover Large Format. Especially with the F1 from Sinar. This camera isn't to heavy, it folds itself without any trouble (in this compartment, the Norma is clearly the winner), it isn't too heavy and it has a magic knob ! In fact, it helps you calculate the angle of tilting to get your plane of focus where you want it to be. It even gives you an optimal aperture for your lens - This is subject to controversies but I did get not in trouble with it for the moment.

When you want to make portraits in situation, you will need to tilt you front panel. Iterations might be long where you would prefer to go fast. Knowing what your need might spare you a lot of time. This is the "raison d'être" of this knob.

About lenses, you might like the 150 mm APO Sironar N for it is very small and tack sharp. With it's 72° of angle, it gives you some movement. Not a lot, but usually sufficient. An Apo Sironar S will be wider and sharper, but a lot more expensive.

I bought my Sinar F1, a 150 mm Sironar N, a bag bellow, 10 holders for 600 €.

How much for one Linhof ?

If you read French, you can get http://collegialuniversitaire.groupemodulo.com/recherche.html?recherche=groulx We consider it to be a kind of bibble.

You may get as many advises as writers. But of course, mine is of the bests you will seek ! ;-)

Bonne Quête !

Jérôme

[jose angel]

Just wanted to add my opinion, which differs in a small part with some above.

You certainly don`t need Soth`s camera to do the same work; choosing a camera is the easiest part. The difficult thing here are the ideas and how to successfully transfer them into a negative.

The DLC is a very nice camera, quite versatile, but slow to use. It is lightweight (not the lightest anymore), but as a lightweight field "monorail?", very slow to setup. They need to be opened, unfold the bellows, to put the standards in position, to pre-lock all the controls (8 at least), and then to "fine setup" -to set the standard for the given lens-, and very likely, to re-lock some controls. No stops, no presets, no auto-locking tabs. After all this, you can attach the lens and focus.

Technikas (like most flat bed/press type cameras) are way faster to setup, they just need to be opened, unfold the bellows up to the stop tab and attach the lens. Ready to focus and shoot. Quite a big difference. In trade, Canhams have a longer and larger bellows, great for longer and bigger lenses and shutters. One camera doesn`t replace the other, and both are capable of doing the task. Neither the Linhof or the Canham is overkill, just expensive.

You can probably do the very same thing on much cheaper or even more expensive cameras. But if you like this ones, either of them is a great choice.

[Drew Bedo]

+1^

I would only add that some lenses may not need to be removed from the Press-type cameras and may self-store as the bellows and front standard are collapsed into the body.

Everything has some trade-off with a benefit and a drawback. Speed of set-up may be important for some types of shooting while a particular lens, having some bulk, may be paramount for another shooting serssion.

There is no mone best way to do anything. The negative/transparency/print is what counts. However you get there is just a path you take.

[v.kapoor]

Thanks everyone for your help. Today I purchased a beautiful used Linhof Master Classic. It came with a 150 and 90, 16 film holders, the original manual and he even threw in a new pack of Provia and a Tamrac bag to hold it. All for $1750.

Very excited to take my first portraits and share with you all. Thanks again!

[ventdesable]

Good.

Havre Fun !

J

[stawastawa]

I was going to add that Some field cameras can fold with a lens inside, but Drew beat me to it.

Personally, I really enjoy having a 135mm lens folded up inside my Tachihara field camera. But I find I shoot a Medium format rangefinder more often these days because I can shoot handheld more comfortably. All the best with the adventure! I look forward to seeing what you see in the world.

He he well said:

Artists are weird.
Engineers are weird.
Here we've got Artist-Engineers and Engineer-Artists.

Nice personal stories from Mathias and Peter.
(Mathias I am glad to see that CDU is working well for you!)






And in the end:

Havre Fun !
:)

[mathiasprinz]

Nice personal stories from Mathias and Peter.
(Mathias I am glad to see that CDU is working well for you!)


Thanks for passing it on to me! It does kind of work in very specific conditions and is a cheap way getting some 8x10-slides on your light table. Now I am kind of done with it but it was good while it lasted!

[Jonathan Barlow]

Two reasons: I can't afford 8x10 and like I said, I'm inspired by them, I don't want to be them. I'm also a beginner, that's simply looking for suggestions that would suit someone just getting started in LF photography.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of holding Louis Armstrong's trumpet. Just because I was holding Louis Armstrong's trumpet, it doesn't mean I know how to play it. And even if I'm a great trumpet player, it doesn't mean I can play it like Louis Armstrong.

Like an 8x10 camera, it's just a tool.

[v.kapoor]

Lol


Yesterday, I had the privilege of holding Louis Armstrong's trumpet. Just because I was holding Louis Armstrong's trumpet, it doesn't mean I know how to play it. And even if I'm a great trumpet player, it doesn't mean I can play it like Louis Armstrong.

Like an 8x10 camera, it's just a tool.

[Alan Gales]

Yesterday, I had the privilege of holding Louis Armstrong's trumpet. Just because I was holding Louis Armstrong's trumpet, it doesn't mean I know how to play it. And even if I'm a great trumpet player, it doesn't mean I can play it like Louis Armstrong.

Like an 8x10 camera, it's just a tool.

My father-in-law saw Louis Armstrong play in a club up in Chicago. He said his table was only about 15 feet from the stage and it's a memory that he will never forget!

[Peter Lewin]

Yesterday, I had the privilege of holding Louis Armstrong's trumpet. Just because I was holding Louis Armstrong's trumpet, it doesn't mean I know how to play it. And even if I'm a great trumpet player, it doesn't mean I can play it like Louis Armstrong.

Like an 8x10 camera, it's just a tool.
And to go back from jazz music to photography, while an 8x10 camera is just a tool, some tools are nicer than others. While I'm only a mediocre guitar player, and a guitar is basically a stringed box for making music, I would still prefer a Martin D-28. A car is merely a device for getting from point A to point B, but a Porsche or Ferrari might be more fun than a Toyota Corolla. And yes, while any view camera, or any camera, is merely a tool for making images, most would agree that Mr. Kapoor's new-to-him Linhof may well be more fun to own than a non-descript view camera. If the criteria for owning the cameras we do is that we make images of the standard of Weston or Adams or Karsh or Penn, 99% of us need to find other hobbies.

[v.kapoor]

Thanks Peter!

What I can't understand is how many times this thread has been hijacked by dudes with banal epigrams. I came to this forum to be educated, not lectured. You're not saying anything new by the usual "it's the photographer, not the tool that counts." I went to art school, I get it.

With that said, a little anecdote: Alec Soth studied at Sarah Lawrence and finally got to take a class with Joel Sternfeld. Soth loved Sternfeld and was often compared to him early in his career. Soth embarked on his first road trip while still in college, eventually completing his first major project "Sleeping by the Mississippi." He used a Philips 8x10 shooting color. Guess which camera Sternfeld used when making "American Prospects."

To everyone else that has offered useful advice pertaining to the discussion in this thread, thank you also.

[dodphotography]

Basically my professor put it this way... sack up and buy the best possible rig you can get it. Buy the best lenses.
Not because they make better work for you but it's just one more variable you can store away and leave as an afterthought.


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[Bill_1856]

Thanks everyone for your help. Today I purchased a beautiful used Linhof Master Classic. It came with a 150 and 90, 16 film holders, the original manual and he even threw in a new pack of Provia and a Tamrac bag to hold it. All for $1750.

Very excited to take my first portraits and share with you all. Thanks again!
Congratulations -- enjoy!!!

[Tim V]

I had the privilege of meeting Alec some years ago. He was a lovely guy and his considered and honest critique and personal narrative really motivated me to keep working to find my own way of doing things. Thanks for posting the links to the interviews.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I want to make beautiful environmental portraits inspired by Soth, if that gives you an idea. Do I need many movements in order to make portraits like that?

You must become Soth and you cannot.

Your challenge is not technical. Camera movements are the least of concerns.

What you need is the strength to walk hundreds of miles with a vision, an open mind, infinite patience and an engaging and empathetic personality; the later virtues missing from the spirit of your query and your responses.


What I can't understand is how many times this thread has been hijacked by dudes with banal epigrams. I came to this forum to be educated, not lectured.

You need a lecture. Trying to direct responses is a sure indication of the ineducable.