View Full Version : Brisbane LF meetup thread.
Hey.
Earlier today I sent out a group PM to the members I know of from Brisbane Australia in an attempt to get a few large format shooters together to both shoot and discuss tips, techniques and all other things related to LF.
If anyone else who I'm unaware of is interested by all means post in this thread and we'll see what we can organise..
Any ideas on place to go etc would be appreciated...
Cheers ..
Alex.
Ian David
26-Feb-2012, 19:17
Thanks for setting up this thread, Alex. I'm glad to see a bit of LF action in our corner of the world, and am keen for a get together!
Ian
I must say I was surprised... I'm sure there are more too.. I saw someone down on dicky beach yesterday with a 4x5... we battled for compositions around the wreck... :) The amount of weird looks we got and questions from passers by was funny... :)
When are you generally available? or is it a case of I give you a few weeks notice so you can organise around it?
Where abouts in brisbane are you too.. Helps when planning spots to shoot to know how far people live from the location...
Cheers.
Guys. I'm in West End. While I said I was busy until after Easter ... I could probably sneak out on a weekend some time sooner ...
I love the weird conversations that start while I'm under a dark cloth!
:) I regularly have a chat to myself about what I like and dont like about the composition or position of clouds... Or alternatively calling an oddly placed tree in the frame names or asking it to move... make fun of my self for shifting left when I wanted to shift right but forgot I was upside down and back the front...
Ian David
26-Feb-2012, 20:20
Sundays are the best time for me to get away for a full day. I am in East Brisbane, not far from the Gabba.
Michael Hewson
26-Feb-2012, 21:38
G'day Alex - after a poke from Ian - I'm happy to be part of the yarn. I'm out at Ferny Grove.
www.planis.com.au/uvista
Michael Hewson
mgh@planis.com.au
miss_emma_jade
26-Feb-2012, 21:43
im on the goldcoast. sundays are good for me too. sounds fun.
Michael & Emma - Good to have you aboard!
Sunday seems to be the day for it.. Sundays are best for me also...
Well... Perhaps skip this sunday as its short notice.. How do we all feel about Sunday March 11th?
Here are a few options for Subject // locations.. If anyone knows of something similar or nicer etc post them up and we will figure something out..
1 - Sunrise Seascapes // Maloolahbah Esplanade? Kings Beach?
2 - Rolling Scenery // Somerset dam? out the back of wivenhoe dam? Maleny/Kenilworth area? Suggestions
As you can probably tell, I'm from the northside and don't really know many locations south of where I am (hence, starting a little shooting group to learn more! :) ) If you can think of different subjects, north or south side of the city, please post suggestions and we'll see what the group concencus is...
Cheers.
Alex
miss_emma_jade
26-Feb-2012, 21:58
lol we all love sunrise sunday morning... not sure im that dedicated.. fort lytton maybe is a good idea or even the boardwalk at southbank? is a million places
I hear currumbin has some good locations for seascapes and also forrestry ?
I do sunrise seascapes every other sunday :D I LOVE them :D :D
Fort lytton is a good spot... Would be able to think of plenty of interesting shots of that place...
Great thread Alex. I can see this being the place to spontaneously posted when one is going for a shoot on sunday afternoons, as well as the planned events. I'm kind of an imposter here as I haven't got a LF cam yet, but am hopeful in the next few months :) I'll be free from April onwards and am keen for just about anything, though seascapes/rainforests/landscapes tickle my fancy. :)
miss_emma_jade
27-Feb-2012, 00:44
cool. there are more of us than i thought.. there is also world pinhole day at the end of april.. that might take some more planning. but whos up for that one?? id like to shoot some film though before then, love to see more of ur 6x17 set up, Alex, and generally share ideas.
I hear currumbin has some good locations for seascapes and also forrestry ?
Sorry mate missed this - didn't realise it was onto 2 pages already. Currumbin is my old stomping grounds for seascapes, as Stef will tell you. It's kind of limited.. and may not be appropriate for more than a couple of us to shoot without getting in each others way etc. Places like caloundra (rocky area just off Victoria Tce park kinda area) at low to mid tide would be great for a bunch of us though I think. Currumbin does have the Currumbin Rock Pools.. though I've never actually been out there to have a look, but have been meaning to do so for a couple of years.
zachary12
27-Feb-2012, 02:08
Count me in guys, don't really have any suggestions for 'landscape' spots though. Am on Northside (Chermside).
Well how do we feel about our first shoot being something at a reasonable hour, somewhat central to everyones location...
I propose Cityscapes at Dusk somewhere around Kangaroo point on March 11th.. Meetup somewhere around 5pm, sunset is at 6, and best light for photography is around 6:15~6:30. Gives everyone time to get to know one and other, have a look at everyone elses gear etc... Afterwards if people are keen to push on I am always keen on heading up Mt Coot-tha and shooting the city and surrounding suburbs... at night, all lit up...
We MAAAAY attract a bit of attention.. 3~5 LF shooters in one place... I was told a week or so ago at the lookout on Mt-Mee that I was the first LF shooter this old man had seen since the 1960's... He got a little nostalgic..
Anywho, enough of my babble...
Who's in for Cityscapes in Brisbane city Sunday after next. (or even saturday night if that suits better...)
Someone has to bring a spot meter so I can convince myself that the cost is worth it... :)
I would be keen for world pinhole day... I don't have a pinhole camera at the moment though... I converted my Holga 120 WPC to have a schneider angulon 65mm f/8... Nice little panocam! :D I could make a pinhole for my 4x5 but $$ if it screws up sheet film...
I will very likely bring the 617 rig... I have been using 612 more at the moment because my 617 and my 75/4.5 lens don't play nice together...
cool. there are more of us than i thought.. there is also world pinhole day at the end of april.. that might take some more planning. but whos up for that one?? id like to shoot some film though before then, love to see more of ur 6x17 set up, Alex, and generally share ideas.
Ian David
27-Feb-2012, 14:50
Unless you are in a spacious location with many different options (eg a national park, a deserted coastline, etc) I think you start to run into problems if you have more than 2 or 3 LF photographers together and trying to shoot at the same time. I would probably be a bit dubious about meeting up anywhere busy in the city for serious shooting. But just to say g'day, put some faces to names and have a bit of a look at others' gear etc, I would be very happy to do that anywhere. Kangaroo Point is pretty close to me here, so I wouldn't say no to that!
I reckon the beauty of a thread like this is that it puts us all in contact with each other, so that anyone who would like company for a short-notice shooting expedition, or who wants to get together for a beer to look over some prints, or who just wants a chat about stuff, is likely to find a like-minded soul or two.
Ian
I'm keen if it's April or so since I'll be away beforehand :) You can tinker with my spot meter no worries, Stef also has the same one (and let me tinker with his prior to my purchase)
Ian David
27-Feb-2012, 14:52
I'd be up for the pinhole thing too - I bought a Skink pinhole lens for the 4x5 a while back that hasn't had much use yet!
cool. there are more of us than i thought.. there is also world pinhole day at the end of april.. that might take some more planning. but whos up for that one?? id like to shoot some film though before then, love to see more of ur 6x17 set up, Alex, and generally share ideas.
miss_emma_jade
27-Feb-2012, 15:14
yes that sounds good. Kangaroo pt and march 11th . Cant wait !!!
I wouldnt mind a skink pinhole... Might have to get one before april. :)
I think there is plenty of room at Kangaroo point across the top of the cliff to have a few of us shooting... I know Stef and Jason wont be able to make it, so it might only be 3 of us... I dont have to be too picky about where I am either, my camera has MASSIVE movements so I get away with plonking down just about anywhere...
I kind of agree with Ian. One of the reasons I shoot LF is a serious attempt to be more contemplative about my work. As much as I love banging out frames and really enjoy looking at my ground glass...it's a seriously expensive undertaking.
Having said that ... I would certainly attend a gathering for social reasons (if some want to go on to shoot that's up to them) and would bring my gear for people to see/fiddle with. Including my Pentax spot!
I do think that group shoots will be fun but agree it will take a bit of care as many locations just won't handle 6 ultra wide LF cams unless we all want a shot of each other. This certainly applies to a hike at Lamo for example. Not many waterfall scenes there even support 2 cameras at once let alone 3 or 4. But... Obviously it can work with some patience...
So... I would suggest the gathering on the 11th start slightly earlier (4 or 4.30?) somewhere we can have a drink and get to know each other and that can cope with whole bunch of massive camera bags. From there we can discuss one or more other group locations/shoots and people can shoot the city if they so desire. Who knows the sky might be amazing and I might not be able to help myself!
We will need a designated meeting point... Won't we?
I can be there on the 11th Alex. It's just that I probably can't bug out for a whole day of hiking Lamo until after Easter. Sorry for the confusion...
Thoughts?
Awesome ideas.
A designated meeting point is a good idea. It just so happens that up the top of the cliff at Kangaroo point there is a nice little bar we could all stop in at to say g'day first off.. Earlier is better as you say, gives us all a chance to get there and to have a good yarn before we all disappear under dark cloths :D haha.
Like you say, for serious shooting its nice to be in a quiet location and a bit more contemplative. however I tend to like company.. I get lonely :) haha,
I will find out the address of the bar I metioned and make sure they are open sunday arvo's etc and post back asap...
from the bar, you may find that some want to head to the bottom of the cliffs for shooting, some up top, some (ultrawides) will want to get closer while people shooting 150+mm may want to be further back.. Spread out a bit I guess..
National park action will come later when everyone (Or most) can attend. As you say, patience is required, but if we spread out a bit, it will help us all achieve some great shots in a day I am sure... (unless, like my last shoot, you get a full days worth of shots and then your roll film holder jams up and faffs up a roll of film.. :( )
I like company too! It's probably just more that shooting cityscapes is not so much my thing. I'm more a natural environment kind of guy ... :-)
So do you mean the Cliffs Cafe - right up the end of Riverview Tce? I thought that was more a sit-down restaurant kind of setup? It gets super crowded at sunset (they don't take bookings on weekends!)
If it works it's the perfect spot to hook up. If not - then maybe the Ship Inn or something - easy walk to either the top or bottom of the cliffs from there...just a touch further?
I hear you.. City scapes dont tickle my fancy either. I generally wont shoot a landscape if you can see a fence or powerlines in it.. however as a first meet for the Brissy LF crew I think somewhere central and easy to get to is a good idea.
Ship inn might be a good idea... I thought that cafe was a bar for some reason...
Ian David
27-Feb-2012, 17:34
Ship Inn would work for me
miss_emma_jade
28-Feb-2012, 01:45
where is the ship inn? ill have to look on the map.
miss_emma_jade
28-Feb-2012, 01:47
answered my own question. that works great for me!
miss_emma_jade
28-Feb-2012, 01:55
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=ship+inn+brisbane&ll=-27.482233,153.02541&spn=0.012316,0.022724&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&fb=1&gl=au&hq=ship+inn&hnear=0x6b915a045cf620bb:0x502a35af3de84c0,Brisbane+QLD&cid=0,0,1207664656752777805&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=-27.481966,153.025272&panoid=WUv_G9r-DciLfvkFXYRaDw&cbp=12,259.11,,0,7.94
Yep. That's the one... I'm really looking forward to this. I hope the weather puts on a good show for us
miss_emma_jade
28-Feb-2012, 04:03
so am i.. i better bring a longer lens, so i dont get in the way. i love cityscapes, and i have 1/2 a box of EKTAR 100 loaded too.
I can catch the train too, its right there at the station.
Gotta love it when a good plan comes together..
Details of the meeting all in one post to make life easier.
Date : Sunday, 11th March, 2012.
Location : Kangaroo point - The Ship Inn (http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=ship+inn+brisbane&ll=-27.482233,153.02541&spn=0.012316,0.022724&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&fb=1&gl=au&hq=ship+inn&hnear=0x6b915a045cf620bb:0x502a35af3de84c0,Brisbane+QLD&cid=0,0,1207664656752777805&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=-27.481966,153.025272&panoid=WUv_G9r-DciLfvkFXYRaDw&cbp=12,259.11,,0,7.94). (thanks for the map Miss Emma Jade.)
Time : 4~4:30pm
Plan : Meet at The Ship Inn, have a yarn and get to know everyone. Later in the evening, those who are keen can set up tripods and shoot some sunset cityscape images (weather permitting)
What to Bring : Yourself (essential if you plan on coming), Your best happy face (helps when meeting new people :) ) Optionals - Camera and related accessories, good walking shoes if you plan on shooting.. Its not far, but if you decide to walk from the ship inn, down the cliff and to the bank of the river, you're not going to want to do it in thongs etc.
Current members attending.
Alexn
Ian David
Miss Emma Jade
Boinzo
Zachary12
Thus far this week the weather looks unimpressive... Reports say that we should still be right this coming sunday. At the very least if we just meet up and no cameras come out. Still good if you ask me.
I got out a few times this weekend and let 3 or 4 rolls rip through the 6x17 between Calloundra and Kennilworth. Great mornings Saturday and Sunday. I did however destroy a few exposures.. the old 'pulled out the dark slide... push shutter button.. why didnt it click.. look at front of camera, D'OH!!! didn't close the shutter....' trick So I will have a few very clear transparancies, Might have a few winners in there too.. (definitely looked the goods on the GG...)
Ian David
6-Mar-2012, 01:37
Yeah, I don't mind much if it ends up being just a quiet beer while the rain chucks down outside. But I think the weather looks OK for the weekend.
Hope you got some good shots in the end, Alex. I still have half a dozen sheets to process from a trip up to Binna Burra a couple of months ago - I am finding fatherhood very time-consuming!
Ian
Ah Binna Burra.. did you do the coomera circuit? I'll look forward to seeing those images Ian!
Ian David
6-Mar-2012, 02:32
I really like the Coomera Circuit, but it was a bit too long for the time I had available last time I was up there.
When I eventually process my film I'll show you what I got!
Yeah it's a bit long unless you get a particularly early start for the good light I think. Still look forward to seeing them :D I'll be itching to get back to the Coomera Circuit when I get a 4x5.
Yeah it's a bit long unless you get a particularly early start for the good light I think. Still look forward to seeing them :D I'll be itching to get back to the Coomera Circuit when I get a 4x5.
So long as it's not in summer, right. Sweat boy? :)
We need to plan an LF scramble up Coomera River to the base of the falls...
Haha was waiting for yourself or Alex to pipe up with that one :D Ryan and I were just talking about it earlier. Totally keen for the Coomera River thing, so long as there's not too much scrambling down sheer cliff faces, but I'm keen to rough it up the river for a few k's.
Ian David
6-Mar-2012, 02:57
We need to plan an LF scramble up Coomera River to the base of the falls...
That's something I have often thought about. The other option is to abseil down from the lookout, but I don't think the rangers are as relaxed about that as they apparently used to be!
that's something i have often thought about. The other option is to abseil down from the lookout, but i don't think the rangers are as relaxed about that as they apparently used to be!
ABSEIL :eek: no way. Heights flip me out more than sweaty photographers!
I'll walk up the gorge. We just need the river level to drop a bit. As I understand it there is only one scramble up about 4m or so... Needs rope when one has 15kg of LF on the back. We'd also need water proof bags for the gear.
Pfft sweaty photographers.. :D We should scout it out one day, did you have an idea of where to start from mate?
Keen as to get to the base of the falls... might wait till I get my p&s 4*5 first.. not abseiling with a monorail studio camera..
Pfft sweaty photographers.. :D We should scout it out one day, did you have an idea of where to start from mate?
Yes mate. The route is pretty simple. Just hard work and quite slippery I believe. About 4 hours each way...
Give me a couple of months to attain some kind of fitness level, and by then it'll be winter and I'll be sweet :D (so long as I don't bugger my foot again beforehand :P)
Give me a couple of months to attain some kind of fitness level, and by then it'll be winter and I'll be sweet :D (so long as I don't bugger my foot again beforehand :P)
Nah. We need to go in April. Otherwise the day will be too short!
Keen.. I have 9 days off in April. Let's do some hiking...
Ian David
6-Mar-2012, 13:45
Yes mate. The route is pretty simple. Just hard work and quite slippery I believe. About 4 hours each way...
Stef, are you thinking of walking all the way up the Gorge from Gwongoorool Pool? That is one option. I understand the so called Mystery Track down the side of the gorge from closer to the falls is possibly a quicker way in, and quite safe if you are careful, although I have never done it myself. (Re option 3, I wasn't serious about the abseiling!)
Alex, I think your getting-out-of-bed watch may be fast...
Ian
im at work by 4:30am every day.. :) Good for me I suppose.. waking up at 3am on a sunday to shoot sunrise doesn't impact me too hard... Just feels normal..
I am keen for any kind of hiking. I might just bring the 617 point and shoot if its going to be a huge hike though.. My monorail 4x5 is good up to about 5 or 6kms at 10kms, I would arrive at the location unprepaired to shoot anything...
Ian David
6-Mar-2012, 14:55
im at work by 4:30am every day.. :) Good for me I suppose.. waking up at 3am on a sunday to shoot sunrise doesn't impact me too hard... Just feels normal..
I am keen for any kind of hiking. I might just bring the 617 point and shoot if its going to be a huge hike though.. My monorail 4x5 is good up to about 5 or 6kms at 10kms, I would arrive at the location unprepaired to shoot anything...
I think if we end up at the base of the falls, a decent tripod will be more important than the type of camera you have on it. Lugging a monorail for any real distance is no fun; that was the main reason I sold my Horseman monorail a couple of years ago and got a field camera (which has since since very little use due to job change, baby, etc...)
Ian
One advantage if we all take 4x5 is the ability to share the load around a bit. Like would we all need a light meter and a dark cloth or can we perhaps share? Do we need to carry 4 Lee filter holders or just 1? In fact I'd be happy for everyone to shoot off my Chamonix and then we can just carry film holders and so on. Just a thought....
Yes Ian. I mean walking up the river from the pool. I too have heard of the mystery track but have never located it! I wouldn't want to get it wrong. It's a long way down.
Yeah my new baby has definitely slowed my shooting habits somewhat! :) The monorail hasn't been do bad, I've lugged it a fair distance without much hassle.. Just anything that is considered any more strenious than a long walk becomes very hard. With the 617 its no different to carying a DSLR in weight.. Easier to shoot in a hurry too..
I might invest in a 4x5 P&S to go with my 617 P&S... That way I can take both with me.
Not a fan of sharing then Alex? ;)
My Chamonix is around the same weight as my 7d with the 16-35 on it. It's all the other stuff I have to carry that's the problem! I always cart waaaay more film than I should for example. Paranoid about a busted or wrongly loaded holder or whatever....even the dark cloth is 500g...
One advantage if we all take 4x5 is the ability to share the load around a bit. Like would we all need a light meter and a dark cloth or can we perhaps share? Do we need to carry 4 Lee filter holders or just 1? In fact I'd be happy for everyone to shoot off my Chamonix and then we can just carry film holders and so on. Just a thought....
Yes Ian. I mean walking up the river from the pool. I too have heard of the mystery track but have never located it! I wouldn't want to get it wrong. It's a long way down.
now thats a good idea!!
It would be sweet if all i needed was my quickload holder aand a box of film!... i would take it upon myself to carry everyones water or some such in that case... :)
Lol... I love that your camera weighs what your DSLR + wide angle weighs... My Kardan with the 75 F/4.5 on it weighs about the same as my D3 + 300 F/2.8 (ie - No good for big long walks) and as it does not fit, assembled, in any bag I own, setup and tear down time kills me.
Makes me think I should have done more research before buying a 4x5... A Technika III went on here for $550 the other day... I should have waited for something like that rather than the monorail... Oh well.. you live and you spend another $1000... :) (and hopefully learn too)
Ian David
6-Mar-2012, 16:02
I too have heard of the mystery track but have never located it! I wouldn't want to get it wrong. It's a long way down.
I am confident I can find the start of the track from the information I have. It starts down a particular little spur that is easily identified on my Lamington topo map. My worry is that we would get halfway down and lose the track... There is only enough time in a single day for one attempt - if we choose the Mystery Track and can't follow it, there is not enough time to go back to Gwongoorool Pool and start again :( By the sound of it, I would also be pretty reluctant to attempt the track if there had been much rain in the previous week.
Time to get out the scales and weigh my bits of gear!
Would hate to waste the day following our noses through the forest only to not get where we were going... I would be planning this trip for a weekday if we can manage it (days off work etc) and/or a drizzley day... There is nothing worse than walking a lonnnng way into the forest to photograph a waterfall only to get there, scout the site, find your composition, set up the shot, get it all focused, metered and ready to shoot, wack in your film holder, grab the cable release, look at your scene and say "where did all these bloody tourists come from?. They were not here 40 minutes ago when I started unpacking my camera bag..."
I know this from personal experience. Milla Milla Falls...what a day that was...
Lol... I love that your camera weighs what your DSLR + wide angle weighs... My Kardan with the 75 F/4.5 on it weighs about the same as my D3 + 300 F/2.8 (ie - No good for big long walks) and as it does not fit, assembled, in any bag I own, setup and tear down time kills me.
Makes me think I should have done more research before buying a 4x5... A Technika III went on here for $550 the other day... I should have waited for something like that rather than the monorail... Oh well.. you live and you spend another $1000... :) (and hopefully learn too)
I think for the type of work we seem to like Alex - a field cam is a must. I spent a lot of time looking for the lightest model I could get that didn't completely compromise on movements. I find the Chamonix is a great little camera. Really well made and easy to use. The choice was between it and a Shen Hao PTB - which is lighter but really lacks the required movements in my view.
If there's one thing I have figured out about LF - every time you think gear it costs another $500... You'd probably sell the Karden pretty easily mate! :-p
I am confident I can find the start of the track from the information I have. It starts down a particular little spur that is easily identified on my Lamington topo map. My worry is that we would get halfway down and lose the track... There is only enough time in a single day for one attempt - if we choose the Mystery Track and can't follow it, there is not enough time to go back to Gwongoorool Pool and start again :( By the sound of it, I would also be pretty reluctant to attempt the track if there had been much rain in the previous week.
Time to get out the scales and weigh my bits of gear!
I agree we only get one shot at it!
My concern with the clambering down the spur comes from an experience at O'Reilly's. Clambering down a 30 degree slope with 16Kg of LF gear on the back is very dangerous. I slipped - hyper-extended my knee while trying to stop - the only thing that stopped me going over a 6m drop was a fortuitously placed sapling. I limped for 3 months! These sorts of descents are not safe with a big pack on - they really require letting down packs on rope.
My brother is very experienced in the area - I will speak to him. He may even be prepared to tag along as an experienced guide. I know he has been here before.
Would hate to waste the day following our noses through the forest only to not get where we were going... I would be planning this trip for a weekday if we can manage it (days off work etc) and/or a drizzley day... There is nothing worse than walking a lonnnng way into the forest to photograph a waterfall only to get there, scout the site, find your composition, set up the shot, get it all focused, metered and ready to shoot, wack in your film holder, grab the cable release, look at your scene and say "where did all these bloody tourists come from?. They were not here 40 minutes ago when I started unpacking my camera bag..."
I know this from personal experience. Milla Milla Falls...what a day that was...
I agree a weekday is best. Although I think the chance of there being tourists at the base of Coomera Falls is basically zero. This is a walk that bush-walking clubs do maybe once a year. There is no real "track". The tourists will be up on the viewing platform above us taking pictures and wondering how the hell we got down there ... :)
The other similar walk I was planning on doing this year is Running Creek Falls. And also up the Albert River Gorge to the base of Lightening Falls (may require an overnight camp though!).
Lol... I love that your camera weighs what your DSLR + wide angle weighs... My Kardan with the 75 F/4.5 on it weighs about the same as my D3 + 300 F/2.8 (ie - No good for big long walks) and as it does not fit, assembled, in any bag I own, setup and tear down time kills me.
Makes me think I should have done more research before buying a 4x5... A Technika III went on here for $550 the other day... I should have waited for something like that rather than the monorail... Oh well.. you live and you spend another $1000... :) (and hopefully learn too)
Heh that's what I'm finding now with my Sinar F2. I'm beginning to think a field camera of some description might have been a better option. :) I enjoy using the camera a great deal and it's incredibly flexible but it's just a bit.. big?
Stef - Yeah.. I'm tossing up a few options. 4x5 field camera? 4x5 point and shoot? 617 field camera giving me movements, and roll film ease of use etc...
I find I shoot roll film 90% of the time with my 4x5, and quickloads the rest of the time.. I shoot rolls because the panoramic format appeals to me so much more than the 4:5 aspect ratio. I like 2, 3 and 4:1 aspects... I have recently re-acquired a dedicated 6x17 P&S purely because its light, easy to load/compose.. no movements is neither here nor there, I just stop down to F/22 ~ F/32 and its all good... Cheaper to shoot and process. Its a winner in that respect. If I got a 4x5 P&S too I could shoot 4x5, 6x12 and 6x17 with just 2 cameras that weigh next to nothing, require little effort to shoot and fit in one bag. Movements are, for my shooting, a little over rated. My longest lens is a 150mm, the longest I shoot is 90mm. With that much DOF stopped down to F/22 and smaller movements make little difference to final image sharpness. With the 75mm on the 4x5 I shot 2 shots of the same (similar enough) composition, one with all movements zeroed, one with slight fall and front tilt applied. Sharpness under an 8x loupe on a light table is no different at F/22.. Perspective is slightly altered.
Re: Coomera falls.
I see, I didn't realise... well that's awesome! I'm definitely keen for a good walk into somewhere the average person doesn't go.
Keen on Running Creek Falls and Lightning Falls too.. :) Overnight camping is fun!
Stef - Yeah.. I'm tossing up a few options. 4x5 field camera? 4x5 point and shoot? 617 field camera giving me movements, and roll film ease of use etc...
I find I shoot roll film 90% of the time with my 4x5, and quickloads the rest of the time.. I shoot rolls because the panoramic format appeals to me so much more than the 4:5 aspect ratio. I like 2, 3 and 4:1 aspects... I have recently re-acquired a dedicated 6x17 P&S purely because its light, easy to load/compose.. no movements is neither here nor there, I just stop down to F/22 ~ F/32 and its all good... Cheaper to shoot and process. Its a winner in that respect. If I got a 4x5 P&S too I could shoot 4x5, 6x12 and 6x17 with just 2 cameras that weigh next to nothing, require little effort to shoot and fit in one bag. Movements are, for my shooting, a little over rated. My longest lens is a 150mm, the longest I shoot is 90mm. With that much DOF stopped down to F/22 and smaller movements make little difference to final image sharpness. With the 75mm on the 4x5 I shot 2 shots of the same (similar enough) composition, one with all movements zeroed, one with slight fall and front tilt applied. Sharpness under an 8x loupe on a light table is no different at F/22.. Perspective is slightly altered.
Re: Coomera falls.
I see, I didn't realise... well that's awesome! I'm definitely keen for a good walk into somewhere the average person doesn't go.
Keen on Running Creek Falls and Lightning Falls too.. :) Overnight camping is fun!
Wow. So many options! I think the usefulness of movements like tilt and swing really depends on the scene in front of you and what you are trying to achieve. I certainly find that waterfall scenes gain a great deal from some simple movements to keep the entire plane sharp. With ultra-wides it's just harder because smaller movements make a bigger difference! There is a lot to be said for just a touch of front tilt when doing a seascape as well.
Having said that - I'd love a P+S 4x5 with fixed focal length and a view-finder for seascapes. Bit like Nana Sousa-Dias has - but like him I'd need to make my own...
So you know what you are getting into ... to get to the base of Coomera Falls requires a 4 hour wade and rock-hop up the Coomera River. In places the river will be waste deep. In places it will be over-grown and in other places you will need to climb up small ledges and so on. You will be wet all day. And every step you take you need to do again to get back out... :D
I'm fairly fit, the walk should be a challenge but not insurmountable by any means... Looking forward to it! :) I take it you're moving down stream on the walk out of the bush.. Thats got to be a plus. :)
Maybe I just haven't mastered the art of the movements to really see their usefulness yet... As you say, I always find that any movement I make goes FAR to far with the 75mm.. My camera click stops at 0° movement (on tilts). The slightest movement I can really achieve without it clicking back to 0° is maybe 6 or 7°. Which makes things look weird on the glass...
Swing I have used on an "artsy" shot of a barb wire fence running along the edge of a paddock. The fence is in sharp focus, everything else is not...
I will be making or buying a super simple 4x5 P&S for seascapes, much like Nana's, purely because on my first outing to the rocks I realised what you said... Its FREAKY watching waves come at you from above while trying to organise your image on the GG.. In that situation a view finder and fixed 58 or 47mm at F/22~32 is the go... get in, get the shot and get out of harms way quick snap.
I cant wait to see your field camera and see the difference in size and weight to my kardan... That will probably be the push I need to make the change! :D haha.
Tell me, with your 58mm, do you get the camera bed in the field of view or are you able to avoid that? Thats my biggest concern is getting a field cam then getting a 47mm and not being able to shoot it without catching the camera at the bottom of the image...
So have you communicated with Nana? That's where I was going to start .... let me know what you're up to on the DIY 4x5 front. I'm very keen to make one for myself. Although I'm not much of a carpenter!
6 or 7° is waaaay too much. I often just nudge the standard gently with my thumb. I have it partially screwed down at this point so it slightly resists moving but is not tight. It's moving maybe 1 or 2° at most.... then I lock it down.
With the 58mm - no I don't have any issues with physical vignetting from the camera body at all. Unless I go mad with fall or something. I can't use my Lee hood and polarizer setup though. You only have around 16mm of movement any way before the image circle is a problem. But when you are that wide that's plenty of movement I find. I dunno that I'd go to a 47mm. The 58mm is stupid wide anyway. Like you can frame up the entire height of Twin Falls with it. No problem. I dunno if the 47mm would vignette - but it would make any movement almost impossible without a bag bellows. I much prefer the 75mm. It's a lot more useful in almost every location I have been to. I wouldn't leave home with it.
I have not spoken with Nana directly, however I think making a wide angle point and shoot 4x5 would be the height of simplicity..
Basically a box.. I would put a graflok back on it. Its the easiest way to attach a film holder and to confirm focus (until you lock the focuser at the HFD for F/22)
You could either use a helical focus mount to achieve this, or just inspect the GG with a loupe and try various lens plate depths until you reach the required distance...
Yeah the movements being click stopped like that is a pain and it makes using movements with my wide angles difficult.
I very much look forward to seeing your field camera... Sounds awesome. I would probably get bag bellows purely because I only shoot wides...
Oh, I organised a pentax digital spot for $270 delivered! :) No more carying the DSLR and LF around together! :)
miss_emma_jade
7-Mar-2012, 02:59
oh interesting. not sure about hiking, but def interested in DIY cameras, especially bigger formats. most of the glass ive bought recently should cover 8x10. its either that or a panorama camera for me next. you guys seem to shoot a lot of rural/ nature landscape, movements come into their own with architectire or studio work, to my mind. just an observation.
interesting thread tho.. following with intrest, hanging for sunday.
zachary12
7-Mar-2012, 05:52
Wow this thread has grown!
Not much of a landscape man myself, but I'm not impartial to a hike.
@Emma did you see the Ilford Titan 8x10 pinhole announcement early today? Looks the goods, would be an easy way for me to get into 8x10 (woo contact prints for the darkroomly challenged.)
My brother and I have dabbled with home-made 4x5 wooden field camera, salvaged bits and pieces, have yet to test it, however. Is missing the bells and whistles of my Toyo though (GG probably needs a fresnel too, f8 ain't so bright.)
I'm going to try and make Sunday but I have family visiting from up north, should be able to sneak out fort a few hours for a pint or two. I'll more than likely bring a rangefinder or the blad, save carting the 4x5.
miss_emma_jade
7-Mar-2012, 06:30
ill bring the toyo i guess if i can be bothered dragging the tripod around. probably a leica too, Ive ordered a set of coloured filters too, im imaptient to start messing with the trichrome process. maybe theyll be here by then!!
I will have my 4x5 there and maybe even holga panoramic camera just for fun :D haha..
Ian David
7-Mar-2012, 13:56
I plan to cart along the 4x5 on Sunday.
Alex, I think you will like the Pentax spot. They are great no-frills meters.
Ian
Anything has to be better than carrying around the D2X or D3X with a 200mm lens and using that as a 1° spot meter... Metering with the DSLR at ISO100 at around F/4 to get enough light for it to even get a reading, then having to calculate the exposure time for my ISO50 film at F/22... By the time I have the meter reading calculated, dialed in on the shutter and ready to shoot, the lighting has changed and I have to start again... Hopefully with the Pentax spot life is.. well.. easier.
Ian David
7-Mar-2012, 15:22
The best thing about the Pentax, I reckon, is that it gives a light reading in EV. If you have any lenses with an EV scale, you can then just set the metered EV on the lens, and you don't have to worry about shutter speed and aperture independently. Niiice.
Maris Rusis
7-Mar-2012, 15:45
I wish I could get to the Brisbane LF meetup but I'm flat out film testing and finishing a 8x10 Noosa landscape shoot with oddball lenses. Then its off to the Snowies with a hundred sheets of unexposed. Maybe next time.
Maris - Hopefully we will be meeting every other month mate, I'm sure you'll be able to join us at some stage. I would love to see some of your work from Noosa. I plan to head up that way in the next two weeks or so to give the new 6x17 a fly..
miss_emma_jade
10-Mar-2012, 18:09
Wondering what the weather is like in Brisbane ? Here its really not so good at all. Anyone ?
Ian David
10-Mar-2012, 19:08
Quite sunny, but a bit of cloud about. Might get a shower or two, although it hasn't rained at my place at all today...
Wondering what the weather is like in Brisbane ? Here its really not so good at all. Anyone ?
miss_emma_jade
10-Mar-2012, 19:54
Im just leaving now. Sun is out nicely.
miss_emma_jade
11-Mar-2012, 08:41
http://www.flickr.com/photos/missemmajade/6972727563/ this was taken about 2 pm. and sadly its over exposed. had fun tho. :)
Its a nice image nonetheless Emma.
I sure wish I had that sort of turn around time.. Shoot and post the scan within 24 hours.. :)
It was great to meet everyone yesterday and see everyone's different cameras... Decision is made. I'm going to need a lighter camera... I never would have believed a 4x5 could weigh as little as Stef's Chamonix... How great is that... If I can go (and have done before) 6kms with my Kardan, I can go anywhere with one of those...
For Sale - Linhof Kardan Super Colour.
comes with 2 copal 0 lens boards, one standard, one 9mm recessed. Will throw in a couple of double dark holders just for fun too.. maybe a quickload holder and some velvia quickloads. :) Could throw in a 90mm F/8 at the right price :)
Ian David
11-Mar-2012, 17:41
Yes, very good to meet everyone yesterday. Thanks for organising it, Alex.
Stef, after we left you outside the pub we had a very brief 20mins or so of shooting time under the CC bridge before the darkness and mozzies descended. My single roll of 6x12s is drying now - I will post the best image or two later today. Thanks for posting your shot Emma - the Forceful looks a handsome old boat!
Also Stef, I was browsing the B&H website this morning. 20-sheet boxes of Velvia 50 (4x5) are currently US$52. Cheaper than your man on eB*y and fresh too. I will shortly be getting a bit of film etc from B&H, so let me know if you want anything at the same time...
Ian
Yes, very good to meet everyone yesterday. Thanks for organising it, Alex.
Stef, after we left you outside the pub we had a very brief 20mins or so of shooting time under the CC bridge before the darkness and mozzies descended. My single roll of 6x12s is drying now - I will post the best image or two later today. Thanks for posting your shot Emma - the Forceful looks a handsome old boat!
Also Stef, I was browsing the B&H website this morning. 20-sheet boxes of Velvia 50 (4x5) are currently US$52. Cheaper than your man on eB*y and fresh too. I will shortly be getting a bit of film etc from B&H, so let me know if you want anything at the same time...
Ian
Yes- it was great to get together. Looking forward to the next one. Some nice tones in old forceful Emma. Looking forward to seeing what you came up with Ian.
Ian - thanks for the heads up on B+H. I haven't seen Velvia 50 there for some time! Current prices from my eBay guy are much higher than I have paid in the past. I just ordered 100 sheets from B+H. The price is only a bit more (delivered) than I last paid from eBay and as you say - it's likely to be a lot fresher! So thanks!
Are people busy with family things over Easter? Could be a good opportunity for a waterfall hike ... was thinking perhaps Easter Monday or something...
I'm not busy over easter. and I've also go from the 21st through to the 29th of April (inclusive) off work too.. Will definitely be planning on some shooting... Im good for whenever really, I just need a date to lock in with the family and all will be well... I am currently in training in preparation... I will start walking every day at least 4 kms carrying a backpack full of water bottles.. By the day of our walk I should be sweet...
I was doing the math on that 500sheet bulk pack this morning and wasn't too blown away by it, but the price and B+H isnt bad at all..
I only shot 3 frames last night, so I'll fill this roll during the week probably.... I was happy with what I saw on the GG last night so hopefully my metering didnt fail... Will be interesting to see the results.
Ian David
11-Mar-2012, 19:33
If you blokes don't mind me tagging along on your hike, I am generally free during the week after Easter, when I could take a whole day - Easter Monday or any other day that week would probably work.
For sure Ian. That was the whole idea of this thread... To get a bit of a group together and head out shooting...
I honestly can not wait to head into Lamington NP for the first time. I have been to all the NP's between Brisbane and Maroochydore but never down to lamington... So keen...
miss_emma_jade
12-Mar-2012, 05:05
http://www.flickr.com/photos/missemmajade/6975803199/in/photostream/lightbox/
what did everyone else end up with?? . id like a lighter camera too, but probably a bigger format.. will see
Ian David
12-Mar-2012, 19:17
Here is the best of the few frames I shot. Not one for the wall, but gives a sense of where we were!
(Ebony 45; 135mm lens; 6x12cm neg scan)
70104
I like that shot Ian. What film / dev combo are you using? V700 scan?
I have tried once or twice to get some thing I liked from that position without much success. Bit of a shame about all the cranes - but I guess that's progress...
Ian David
12-Mar-2012, 19:57
Thanks Stef. That was HP5+ in ID-11 (1+1). Scanned on my old Epson 4870 - although it was a bit of a challenge to get this neg to lie as flat as I would like in the holder...
I don't mind the cranes too much. Slightly more dramatic light/clouds might have been nice though.
Nice shots Ian and Emma.
What I had on my GG looked similar but opposite to what Ian's image shows....
Stef, I bought most of whats required today to make my own processor... tubs, motor, rollers, heaters, thermometers, and a nifty little controller I designed that will have the motor rotate one way for 30 seconds (by my gearing calculations this will be 15 or so rotations of the drum, hence 30rpm) then automatically reverse for 30 seconds and continue until I switch off the power..
I read that the Jobo CPP is somewhere in the realm of 75rpm but that to me seemed chaotic. Obviously, its as easy as trimming a potentiometer to speed mine up to 75 should that be what is required (or a change of gear ratios)
The whole shebang including a drum and reels cost ~$300.. Now.. to build it... Given I have no spare time and have to wait for postage on some items, I would say I will be ready to go in a month or so... Will be able to do 4x120 rolls at a time using 440ml of chems. My plan is to shoot until I have 8 rolls to do, process all 8 off the same 440ml of chems (2 runs of 4) in the same day, and get 16 rolls from a 1L kit, works out to half the cost of Prolab, or a tiny $1.30 per 6x17 slide.
Alot cheaper than a $1500 jobo... I'm naming my creation, the Hobo...
Hahaha! Nice one Alex. Put me down for a Hobo 2.0 when you have it perfected! Sounds great. Make sure you add some things the Jobo should have and doesn't. Like a drain tap - and a way to warm rinse water. You putting a lift on it?
My Jobo has 2 speeds - I would say the slow speed would be around 40-50rpm. The high one is mad - it goes like hell. I haven't used it because it seems too full-on.
It has two drain taps, 80L heated wash water tank. Lift has been implemented into the design (albeit, crude, but functional.)
Hobo-lift 0.8a (Current Beta) is mostly made of wood with a long wooden arm that attaches to the base roller assembly much the same as 'the competition'. however where 'the competition' rotate the drum via direct contact to the drum lid, The Hobo-Lift 0.8a drives the drum via a retractable 12vDC motor driven dolly wheel that folds ontop of the drum.
Eg. imagine your drum sitting on your jobo rollers, mine has an axle that runs the length of the tank which is on a pair of swing-in arms. So you place the tank in the lift rollers, lower it into the bath, then swing the axle with the drive wheel down ontop of the drum. Once the rotation cycle is complete, simply push down the lift arm, it will swing the drive wheel assembly out of the way and raise the tank out of the bath, ready to rinse with 38°c rinse water pumped out of the rinse heated rinse tank through an irrigation tap. Chems are held in place by what looks like a cheap ikea wine rack to stop them floating around the bath...
Once I get home I might knock up some 3D models of the Hobo to give you a better idea.. Suffice to say that I think it purely exceeds what is required and should do a great job of rotary E6 process..
Yeah, 30~50rpm is easily doable, when I read the jobo does 75 I thought "what for? so you can spin your film off the reel automatically...?" I will build it with 40~50 as the speed and hopefully it will come out close to that... I would imagine as long as your rotation is smooth and consistant, it wont really matter if its 30 or 50, however I suppose if its too slow it might not affect the emulsion how its supposed to.. 40's a nice starting point anyway...
Mate. That sounds wicked. I'll get get my original Jobo 1.0 out and see what its RPMs max at ... I'll let you know.
That would be great if you could...
I looked at Lab Baths as an easier method of making the tanks but prices were a wee bit insane.. On ebay one that is the perfect size was $220, I thought I'd buy that to start with, well, they wanted $1025 postage from US. I contacted them thinking surely it was wrong but alas, they said its big and heavy, thats the price... So plastic tub tanks it is.
After some in depth reading on how E6 emulsion works and how the processing cycle affects the film, I have adjusted the gearing ratio to hit 50rpm. to ensure the images come out clean and streak free.
Might still be over a month until I have it up and running but the project is underway with the first few items for its construction having already arrived.
Alex. Just checked my Jobo - I reckon it turns at no more than 30 RPM on the slow setting. Also - it only turns the drum 1.5 turns before reversing direction. I would guess the faster speed is closer to 70 RPM.
hmmm..
ok.. Back to 30~35rpm I go... Shouldn't be too difficult..
Doing 1.5 revoloutions then switch back might be possible. I will have to do some math and time the setup doing 1.5 spins. I can probably adjust my DTDP relay to flip flop that fast... Might end up being 3.5 then switch back.. Will have to see how I go. I will go down to Jaycar tomorrow and see what I can come up with.
Still no cog lid for the tank I borrowed from Jason :( At this rate it probably wont get here until Jase gets back..
Got myself another box of quickload 4x5's too.. This is some crazy tungsten balanced 64ASA fuji slide film.. I figure I dont really shoot tungsten lighting much, but its a cheap 20 pack of film that can be converted to BW after processing.
I certainly admire anyone who can DIY anything that needs a soldering iron.
How fast are B+H. My 100 sheets of Velvia 50 arrived yesterday!
Awesome work from B+H. Next time you're ordering, give me a hoy and I'll grab a bit of of Velvia too... 120's and 4x5's..
Yep, Soldering irons are fun.. :)
Got my spot meter today.. will test it tomorrow... :)
Ian David
16-Mar-2012, 15:22
I also ordered a few things from B&H a couple of days ago, Alex. If I'd known you needed some stuff, we could have combined orders... When I get my act together, I might also get some alternative process stuff from Bostick and Sullivan. If anybody wants anything from there, let me know.
Looking forward to progress updates on the Hobo / Frankenjobo!
Ian David
20-Mar-2012, 15:56
Anybody here subscribe to View Camera Magazine? (I don't)
The article referred to below looks worth a read in the context of this Brisbane thread...
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?88592-Article-in-current-issue-of-View-Camera
Got my B&H order a couple of days ago. Now got enough film for the next year, I reckon!
I have 11 rolls of Velvia 50, 10 rolls of Kodak Ektar 100, 6 Velvia 100 quickloads, and I'm contemplating 5 rolls of TMX-100 to round out my collection. Should do me a little while.. Oh, and 20 Fuji T64 quickloads.... Tungsten balanced slide film isn't usually my cup of tea, but with quickloads, when they come up for sale, you buy them.... Worst case scenario, convert the scans to B/W and use them for whatever I want...
No, make that 21 rolls of velvia 50... Got it cheap so I bought 20 rolls instead of 10... Not bad for $124 posted. $1.02 per exposure. Thats cheap action!
I went to gardeners falls this weekend and fired off a roll in 6x17, 1 roll in 6x12 and 4 4x5's of the cascades and main falls. I spent more time teaching my dad the fine art to shooting with a wide angle lens. Since I don't shoot digital landscapes at all any more, my dear old Dad inherited my 12-24 Nikkor... We both had a pretty good time. I'll post some pics as soon as I can (from the 4x5 and some "action shots" my old man took of me while I was hidden away under a dark cloth.. :) )
I couldn't believe it. I got home, Dad was showing me his shots on the computer 4 shots of me under the dark cloth, NOT ONE SHOT OF WHEN I WAS CHEST DEEP IN THE STREAM!!
Update for those interested:
Our planned hike up Coomera River to the base of Coomera falls has been cancelled on account of the recent weather and water levels in the gorge. Safety must come first and although I'm always keen to go the extra mile (or 10) to get the shot, Im not one to take risks when its just not nessacary.
Stef and I have had a bit of a chat about it and he has some other possible sites in Lamington NP that we could go and have some great photographic opportunities while maintaining a reasonable level of safety.
We plan to re-schedule the Coomera Circuit trip until September/October after the drier winter months. Hopefully the weather holds up.
I'll let Stef take the talking stick from here, as he has the knowledge of the park and locations..
Suffice to say we still plan to shoot Lamington NP on Easter Monday, just not the same location.
As Alex says - we've had a conversation and thought it might be wiser to let the Coomera Gorge go until after winter (the water will be too cold in winter to tackle it!). The concern is that the trek to the base of the falls requires several hours of wading up the river - in places at up to waste height. When there has been a prolonged wet season this height can rapidly increase. Also the rocks tend to be more slippery and dangerous at this time of year. The trick is get up there before too much weed growth makes the route difficult. So before November.
Anyway - as an alternative we are suggesting a group day shoot in Lamington NP - from O'Reilly's on Easter Monday. I know at least a couple of people have never been there before so I reckon it's a great location for a first outing. The tracks are mostly well-defined and the walking mostly pretty easy.
There are a few options for day hikes that will take us past at least 3 or 4 shootable waterfalls. These include:
1. We take the West Canungra Ck track down to Blue Pool and then continue off the main track downstream to Stairway Falls. We can then come back the short and steep way (the same way we came in) or we can continue along the West Canungra Ck Circuit and onto the second half of the Box Forest walk. This will take us past another 4 shoot-able falls including the famous Elabana Falls. This is a long walk. It's around 5.5/6 km to Stairway Falls then we need to do another 12-13 km to get along the circuit and back to O'Reilly's. All up distance is around 17-18 k I think. It would require starting very early if we are going to have time to shoot much.
2. As above but skip Stairway. This is obviously a bit shorter at 15 k. It is all on track. We miss Stairway Falls which are apparently very picturesque. I have never been there but hear they are great. One advantage of Stairway is there will likely be no tourists there.
3. Skip West Canungra Ck and just do the Box Forest Circuit. This gives us at least 3 good waterfalls as well as plenty of cascades and so on. It's a pretty tame walk of only 11 K. Only the last 3 k is very hard (up-hill). We could easy start this at 9am and be at the Canungra pub for a beer with film holders exposed by 3 or 4pm.
4. Do the Toolona Creek circuit. this is a long walk - at just under 18 k. I haven't done this walk for 10 years but the map shows a lot of waterfalls. My memory is they are mostly a bit small or scrappy looking with the exception of Chalahn Falls. Another option is to do 3 but add a quick couple of kilometres out the Toolona track and back (it starts at the base of the Box Forest).
So - what do people think?? A lot depends on how much of this type of hiking (with heavy LF gear) people generally do and the level of experience. It can eat up a lot of time when you need to climb down and shoot every single cascade!
I am leaning to 3 with a touch of the Toolona track if we have time and are up for it. I do want to get to Stairway Falls at some stage though!!
We need a definite show of interest - so we can work out transport/car pooling. It's a (just under) 2 hour drive to Lamo ... we need to arrive by 9am I think. Earlier might be better - but it depends on which walk we go for. At this stage I am happy to drive - but will need to check with my wife whether she needs the car that day.
People should make sure they have the required gear beyond just photography. You should definitely have the following covered:
- Suitable boots or hiking shoes and the preparedness to get them wet
- A short (say 5-8m) length of rope that you can use to let your pack down over ledges etc (some of the best locations may require some scrambling and a little climbing)
- A suitable water container - 1 litre per 10k or part there of is the absolute minimum
- A small first-aid kit is sensible - however I always carry one so probably no need to double up on weight!
- A rainproof jacket or poncho is a very good idea
These shots were made along the Box Forest track ...
What did you compose at Waters Edge #post758546 (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?46577-What-did-you-compose-at-Water%E2%80%99s-Edge&p=758546#post758546)
There is some vaguely useful stuff here:
www.lamingtonnationalpark.net.au (http://www.lamingtonnationalpark.net.au/MainMenu.html)
The official (useless!) NP map is here ...
lamington-green-mtns-map.pdf (http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/lamington/pdf/lamington-green-mtns-map.pdf)
A more useful (sort of) topo map is here:
track-map-430x390.pdf (http://www.oreillys.com.au/docs/pdfs/track-map-430x390.pdf)
This last one shows the walking tracks pretty clearly and the location of Stairway Falls etc.
Ian David
27-Mar-2012, 22:20
I am definitely up for Easter Monday. I am pretty easy on the walk we take - it is all beautiful! A slightly shorter walk perhaps has the advantage of allowing more time for contemplative photography. I should be able to take the car, but will have to consult with the other half. Looking forward to it anyway!
Ian
I agree Ian. I think perhaps the Box Forest trip is the pick. Gives us a couple of nice spots and as you say - I'd rather go to few locations but be able to chill and find some nice angles.
Let's plan to meet at the entrance to the Border Track at 9am! Let me know if you can't get the vehicle....
I'm happy with any walk provided it gives me some waterfalls and cascades and plenty of green to light up my Velvia.. Meeting at lamington at 9 you say... I will have to look up how to get there..
So at this stage we have 3 definites, and I suppose you wouldn't want too many more than 3 before you start bumping elbows when shooting..
Now - being that I have two experienced spot meterer's at my disposal, I wouldnt mind a run down on your techniques.. my technique for sunrise seascapes is pretty reasonable I think, and ensures no over exposure etc. I have not yet figured out how I would meter a rainforrest scene. I suppose, if I have a waterfall, I will meter the brightest part of the water and over expose by 2.3~2.7 stops to have the falls as close to the top end of the films range as possible.. I feel that for a waterfall scene in a rain forrest, if the brightest part of the falls (either the top or where the water lands in the pool below JUST over-exposes the film, thats not as much of a concern as if you were to keep the falls within the dynamic range of the film and underexpose the surrounding forrest.
I suppose it will be easier to explain when we're standing infront of a waterfall... Looking forward to it, thats for sure.. T -10 days and counting!!
I might get out and shoot a seascape sunrise between now and then... Although I really want to conserve film. I know in a place like Lamington NP I'm going to need a fair bit.
Ian David
28-Mar-2012, 15:16
Hi Alex
Yeah, it will be easiest to talk through the metering on the spot, so to speak. But it is pretty easy to get a good result, although you will have a tougher time than me if you are determined to use Velvia (especially 50).
My usual approach with black and white negative film is to meter the darkest and brightest parts of the scene in which I would like to capture some detail. In a rainforest situation, those might for example be the shaded face of a large rock and the brightest area of whitewater. If the range is easily within the latitude of the film (say 5 or 6 stops), I will mostly just set exposure half way between them. If the range is longer than that, I will generally take the important shadow reading and then close down a couple of stops (i.e. add a couple of EVs). Highlights can then be dealt with in processing (if you are using sheet film) or sometimes with a graduated ND filter if you are keen. With your Pentax spot, the easiest thing to do is just work in EV numbers until the very end when you need to convert the EV to shutter speed and aperture to set on your camera.
With Velvia you will have considerably less latitude and the most common approach is to meter for the highlights, and sacrifice shadow detail if necessary That would involve taking the EV for the brightest important part of the scene and then opening up probably 1.5 stops (i.e. subtracting 1.5 EVs) to calculate your exposure. I think you will nearly always be sacrificing shadow details if you want to include whitewater in your scene. If there are patches of sunlight as well, you are really in strife! Then again, the Ansel Adams school which says that you must record detail in everything is not necessarily the only right approach. Sometimes high contrast and areas of pure black can work depending on the look you are after.
When you have a final EV number you will need to correct it for film speed, reciprocity, etc. (The Pentax EV numbers are based on a notional ISO100.)
I may be getting a couple more bits from B&H before our trip. Yell out if you want more film or anything and I will chuck it in the order. Don't want you to be conserving film - think of the struggling industry!
Ian
Im a hoarder... I'm conserving film even though I have 21 rolls of velvia 50, 10 of Ektar 100, 10x 4x5 velvia 100 quickloads, 20x 64T quickloads and a handfull of Neopan quickloads too... hahahaha.. I do plan on a bit of a shooting frenzy in Lamington NP though...
I might consider using Ektar 100 in the more contrasty areas. I also have the option of bracketing with velvia and doing a digital sandwich using 2 or 3 exposures in photoshop.
"Digital Sandwich"!! Meh! No substitute for patience (wait for the light) and a good old partly cloudy day! ;-)
My Velvia 50 rainforest exposure mostly involves metering the brightest highlight and placing it around Zone 7 (I prefer zones to EV numbers!). I don't have too many problems pushing the base of a water fall into half-a-stop over though. Then I check where the darkest detailed shadows fall. If it is less than Zone 3 I need to be aware I am losing detail. So. Change composition? Wait for light? Plan to come back another day? Shoot anyway? Try some crazy grad options?
I spoke with Jason yesterday and he is planning on joining us. So that makes 4.
Run on ev but treat them as zones. At the beach I will meter the brightest area of the sky, subtract 2 ev to to place the brightest area of the sky to the upper range of the film, subtract the ev value of the grad I'm using, then shoot.. I would do the same in the forest, meter highlights, place them in the high range of the film and shoot
Ian David
29-Mar-2012, 01:07
Sounds good to me. I work in EV numbers instead of shutter/aperture combos right until I need to work out reciprocity comp (if any) and set the lens. But I do think in terms of zones.
The big question I have is what lenses to carry in to the NP. Tempted to just take the 135 and some screw in filters to keep the load light. But then I think maybe I should take the 90 too, and perhaps the grads, and ... and suddenly I need a sherpa!
I will be bringing my 90mm, you can borrow it if you want as I will likely use my 75mm. What I would love to know is, does anyone coming have a longer lens I might be able to use? 150 to 240ish? I have a shot in mind and don't believe the 90 will be long enough.
As far as the pack is concerned, I'm bringing the linhof, 75 and 90 lenses, roll film, 2 x 6x12 holders one with velvia and one with ektar, water, food, spot meter, first aid, head lamp and maybe some 4x5 just for fun.. some filters 81a and cpl probably. Rope. Travelling moderately heavy but I hate getting somewhere n thinking gee I wish I had brought X.
Ian David
30-Mar-2012, 04:07
Thanks for the offer of your 90mm, Alex. That may be handy...
Don't forget to pack something warm to wear just in case things get cool. I remember standing around in gloves and beanie at the bottom of a Binna Burra walk not so long ago, and it wasn't winter!
Most welcome mate.. I figure, all our cameras use the same lenses, and I'm pretty sure (at a glance) that our lens boards will fit eachothers cameras... That being the case, why double up on weight..
I got something that will save a bit of weight... I have some military water treatment tablets. 1 tablet in one litre of river/stream water for 10 minutes turns the likely 'less than fresh' water into purified drinking water...
Its surprisingly good, I've used it when hiking up little yabba creek in Kennilworth, and at gardeners falls in Maleny a few times.. Both locations have FAIRLY clear water, but there is enough moss and alge in the water to know you'd be daft to drink it straight up... One tablet in, 10 mins later and its clear, tastes reasonable and most of all - I've never gotten sick..
Ian David
30-Mar-2012, 05:17
Most of the Lamington streams have beautiful clear water in them. But there is sadly the possibility of giardia in them too these days... It probably depends on where you are in the Park and whether anyone might have been upstream.
my treatment tablets kill giardia.. winning. :)
Yeah the crystal clear waters I have seen in photos from Lamington NP are amazing.. part of the reason I'm counting down the minutes to Monday! :D
Ok,
So where and when are we meeting? All planning to meet in the carpark at a certain time or metting at a location along the way?
I've never been so have zero idea where i would be going :)
Getting close now! :)I was kind of hoping to have my home made 6x17 p&s finished by the weekend but alas, I don't think that will be the case.
Ian David
2-Apr-2012, 14:18
Hi Alex
I gather the plan is to meet at the entrance to the Border Track at O'Reilly's at 9.00am. The Border Track is the main track off which some of the other walks branch. It is also the track that goes to Binna Burra. You shouldn't have any trouble finding it.
To get to O'Reilly's, just head down to Nerang, then across to Canungra. At Canungra, follow the signs to O'Reilly's/Green Mountains. The whole trip will probably take close to 2 hours.
I am happy to meet earlier, eg at Canungra for a breakfast pie, if anyone is keen.
Looking forward to it!
Ian
Ian David
2-Apr-2012, 14:27
Or you could leave the Pacific Highway at Beenleigh and go to Canungra that way. When I was a kid we always used to go to Lamington from the Coast, and we loved the various creek crossings on the way through the Gorge road between Nerang and Canungra. They are all gone now to make way for bigger, faster roads. Progress? As we got close to Canungra, we would also try to spot the army training silhouettes in the bush. Anyway, I still drive through Nerang, even though it may be slightly quicker to go via Beenleigh.
Alex. Yep as Ian says. 9am at the entrance to the border track. You'll find the border track start pretty easily. When you get up the mountain the car park is on the right. Walk up the hill on (or next to) the road. You'll go past the O'Reilly's guest house and then veer onto the grass at the left. The border track entrance is right in front of you.
Border Track (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=-28.230329,153.135866%20%28Lamington%20National%20Park%20Road,%20Lamington%20National%20Park%20QLD%204275,%20Australia%29)
I always go via Beenleigh. You can also go out via Beaudesert depending on where you in Bris Vegas...
When you come into Canungra from beenleigh turn right at the park (if you come from Nerang youll turn right and then you'll come intomtown and turn left) and it's about another 36 k up the hill. It's a very narrow winding road so drive careful!
I have room in my car if you would prefer a lift! Picking Jason up at 7...
I'll be carrying my Nikkor 75 and Schneider 58 XL. You are both welcome to give them a go!
Does anyone want to borrow a Grafmatic? I have a spare I can let you use. Happy to throw the pup tent in the car so you can load it!
Ian, Thanks for the replies.. Definitely sounds easy enough.. That being said, Stef, If you're happy for me to tag along I can be at Jason's place by 7am easy as. I will happily thow some $$ into the collection plate, I guarantee your fuel consumption increases dramatically once my 4x5 is in the car :D haha.. I am considering throwing together a rough and tumble 75mm 4x5 point and shoot for the day... Would just be a wooden box camera set at hyperfocal distance if anything, but it will depend on my motivation friday/saturday/sunday. Maybe I'll just man up and carry the linhof.. :D haha.
I dont want to shoot a few rolls of film just to find out my rushed home made camera had a light leak and ruined the whole show.. I have plans drawn up none the less.. home made 6x17, hyperfocal 90mm. 4x5 75mm (with graflock back for 6x12, 4x5 and quickload holders).. More on those later...
If anyone is short on film holders I have 2 4x5 holders available for use.. (i have no film for them) so i can throw them in if anyone needs.
Bugspray. Will have quite the quantity with me... :)
Alex. I'd be shooting off a couple of frames of expired BW in the backyard and doing a quick process mate? Light leaks would be a big dud.
My car is German. It's made for carrying Linhof stuff...
If you're close to Jason I can swing by (just email the address). Otherwise we'll need to make sure he's cool for you to loiter at his place. No need to worry about fuel. You can buy me a beer sometime.
Another mate of Jason's and mine might be tagging along as well. He has not yet grown up to film but we shouldn't hold his pixel popping against him! I may lend him for 35mm 1N for the day.
I'm super keen on your PS plans mate. Except I want mine for a 58mm. I'm down at Yamba this week fighting really high tides. A PS would be really useful for getting a shot without getting washed away! The dark cloth wave fear is fully with me ....
Will discuss P&S on monday. Suffice to say that I've looked into it for the past month, both helical focused and fixed focus. Its simplicity at its finest... and as DaVinci once said.. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication... I would envy the 58 P&S for sure. :)
I will give Jason a call and see... I'm about 45 mins north of his place, so easiest if I rock down there.
Cheers..
Wow this is amazing! I just happened to stumble across this thread and had no idea that there were other LF shooters in brissy - its so great to hear. I live in west end and try to shoot landscapes several times a week. Have the brissy LF'ers succesfully met up yet?
F90. We had an initial meet up a few weeks back in march. We are going to try to get together frequently. Be sure to keep an eye on this thread as we are always chatting. I tend to shoot every weekend. And will post in here to see if anyone is keen.
It is pretty amazing to think there is 8 or 9 of us here in brissy
Guys. I have had a suggestion that 9 might be a bit late to start. I'm fine to go a bit earlier if it works for everyone else. Even half hour might help. Especially if there's a clear sky.... Thoughts?
PS. Hi f90 and welcome. I'm in west end also!
I was thinking 9 at the park might be a little late... Whatever time everyone is happy with is fine by me. For me, waking at 3am on a weekend to shoot LF is nothing out of the ordinary... I do it nearly every weekend.
Ian David
3-Apr-2012, 05:25
f90: Greetings!
Stef - Perhaps we should say 8am at the border track then?
Yep. Ok. 8am it is then. See you there! Alex... Pick up at Jason's @ 6.15!
WOOOOH!! EXCITEMENT!! :D
Time to waterfall it up a little bit! I have been doing a lot of seascapes recently.. it will be nice to see some green for a change. I very much look forward to this trip, being my first into Lamington NP I only hope I'm not over-hyped only to get there and it not be what I'm expecting.
What I've seen in photos tells me to be excited though...
The week following this trip I'll be getting all my roll films processed, so I'll have something to work with... (and something to show for all the early mornings I've had this past few months)
Also - As a side note, I have 21st to 29th of April off work.. During this time I'm planning a few nights stay up at Noosa Heads... Going to be shooting Noosa Heads NP and possibly make a (long) drive up to Hervey Bay.. Theres a little jetty in Urangan I want to shoot.. In any case, if anyone is keen on some Noosa Heads NP action, let me know.
Ian David
5-Apr-2012, 14:51
Noosa would be very nice, but I will probably struggle to get away that week...
does anyone coming have a longer lens I might be able to use? 150 to 240ish? I have a shot in mind and don't believe the 90 will be long enough.
I meant to say that I have a 210 which I can bring if you would like me to. Let me know. I probably won't bring it otherwise, because it is not as long as I would like. I have just found a slightly longer lens at KEH (something that approximates my favourite 150mm MF lens) but unfortunately it won't be here in time for Monday... :(
Ian
I have a Schneider 150 sa I could bring. But it's not in a lens board ATM. Waiting for one to come. If you have a spare copal 0 you are welcome to use it...
Pretty impressed you can pre visualize a scene you've never seen Alex! Are you obi wan? ;)
I previsualised a shot of a waterfall that no matter the scene, I will need a longer lens and I will need to get close-ish and low.... Its not so much the location I have pre-visualised as its is the general idea. (Although, I am a Jedi...)
Ian & Stef - I would love the opportunity to use a longer lens for a shot or two..
Stef - I have a spare board, but its a 10mm recessed board I bought for my 75/4.5. Unfortunately it did not come with the metal arm they normally have to trigger the shutter release. I can't get a normal cable release into the recessed part of the board so its useless to me..
Had a great shoot this morning at Caloundra.. Let of a roll of Velvia 50, dropped my mobile phone into knee deep water trying to read a reciprocity chart... Loving that! :) Still works strangely enough..
Here is a pic my old man took of me with the view camera this morning.
6:20am. F/22, 1/13th sec. Nikon D50, 12-24... cropped to my favorite aspect ratio :D
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We both had a very productive morning, and apart from the scare I had, dropping my phone in the water, It was a very relaxing morning... We actually went to photograph a jetty not far from where this shot was taken, but I spotted the boat in the water about 20 steps from where we parked the car... I figured that was our shot so we stuck with it.. I shot two verticals and four horizontals.
I'm now ready for some waterfall action! Bring it on! :)
Nice work Vadar.
I will bring my 150 SA. I have just swapped the lens board over from my 90. I had one of those metal thingies for a recessed board somewhere round here. Just can't find it at the mo... you need a recessed for a 75? Wow..
You're pretty lucky the phone is still going! I'd stick it in a bucket of fresh to be sure! ;-)
Looks like you had some nice colour. I didn't get up for sunny this morning at Yamba. Tide and swell has been so high it was practically impossible to get to a location with any safety...
Nah I got the recessed board as a part of a package buy off the forums. It's nice with the 75.. allows more movement. I think I could do 65 or 58 without a recessed board...
The morning was amazing, the small tender boat made an awesome subject and the sky put on a real show. Reviewing my old man's digital shots it was well worth going. Beautiful reflections and colour. Velvia 50 should have had a field day with the pallet. I only hope my exposures were good. I'm pretty confident on a few of them but a couple I just guessed because my phone reciprocity chart was out of action.. after reviewing my pen and paper exif data I think I under exposed one. Meter told me 30 sec, I guessed and went with 47 sec.. found out now that 30s is 64s with failure.. my only saving grace is that the light was changing fast.. it might only be 1/3 of a stop under... it will be great to see them. I am very confident of three of the exposures. Can't wait to process this roll.
Ian David
8-Apr-2012, 02:20
Righto... See you all tomorrow morning at 8am!
Yup. Keen as.. looking forward to it. See you there Ian.
All good. See you there Ian. See you at Jason's at 6.15 Alex...
how was the meetup ladies and gents?
What a walk. It was a great day, saw some nice falls, got a few nice shots and some crazy blisters. Haha..
I was very happy with the day despite my obvious lack of fitness, finding out my spot meter is out by 1 full stop and varying 9kgs of monorail camera and tripod and a 12kg back pack for 10~12 kms. Sounds horrible but I assure you it was a great day. Can't wait until the next meet.
Stef, Jason, Ian and myself are all keen for some sunshine coast seascapes next. I for one can not wait..
Less walking involved with seascapes...
Sounds great alexn, i wish i would've stumbled across this thread earlier. This is just a suggestion but there is a stretch of rocky shoreline in-between alexandra heads and mooloolabah that would provide good shooting conditions all day long despite tides and sun location - the stretch is pretty easy to access as well. Check'er out on google maps for a good scope.
Thanks mate.
We were thinking of Point Cartwright. The spot you're talking about is pretty stunning too, (one of my favorite spots actually) I tend to finish shooting by 6:30~7am with seascapes. After that I always find the sun is too high to get a really meaningful image.
We'll discuss in detail in here what we plan on doing before we do it.
Hey guys. It was a great day. I hope Alex is walking properly by now...
Just posted a couple from the day over in the waterfall thread. Not my best work ever but am sure you guys will want to have a gander anyways....
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?39867-Post-Your-Waterfalls&p=875064&viewfull=1#post875064
Looking forward to the next outing!
Ian David
14-Apr-2012, 02:23
Nice shots Stef! I particularly like the last one, but I am admittedly a bit partial to B&W... I am keen to process my films, but the in-laws are currently staying with us, and using my darkroom as a bathroom/toilet! Should hopefully be able to get something up next weekend though.
Yes, onwards to the next outing!
Haha Ian. Just tell 'em to cross their legs! :)
I like the last one best too mate....
Great shots mate.. My legs and shoulders are back in action. I'm not shooting this weekend with family commitments etc, but I have some bits and bobs here to do up a rough prototype P&S 4x5. Might even fire a shot or two through it next weekend at Noosa Heads...
Finally got my slides back and scanned in...
I'm glad to say that despite some difficulty, there are plenty of usable images..
Heres a few... All taken with the Hammer + 75/4.5 + Cheap chinese 6x12 back on Velvia 50.
72368 - 2 sec Exposure
72369 - 1 sec exposure (needed 1.5~2sec I think)
72370 - 45 sec exposure
72371 - 10 sec exposure
One last one.
72372 - 1/2sec exposure
After looking at them with eyes that haven't been awake for 18hrs, The shots from gardeners falls are much more impressive than what I first displayed...
72395
Hey Alex. Not sure about this one mate - maybe the scanning but it looks a touch muddy to me? I also would like maybe a slighter longer exposure to add a touch more silk to the water.
Still - for a shot with a meter a full stop under ... you've done well!
I don't mind the second bridge shot - it's a very nicely balanced composition.
When is the next gathering??
I have the next 9 days off so pick a day.. I am keen for seascaping, keen to find a waterfall.. Not too keen to walk any serious distance :P
The scans are AVERAGE!! to say the least... When I hold the slide up to the light I can clearly see all the foliage in the background and the rocks to the bottom left of the falls... I just can't get the old epson to suck the detail out of the darker areas... I need to upgrade to a V600 or V700/V750 Something with the oomph to attack Velvias velvety blacks...
I will be getting my mate to scan the ones from gardeners falls on his flextight 393 for me... That will sort out my dmax problems...
oh yeah, and if that image was 1 stop brighter it would be MUCH better... That said, to have anything even remotely workable from a 1 stop under exposed velvia slide in a moderate contrast scene is a win! :)
I know from this bunch that I am on the right track... Make some minor adjustments to my procedures and I think I'll be set..
Ian David
20-Apr-2012, 02:05
Looking good Alex! I really like the composition of the last shot you posted. Will look more closely and comment further in the next couple of days, but I have an exam first thing in the morning, so gotta run now...
Good luck Ian!
Stef - Let me know when you're free mate - Keen to shoot almost anything anywhere. :)
I have the next 9 days off so pick a day.. I am keen for seascaping, keen to find a waterfall.. Not too keen to walk any serious distance :P
Any suggestions? Perhaps Thursday or Friday might work... Or maybe next week.... it'll be a bit hard to find something good waterfall-wise to shoot with no walk mate!
Perhaps an early blast to Cartwright or Alex Heads....? If it's a sunrise Friday will be better than Thursday I think. Nice low tide Fri morning - sunrise @ 6.10. 0.7m tide at 6.24...
Done.. I'm happy with Alex Heads, I've done cartwright to death recently. Shot a ripper sunset tonight... was really really nice. I'm shooting Sommerset dam early tuesday morning. Thursday is out for me, the little one has an appointment at the cardiologist... Nothing to serious, they just want to do some scans and have a listen as she has a very slight heart murmur.
Friday AM it is... Got a suggested meeting point at Alex Heads?
Had a great morning today on Shellys Beach in Caloundra.... Two rolls of film were shot and I think all but one are fairly reasonable... I did the old, Trigger the shutter, 'one-aaand, two-aaand, three-aaand... wow look at the way that wave created a series of waterfalls on those rocks oh my god how many seconds was I up to? how long have I been off topic?? Surely its over exposed by now... Shame, its a really nice composition... CRAP Better close the shutter!! :) Suffice to say I took a second shot to be sure.
Ok, Playing a bit of catch up here...
Here is a couple from the day at Lamington NP.
All things considered I am stoked how these turned out... They need a bit of a touch up, but these are scanned/cropped. nothing else done so far... I think they should come up very nice with a little effort.
At least I controlled exceptionally well the areas I could. These are SHARP! the detail is mind blowing...
Well worth the walk...
Ian David
5-May-2012, 02:10
These panos look good, Alex. A bit of tweaking of the contrast and perhaps the colour and they will be really nice.
I still haven't even processed my films... First it was the in-laws in the darkroom, and then exams, and currently a mixture of major domestic landscaping/drainage work and baby-wrangling. I will get there eventually, hopefully before the next trip! I am really keen to get out and take some photos, but it just isn't happening for me right now :(
Thanks Ian,
Being colourblind (rather seriously) makes adjusting the colour balance a dangerous game.. I usually get someone to stand with me and let me know when the colour balance looks "Real". I have re-done these already with a bit higher contrast and they are a lot more striking to my eyes.. I will upload them soon.
I have managed to get out nearly every week recently. I think I've missed only one week... I have 5 rolls of velvia to develop at the moment and a big stack of 4x5's.. I have posted a few pics in the "what did you compose at waters edge" thread too... Since learning about the inaccuracy of my meter my slides have come leaps and bounds... There have been a few failures... with a couple of heavily under exposed slides and a couple of blown out skies but largely very happy with my exposures...
Bit of retouching on this one. I really like this...
Alex. I want to like this. Everything about it says I should like this. But your jpeg looks so soft I just can't tell if you had the focus right mate! Do you have a better jpeg? It looks the same on FB. I want to see it sharp to see if the detail is there in those shadows.
Looks a touch blue too colour blind boy! :)
I am doing some E6 this week. Where you at?
Stef - I can email you the original JPG... The scan is AVERAGE as per my AVERAGE scanner..
Those black areas look fine on a light table, the old scanner I have just doesnt have the stones to get detail out of the dark areas... I'll email you the jpg now.. and I will see what I can do about the blue.
Massive thanks to Stef for giving me some training in E6 processing... After successfully loading 12 sheets of Velvia 100 onto reels, getting them into the drum, getting the damn lid onto the drum then processing, I now have my first 12 4x5 transparencies... I have shot a bit of B/W Neg 4x5, but I've never held a 4x5 slide before now... What can I say... Wow... That is one big colourful slide, they look great on my light table, unfortunately for me, my scanner packed it in when I went to scan the first one... My local camera store is scanning them at $1 per scan for 2400dpi scans off their V750... Fair deal really.. I can get 700 slides scanned for less than the cost of the scanner.. :)
I will have them back tomorrow, so maybe tomorrow night there will be some new images floating about.
Hi guys, sorry if this is off topic..but I was wondering if anyone is interested in buying my 6x9 graflex film back. I was going to sell it on ebay but I thought I may as well ask on here first to save myself from dealing with the ebay process.
Give me a yell if interested :)
Dwarak Calayampundi
14-May-2012, 19:57
Bit of retouching on this one. I really like this...
Alex
Lovely shot I am very new to large format have only been reading about it don't have a camera yet the only large format camera I have personally seen is when I went down to the tweed coast saw f90 a member of this forum using his sinar. I am getting to my point the processed shot has got a blue colorcast was that intentional I know the velvia does give you a bit of blue color cast naturally as I have used the 35mm velvia film. I prefer the more natural colors but that's just me from a learning point I would like to know why.
Hope to join you guys when I get my first large format camera.
Hi Dwarak,
I have since corrected the colour cast... I am fairly colour blind and didnt realize it until Stef told me..
Best of luck getting into LF. The time and effort all pays off when you see the detail in your images!!
AussieDan
22-May-2012, 04:06
Hi all!
Ian very kindly shot me a message telling me about this thread. I'm in Sunnybank and happy to meet/chat next time it happens :-) Just let me know a time, date and location!
Daniel
Ian David
22-May-2012, 05:15
G'day Daniel. Welcome to the thread! Looking forward to meeting you and the other couple of newcomers here as soon as things quieten down on the home front. Anybody keen on an outing in late June or July?
Stef, when does your show start?
Hi and welcome Daniel.
It's about time we had another gathering really. Are you finished your busy period yet Ian? How is the weekend of the 16/17 June for everyone. Did we want to just do another chin-wag-have-a-drink sort of thing or were people wanting to do another hike? :-)
I am thinking it might be a good idea just to get together for a chat and work out the next outing over a beer ...
Ian - the show is June 29 to July 13. You guys are all invited to the opening on June 29 @ 6pm. If you PM me your email address or mobile number I can send you the official invite.
Here's the flyer:
74042
Ian David
23-May-2012, 14:52
The flyer looks very nice, Stef! Looking forward to the opening! Can I bring the missus?
I am keen for another gathering. I have a bunch of exams in June, finishing on the 23rd. So I probably can't take a full day on the 16/17 weekend, but would certainly be keen to sneak out for a beer and a sit around. After the 23rd, however, I would definitely be up for a day-trip if anyone is interested...
Ian
I was wondering if anyone is keen on shooting something this long weekend? I am keen to head to Queen Mary Falls/Daggs Falls and Brown Falls after talking about it with Stef. Also keen to get out and shoot some seascapes if anyone is interested in that sort of thing... Was keen on looking at the Jetty at Wellington Point, the Jetty at Cleavland and maybe the sand pumping jetty at the spit too... Currumbin rock maybe...
Anyone keen on an early start?
Ian David
4-Jun-2012, 18:34
Hi Alex - Sorry, I would love to get out this weekend, but I cannot do it with my looming exams... Still keen for a beer on the 16/17 weekend, and an outing or two after 23 June!
Alex. I might have interest! I'll check with the boss. Pretty busy ATM though so we'll see. I'll let you know....
Definitely need to catch up for a beer Ian.. Hopefully soon.
Stef, Awesome - Let me know...
My E6 chems still havent arrived, 5L on the way though... Then I'm ready to start digging through these 18 rolls I have sitting in the fridge.
Ian David
7-Jun-2012, 03:36
Well, my father-in-law is now installed downstairs and peeing in my darkroom again... But I did manage (finally) to sneak in and develop my sheets from the O'Reilly's trip before he arrived. Sorry about the delay in showing you blokes some shots, but here are a few anyway. Not super-excited about them, but I had fun clambering around in the bush!
I do think your wider lenses give a better feel to these sorts of waterfall scenes than the 135 I was using. I reckon my white water could probably have done with a bit more shutter time. As expected, those blown-out patches of sun in the first shot are pretty ugly too, but I couldn't wait any longer on my perch!
Bring on the next outing!
74862
74861
74860
Nice shots Ian.. Really like the first and second.. I wish I had have got off my lazy backside and got up to those falls where you took the first shot.. Really nice spot...
Hi Ian! I like the last the most. The texture in the foreground is great and it's a really balanced exposure. Nice work.
The second one is great but I find the bit of bright rock bottom-right a tiny bit distracting. The first would be awesome without the rotten sun-spots... :-(
You were very patient but the light didn't play fair...
Looking forward to our next catch up.
Ian David
8-Jun-2012, 21:36
Haha - just saw an email in my inbox notifying me of activity here....
Alex and Stef, you are both very kind. I too like the last one the best of my shots. I actually have two versions of this, virtually identical, except that the foreground leaves hanging down into the top left corner of the shot have quite a lot of movement blur in the other version. They stayed reasonably still in the shot I posted here.
Hey, any of you guys ever use the Jobo Expert Drum? I am (again) thinking of trying one of those. I used my Combi-Plan line for the above negs, but have never been 100% convinced by the old Combi...
Hi Ian. No. Not an expert drum. They are stupid expensive and afaik not really necessary unless you are doing 8x10s. I just use standard 2500 series and 2509 reels for 4x5s. Work great and cost a lot less. Of course they work best on an actual Jobo! But people do use them for hand agitation. You'd need the correct lid though. Or you could just hand roll on a home made base. I like the Jobo for BW too because I can drop the temperature down to 19 or 20 by adding ice to the bath. I usually do a 2 stage Rodinal 1:50 of around 7 minutes each at 19... But am thinking of changing developer to something a bit less grainy.
I don't mind the old combi. I have one as well and really liked it for BW. A bit leaky and fiddley to use but great once you have the hang of it. What don't you like about it?
Ian David
13-Jun-2012, 03:52
Thanks Stef - interested to hear your thoughts on the Jobo...
I do like the Combi, but have never been convinced that it will always give me completely uniform development, especially in areas of uniform tone, like cloudless skies, etc. I think the tank is potentially overloaded with 6 sheets, so I prefer to do 4 at a a time, but it uses quite a lot of chemistry. I also always feel that I need to be pretty careful with agitation (esp direction of twisting the tank) so as to avoid dislodging any sheets in the developer. Plus it is a bit leaky and fiddly, as you say. That being said, it is still a pretty good system. I am just looking around for a better one, if a better one exists!
Ian David
30-Jun-2012, 14:29
Stef and Jason - Fantastic to see your big beautiful prints at your opening night on Friday! Congratulations on a terrific looking exhibition!
I will second that... Fantastic stuff indeed... Beautiful prints, beautiful captures and a great opening night! :)
Thanks you guys. And thanks for making the effort to get along. It was a great night. And I'm stoked to have a few sales in the bag as well! When are we doing our next beer gathering?
Hey Boinzo, I dropped into your exhibition on the way to the hardware store this morning and it was great! You've certainly captured the essence of the east coast points.
I especially liked the b&w print taken at Cabarita beach. I hope the sales go well :)
Thanks F90. Glad you could drop in. The Cabarita image was made by my fellow exhibitor Jason - you may have met him in the gallery this morning. I like it too but I try not to be too cruel about it being a digital capture on a "little" camera!
Pleased you enjoyed the show and thanks for the best wishes.
Hope to meet you at the next gathering! Ian? Alex? When is that? :-)
Ian David
2-Jul-2012, 00:45
I am now a man with a little bit of time up my sleeve, so I am keen for a gathering whenever suits. This Saturday, or anytime the following weekend? Weekday?
Saturdays and Sundays suit me down to the ground. Saturday I will likely be working this week... How does everyone feel about a having a couple of quiet ones at the Ship Inn, where we went last time? on Sunday?
Dwarak Calayampundi
27-Dec-2012, 13:41
Hello guys I am from Brisbane too very new to LF have not yet purchased a LF yet I am thinking about the charmonix 4x5 or a dedicated panorama camera like the horseman 6x17 and then inch my way into LF just want to know your thoughts on this.
Ian David
27-Dec-2012, 14:41
Greetings Dwarak. Welcome to the fold!
My personal feeling is that a dedicated panoramic camera is great... if you know you only want to do panoramas. A 4x5 plus a roll-film back will give you more versatility while you work out what suits you best. The Chamonix seems pretty popular - Boinzo here uses one.
I started out with a used Horseman monorail and then eventually moved to a 4x5 field camera when I found the monorail too big and bulky to take to the places I wanted to use it.
What part of town are you in?
Ian
Dwarak Calayampundi
28-Dec-2012, 01:04
Ian I live in carseldine north brisbane.
Hi Dwarak. I agree with Ian concerning 617 - they are great cameras but can also limit you to seeing the world just one way. The lack of movements is also something to be aware of. I like my Chamonix - it is a great little camera and very portable. Mine gets treated pretty rough with plenty of hiking and so on and is still in great shape.
Perhaps it's time we organised another little get-together - I can bring the Chamonix along and you can take a look.
Ian - how's things?? Been getting much shooting done? Be good to catch up!
Dwarak Calayampundi
28-Dec-2012, 21:37
Thanks Boinzo I will be very keen to catch up with you guys I will bring my camera as well. It will be interesting I guess for me it's ease of use as well just fear that I will not be able to setup the camera quick enough I guess I will have to see it and learn how to and also calibrating it is another concern of mine and will need help at the moment I am on a low budget and can still afford the charmonix 4x5 I already have an old schnider 135 5.6 lens which I will use.
Ian David
29-Dec-2012, 14:53
Perhaps it's time we organised another little get-together - I can bring the Chamonix along and you can take a look.
Ian - how's things?? Been getting much shooting done? Be good to catch up!
Things are pretty good thanks, Stef. Shooting?? Not too much LF lately. Child-wrangling seems to occupy quite a lot of my spare time these days, so 35mm is mostly the first thing I reach for... Very keen to catch up for a beer though. Name a time and let's make it happen! Interested to hear about your recent travels too.
Ian
Dwarak Calayampundi - Hey mate, I'm the other end of the spectrum.. I start with a 4x5 (monolithic, heavy metal beast) and eventually moved to a roll film back, then sold that in favour of a 6x17 panoramic camera... I tend to lean towards (and love) panoramic imaging. As the guys have said so far, a camera like this does limit your options and your potential in many situations as you don't have movements and you're frame is so skinny that a lot of the time you find yourself wishing you had a wider lens to fit more in vertically, then wishing that you didn't have so much extra stuff on the edges of your frame...
For me - Panoramics are perfect.. Having said that, its not for everyone and I reckon starting with a 4x5 is the key... I see myself buying a 4x5 again in the future to accompany my 617... :)
It will be interesting I guess for me it's ease of use as well just fear that I will not be able to setup the camera quick enough I guess I will have to see it and learn how to and also calibrating it is another concern of mine and will need help at the moment I am on a low budget and can still afford the charmonix 4x5 I already have an old schnider 135 5.6 lens which I will use.
A note on this... I approached large format in a similar fashion.. I quickly learnt with the assistance of Boinzo, the word 'Quick' has no place in a large format (or medium format) shooters vocabulary. There are so many things to do in a precise order to produce a useful, let alone meaningful image. The real key to this sort of thing is to slow down. Take your time, do everything in a very methodical way and try to drum a routine into your head. See your scene, set up the camera, rough focus, carefully compose, apply movements, fine focus, double check that your movements have not adversely changed your composition, stop down lens, close shutter,insert film holder, meter scene/determine exposure, cock shutter, remove dark slide, expose, replace dark slide and pack it all up...
That is not something that can be done quick...
With 617, it's not as involved, however you have to be extra careful with composition, remember to wind film on etc... I find 617 much easier to shoot, and as Boinzo (Stef) said, it does train you to only see in one way... For me I spent the past 4~6 years shooting dslr's and cropping my images 617, I had already learnt to see in that format, and so for me, shooting it seems natural..
4x5 is more of a beast to tame, but the quality is worth the extra effort. The images produced by a 4x5 in the right hands are second to none.
Dwarak Calayampundi
30-Dec-2012, 03:12
Well I might just buy both and learn to use them both when I can afford it at the moment leaning towards the 4x5 as it seems like the cheaper option but I guess learning to shoot with a 4x5 camera will be more challenging and probably with time will see the benefits in terms if focussing. I am very new to film as well I don't process my own film I have been shooting transperancies and some colour negatives only 120 film and 35mm.
Thanks for the advice Alex like yourself I love the panorama images especially the 6x17 I guess I cannot know the benefits of the view camera until I experience it for myself to me I need to use both.
Dwarak Calayampundi
3-Jan-2013, 18:48
Hey guys just decided on the charmonix 4x5 and will use my 135mm Schneider lens still have to wait for some funds to come through should have it in couple of months time one question about the shutter release cable I will be using a copal shutter 0 with the lens can someone suggest a compatible shutter release cable l know that B and H stock some but have no idea about which one to buy.
Ian David
3-Jan-2013, 19:04
Good news!
Most cable releases will do the job, and I suspect that there are a lot of different preferences out there. My favourite cable release is the Hama Professional (50cm) - I have two of them. I don't think B&H sell them any more, but I suspect they are still pretty widely available (under various brand names). Apparently they are made in Germany by the following mob:
http://www.drahtauslöser.com/SESSION/11697/P1.html
Anyway, that's just the release I settled on (accidentally) a few years ago. I have found it very smooth and dependable but many others will do the job just as well. Might be good to get a plastic coated release (rather than cloth) if you think you might get wet...
Ian
Dwarak Calayampundi
3-Jan-2013, 19:41
Thanks Ian will look for this brand.
Dwarak. Just to add to Ian's excellent advise. Be aware that cable releases vary widely in price and quality. I have several and my best ones are genuine Linhof from mainline photo (http://www.mainlinephoto.com.au/). They don't seem to carry them anymore - they have a different brand now. Probably a good thing because they were stupid expensive!
Think about what you are going to shoot and get the correct length. 25cm is fine for most wide angle stuff and 50 (or longer) works great with longer lenses like 300mm.
I also carry a cheap and nasty ebay one (was $5) in my bag in case of break-down or loss. They do sometimes fall off!
I also have a release for each of my lenses and it is permanently fitted. The last thing I want to be doing when the light comes good is trying to get the release onto that other lens...
At the end of the day almost anything will work - some are just smoother and will last longer than others.
This http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Leica-50-cm-cable-release-14076-FREE-SHIPMENT-/281041901225?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item416f6716a9&_uhb=1 for example will be awesome.
This http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/15-5-HOLGA-B-Shutter-Release-Cable-120-WPC-Stereo-3D-135-BC-TLR-TIM-PC-Camera-/190628873888?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item2c625dc6a0&_uhb=1 on the hand is 1/4 of the price and will be fine for most needs so long as you have a backup.
Ian David
3-Jan-2013, 22:45
Actually, this link is better than the one I gave above. The other one seems to have expired...
http://www.drahtauslöser.com/ESITE/
Ian David
3-Jan-2013, 22:47
Refreshing beer this weekend anyone?
Dwarak Calayampundi
4-Jan-2013, 01:53
I am up for beer
Ian David
5-Jan-2013, 16:45
Hi Dwarak
Looks like you and I are the only takers.... I reckon we should wait until Stef is available to come too and bring his Chamonix for you to have a look at.
Ian
Dwarak Calayampundi
5-Jan-2013, 18:31
Sure Ian I think more people the better cannot wait to take a peek at the charmonix. Went out to pincushion island this morning with my DSLR. Got an ok sunrise mostly overcast but got some colour.
Hi Guys!
Sorry - only just saw this today! Whoops! I obviously need to spend more time on the interwebs! This Saturday is out. Could perhaps sneak something in Friday afternoon or Sunday maybe...
Thoughts?
Dwarak Calayampundi
6-Jan-2013, 20:52
I can do any day where do you guys usually meet?
South Bank. How about we do the Surf Club bar. It's easy to find - across the path from the Beach at South Bank?
Friday? 4pm? I can come a bit earlier too if that works...
Dwarak Calayampundi
6-Jan-2013, 20:56
I can be there by 430 the earliest will need to take off from work in the city
4.30 is fine. Let's wait and see what Ian has to say!
Dwarak Calayampundi
6-Jan-2013, 21:03
Ok sounds good
Ian David
8-Jan-2013, 15:05
Sorry guys - I didn't check this thread over the last couple of days as I thought there had been no new posts...
Friday arvo would be good. I am supposed to be on 2-year-old duty but I have a cunning plan! Let's lock in 4.30 if that still suits.
Ian
Dwarak Calayampundi
8-Jan-2013, 17:16
I have no problems with 4:30 that will be fine. My mobile no is 0435527155.
Ian David
9-Jan-2013, 13:47
Although my plan is cunning, I may be 20 mins late to Southbank...
Clearly your wife is more cunning than you are Ian.... ;-)
Ian David
9-Jan-2013, 18:36
Hmmmm... you might be right!
(I have PM'd my mobile in case it is required)
richie4540
15-Jan-2013, 21:15
HI, I only just stumbled on this thread at work today, I have been mucking around with a 4x5 chamonix for a couple of years now and didn't realise that there were many LF users here in Brisbane, I would be keen to join you for a meetup next time you are planning an outing.
regards Richard
Ian David
16-Jan-2013, 01:15
Hi Richard
Glad you found the thread. Welcome! Shame you just missed last week's beer!
Ian
Dwarak Calayampundi
16-Jan-2013, 01:20
Hello Richard Ian Stef and I met up at the surf club in south bank Stef and Ian were kind enough to show me their cameras as I am new to this format and have never shot with it before it will be nice to meet up for a shoot I have not yet got my camera will soon do.
Dwarak Calayampundi
6-Feb-2013, 23:07
Just ordered the new chamonix 045F1 the design is a bit different arriving in match this year and I am excited this will be my first new larger format camera. Thanks to Stef and Ian for letting me have a look at their cameras sometime ago.
Ian David
10-Feb-2013, 20:49
Good on you, Dwarak! I look forward to seeing it when it arrives.
Dwarak Calayampundi
19-Feb-2013, 14:09
Just paid for the new Chamonix 4x5 with the protective leather case should be shipped in two or three days.
Dwarak Calayampundi
27-Feb-2013, 21:35
Received the Chamonix 045F1 camera with a lens board and couple of film holders I also got the leather cover. I have not yet played around with it yet but will eventually get there.
Dwarak Calayampundi
3-May-2013, 17:58
Thought I should share my experience with using the chamonix 4x5. I have been just practicing focussing and using different movements at home and outdoors. The camera itself is quiet rigid and sturdy I use it with a 135mm lens. I got myself a rodenstock loupe x4 which I am happy with but find I need a loupe with more magnification I may not need one as I have not yet developed any film. I loaded my first fp4 film and sent it out for developing only to find out I loaded it wrong lol. I have also been experimenting with the cameras rear asymmetrical movements which makes focussing so easy. I was able to finish my focussing within few minutes instead of tilting focussing and further tilting again and refocusing. With this it is a two step process. Just shot a roll of 120 film on a 6x12 back will have to develop it and scan to load it up here. I guess it's still early days but getting the hang of things.
Hi Guys,
Have just come across this thread. Would like to meet up too. Am in Toowoomba.
Cheers,
Ian David
17-May-2013, 02:53
Hi Steve. Things have been pretty quiet in this thread for a while. I have been super busy for the last few months and the LF photography has taken a back seat. Hopefully that will change in the second half of the year...
Dwarak - glad you are starting to get the hang of the Chamonix! I look forward to seeing some of your results.
Must be almost time for a Brisbane beer again soon...
Ian
Dwarak Calayampundi
17-May-2013, 15:17
It will be nice to meet up
Hello Brisbane LF People!
It sure has been quiet around here. If you aren't busy next Friday be sure to head over to Foto Frenzy in Cooparoo for the opening of my new exhibition Ookił Tsé!
The show runs for 3 weeks and features images from Utah, Western Australia and Queensland.
We should organise another gathering - it's been ages!
100391 100392
Everyone still alive? Will have to organise a gathering/meetup some time soon..
Just a note that I found a group called Master's Apprentices in Brisbane ... Apparently the group does have some film guys / gals. The next meeting on Wed has Craig Tuffin as a presenter. Perhaps those in close proximity to Brisbane might have a group of likeminded people here ?
andrewch59
18-Feb-2018, 00:55
Hi, I am so glad there is still some life in LF around the southern qld area. I will be keeping an eye open to see if you venture up to my part of the woods. I live in Stanthorpe and would love to host something at sometime. I have a dark room and many old interesting cameras, including a ill fitting (size wise) Hunter and Penrose in working order. I must admit I have never actually shot sheet film, preferring to cut up my own film xray film.
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