Scott Jackson
17-Aug-2011, 09:59
Okay, I'll bite....
I'm a longtime photography enthusiast who took his first formal photography course this summer at PCNW in Seattle. First experience developing my own film, though I have had an SLR since the late 90s and a DSLR since 2006. I liked shooting black and white and developing the film, but 35mm doesn't allow for much enlargement, and I'd like to continue exploring film, but with an eye towards shooting some real keepers and not being constrained by roll film, enlargement limitations, or lack of perspective control (I hate shooting buildings/architecture with an SLR).
So.... after several years of lurking on sites like this one and others sniffing the LF wind, I've decided to actually purchase a camera and do some of this now that I have a clue on how to develop (and only a clue -- not an expert at all yet). I'm also planning on taking the next PCNW BW II class, so I'll get a chance to put it through the paces testing film and expanding my skills.
At this exact moment, I've purchased a used Arca Swiss F-Classic from B&H, and it hasn't yet arrived. I have yet to purchase a lens for it, as I'm still struggling to figure out all the different lines of Rodenstock & Schneider, as well as figure out the older lenses that permeate eBay. I'm interested in being able to shoot architecture and hike a little to shoot landscape. The architecture would seem to argue for a lens that allows plenty of movement with a large image circle. Overall, lenses seem a bit intimidating because I've seen quite a number on eBay with ages (I'm talking Schneiders) that are often 50 years old, some which *don't* use standard Copal shutters (I've seen Compur, which AS doesn't seem to make lensboards for?), and a friend of mine from class is also new and talks about needing a center-spot ND filter for one of his used lenses.....so while I'm not exactly tiptoeing in by getting an AS, I'm still working on putting my rig together. Just picked up a Sekonic light meter, and if I'm reading the specs on my new camera correctly, I'll actually be able to get away using my existing Manfrotto tripod with a 410 geared head on top, since my camera should be less than 11 lbs when all together.
Meanwhile, I've got a lot of reading to do.
I'll try to be judicious about searching the posts for answers without re-asking the questions. If you're in Seattle, and you see a tall guy fidgeting with an Arca Swiss at Gasworks, the Space Needle, or bumbling downtown in the coming weeks -- feel free to give me some pointers!
Thanks,
Scott
I'm a longtime photography enthusiast who took his first formal photography course this summer at PCNW in Seattle. First experience developing my own film, though I have had an SLR since the late 90s and a DSLR since 2006. I liked shooting black and white and developing the film, but 35mm doesn't allow for much enlargement, and I'd like to continue exploring film, but with an eye towards shooting some real keepers and not being constrained by roll film, enlargement limitations, or lack of perspective control (I hate shooting buildings/architecture with an SLR).
So.... after several years of lurking on sites like this one and others sniffing the LF wind, I've decided to actually purchase a camera and do some of this now that I have a clue on how to develop (and only a clue -- not an expert at all yet). I'm also planning on taking the next PCNW BW II class, so I'll get a chance to put it through the paces testing film and expanding my skills.
At this exact moment, I've purchased a used Arca Swiss F-Classic from B&H, and it hasn't yet arrived. I have yet to purchase a lens for it, as I'm still struggling to figure out all the different lines of Rodenstock & Schneider, as well as figure out the older lenses that permeate eBay. I'm interested in being able to shoot architecture and hike a little to shoot landscape. The architecture would seem to argue for a lens that allows plenty of movement with a large image circle. Overall, lenses seem a bit intimidating because I've seen quite a number on eBay with ages (I'm talking Schneiders) that are often 50 years old, some which *don't* use standard Copal shutters (I've seen Compur, which AS doesn't seem to make lensboards for?), and a friend of mine from class is also new and talks about needing a center-spot ND filter for one of his used lenses.....so while I'm not exactly tiptoeing in by getting an AS, I'm still working on putting my rig together. Just picked up a Sekonic light meter, and if I'm reading the specs on my new camera correctly, I'll actually be able to get away using my existing Manfrotto tripod with a 410 geared head on top, since my camera should be less than 11 lbs when all together.
Meanwhile, I've got a lot of reading to do.
I'll try to be judicious about searching the posts for answers without re-asking the questions. If you're in Seattle, and you see a tall guy fidgeting with an Arca Swiss at Gasworks, the Space Needle, or bumbling downtown in the coming weeks -- feel free to give me some pointers!
Thanks,
Scott