Large Format Landscapes

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Originally Posted by GRAYnomad

http://www.robgray.com/photos/images/00150.jpg

Image #00150

"Millennium Dawn"
Point Arkwright, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia

This photo nearly didn't happen. I had been wandering around after taking another photo and, as was my custom, left the camera on the tripod with the lot slung over my shoulder.

When I saw this image I set everything up then went to open the shutter to compose the image on the ground glass...no cable release (my super-angulon has an old shutter that requires the shutter to be set to B and held open with the cable release).

I retraced my steps for what must have been about 15 minutes but to no avail. The cable release was nowhere to be seen. Needless to say I was upset but chalked it up to experience and resolved to carry a spare in future.

I packed up the equipment, folded the tripod, shouldered my backpack, bent over to pick up my jacket, and there it was. The release was in a small crack quite literally under my feet.

Naturally by now the sun was higher than when I first saw the shot but with the cloud it didn't really matter although the brightness range is quite extreme with 1200% extra exposure required in some parts of the sky.


Camera :: Tachihara 5x4 field camera
Lens :: 90mm f5.6 Schnieder Super Angulon
Exposure :: 10sec
Aperture :: f64

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That’s a terrific photograph.

Thanks Ben. Was one of my best sellers and even made it to being a poster.

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Originally Posted by Maris Rusis

It is myself. By coincidence I shot a roll of ACROS at Lake Cootharaba on Friday, developed it yesterday, and sleeved it up this morning: Ultralong exposures, neg densities all over the place, darkroom excitement coming up.

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No darkroom for me these days, couldn't living in the motorhome for 15 years anyway and now I've dropped anchor I can't really afford to. Pity there's no community space up here at Bundaberg, or at least someone with a darkroom, it would be nice to keep my hand in.

I will probably start processing again though, that doesn't require much equipment.

I've seen your name (and Ziggy's) mentioned a bit on one of the Aussie platforms (Friends of Photography maybe?) so knew that you were still shooting LF. I was (and still am) seduced by digital since 2004 but am about to return to LF, but I'll still use digital for wildlife. It's hard to get shots like this with a view camera and I do enjoy wildlife photography as well.

http://www.robgray.com/photos/images/29836.jpg

Valentine's Weekend Hike @ Helton Creek Falls
Intrepid 4x5 mk.4, Schneider 72mm XL, Efke 100, Pyrocat

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O-Ccq4aTu.../DSC_8532s.jpg

Nice, a classic large-format shot.

The waterfall looks blown out, is that just the JPEG repro here? Or maybe just my monitor.

Perhaps your monitor. I can see a variety of tones in the higher values. That said, this is a super quick and dirty scan on a lightbox with my DSLR. I'll definitely print this shot - better than my previous attempts here. I've been here numerous times, it's a very well-known waterfall near where I live.

Looks like a good bit more driftwood washed in than last I saw the place. Composition gives pretty good depth to the shot.

Thanks Gary! Yes there was much more there since last I've been, bunched up below the observation deck. I was excited to see it as I thought this composition worked really well. It was actually raining while I shot this which gave the wood a slickness that enhances the tonality I think.

I also shot some Portra 160 of this scene so I'll have to see how that came out. It was really pouring when I shot those so hopefully I didn't mess anything up.

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Originally Posted by Corran

Perhaps your monitor.

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Yeah probably.

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Originally Posted by Corran

...That said, this is a super quick and dirty scan on a lightbox with my DSLR...

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I'm experimenting with DSLR scanning right now. It looks to have real potential and better than any scanner I could afford I think.

If you are interested, message or email me and I'll send you my raw DSLR scan and then a high-end scan from my Screen Cezanne when I scan it properly later tonight. Sometimes when I'm impatient to see the image, I just take the wet negative and slap it on my $25 lightbox and snap a pic with my D800E and 55mm Micro.

Either way I don't generally do digital prints but instead make silver gelatin prints in my darkroom. Scanning just for reference or the occasional one-off digital print for family or whatever.