book of photos of tops of NY Skyscrapers

[Warren Williams]

I realize this question is a little off beat but I thought a member of this forum might help. Perhaps 30 years ago a large format photographer hauled a 4x5 or 8x10 up to the tops of various skyscrapers in Manhatten to photograph the tops of other skyscrapers with very long lenses (and bellows). He published a book of breathtaking photos. Does anyone remember the photographer or name of the book? I think I remember it from one of the mass market mags.
Warren

[Arne Croell]

I think you meant the late German photographer Reinhart Wolf and his book"New York". See:

http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/books/photography/all/facts/01343.htm (http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/books/photography/all/facts/01343.htm)

He made another book in similar style about Spanish castles. These were labors of love; his bread and butter work wwas advertisement and food photography

[adrian tyler]

"new york" by reinhart wolf, taschen have just made a re-edition. he also made a beauty of a book "castles of spain" (ediciones el viso), a homage to the work of ortiz echague.

[John Kasaian]

Superb compositions! I recall seeing a photo of Reinhart Wolf with his camera---it looked like a Sinar or Linhoff monorail with a whole bunch of standards and bellows. Does anyone know what kind of lens he used?

[Jeffrey Sipress]

Two books in my collection come to mind. 'Top of the City, New York's Hidden Rooftop World", by Laura Rosen. I can't imagine a better collection of gargoyles, rooftops and tall architecture than this volume. And, 'New York in the Forties', by Andreas Feininger. This one I recalled since he used very long lenses, but not just on skyscrapers, of which there are still many shown.

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

For John Kasaian ! There is a picture of Reinhart Wolf in that book with
a Sinar Norma 5x7" with many standards and an extra long monorail
but there is also a technical information saying that those pictures were
shot on 8x10" with the Sinar on Kodak Ektachrome and Vericolor with Apo-Ronar lenses
360,480,600,800,1000mm (if I remember correctly)

[Arne Croell]

Reinhart Wolff used a Sinar with 2 bellows, intermediate standard, DB shutter, and long focal length Apo-Ronars for these pictures. There is a photo of him and the camera in the back of the book.

[John Kasaian]

Gudmundur,

Thanks! I read the interview of Reinhart Wolf and I was really impressed by him. How he worked out the technical details of using vew cameras with such long bellows draw is, like his photographs--- astounding!

Cheers!

[Mark Sampson]

In the book, Mr. Wolf spoke about how the most difficult part of the job was convincing the NY building superintendents to let him up on the roofs of their buildings before sunrise, in order to get those pictures.

[Ellis Vener]

How he worked out the technical details of using vew cameras with such long bellows draw is, like his photographs--- astounding!

You mean like bellows factor? there was none he was essentially focusing at infinity or very close to it. If you mean how did he get from one end of the camera to the other to make exposure adjustments as the light changed or to or change holders? He had an assistant. Wolf's book on Japanese food is also astounding, especially considering that the photos were made in his hotel room in Tokyo in available light.