Hello All,
My name is John Koster and I'm a writer and photographer from Wisconsin, USA. Though I have 12 years of digital camera experience, I only have a couple of years of medium format film experience with a Pentax 67 (with the Takumar 135 f/4) and I've now gotten a Chamonix 045 with a Nikon 150 f/5.6. I just started learning, thanks for having me. Now to find a manual somewhere around here.....
JOhn
Greetings and welcome from a fellow cheese-head!
Even monkeys fall from trees -- Japanese proverb
Thank you all for such a warm welcome! Too bad this Covid-19 pandemic hasn't lightened the mood any, lol. I'm an older guy and I love the look of large format but wow there is a learning curve. I wanted to be able to do everything from start to finish, from loading my 4X5, shooting, developing and scanning, but I feel overwhelmed. So I'm going to slow down and just try and get one thing right at a time, the need to be methodical for this kind of photography is essential, from what I'm seeing. Again, thanks all!Originally Posted by malexand
I like the idea of spending a lot of time under the darkcloth and just getting use to the camera and the control one has over the image. And one does not need to burn film to see, since everything is on the GG. Tie the bellows in knots, see the affect on DoF when reducing the size of the aperture, and all that fun stuff. Let the muscle memory of camera operation set in. Then the camera operation becomes fun, and makes the rest of it exciting. I have not quite reached that point with my 11x14, but the 8x10 almost gets up on the tripod and sets up on its own.
Enjoy!
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
John, At age 68 I think I'm "older" too, but I've only been using LF for about 7-8 years, and tackling a new learning curve was a big part of my motivation and decision to take the plunge. As I've mentioned, I'm in Racine, and would be glad to discuss and share visits as you might care to. Also, there are a couple of other much more experienced LFers from New Berlin and Shorewood who are members of the MWLF Asylum that FrancisF mentioned (#7 above), and who were kind enough to greatly help me up my learning curve.
... JMOwens (Mt. Pleasant, Wisc. USA)
"If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all." ...Michelangelo
Fantastic! I’d love to talk by phone when you have the time, I’ve got a bunch of questions about the entire process!! I’ll message you and maybe we can set up a little time? So appreciated!
I have an 045n too and love it. Really don't need a manual but there are YouTube videos.
Kent in SD
In contento ed allegria
Notte e di vogliam passar!
Welcome! I'm in Fond du Lac.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
John, welcome from the Racine area. I've been enjoying LF for about 6-7 years now, and especially in recent nicer days when I can get out locally. Don't hesitate to contact me by PM if you are nearby and may want to discuss any aspects of LF. 'Enjoy...
... JMOwens (Mt. Pleasant, Wisc. USA)
"If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all." ...Michelangelo
Hello and welcome!
A wealth of info can be found via the home page -- that is what this place is about!
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
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