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tim atherton
4-Jan-2002, 13:22
Recently I've noticed a few people sign off as being in Canada.

I'm interested - how many of us are there up here shooting LF? Where are we scat tered. I don't think I've ever run across anyone in the field shooting LF!

Maybe a quick survey of who and where? Maybe, scattered across our vast land (bi gger than the US you know - lots of shooting opportunities!!) we may even stop a nd have a beer some day...

Tim Atherton

imitating a brass monkey in Yellowknife...

David Kaufman
4-Jan-2002, 13:44
Hi Tim! I am a Toronto based large-format (4 x 5) fine art photographer specializing in architecture and urban landscape. I actually think there are quite a few of us around Toronto including luminaries like Ed Burtynsky, Steven Evans, etc. Where are you based? (You may contact me off-list.)

KenM
4-Jan-2002, 13:56
Like, how's it goin', eh? Want a beer? :-)

I'm from Calgary. I make regular forays out to the mountains, especially in the Kananaskis area. I've spent a bit of time in Yoho (Takkikaw Falls, Lake O'Hara) as well, but not as much as I'd like.

I'd be very interested in meeting any other LF photographers in the Calgary area - it's always fun to go out with people and shoot - you gain insight into how other people work. I'm pretty new to the whole LF thing, so I try and learn any way I can!

Cheers!

-klm.

Vinod Chettur
4-Jan-2002, 14:03
I live in Ottawa and use 4x5 and 8x10 formats. We have a small informal group of LF photographers here in Ottawa that meet on a monthly basis to chat about things.

Dominique Labrosse
4-Jan-2002, 16:26
Hi,

I'm in Vancouver. Shooting mostly in the studio with my 4x5 but I want to bring it up the Sea to Sky Hwy soon!

fishfish
4-Jan-2002, 17:52
I'm in Halifax, Nova Scotia (www.evolvingbeauty.com), and shoot black and white on 4x5, 8x10 and occasionally 12x20. Currently I'm working on converting my 4x5 enlarger to print 8x10...

Here in the maritimes we have a decent community of LF photographers; three 8x10 enlargers that I know of in this city, 3 or more times that many 8x10 cameras in at least occasional use, and 10 times or more users of 4x5. This is a factor of having the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in the city of course, but outside of Halifax, we have, among others, Jeff Amos in Lunenburg, NS (www.jeffamos.com), 4x5-12x20, and Thaddeus Holownia (http://www.holownia.com) in Sackville, NB, 7x17 black and white and colour neg. I am of course leaving out too many people, but we are here, though thinly spread, no doubt.

Best of the new year to all.

James Phillips
4-Jan-2002, 19:52
Hi Tim,

I'm just north of Calgary and also spend time in the mountains. Kananaskis area as well as Banff tend to be where I like to shoot most when I can get there. Also last year explored the Yoho area (Takkikaw Falls and Emerald Lake) and intend on going back that way this year. Every year I take a forray into the interior of BC and try my luck there. Perhaps I may swing north and knock on your door sometime and you can teach me a thing or two.

A cold Canuck,

Dean Lastoria
4-Jan-2002, 21:57
Hey, I'm from Vancouver (that's about 3 hours north of Vancouver, Washington). I take lots of low contrast photos of rain, in rain, about rain. Dean

KenM
4-Jan-2002, 23:06
Grey Wolf, drop me a line sometime, and we'll go shooting in the mountains...just north of Calgary, huh? Whereabouts?

Or is that where-a-boots? :-)

I live right on the West edge of the city, about 2 minutes from the Trans Canada, so getting to K-Country takes an hour. Very handy.

Have you made it to Lake O'Hara? An absolute gem hidden in the Rockies, and only about 30 minutes this side of Takkikaw...

Cheers!

-klm.

David Leblanc
4-Jan-2002, 23:06
I'm in Montreal, I shoot mostly architecture. I don't think there's a terribly huge LF community here either, which is a shame since we do have a lot of beautiful old buildings.

Bruce Pollock
4-Jan-2002, 23:09
We drink Vancouver Island Lager in Victoria and like to shoot Botanical Beach (near Port Renfrew) with our 4x5. I get lots of questions about my camera from interested passers-by, but don't see anyone else with a camera like my Wisner.

My question to fellow Canadian shooters is: where do you go to get your gear and supplies? I was disappointed to find out recently that Lens and Shutter, one of our biggest regional camera stores no longer deals in large format (somewhat understandable) or even medium format (shocking for a pro-type store) anymore. They used to be a great source of used equipment, but they have seen the future and it is digital.

Any other ideas for Canadian suppliers of used LF equipment? Buying my stuff from Mid West Photo Exchange in Columbus, Ohio (notwithstanding their great service) is a bit of a pain.

David Payumo
5-Jan-2002, 00:56
Oh Canada,

I am in Toronto and I shoot a beloved A-S Discovery. I got it from Amplis when they use to sell A-S directly to photographers. From now on I am going to buy LF gear from harrysproshop. The owner is a former Alt camera exchange dealer. Brian is a very friendly guy. Its grey market import and he deals with the warranty himself. I drink anything Labatt's because my dad works there! Being in Toronto I've met Burtynsky. Great nice prints and very friendly dude. I am going to assist Bob Burley who is my teacher at Ryerson. He is a very good architectural photographer. I think his website is designarchive.com. 4x5 is pretty common in Toronto shops. Sinar is plentiful and the film selection is good. I recommend Prolab @ Photomethods and Colourgenics as good labs in T.O. Happy Shooting, Canucks!

Dean Lastoria
5-Jan-2002, 11:26
Yeh, Lens and Shutter is going for that "Black's" mall look. Leo's in Vancouver is going down hill. It was the greatest store in the world, now they also sell used computers and genuine-imatation swords!?! It's also next to porno row.

Bruce, In Victoria you have http://www.camera-traders.com/ Camera Traders in that little ex-industrial mall/warehouse thing. It's small but the guy has a lot of stuff and is friendly - a lot of odd bits, but it's worth trolling from time to time. Also, Henry's mail order is not bad when you can get in touch whith them. And just across the line is http://www.equinoxphotographic.com/new.htm in Portland. This is all used stuff though. You can still get FILM from Lens and Shutter can't you?

I wonder if my suspicion is correct that American LFers have it a lot easier as far as equipment goes?

Dean

david clark
5-Jan-2002, 11:29
Hi All, I'm in Toronto (North York) with a 4*5 and 8*10 - waiting for the spring thaw now to do some shots of the Erie Cannal. Best, David

Julio Fernandez
5-Jan-2002, 14:00
Hi, I am 120km Northwest of Toronto. I shoot 4X5 and MF. Yes, in Ontario there is more than Niagara Falls, we have stuff worth looking at and photographing around Lake Superior, Killarney and the Soo. I day-back-pack in those areas in the Fall. David if you ever like to venture out there, keep my email address and get in touch.

Paul Coppin
5-Jan-2002, 23:51
Greetings Tim! (and a nod to everyone else as well!) I base out of Dundas Ont (near Hamilton) and shoot 35, mf and 4x5 (Cambo & Tachi). No wimpy beer here, a cold case of Brador will do just fine. More canucks on the list than I expected! My gear comes from all over - Calumet, Midwest, B&H. Other than Vistek in Toronto, not a lot of LF in Southern Ontario. Sinar is THE THING in the GTA. Film & processing comes for LF come mostly thru Bell Arte in Hamilton. I have to say I've done extremely well on EBAY - 6 good LF lenses and about all of the toys for abt 40% of new. Rodenstock lenses are cheaper out of the Canadian distributor (at least thru Bell Arte) than bringing them up from say B&H. (and they thru in a DOF calculator:)

Ed Burlew
6-Jan-2002, 10:49
I'm in York Region, just north of Ta'ranna. I was a fashion pro about 20 years ago then I got tired of sleeping in the studio, even if it was on Yorkville Ave. So I changed jobs and kept the equipment. I have shot 35,2 1/4 and 4x5 until last year when I got the urge to get an 8x10, Well the bank account and the spere time account have been drained and I am having alot more fun. I almost wept when Alt closed, The visitek used deptartment is active , they get it and move it not like a warehouse as Alt was. There doesn't seem to be any informal or formal or any way to identify the large format shooters in Southern Ontario. SOOOO... Maybe those of us who do shoot large adn mammoth should have an informal arrangement to meet once a month at a place , have a beer ,tell lies and maybe to satisfy our own vanity arange an annual large format gallert show, I have to say that the big stuff is just not getting displayed. I went down to Jane Corcoran's last fall after about 6 yrs of not going to look at the large format prints for sale. Well first off all she had were the really expensive guys, and they were all in strorage and I was able to view them. But as for the begining guy there is no place to hang and show.If the kids and the general public could just see the detail and tones in the 4x5 or 8x10 fine prints then they will understand why digital is not the best,yet.

Enough rambling, If any LFP ( Large Format Photogs) want to have a monthly lies and beer meeting contact me. I will buy the first round.

Happy new year

ED

Mike Mahoney
6-Jan-2002, 15:17
I'm in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, and I think one of maybe two or three LF shooters in the province that I'm aware of.

If anyone is coming this way let me know, a beer (or a dark rum) sounds good to me ...

Adam Gibbs
2-Feb-2002, 21:59
Better late than never. I shoot exclusively large format and live in Burnaby (You know the home of Michael J Fox)

Martin Loft
16-Feb-2002, 23:10
Greetings all....I'm from Kahnawake Mohawk Territory on the south shore of Montreal. It's sort of Canada. Eh? I've been shooting LF for about 18 years. I started with a Crown Graphic and moved on to an Arca Swiss after about 15 years. I now have a Linhof Technica III. I shoot mostly portraits but I do landscapes too.

Edward (Halifax,NS)
17-Feb-2004, 08:39
Hi, I am originally from Ontario but have been living in Halifax for the last 4 years. I shoot 4X5 with an old and very heavy CC400. I would love to meet any LF photographers - first round is on me. I have already met Eric (fishfish) although I haven't seen him in a while. He is in New Brunswick now.

Paul Kierstead
17-Feb-2004, 17:57
Calling me a large format photography is generous, but I do have a LF camera and shoot with it :)

I am in Ottawa and it is nice to see quite a few canadians here. I was brought up in NF so I will be taking Mike's suggestion for a beer on my next visit. NF is a wonderful place for LF (wish I still lived there), particularly if you like mood (i.e. fog).

On Canadian suppliers, I very much like Harry's Pro Shop (web-only); he is good to deal with and carries a small changing supply of used LF gear and some new gear.

Rory_3532
17-Feb-2004, 18:32
I hear that there is a group of large format photographers in Ottawa who get together from time to time, which is good, but that they spend all their time talking about Ansel Adams, which depending on one's view may be good or less than good. I would fall into the latter camp. Anyone have info on this?

Paul, as for Newfoundland, I've spent a fair amount of time there, especially on the west coast, Gander and St. John's. I love it. Have a look at the current issue of the British magazine Outdoor Photography, which has some Newfoundland photos taken by Cornish and someone else whose name I don't recall.

Rory_3532
17-Feb-2004, 18:34
Let me add that having spent time in Yellowknife, I think that very few people who participate in this forum fully understand what is involved in Tim Atherton's use of an 8x10 camera, in the winter, in the NWT. It's something that I'd really like to see him talk about in detail, and what is involved when he goes to outlying communities.

Bill_1856
17-Feb-2004, 19:32
I tried to look up Canada on a map but couldn't find it. What state is it in?

tim atherton
17-Feb-2004, 19:43
Bill,

I'm up in the Northwest Territories - the territory split in two 4 or 5 years back - each half is still bigger than Texas... :-)

Jonathan Lee
18-Feb-2004, 10:38
I'm in Ottawa and I use 4x5 and am just about to start using a 5x7 for contact printing. I second Rory's opinion about getting Tim to share some Yellowknife LF stories. For me -15C is about my practical limit. I can keep my body warm but I haven't found a set of gloves that let me use my camera properly, so I go bare-handed.

tim atherton
18-Feb-2004, 20:05
I love these posts that start up again after two years...

Okay - cold weather stuff. But first, a bit of background.

I came to Canada almost 15 years ago and (for some strange reason...) have lived north of 60 the whole time - in Iqaluit, Tuktoyaktuk and Yellowknife. So over that time I have got used to working in the cold.

There was a time when I would travel a few hundred miles with a snowmobile and Komatik along the arctic coast each year photographing - all in 35mm then (wish I'd taken up LF again at that point, looking back). Or would head out in the dead of night onto the sea ice for three or four hours to photograph the Northern Lights, taking my trusty .303 Lee Enfield as well and hoping I would hear if there was a polar bear creeping up on me (looking back I can see why my ex used to be worried...). Over that time, I got used to working in the cold - snowmobiles always seemed to break down at the wrong time, so you were fiddling with the engines, or tying the load on the komatik etc etc. But most of the time I wasn't lugging the gear long distances on my back. So while the mountaineer types (of which I used to be one long ago) will always say - layers work best - if you are standing still photographing in the cold for ages, or travelling on a sled or on a skidoo, then huge down parkas do the trick!

Basically, for really cold weather, gear is as follows:

Long Johns, pants, padded zip up ski type pants

wool socks, Acton/Cdn Forces white snow boots (I have taken out the heavy duty wool inner, which is great, but wear either sealskin or caribou mukluks inside - lighter and warmer).

Polropyline polo shirts, fleece sweater and either a regular Mountain Equipment Down Jacket or their massive but very light) expedition down jacket with added wolverine fur on the hood (traps the air, but holds no moisture like most other stuff).

For gloves, I either have a thinnish pair of thinsulate/leather ranchers gloves - that I constantly take on an off, sometimes with thin polyrpo ones inside, and when it's really cold, a huge pair of Arctic Wolf mitts on idiot strings - the great thing about this is, you have a thinner pair of gloves on, pull your hands out and they drop away, fiddle with the camera, slip your hands right back in again.

(Quite frankly, while the animal rights folks may balk at all the fur, in the dry arctic cold it is still the best - it just works better than almost any artificial stuff. I once borrowed someone's caribous fur parka - it was incredibly warm. The Canadian Forces clothing research dept once tested it in a cold chamber - while over time the subjects in the best modern down and synthetic gear slowly cooled off over time, he subject in the caribou suit actually warmed up)

As for gear. I have found stuff that works. Gitzo tripods with neoprene sleeves (although below about -30 the adjustment sleeves get too stiff to use easily). Arca ballhead - never had a problem. Phillips 8x10 and Toyo 45A have both worked without problems down to -42. And so have my lenses (which is more luck than anything I think...). Film can be a pain. I have got static streaks from the dark slide (bear in mind most people "spark" a fingertip static discharge several times a day here in winter - its so dry). I've also had 4x5 and 8x10 sheets shatter. Pull out the dark slide and the change in temperature causes the film to bow out slightly. Slide in the darkslide and it catches the film which shatters into little pieces... Lightmeter lives in a pocket, but can suffer from cold batteries. Focus without trying to breath under the dark cloth - I have scraped frost from breath off the gg with my visa card - works just about okay. And the new Blackjacket darkcloth seems to work really well in the cold. I have used the BTZS cloth in summer, but it falls to pieces in the cold. And there is nearly always a breeze, which makes playing with a horseblanket type cloth a pain - just one more thing to fiddle with in the cold.

But frankly, unless I have to (i.e. magazine assignment) I try not to have to go out below -32c or so or if it's more than a little windy - it's just too damn cold. But my 2 1/2 year old was playing outside at daycare today and it was -22c with a slight breeze - so it's not too cold for photography!

As for travelling to communities - that's mostly architecural work these days, shooting projects like schools etc for local architects. mostly fly in and fly out - possibly stay overnight,. And it's usually a charter, with the architects, clients, engineers etc doing a final inspection so I don't worry about weight and bags or x-rays. Though every now and than there is a news or magazine assignment in one as well.

In fact I got back into LF with 4x5 originally, after 35mm editorial work, to do the architectural projects. Then stared using it for my personal work, and then got into 8x10 for that. While I still do editorial work for magazines and newspapers from Canada and the US in 35mm I have been trying to do more of my own personal work in LF, especially 8x10 and use that for some of that work. Usually it's selling stuff I have already done as stock, but as a result of sending out recent promos of my LF work, I've started getting a few people coming to me to do projects using my approach and look. Most successful so far was a week photographing the northern diamond industry. The NWT has Canada's only diamond mines (so far_, which have pushed Canada to number three or four in world production (Canada may be number one or two in the next few years), with hundreds of millions of dollars of diamonds coming out of the Barren Lands. So we were photographing at the mine 250km north of here by air - a massive open pit mine on open tundra with 250 ppeople living up there, photographing at the diamond cutting facilities in Yellowknife which have imported Armenians and Mauritians etc (Tiffanys just opened a cutting works) out at the Dene (Indian) communities where people have gone from welfare to having $75,000 a year jobs at the mines, as well as photographing some of the main players - NWT Premier, RCMP Diamond Squad members + miners at the mine. The magazine wanted all this done with the (perhaps slightly quirky?) approach I use with 8x10 in colour. But as we couldn't get any Portra 400 8x10 in time and were limited to 160, and as some of the interior shots at the mine in the giant mill etc were going to be tight, we also used 4x5 with 400 as well as 160. This was the week the temp was -38c to -43c. I think if I hadn't known how well my gear would work in the cold, as well as how I can function in the cold, it could have been a disaster. But I am used to both, so the cold just became something annoying to deal with.

Now, as far as I know it all worked out. As usual, the magazine was on a deadline (having sent the writer up three months before...). Normally I send my film out to Calgary and get it back, with a chance to edit and check for mishaps. This time the Art Director took it back to Toronto with him to a good lab there. But the lab guy told me it all looks good (he thought some shots would look good printed up to 6' wide...) and the magazine seems very happy with what they got. So I'm looking forward to both getting my film back and seeing the final spread.

All that said - after 15 years, I think I feel the cold more... and while I mean to go out for a few evenings and try photographing the northern lights with the 8x10 this spring, and am also working on a series of landscapes (snowscapes) over Great Slave Lake in different conditions, I really enjoy the flip side of this, which is summer - it's light at 3am and still not dark until midnight in mid-summer. Evening light lasts for several hours and you can wander around with the camera over your shoulder all evening - which I have done for the last two years, working on a project photographing what could be called the "suburban state of mind".

But ask away with any cold weather questions

Bill_1856
19-Feb-2004, 00:27
I didn't realize that it got that cold in Texas.

Ron Bose
19-Feb-2004, 15:39
Southern Ontario, Linhof TK45S Sinar F2 Ansco 8x10

Still learning the 'art' ...

Joseph O'Neil
29-Feb-2004, 15:35
Just saw this thread. Been shooting 4x5 for about 8 years now here in London, Ontario, but almost never see any other LF shooters. 20 years my own B&W darkroom, started 35mm, jumped to 120 (now my point and shoot camera :)not hooked serioulsy on 4x5. If anyone else is in the area shooting any kind of LF, dropme an e-mail, would love to hear fomr you. joe

Andrew O'Neill
2-Jun-2004, 12:08
....and this thread lives on! I'm in Coquitlam, just outside of Vancouver. Been here for 2 years. All 8x10, B/W. Was in Japan before that for 12 years. Anymore Canucks out there? Hey Bill, we can talk about how many times USA fits into Canada!

chi cheung
2-Jun-2004, 13:44
Vancouverite shoots 8x10 b/w with Deardorff and 4x5 tranny with Sinar

Calamity Jane
2-Jun-2004, 14:59
Eastern Manitoba, about an hour out of Winnipeg, where the bald prairie meets the Boreal Forest.

Just getting into LF with a home-made 4x5. (35mm since 1969, 120 since 1980)

The greatest resource I've found for us poor isolated Canuks is E-Bay ;-) Got me lens, film holders, and other stuff there (some from Canadian sellers).

About the only non-35mm resource left in Manitoba is Don's Photo (warehouse division) in Winnipeg.

Michael Dowdall
7-Dec-2004, 11:02
East York, a place swallowed by Trana-soreass rex couple of years ago. Shoot an 8x10 Deardorff and 4x5 Wisner in B&W. Been shooting LF only for about 4 years now after 20 with Yashica MF cameras. Got bitten by the LF bug while looking for a MF camera with interchangeable lenses. Didn’t want to go to 35, detail becomes mushy at 11x14. When I saw the possibilities with 4x5, I knew that’s the direction to follow.

The best place I’ve found in the Toronto area to get equipment is The Photographic Historical Society of Canada’s spring auction. It’s hit and miss as to what you’ll find but that’s where the Deardorff came from, for a price that would be give away on ebay. They also have a photofair spring and fall. Lots of tables.


http://www.phsc.ca/ (http://www.phsc.ca/)

Favorite subjects are abandoned rural Ontario, farms and mine sites.

I'm still very much a beginer and would be interested in getting together with others for an outing.

Michael

Justin F. Knotzke
3-Apr-2005, 19:11
Hi,

I thought I'd bring this thread back to life.

I am in Montreal and I am a newbie to LF. Any other Montrealers on the list? I have some questions about labs and darkroom rental and favorite places to shoot.

Thanks

J

Peter Hruby
4-Apr-2005, 14:47
Hey all,

Niagara region is here too. I am from Welland, ON.
I was shooting 20 years 35 mm [I can't understand why that long :-)], and recently I moved to 8X10 world. My Deardorff is re-polished and ready to fire first shots. Actually, I am looking to join any group here. I specialize myself in low-light and night photography. My fisrt project is Direct-to-Ilfochomes and B&W.

It's amazing to see many of us from Canada.

Hovig Boghossian
31-Dec-2005, 07:26
Hi all

Happy to find you. I'm new in Canada & LF too. Studying architectural photography using 4x5 Linhof.

I'll be based in Toronto soon. Like to know people who are using LF & talk common topics.

Is there any LF users club?

Hovig Boghossian

Mike Kovacs
31-Dec-2005, 14:49
London Ontario

Have relatives in Niagara including Welland, Peter.

Richard Ide
31-Dec-2005, 22:26
Hi All and Happy New Year

After sub-tropical Trona, I am back where I grew up (physically) in The Nation's Capital where that great phallic symbol on the hill is really showing the gummint giving us all the finger. Am getting back into LF after 5 years since shutting down my photo business in Toronto. I am shooting 4 x 5 and beginning 8 x 10 again. Hard to believe how much has changed in such a short time. Would love to meet any of you in this area.

Richard

Victor Samou Wong
31-Dec-2005, 22:43
Oh I'm in Toronto too. Drowning my sorrows in the Hart House darkroom here at the University. I shoot 4x5 with my trusty and crusty yet beautiful speed graphic. I'm always looking for people with cars and resources to sponge off of, as well as a good debate.

Cheers!