Poll: Why do YOU shoot large format (4x5 or bigger)

[Laminarman]

I couldn't find a poll like this on here so I'm asking. Sorry if it's redundant. I'm just curious where this will fall. I know we each have our reasons. While I consider LF 4x5 and larger, I really have no business voting because I haven't done it in many years and the slow boat from China with my Chamonix is paddling into headwinds and I'm still waiting. Anyways, I posted my answer. It slows me down and makes me think and ultimately it will make me better.

[Tin Can]

Now it's here

[Laminarman]

Randy how the heck did you reply to my poll before I even posted it? You're quick man....

Anyways poll now done for better or worse. I didn't intend to be scientific.

[Tin Can]

My computer is right next to my studio and darkroom. I am constantly moving about my cave.


Randy how the heck did you reply to my poll before I even posted it? You're quick man....

Anyways poll now done for better or worse. I didn't intend to be scientific.

[Laminarman]

My computer is right next to my studio and darkroom. I am constantly moving about my cave.

I like it : )

[Tin Can]

In a winter like this, I hibernate and seldom leave the cave for 2 weeks at a time.

Sometimes I go to the shed and dig around my George Carlin stuff, but only if I really need something.

The Weight, by The Band https://youtu.be/sjCw3-YTffo


I like it : )

[Vaughn]

I make work in alt processes requiring contact prints made using UV light. I use in-camera negatives, so if I want bigger prints, I need bigger cameras. Fortunately, I like 8x10 (Zone VI) as a size, but enjoy going up to 11x14 (a Chamonix) some, too. But I also have on-going projects using 4x5 and/or 5x7...where size/weight of the equipment becomes a factor.

Just got back from a month in southern Chile with the 5x7 (100+ year-old Eastman View No.2). Lots of wind, rain in many places when there was no wind, lots of time on the roads...but exposed 30 sheets of FP4+ of about 20 different images -- ordering chemicals tomorrow.

I was asked once in Chile (German tourist, I believe) why use such a camera in our technological age? I gave him my standard answer that I wrote above. Later, hit by delayed intellegence, I wished I had said something more along these lines:

Cameras are tools of the artist. The tools an artist uses shape the artist as much as the artist shapes with his tools. And you don't know the shape I'm in..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00VkP7v-VaM

[Laminarman]

In a winter like this, I hibernate and seldom leave the cave for 2 weeks at a time.

Sometimes I go to the shed and dig around my George Carlin stuff, but only if I really need something.

Went out this afternoon with my Hasselblad. I was going to walk up my property about 1/4 mile and take a few photos, the light has been great. We got hammered by snow this weekend. It's wind chill 30 below, no joke. Got bundled up, got the snowshoes on, backpack on, Mad Bomber hat, mittens, ski pants. Took about 10 minutes to go 100 yards in the snow uphill, face started freezing, then I face planted when I caught my heel, got snow down my neck, had to take my mittens off to tighten the now loose snowshoe, fingers now totally numb, pushed on, became totally frozen and felt my skin start to freeze, turned back around and got back to the house and poured an early Lagavulin to warm me up. This proves one thing: you're smarter than me.

[Laminarman]

Great quote and great clip Vaughn!

[Laminarman]

I'm wondering for those who choose image quality what their quality parameter is. Tonality? Grain? Perspective control? The "film look" but I'm not sure most people can tell that difference. I have a Nikon D810 and the image quality is incredible. I just can't stand all the digital choices and menus and programming anymore- I feel like I'm flying the space shuttle. If someone told me to choose a camera based on image quality alone, I'm not sure I could ignore digital. I am holding images from a Nikon Z7 in my hand now and am fairly blown away. That being said I'm into LF and film once again because it's more organic (or analog I guess).

[Oren Grad]

None of the options listed.

I like the qualities of contact prints made on ordinary silver-gelatin paper. So I use as large a camera as the prints I want to make, subject to the constraint of how much I have energy to carry and fuss with at any given time.

Now that, in the grand scheme of things, silver-gelatin prints are more or less an "alt process", you could say that this is just a variation on Vaughn's theme.

[David Karp]

It is fun.

[Oren Grad]

It is fun.

That too! :)

[Tin Can]

Zen

[Two23]

In a winter like this, I hibernate and seldom leave the cave for 2 weeks at a time.




I'm a winter guy--I tend to go inside or only go out at night in summer when it's hot.:) As for large format, I love using camera gear from the dawn of time. I often wonder who owned the stuff before I did, and what sort of photos they took. Also, everybody is running around taking photos with either a digital camera or a phone. I want to be different.:)


Kent in SD

[Tin Can]

Worked outside or in unheated buildings year round from 16 into my 40's.

I am half Norwegian from Northern MN. As a child Ice skated on frozen lakes and used way too big crosscountry skies. Mother always told us to go outside and come back for dinner. Any weather.

Now I like to stay at one temp. I have my first car with AC.

Rode motorcycles in snow and ice, it's fun, last time I did that, I fell down at 2am when I decided I was home and spun the tire. Oops.

I left out the yearly NYE motorbike races.

X-Mas, I shot this pic in 1968. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4772/40778955311_975a57d985_n.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/258uNGp)Tom and Santa (https://flic.kr/p/258uNGp) by TIN CAN COLLEGE (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tincancollege/), on Flickr







I'm a winter guy--I tend to go inside or only go out at night in summer when it's hot.:) As for large format, I love using camera gear from the dawn of time. I often wonder who owned the stuff before I did, and what sort of photos they took. Also, everybody is running around taking photos with either a digital camera or a phone. I want to be different.:)


Kent in SD

[Two23]

Worked outside or in unheated buildings year round from 16 into my 40's.

1. I am half Norwegian from Northern MN.

2. Rode motorcycles in snow and ice,


1. Uff da, that explains a lot.;)

2. I used to, but now only photo them. From last Sunday:



Kent in SD

[mdarnton]

I shoot portraits and the giant camera adds gravity to the situation, with a better result.

[Leszek Vogt]

I happen to enjoy LF....similarly to digital (different reasons and approaches). Used to skate and play hockey on frozen lake and I'm not from Norwegian descent. Although I'm Randy's age, I'm still fantasizing about getting better skates, rip to VAN and skate my butt off.....some more. Last time I checked, they had 17 active rinks.

[Gary Beasley]

Because I can....

[joem]

i'm with David and Oren but probably a bit sicker, just ordered chemicals and such to coat some paper.

Anyone have an 8X10 enlarger they want to almost give away?

[Duolab123]

One biggest reason for me is it's fun. My favorite large format (is it?) not counting my precious miracle find Deardorff V8, is my Fujica G617.
Fixed lens, wind the film, cock the shutter, guesstimate focus, set the aperture and speed. I found another miracle find, an 8x10 and a 5x7 Zone VI VC enlargers, Metrolux II timer. Had SKG modify one of the 120 carriers to 617. Most fun I've had in years, I was on crutches, had to do something. I drove around taking pictures out the window of my car with that big old ugly Fuji.

I'm so lucky to have found these things over the years. I don't need booze anymore, I have a hobby that I think about all the time. So blessed to have this passion.

I am trying to get a new (unnecessary ) inkjet going to make digital negatives. I almost tossed it in the creek. I will get there. In the mean time I will just go print my 617 negatives to relax.

[Duolab123]

None of the options listed.

I like the qualities of contact prints made on ordinary silver-gelatin paper. So I use as large a camera as the prints I want to make, subject to the constraint of how much I have energy to carry and fuss with at any given time.

Now that, in the grand scheme of things, silver-gelatin prints are more or less an "alt process", you could say that this is just a variation on Vaughn's theme.

This is so true. Mostly I contact with VC paper and use dichro head for light source. Every now and then I get out my Arkay Speed Dodge contact printer with Fomalux contact paper. Mighty fine, tone with Selenium. Got to get out the Kodak Blue Gold toner, see how blue black I can go.

[pepeguitarra]

I chose LF after being in 35mm analog and digital for over 50 years. I discovered Scheimpflug and fell in love with the way the View Camera works. Most of the choices in the poll apply to me, but the main reason is: I have to try what I have not tried before. The other reason is: I have over 20,000 shots in Flicker, and few people see those photos, very few of them can be consider good ones. With 4x5 and soon 8x10, I shoot very few photos, spend some time thinking about it, apply the principles of design for composing each picture, develop my own film, and soon will start printing in the dark room. At the end, I will have three or four photos that will be seen by many and will hang in some wall.

[Laminarman]

I chose LF after being in 35mm analog and digital for over 50 years. I discovered Scheimpflug and fell in love with the way the View Camera works. Most of the choices in the poll apply to me, but the main reason is: I have to try what I have not tried before. The other reason is: I have over 20,000 shots in Flicker, and few people see those photos, very few of them can be consider good ones. With 4x5 and soon 8x10, I shoot very few photos, spend some time thinking about it, apply the principles of design for composing each picture, develop my own film, and soon will start printing in the dark room. At the end, I will have three or four photos that will be seen by many and will hang in some wall.

That is my issue with digital. I took about 1,000 photos in Yellowstone, I can't say that many, if any, are truly worthwhile. BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG. Maybe it's an inherent weakness I have, that I can't slow down with my D810. Not disciplined enough. Kind of like, well, I had one Pliny the Elder, might as well have two..or three.. : )

[rdeloe]

I shot exclusively film (large format) for some years. Then exclusively digital. And now large format black and white (some of the time) and digital (also black and white) much of the time. It's all photography to me. Both my digital and film photographs now end up printed on the same printer (an inkjet that uses a monochrome inkset).

We're very fortunate to be photographing in a time when we can mix and match different ways of making pictures. The thing I like about photography as an art form is the indexicality of the medium -- the camera records what's in front of the lens. We can mess around with that while making the picture, and after (in the darkroom and on the computer). Nonetheless, that's where we all start. I came back to large format recently primarily to ground myself again. In my digital life I find myself using techniques that take me further and further away from the essential "what was in front of the lens" side of photography (e.g., focus stacking). I'm not some kind of purist that thinks only a "straight out of the camera" picture is a proper photograph. It's simply that working with film again is a way to stay firmly in touch with the indexical nature of the medium. I like having that option.

[Laminarman]

GREAT post rdeloe

[Doremus Scudder]

When I moved from 35mm to medium format I found that I ended up with the camera on the tripod most of the time, cursing at it for its lack of movements. Moving to lightweight 4x5 was the solution. Once there, I never looked back. I'll not go larger, either, since I carry my kit in the field over rough terrain a lot; small and lightweight is really important to me.

I also like the larger format for quality. I hate visible grain and love detail. 4x5 is a good compromise for me, giving me the quality I like at a size I can carry.

There are things I can do with film and darkroom printing (in black-and-white) that would be more difficult with digital. These days, it's almost cheaper to make darkroom prints than digital.

I love the simplicity of the process as well. The simplest tools require the most skill.

Best,

Doremus