Where do you stand...

[John Kasaian]

...when pressing the cable release, behind the camera or off to the side?
I've never really considered this before, and yet I find working with my LF camera very habit forming in terms of technique. I think I stand to the side most of the time, shielding the lens with the dark slide while making an exposure.
Where do you normally stand, and why?

[jp]

If it's on a tripod, I stand to the side. It's not necessary be there, but I like to verify the aperture setting prior to exposure. It's not unheard of for me to forget to set the aperture back to the metered setting after focusing.

I will use either the dark slide, my hand, or my body to shield the lens if necessary. Having the darkslide in my hand also reassures me it's not still in the film holder, or set somewhere's dusty/dirty.

[BrianShaw]

If handheld, I stand behind the camera.

If on tripod, I generally stand to the side... the right side to be specific.

Occasioanlly I have been known to stand in front of the camera... which is not a good idea unless someone else is pressing the cable release.

[keith english]

I generally stand to the side that the cable release is on, and shade the lens. Not to change the subject, but while recently mounting a copal 3 shutter I got to wondering, do most mount it so that the cable release comes out the top? That is the way most are, but why not mount it so the cable hangs from the bottom so it doesn't dangle in front of the lens? I know it really doesn't matter to the film, just ease of access to the shutter, iris, but it seems it would keep the cable release out of the way when focusing.

[Rick Floyd]

I stand to the side and give the tripod ten seconds to recover from any vibration, shade the lens, and listen for any irregularity in the sound of the shutter. Hope this helps.

[BrianShaw]

Not to change the subject, but while recently mounting a copal 3 shutter I got to wondering, do most mount it so that the cable release comes out the top?

I find that putting the cable at top makes it difficult to connect the cable release and interferes with my compendium hood. For some reason, when mounted on the bottom I've had probles with the cable loosening up and becoming annoying.

All of mine are at a 45 degree position, such that I can stand on the right side of the camera. (How's that for bringing it back on topic?)

[Heroique]

I usually leave my release cable screwed into the lens, and position the lens in its board so the shutter lever is near the “10:00” position. Depending on the lens, this sometimes puts the aperture values, etc. at varying locations. But I’ve found that the cable’s consistent location – no matter the lens – means I “know” where it is, giving it less chance to “tangle” with me as I move around the tripod & compose on the GG.

It’s a shorter release cable, so this means I usually stand to the right of the camera when I snap the shot, though the mountains where I wander do their best to put obstructions right there – which means I’ll move either behind the camera or to the other side. My preference is to shoot from the right, but I’ve become ambidextrous!

BTW, it’s astonishing how many new things one notices about a composition by taking just a step (or two) in this or that direction – and re-examining its details. My final “step” before snapping a shot is making a final, careful review of the scene by stepping left, right, and, once again, behind the camera. (In urban shots, I usually always discover distracting bits of trash at the final moment & remove them.) In the woods, it’s more often a branch that needs a gentle push. So in the end, I do visit all sides, and if it’s necessary, I’ll start over and recompose on the ground glass.

[csant]

When finally exposing, I stand on the right side of the camera: with one hand I use a spare darkslide to cover the lens, with the other I carefully remove the darkslide from the film holder (sometimes helping me with my head to keep the camera steady, in order not to lose the composition), give the camera some 10 seconds rest to recover from shakes, gently lift the slide in front of the lens some 1 or 2 mm from the lens, give it another few seconds to stop any shaking, finally I remove the slide in front of the lens - and count… When dealing with long exposure times, I start my stopwatch at that stage. Once exposure time is finished, I place the slide in front of the lens, and re-insert darkslide into film holder. I use lenses mounted in a barrel, and long exposures…

[Jack Dahlgren]

...when pressing the cable release, behind the camera or off to the side?
I've never really considered this before, and yet I find working with my LF camera very habit forming in terms of technique. I think I stand to the side most of the time, shielding the lens with the dark slide while making an exposure.
Where do you normally stand, and why?

I stand on the sunny or windy or least slippery side. When those are three different sides, I choose least slippery.

I seem to put the camera in places that my head is not normally occupying, a way of working that comes from using a TLR in my formative days. So where I stand in regard to it is dependent on the environment.

[Vaughn]

For the rare portraits I stand behind the camera -- otherwise the subjects look at me and off to the side..even if I tell them to look at the lens. In windy situations I stand upwind to help block the wind. But generally along the side of the camera, mostly on the right but occasionally on the left.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Stand on the side where I insert the film holder, but there has been times where that was physically impossible. Sometimes I've had to stand behind the camera in tight spaces. I have a small pocket mirror that I use so that I can see f/stops, shutter speeds on the lens when I have to work behind the camera.

[mdd99]

I stand to the side, _after_ I check the speed and aperture (unless I am on the edge of a cliff, in which case I stand to the back).

[rdenney]

I stand (or lie down) wherever I can to avoid my shadow being in the picture.

Rick "a wide-angle freak" Denney

[Lachlan 717]

Upwind is my first consideration (unless shooting into the wind, of course). If it is still conditions, I will try to shade the lens where possible.

I use long cables (75cm+) so as to minimise vibration and/or tug whilst depressing the release. I try to have a J-Curve in the cable so that any movement I make is absorbed by the upward curve of cable, rather than the section that enters the lens.

I also carry a shorter cable (30cm) for when I'm using B or T for long exposure so as to be able to leave it hanging with minimal length amplification of movement through untethered swinging. Still long enough, though, to absorb the movement associated with releasing the shutter.

[jnantz]

sometimes behind, sometimes the right side of the camera ( looking at it from behind )
it depends on the lens, and the camera.

[D. Bryant]

...
Where do you normally stand, and why?
I'm more concerned about what I'm standing in than where I'm standing.

[ki6mf]

I stand all over the place and make sure to have "slack" in the cable so I don't move the camera by mistake!

[Bruce Pottorff]

Andrew,

Great idea to have a pocket mirror for checking things up front when standing up there in awkward or dangerous! Thanks.

Bruce

[Andrew O'Neill]

You're welcome! A small cheap round one from the loonie store and Bob's yer uncle.

[Steve M Hostetter]

I stand on the sunnyside and run the cable on bottom of lens and horizontal .. This might be just cause I use sinar p

[Diane Maher]

Usually on the right side, unless the wind and/or sun is coming from a different direction and I need to block the camera/lens from a different side.

As for what I am standing in...I try not to step in anything too yucky. :eek: I've seen more than my fair share of "stuff" inside these abandoned houses and barns during the workshop I have been taking this week. It has been a great workshop, but I am really tired and it is time for bed.

Diane

[Drew Wiley]

Quite a few times I've stood anywhere I could, other than falling off the cliff or slipping
off a boulder in a creek.

[Preston]

"Quite a few times I've stood anywhere I could, other than falling off the cliff or slipping off a boulder in a creek."

Too true, Drew! Sometimes, stepping back to admire our work would have rather dire consequences.

--P