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Thread: advice for a 8x10 setup for portrait

  1. #11
    C. D. Keth's Avatar
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    Re: advice for a 8x10 setup for portrait

    Quote Originally Posted by Bernice Loui View Post
    Lighting, Connection with your portrait sitter are often more important than lens-camera-image format size...etc.

    ~Much about the portrait sitters expression and content of the portrait image produced. Knowing precisely what your portrait sitter and image maker wants to achieve is the primary goal. All the rest are mere means to achieve this.


    Bernice
    Learning to work with a subject is MUCH more difficult and will take much more practice than gathering all the equipment in the world.
    -Chris

  2. #12
    Foamer
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    Re: advice for a 8x10 setup for portrait

    Quote Originally Posted by C. D. Keth View Post
    Learning to work with a subject is MUCH more difficult and will take much more practice than gathering all the equipment in the world.
    I agree. A good portrait captures the essence of the person.



    Kent in SD
    In contento ed allegria
    Notte e di vogliam passar!

  3. #13

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    Re: advice for a 8x10 setup for portrait

    A relative who uses 8x10 for people and portraits switched from slower glass to bigger, heavier f/5.6 300mm lens for the brighter ground glass. Says his eyes aren't what they used to be and the brighter screen made a difference.

    In studio he uses a Kodak slide projector to put a slice of light right on the side of the head where the eyes are. He uses Strobes for the portraits and can stand off to the side and tell when the sitter is in perfect position for sharpness on the eyes by seeing the slice of light position. Most sitters move back and forth a bit and this enables him to trip the shutter when they are in the right spot. He shoots fairly wide open and says it does make a difference for sharpness in the eyes for his studio portraits.
    ” Never attribute to inspiration that which can be adequately explained by delusion”.

  4. #14

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    Re: advice for a 8x10 setup for portrait

    Quote Originally Posted by Two23 View Post
    I agree. A good portrait captures the essence of the person.



    Kent in SD

    Disfarmer doesn’t strike me as someone who cared to know the person and who worked really hard with people.... and yet he seemingly “captured the real souls” of many of his customers.

    I mean this with some sarcasm and with a lot of respect for those who do work hard for their clients :-)

  5. #15

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    Re: advice for a 8x10 setup for portrait

    Some of you are making the unwarranted assumption that because the OP doesn't know 8x10 he doesn't know portrait.
    Thanks, but I'd rather just watch:
    Large format: http://flickr.com/michaeldarnton
    Mostly 35mm: http://flickr.com/mdarnton
    You want digital, color, etc?: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stradofear

  6. #16
    C. D. Keth's Avatar
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    advice for a 8x10 setup for portrait

    Quote Originally Posted by mdarnton View Post
    Some of you are making the unwarranted assumption that because the OP doesn't know 8x10 he doesn't know portrait.
    Fair enough. My assumption is and was that somebody with more visual experience would have told us better about the aesthetic goal of gearing up to shoot 8x10.


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    -Chris

  7. #17

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    Re: advice for a 8x10 setup for portrait

    Well, it’s supposed to cover everything in the optical domain. If so, it’s not that expensive.

  8. #18

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    Re: advice for a 8x10 setup for portrait

    The intrepid camera folks have a nice new 8x10. They've made a light source/film holder/enlarger adapter back for their 4x5. Something similar could be done for 8x10 to make enlargements that wouldn't have to be moved with chains and a gantry. That said, contact prints are pretty cool.

  9. #19
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: advice for a 8x10 setup for portrait

    Tailboard cameras are prefered for Portrait http://www.vintagephoto.tv/shoulder.shtml

    at least 2 reasons

    1. the front standard can hold up almost any lens and doesn't need to move

    2. rear focus is better at keeping 'Head' size constant while focusing

    A 'modern' metal camera that is basically a full movement tailboard is the very strong Calumet C Series 8 X 10: a review right here in the forum

    https://www.largeformatphotography.i...umetc8x10.html
    Tin Can

  10. #20

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    Re: advice for a 8x10 setup for portrait

    Quote Originally Posted by Kiwi7475 View Post
    Disfarmer doesn’t strike me as someone who cared to know the person and who worked really hard with people.... and yet he seemingly “captured the real souls” of many of his customers.
    Apparently his customers had souls.

    I will recommend a book, not a camera or lens. Long out of print, Professional Portrait Lightings by Charles Abel from 1947. There's one starting at the auction site for $40. It's an 80 or 90 dollar book. 8X10 was still in full stride when it was done. A lot to learn from the guys who were just making a living. Our reasons to do it now are different, but the equipment they used is still around and honestly, not worth very much.

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