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Keith Tapscott.
17-May-2008, 10:25
A.A may have used a variety of different Cameras in his life, but out of curiosity, I was wondering which Camera he was using in this short film? His assistant I think is John Sexton.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZND3eczqoIA

scott russell
17-May-2008, 10:36
Looks like a horseman L camera, not sure about the thing on the front though.

lenser
17-May-2008, 10:47
I believe that's a Horseman, possibly the same on that he was photographed with for his cover of Time magazine.

Vick Vickery
17-May-2008, 10:48
My guess is a Cambo Legend to me...with a Cambo compendium shade.

evan clarke
17-May-2008, 11:00
John Sexton makes a comment about the fancy aperture scale, I think it's a Linhof..EC

Eduardo Aigner
17-May-2008, 11:50
Linhof to me.

Keith Tapscott.
17-May-2008, 12:26
Hmm, two think it`s a Horseman, two Linhof and a Cambo so far. Keep `em coming. Mr. Sexton would probably have the details if he corresponds here.

domenico Foschi
17-May-2008, 12:36
I'm not sure but it must take great pictures.

Eduardo Aigner
17-May-2008, 14:31
I believe that's a Horseman, possibly the same on that he was photographed with for his cover of Time magazine.

Yeas that's right. So it is a Horseman.

http://img.timeinc.net/time/magazine/archive/covers/1979/1101790903_400.jpg

http://www.jx-camera.com/jinxiang/bookpic/2005111523225092599.jpg

Bob Salomon
17-May-2008, 15:23
It was a Horseman.

Turner Reich
17-May-2008, 16:57
What was the tripod it was sitting on?

lenser
17-May-2008, 17:30
I've never seen any reference to him using one, but judging from the barrel shape of the handles and how the legs attach at the top, plus the rubber guards on the leg locks, I'd swear it looks like an old Quick Set Husky! Not the most glamorous of tripods, but fairly heavy duty and rugged except for the hollow plastic handles.

Any better guesses?

Tim

walter23
17-May-2008, 17:39
I want to know what brand of cable release he was using. And I want one of those hats ;)

domenico Foschi
17-May-2008, 18:02
I would like to know what his breakfast was...

Daqlon
17-May-2008, 18:34
It is Nikon D3 for sure :)

butterflydream
17-May-2008, 19:12
Sunny side up.

Frank Petronio
17-May-2008, 19:24
with Scotch

Turner Reich
17-May-2008, 21:41
It was a Mamiya tripod.

Ron Marshall
18-May-2008, 02:54
But what would he use if he were alive today?!

Bob Salomon
18-May-2008, 03:49
But what would he use if he were alive today?!

That would depend on many things. One being what some companies might give him. He never bought that Horseman. It was sent to him for "evaluation/testing".

In any event, like any shooter, he would use what he was most comfortable with (why fight your equipment)?

David A. Goldfarb
18-May-2008, 04:42
I've read a story about an Adams workshop where a representative from Sinar was showing off the features of the F, and Adams set up a still life on the piano to see who could produce a finished Polaroid faster with everything in focus, and of course Adams won handily without the benefit of the Sinar swing-tilt and DOF calculators, since the photographer's experience is usually more important than the technology of the camera.

So I suspect he wouldn't go out of his way to use a camera like the Horseman, but if he got it as a demo or if the company paid him to test it or possibly endorse it, why not?

Greg Miller
18-May-2008, 11:31
But what would he use if he were alive today?!

You mean Ansel's not alive??? I just thought he was in a big slump...

;)

domenico Foschi
18-May-2008, 12:47
Folks,He was just a talented photographer!

butterflydream
18-May-2008, 15:56
with Scotch

Moon shine?

lenser
18-May-2008, 15:57
Domenico,

Have you ever had the chance to see any of his actual prints up close, especially the big ones?

I've had that honor on several occasions including hanging every print in a large show of his work in 1988. To me it was damn near like being asked to create the interior of a cathedral.

Yeah, he is pretty much my hero, but he got that way due to a study of his quality and science and creativity, not because I have starry eyes for a couple of his images or for the natural landscape.

I'd say he was a talented photographer like Da Vinci had some talent as a painter and was just a fair inventor and engineer.

He wasn't a God of photography, but I think he saw through eyes that most of us only wish we could have.

Tim

butterflydream
18-May-2008, 16:17
I imagine he would explore the digital photography to broaden its possibility of expression.

domenico Foschi
18-May-2008, 16:32
Domenico,

Have you ever had the chance to see any of his actual prints up close, especially the big ones?

I've had that honor on several occasions including hanging every print in a large show of his work in 1988. To me it was damn near like being asked to create the interior of a cathedral.

Yeah, he is pretty much my hero, but he got that way due to a study of his quality and science and creativity, not because I have starry eyes for a couple of his images or for the natural landscape.

I'd say he was a talented photographer like Da Vinci had some talent as a painter and was just a fair inventor and engineer.

He wasn't a God of photography, but I think he saw through eyes that most of us only wish we could have.

Tim

What kind of tripod he used ???

tgtaylor
18-May-2008, 16:58
Thanks a lot for this post, guys. I am really enjoying viewing the videos.

What did he have for breakfast? I remember reading somewhere that he favored corned beef and bourbon while traveling in the Sierras' pursuing 'visions.' If that's true, it must have been rough first weeks for him fiber-wise - if you know what I mean.

Adams was a great phptographer.

Alan Curtis
18-May-2008, 17:13
Ansel was a friend of my father's, when we lived in New Mexico. When he visited to photograph with my father I got to run around on the roof of his station wagon's plywood platform, I was about 6 years old. Hopefully some of his craft rubbed off though the wood. This was about 1953. All I remember of him was the camera platform.
Great photographer, magical printer.

Mark Sawyer
18-May-2008, 17:29
Just btw...

Late in his life, he said his best body of work was his 1936 show at Stieglitz' An American Place. A few years back, the Center for Creative Photography recreated the show using the original exhibition prints for most of the show, and vintage Adams prints for those that couldn't be obtained.

All contact prints, from 8x10 or smaller, and very few landscapes. Of all the photography exhibitions I've seen, if I could see one again, it would be that one...

There was a soft-cover catalog with all the images, if you can find one.

Alan Curtis
18-May-2008, 17:45
There is a 2002 PBS film by Ric Burns about AA and he talks about how hard and long he worked on that 1936 show, to the point of mental and physical exhaustion. If you are a fan of his it is well worth the price from PBS.

blevblev
18-May-2008, 17:57
The best piece of equipment in that video is the guy that carries his stuff around and sets it up. Where do you get one of those?

Frank Petronio
18-May-2008, 18:25
Alan Ross's dayrate is probably in the $2500 - $3000 per range.

Turner Reich
18-May-2008, 19:33
If he was alive today he would continue using the Hasse and a carbon fiber tripod.

What brand of cable release did he use?

Did he like any of Fred Picker's products?

tgtaylor
18-May-2008, 19:58
Alan Ross's dayrate is probably in the $2500 - $3000 per range.

A few weeks ago I went to a Rondal Partridge lecture and exhibition in Hayward, CA. Ron is the son of Imogene Cunningham - a legendary Bay Area photographer.
As a teenager, Ron was employed as an apprentice/helper for both Dorothea Lange (another legendary bay area photographer) and Ansel - in that order. Referring to his pay while working for the two Ron said "Dorothea paid me $1 a week. When I went to work for Ansel, he paid me $1 a day.”

The cover shot for the exhibition "Ansel Adams at 100" was shot by Ron while working for Ansel back in the 30's. The photo of Ron below was taken at the lecture. He is 95years of age and still photographs every day.

Merg Ross
18-May-2008, 20:33
Ron is a character, almost as crazy as his mom! He has some good Ansel stories. Hope you had an opportunity to meet him at the lecture. To be experimenting with new materials at his age is wonderful to see.

tgtaylor
18-May-2008, 21:16
I did and his new work looks (to me) even better than his old! I was suprised to learn that he is working with a 11x14 camera.

Turner Reich
18-May-2008, 21:17
...although she graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Chemistry...

Merg Ross
18-May-2008, 21:23
Thomas-

Nothing that Ron does should surprise you! That is part of his charm, always experimenting.

Deane Johnson
19-May-2008, 07:29
Did he like any of Fred Picker's products?
I saw a Zone VI enlarger light stabilizer on one of his enlargers in the Carmel darkroom. I remember him commenting that Fred was doing some important things for photography.

Vick Vickery
19-May-2008, 09:10
I'm another of the long-time Adams fans. From what I read in his books, I have no doubt that if he were around now he would be DEEPLY into digital photography. He was always ready to examine new technology to see how he could apply it to his work...we should all be so open-minded! :)

John Bowen
19-May-2008, 11:56
Did he like any of Fred Picker's products?

In addition to the cold light stabilizer (that was custom made for his extra large cold light head) Adams also had a couple Zone VI print washers in the darkroom and I believe he also used one of the Zone VI modified exposure meters.

Maybe Bruce Barlow or Richard Ritter can contribute to this...

David A. Goldfarb
19-May-2008, 12:40
I'm another of the long-time Adams fans. From what I read in his books, I have no doubt that if he were around now he would be DEEPLY into digital photography.

Ansel Adams said he liked to use the biggest camera he could carry, and if he were alive today, he'd be 106 years old, so I suspect he'd be using something between a Canon G9 and a Minox B.