Fast, Candid, and Intimate LF Photography

[Stephen Willard]

Currently, I shooting 4x5, 5x7, 4x10 color landscape LF photography like many of you (but not all) on this site. I also shoot high-end weddings in a completely candid manner with my professional 35mm/medium format systems. No stagging what so ever. I intend to retire my wedding photography business and shoot landscape and documentary LF photography full time now.

I love shooting people in a very fluid and candid manner and wedding photography filled that bill. Now that it is gone, I have just purchased an all metal 4x5 Crown Graphic camera with flash and speed sports finder, and I am in the process of acquiring all the flashbulbs I can get my hands on. This camera is in mint condition and does not use a focal plane shutter, so it is smaller and lighter than most speed graphics.

My intent is to use the camera exactly for what it was designed for. Fast LF press/sports shooting. And yes, all in b&w with flashbulbs either as the principle light source or as fill flash (to reduce the contrast). Flashbulb photography has a completely different feel than electronic strobes, and my hope is it will add a vintage quality to the images. I will be using chromogenic RA4 b&w papers because of the very rich blacks, pure whites, and creamy tones for printing. I intend to control contrast with the flashbulbs or unsharp masks.

Has anyone out there done this kind of thing before? Can you offer me any advise or methods for shooting these type of cameras in a more candid setting? Is anyone out there doing flashbulb photography in this manner?

Thanks for any considerations offered.

[Bill_1856]

To start with, the Crown Graphic is Mahogany, not metal, so be more careful with it. One of the secrets to using a Graphic for sports and documentary was the use of 12 exposure film packs, which could be shot almost as quickly as roll film, but are no longer available. You'll need some 6 shot Grafmatic magazines. The different look between strobe and flashbulbs isn't so much the speed of the flash, as it is the size of the reflector and the amount of light they produce. I understand that flashbulbs are still being made, though most are NOS. A standard proceedure was to moisten the base contact on the bulb by touching it to your tongue before inserting it into the flashgun, to assure good contact. Have Fun!

[Alec Jones]

"Has anyone out there done this kind of thing before?"

You mean other than the first 70 or so years of the last century? Come on, Stephen, you aren't exactly reinventing the wheel here. What you need is a LOT of self instruction. Find some copies of Graphic Graflex Photography and READ THEM.

While you are at it, you'd better examine your budget and research the cost of flashbulbs. That will put a damper on your "candid" photographic project in a hurry.

I'm not trying to stifle your enthusiasm, but merely observing you haven't done your part to intelligently consider all alternatives. What is the end product? Self congratulation - then fine, go to it. Money - better think about it some more. Don't quit your day job yet.

[John Kasaian]

It sounds like a terrific idea! I once talked to an old time newspaper photographer who could make a Speed Graphic really hum---sadly, he's gone now. Check with your local paper for leads to photographers from the "BN" (before Nikon) era and talk to them is any are still around.

Graphmatics are a lot quicker than cut film holders, if thats any help. Also heck out www.graflex.org

Good Luck!

[David A. Goldfarb]

I don't use flashbulbs, but I do use my Technika in that way, with a Norman 200C barebulb flash setup and Grafmatics. Here are some examples that I've posted before in other threads (click the image to cycle through about half a dozen shots)--

http://www.echonyc.com/~goldfarb/halloween/

These are all with Efke PL100, pushed one stop to EI 200 in Acufine, GVI Vari-strobe head with a plain 5" reflector and Norman 200C pack, cammed 210/5.6 Symmar convertible, mostly at f:8 (the crowd in front of "Le Pescadou" was f:5.6), 1/15th sec. to record a little motion, all handheld.

If you want to use your Graflex reflector and electronic flash, I've seen modified Graflex 3-cell flash handles with the electronics of a Norman LH-2 head stuffed inside.

[William Mortensen]

Stephen- You might want to do a little research on Dave Burnett, who covered the 2004 election campaign with a 4x5 Speed Graphic. Here's a good starting point:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/essays/vanRiper/040226.htm

Good luck with your work; sounds like fun!

[John_4185]

Stephen My intent is to use the camera exactly for what it was designed for. Fast LF press/sports shooting.

Triple-headed #2 bulb flash, F:32 and be there.

[Stephen Willard]

OOPS! My apologies Alec. I did not mean for it too be egocentric. Please ignore those parts that have that connotation.

Bill, the camera body looks and feels like metal to me, but maybe not.

Unfortunately, I believe that using the press camera as it was intended for is a very endangered art, hence my query.

John I am looking at ebay and just made a bid on a graphmatic. Thanks.

David, you nailed it. Excellent images. That is exactly the look I am after. Bare bulbs seem to produce an abundance of light.

Mark, I actually remember reading an article about that, but forgot about it completely. Thanks for the tip.

Again, if I sounded full of myself please for give me.

[Brian Sims]

Stephen, Sounds like a fun and exciting project. In the 1970's (when I was very young), I took a job where I had to shoot a 4x5 Speed Graphic in fast pace settings. I used a big strobe and heavy battery pack and 6-shot graphmatics (it still amazes me how quick and reliable they were/are). I was having a hard time with the transition from a Nikon F2. So I took the gear home and loaded it with an empty graphmatic and followed my neighbor's cat around "shooting" candids. It programmed my muscles to the rhythm of the gear so I no longer had to think about it. (I'm not sure the cat ever fully recovered.)

[John Berry ( Roadkill )]

Iwould recomed at least 3-4 graphmatics. I shoot strobes due to cost but I like the way a flashbulb tends to wrap the light around a little more.