Focus Stacking with 8x10 Large Format Film...Ben Horne

[Ben Horne]

I was referring to perceived conditions over the web, Ben. I obviously wasn't there at the same time. The public takes these kinds of things carelessly. I could cite many examples of various flavors, like someone running out into the middle of a dry wash in the desert to get a cellphone video of an approaching flashflood front, barely getting out of the channel in time, and then some copycat who saw that flick getting killed instead. Or someone posts a video of them and their pals throwing rocks off some cliff; and the next time someone does the same thing, a climber down below gets killed (it's happened several time). Well, in the first instance, let's say one used a telephoto lens from a safe spot a distance away and above the streambed to video the flashflood, but that it appeared that he had taken it from within the channel itself - wouldn't it make sense to clearly spell that out on a public flick, given just how contagious certain activities can be? It's a different era. In the past it was guidebooks written by climbers about secret passes and so forth that got inexperienced people in trouble, who didn't understand just how variable conditions can be, or the level of physical conditioning requisite. Now that kind of risk has mushroomed exponentially due to the web. There's a real need for more specific explanation, or someone will take things wrong. Hope that clarifies the issue as you proceed along.

...and those are things I discuss in the videos while out in the wilderness and while on backpacking trips. But I'm sure you already know that too. ;-) Kidding of course. Have a lovely day Drew.

[Ben Horne]

I'm sorry this had to go this way Ben. This is why I rarely spend time on this forum. There is definitely great information to be had here, but there is also (like the rest of the internet) too much of what Drew calls "spice" and what I call trolling. Old so-called experts doing their Cliff Clavin routine of how everyone is wrong but them. I'm glad that I came up with a large format crowd here in Seattle so I had real people being generous with their time, insights and critique. Since I don't find this forum to be the best place to find community. It is an awesome resource to research a specific thing and there are good people here that will help with a question. But too often the derailing is too irritating. You know like how when people are done beating someone up for their photographic strategies they'll move on to attacking their hiking practices....ugh...

I really appreciate the comment letchhausen. In all honestly, I find it's best to treat gear forums like a dictionary. Get in, get your answer, then get out. I've never understood the desire to denigrate other people because they approach things differently. What purpose does that serve? If we all did things the same way, it would be a very boring place.

I do find it amusing how there are several people on this forum that denigrated me for being "young and dumb", yet I'm seen as a dinosaur to a whole new generation of large format photographers in their twenties. I'm not exactly a spring chicken. I'm north of 40 years old and I've been shooting 8x10 for over 12 years now. Photography is my full-time career—not a hobby. Rather than disparaging other photographers who are keeping a medium alive, why not embrace them for continuing to carry the torch. If not for the latest generation of film users, specifically those in their twenties, would the film companies continue to produce the film stocks that are currently available? Perhaps not. I'm all for it.

Yes, there are things I can learn from people who have been doing this longer than I have, but there is also so much I can learn from people who are starting with fresh eyes and fresh ideas. I don't go on photography forums and berate those who are in their twenties for their lack of experience. I enjoy their work and their perspective. When people stop learning, they stop improving.

[Oren Grad]

OK, as will be obvious to those logged in, I've deleted a whole bunch of bickering and negativity-for-the-sake-of-negativity and reactions to it all - some of it having to do with stacking and some of it a tangential gripe-fest about the video-links thread. I've allowed a few of the deleted posts to remain as quotations in Ben's responses, so the result is still going to be a bit choppy. Sorry about that, but in this case I felt it was important to let Ben have his say and to preserve the context for his comments.

It's OK to question whether a given technique makes sense to pursue with large format film. But as with any other topic, please approach it with a bit of charity. Start by assuming that the person posting the topic is well-intentioned and might know something that you don't about why it might be worth pursuing. Even if it turns out that there isn't a strong technical rationale or the poster is mistaken about a key technical point, please just state your reasoning politely and then let it be - there's no need to keep hammering on it. And when the poster responds politely and substantively to your criticism, accept it with some grace - it's utterly rude and inappropriate to follow up by fishing for some other imagined sin you can pin on the poster just so you can feel vindicated in being critical. These should all be obvious points of etiquette.

Apologies for not getting on top of this one sooner, and thanks to the members who reported the thread. A certain amount of friction is inevitable on a discussion board; it helps to have at least a slightly thick skin. But this was ridiculous.

Please do carry on if you'd like to continue discussing the stacking technique.