Understanding Allen Rumme's Lens Database

[alex from holland]

My advice when you start with wet plate: workshop.
After that: start small.
It’s like digital camera’s. The greed for bigger plates is like the greed for more pixels.
But your picture will not look better. The learning curve in wet plate is steep and a path full of frustrations.
Believe me, i have been there and seen loads of students who gave up after a few months.

[Joshua Dunn]

Oh, great idea.... how would I search for a group?

Google.

I think I will look into taking a workshop in May.

This is a great idea. If it's a good workshop it will be well worth it, especially when trying to learn how to determine what chemistry formula/recipe is going to work for you.

Well, I guess I would like to shoot in 16x20 because of my experiences from art school.

Understood but there is a huge cost to wet plate, learning on an ULF could bankrupt small countries. You are going to make a lot of mistakes, better to make a lot of them on a smaller plate than a larger one. Once you have an idea of what works for you in terms of chemistry and technique move up to ULF.

Oh, nice architecture photography Joshua.... you have a good eye and great technical skills!

Thanks!

-Joshua
http://www.joshuadunnphotography.com/

[Qeb]

Greetings alex from holland, Great advice, start small and do workshops. And I totally agree, one of our profs in university said that people often print big to compensate for bad photographs (not always but sometimes this is true).

Joshua Dunn, Thanks for the advice and encouragement Sir I definitely wanted to learn some photographer's formulas. I would like to end up having cooler toned images. Like this photographer: http://www.michaelshindler.com/gallery/

Ahh okay, start small and work my way up. Maybe I can get enough experience/knowledge from a workshop or two.

Thanks again everyone! Take care and have a good week!

[ottluuk]

How about this for a learning tool:

A cheao 4x5 (either a monorail or a press camera like a Crown or Speed Graphic, preferably a kit including lens). A couple of film holders.
Shoot direct postive paper or paper negatives. This has several advantages: you can load and develop under a safelight. You can scan the results on any flatbed scanner. It'll teach you how to work with a very slow material (around ISO 1.5-6). You can get results quickly with very cheap and minimal darkroom gear & chemicals. Developer, fixer, three plastic food containers for trays, a couple of measuring cups, safelight.

A couple of weeks with an accessible, harmless process like this will give you a much clearer picture of how things work in practice. Then take the wet plate workshops. Then scale up to however big you see fit. Sell your learning kit when done with it (optional).

[Qeb]

Hello ottluuk,

Thank you so much for trying to help me take my time and be sure I want to get into ULF, that is very of you!

I did shoot 4x5 in university years a go put I I think I've only printed medium format.

I will seriously consider your suggestions and more are welcome!

Thanks again!
Cheers,
Kevin