Newcomers to LF: First Read The Book

[Drew Bedo]

We are welcoming many newcomers to large format photography on this board lately. This is wonderful. New blood in traditional view camera photography keeps us all fresh. Many of us here are now ageing-out of the art and craft of imaging with film in fully manual cameras. The creative process and work flow are little different from the days of Jackson and Curtis back in the 1870s.

The pool of talent, experience and knowledge here is deep and wide. Access it whenever you need to.

I would however urge anyone new to LF to first read some of the classic instructional works by Ansel Adams (genuflect), The Camera, The Negative and The Print. Another less sacred source is Using The View Camera by Steve Simmons. There are others. Doing some initial reading will help new photographers with the basics and allow them to ask more informed questions on this board.

Don't ever stop asking questions though. We all have things to learn. . . . all of us.

[John Earley]

Also 'View Camera Technique' by Leslie Stroebel is a good reference work.

[BrianShaw]

I’d recommend to a new Paterson to read Simmons or Stroebel first. There plenty of time later to worship St Ansel. :)

[Vaughn]

And since there are all different styles of learning -- if reading books is not one's style, screw the books and ask away!

[martiansea]

The New Zone System Manual by Minor White and Richard Zakia-Lorenz is an excellent source for anyone interested in that topic. Explains it better than any other I encountered.

[John Earley]

Mat Marrash's YouTube series "Large Format Fridays" can also be helpful as well as entertaining. https://www.youtube.com/c/MatMarrash/videos

[Drew Bedo]

In my OP I tried to express the idea that a LF new commer would find it helpful to read a basic text to introduce them to the fundamental aspects of this creative process before accessing the pool of experience and information available here on LFP. This suggestion is not meant to be condescending or exclusory. It is meant to be helpful.

It has been suggested here in this thread that that Adams' three books may be too detailed . In thinking it over, this may be so. The Simmons book and others would probably be a better first choices for introductory information. If that is the case, immersing the beginner in the intricacies of the Zone System or another exposure/development/printing system (BTZS?) could also be considered to be too-much-too-soon.

The idea is to bring in the LF new commer with a series of achievable goals, not overwhelm them with undigested information. I recall my delight at getting any image at all on my first exposures.

My concern is that someone who has invested a chunk of cash in camera, Lens and accessories, and another chunk of money on film will be put off shooting by over exposure to the depth of subtly that one can become involved with in LF . . after all, that continuing exploration is what keeps many of us going I think.

[Michael R]

LF-specific, I always recommend Stroebel for any level and as a reference.

I would dispense with the rest.

[maltfalc]

https://archive.org/search.php?query=view%20camera&and[]=mediatype%3A%22texts%22

[Peter Lewin]

My thought is that the Ansel Adams series is too complex and detailed for a beginner, and in this day of variable contrast papers and split filter printing I’m not sure how valuable the Zone System is for a beginner. As some have pointed out, Steve Simmon’s book is much easier to digest, and I would throw in a vote for Fred Picker’s “ZoneVI Manual.” And while I don’t have a specific reference, I suspect that YouTube would be an even better starting point than books. (FWIW, I have two full sets of the Ansel Adams series, one the original, and one the updated set released much later. But I still wouldn’t start anyone with them.)

[Tin Can]

I think we need consider if the LF newbie has shot 35mm film most of their life or only has used DIGI

A film user may understand the developing process already

A DIGI only user will not

Image capture with film is a distinct process unlike DIGI

Autofocus vs adjustable focus is a big difference

It IS possible to shoot a 4X5 by knowing nearly nothing. Aim, focus, fire shutter.

Then hand it all to somebody else for the rest

That is exactly how I shot my first 4X5, 22 years ago

I didn't load a holder, nor develop the film. I never printed it. I lost the neg for years

Here is a scan of that first 4X5

I did understand exposure and focus from decades of Sunny 16 35mm always processed by somebody else, like those parking lot 1 Hour kiosks

Here it is, Neg 1

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51153206026_124f95e2f5.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kWey13)Father 1998 (https://flic.kr/p/2kWey13) by TIN CAN COLLEGE (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tincancollege/), on Flickr

[Havoc]

Does everybody needs to work the same way as someone that lived before they were even born? He worked with materials that were maybe not even available. From what I understood, he even did not all the work himself. But it seems to be that that should be the only way that should be worked.

Smells like organised religion to me.

[Tin Can]

Few heros are left

AA, a big Club


Does everybody needs to work the same way as someone that lived before they were even born? He worked with materials that were maybe not even available. From what I understood, he even did not all the work himself. But it seems to be that that should be the only way that should be worked.

Smells like organised religion to me.

[Vaughn]

Very cool, TC...reminds me of another image back there in my brain somewhere.

Chances are that someone deep into digital and deciding to go film might be very aware of the availability of on-line resources, such as videos. Let's not insult them by telling them they need to go read a f**king book...:cool:
Recommending books is way cool, too.

[John Kasaian]

Using the View Camera got me started after quite a bit of floundering around with a hurt Speed Graphic and if you're book oriented it's a great primer. Also worthwhile is his chapter on selecting used lenses and selected portfolio for inspiration.
Other excellent sources is the Graflex Graphic (or is it Graphic Graflex?) Photography book by Lester and Morgan (or is it Morgan and Lester?) as well as A History of the Photographic Lens by Rudolph Kingslake

[Tin Can]

The focus thread is odd

Why not train new users what is infinity and look at it on GG

Then focus directly at close objects

Nobody ever did that for me

a big ? is, What is Infinity anyhow

[Dan Fromm]

[QUOTE=Tin Can;1598129]I think we need consider if the LF newbie has shot 35mm film most of their life or only has used DIGI/QUOTE]

Good thought. In other words, the newbie may know little or nothing about what the camera's controls (shutter speed, aperture, focus) do and many not understand the basics at all. The best book I've ever seen for teaching those lessons is A. A. Blaker's Field Photography. It looks like a book about 35 mm, and has nothing about movements, but everything in it carries over to LF. I like it so much that I gaves copies of the book to friends who were beginners.

[Benjamin]

The "Ansel Adams/zone system is a religion/cult" spiel is getting old and usually comes from people who never bothered to read his books.

Ansel Adams developed a system to help himself make the photographs he wanted, and then wrote about the system in order to help people - by giving them a choice - make the photographs they wanted to make. There is not a single line in AA in which he says that the ZS is the only way to make black & white photographs. When you read AA, one thing that comes out is modesty - he often admits to mistakes, even when using the ZS. He admired many photographers who never used the ZS, starting with Edward Weston.

I read the three volumes when I was starting photography, they went way over my head, and I never regretted it. Not understanding something, realizing that photography is more complicated than "just go out and shoot" is a good thing. It starts you on a quest. It pushes you to want to understand every aspect - from the most technical to the most artistic to how both of them work together - of this thing called photography that you love doing. I read them now with much more enjoyment, and am able to pick the parts that interests and help me, and skip the others.

That's another reason to love books. But then I'm of the generation that did not grow up with YouTube. Which I actually love, and in which I've found many answers. I find saying "don't read book you'll find everything you need in YouTube" as narrow-minded as saying "don't go to YouTube, it's superficial, read a book instead". We live in a time where both have great information to provide to whomever wants to perfect his art as LF photographer.

I'll second the thought: recommending books is way cool. And YouTube videos too.

[John Olsen]

In addition to above-mentioned sources there's also Harvey Shaman's "The View Camera."

I'll confess that I'm a book learner, but even so, all that book-learning was helped by some previous working with photographic processes in my day job. With that in mind, rather than only rely on newcomers reading the books or watching YouTubes, a third approach would help a lot: Experienced LFers might be great resources by offering hands-on tutorials to folks who had just bought something but really had no experience. It might help new enthusiasts get over the initial hesitancy.

[Pamsails]

My inspiration to work in LF was viewing the prints by Weston and Adams, the actual prints in folios by the artists, back in the mid-60's. Looking at those and studying them was the greatest lessons I could get. The knowledge I had in 35mm and 120 work gave me the background so I only needed to focus on the tools of 4X5 cameras. The books show a better picture than YouTube, and if you can see the actual prints you would be blown away by those. The ability to compare one's work to others is a good way to learn.

[shadow images]

Photography by Barbara London and John Upton. Used as a text book for a lot of programs. It should be required reading for anyone starting out.

[John Kasaian]

What is Infinity anyhow

It's the last chalk drawing after the opening credits of Doctor Kildare

[Drew Wiley]

AA's old series is useful for its sample pictures and illustrations. The information has been periodically updated, but is inevitably obsolete in certain aspects. It's pretty simple if someone takes their time. Picker was more a patent medicine salesman. Stroebel is a standard text, highly recommended. Many specific camera models have since come and gone, but basic the view camera function and theory is still entirely valid. If you're interested in Sinar monorail cameras, they published their own superb how-to books, mostly studio-oriented. Basic camera movements and focus techniques, along with basic design choices, should be looked at independently of darkroom practice, models of Zone System, and so forth. Even AA deliberately divided up the major respective topics into three separate books. You Tube has way too much BS on it which might be difficult for a beginner to sort out, fact versus fiction. Often those web tutorials are by people no more experienced than any other beginner. But in the better instances, it might prove helpful.

[John Kasaian]

AA's The Making of 40 Photographs has long been a favorite of mine and was very helpful when I was starting out. Unlike the Trilogy, it's more inspirational than technical.

[neil poulsen]

It think that there's a middle ground. For example, one could begin their venture into LF by engaging with color photography. In this case, some basic instruction in meter use, and also in camera use via Stroebel would be a good idea.

But should they become interested in developing and printing in black and white, Ansel Adams three books are masterful. And, being interested in B&W in this way doesn't mean that one need use the Zone System. That can wait.

In fact, I would recommend against learning the Zone System from Ansel Adams books. (So, skip that section.) What he describes there is different from the way that the system is usually practiced. Better tor read White, Zakia, & Lorenz.

[Alan Klein]

My thought is that the Ansel Adams series is too complex and detailed for a beginner, and in this day of variable contrast papers and split filter printing I’m not sure how valuable the Zone System is for a beginner. As some have pointed out, Steve Simmon’s book is much easier to digest, and I would throw in a vote for Fred Picker’s “ZoneVI Manual.” And while I don’t have a specific reference, I suspect that YouTube would be an even better starting point than books. (FWIW, I have two full sets of the Ansel Adams series, one the original, and one the updated set released much later. But I still wouldn’t start anyone with them.)

Peter, Thanks to your spending an afternoon with me on a "photoshoot" showing me the ropes. It certainly helped a lot when I started LF a little over a year ago. Thanks again. I recommend newcomers find someone who they can spend time with physically showing the operation of taking a picture.

Separate from that, the short instruction posts here in the forum posted by many members helped a lot as well. I looked at a book and found it overwhelming to get started. Just knowing a few points as posted here made it easier to use the camera. (I'm referring to taking the picture as I don't have a darkroom and develop in a lab). https://www.largeformatphotography.info/ made it a lot easier.

Of course, I'm still learning and make a lot of mistakes.