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Thread: What’s your most “unpopular” opinion about LF?

  1. #31
    Land-Scapegrace Heroique's Avatar
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    Re: What’s your most “unpopular” opinion about LF?

    Many say they love LF because it helps them enjoy nature.

    Here’s one of my most unpopular responses…

    Concentrating on composition, focus, or metering dulls those senses not directly related to the task, preventing one from experiencing nature to its fullest. However, waiting patiently for a persistent wind to subside after set-up can open-up the possibility … unless you’re one of those who curse the breeze!

  2. #32

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    Re: What’s your most “unpopular” opinion about LF?

    A hobby of grumpy old men that have an obsession with getting the final great greyscale with static scenes that have already been done a Thousand times. LF is the least powerfull of all formats in catching the decisive moment and this results in dull images.

  3. #33
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    Re: What’s your most “unpopular” opinion about LF?

    Ah, but composing is opening one's senses up to nature at its fullest, and every moment is divisive. Whoops, decisive. Where's Freud?
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  4. #34
    Land-Scapegrace Heroique's Avatar
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    Re: What’s your most “unpopular” opinion about LF?

    Quote Originally Posted by Vaughn View Post
    Ah, but composing is opening one's senses up to nature at its fullest, and every moment is divisive. Whoops, decisive. Where's Freud?

    That reminds me of another personal belief that's bound to be unpopular!

    To a greater or lesser degree, every landscape image illustrates the photographer’s most pressing unconscious concerns, often (but not always) sexual in nature.

  5. #35
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    Re: What’s your most “unpopular” opinion about LF?

    Quote Originally Posted by Heroique View Post
    That reminds me of another personal belief that's bound to be unpopular!

    To a greater or lesser degree, every landscape image illustrates the photographer’s most pressing unconscious concerns, often but not always sexual in nature.
    That's unpopular?! Certainly not with the "Every photograph is a self-portrait" crowd! (waving my hand amongst the redwoods)

    To a greater or lesser degree, what does every photograph of a female nude by a male illustrate about the photographers' most pressing unconscious concerns? (and one can remove the gender identifications and still have it be an valid and unpopular belief, I suppose)

    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  6. #36
    Land-Scapegrace Heroique's Avatar
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    Re: What’s your most “unpopular” opinion about LF?

    Quote Originally Posted by Vaughn View Post
    That's unpopular?!
    I suspect my belief would be unpopular among LFers who think a tree is just a tree, but we might have more Freudians here than I thought!

  7. #37

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    Re: What’s your most “unpopular” opinion about LF?

    How about, in order to make a panorama, you have to use a panoramic camera (or filmback).

  8. #38

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    Re: What’s your most “unpopular” opinion about LF?

    Quote Originally Posted by Vaughn View Post
    ... Hey...here is a free idea that someone might make a few bucks on. A Gortex, insulated darkcloth with a slit in the middle to wear as an emergency poncho. Invest now and you'll have something to keep you warm when you lose your shirt.
    Well, mine doesn't have a slit, but fills all the other requirements. Home made, white GoreTex on the outside (waterproof, reflectant and cool in the sun), black and non-slip on the inside with Velcro all around the edges so I can make a poncho easily (or a Superman cape, or whatever...). Not insulated, per se, but two layers and thick.

    As for my "unpopular" opinions (most of which have been expressed here before):

    "Technique" for its own sake is pointless - the most important thing in any photography is what we point the camera at. Our technique only needs to be as good as our vision.

    The Zone System is really a tool for visualizing the final print, not for figuring exposure/development (though that gets included, of necessity).

    As hard as we try to be precise about metering, developing, etc., the system is more forgiving that we give it credit for; the window to hit and still get a great print is pretty large. The number of good prints I have from technically "bad" negatives proves this (this doesn't mean we shouldn't try, though...)

    The main advantage of LF photography is camera movements, not film size.

    Metering through filters with a handheld meter is just fine and just as accurate as applying factors, more so if we test a bit and calibrate.

    Viewing the image carefully on the ground glass is often not needed at all. Often I just make sure the image is all in there somewhere and focus on a couple pre-chosen points without ever seeing the image in its entirety on the ground glass.

    Diffraction degradation is preferable to unwanted out-of-focus areas in just about every case. Quit worrying and just stop down if you need to!

    Unless you have a huge camera, contact prints are just too small. 8x10 is just too small for a sweeping landscape. If you can't enlarge your 8x10 negative, get a bigger camera, or get a smaller one and an enlarger.

    Lighter-weight tripods are just fine for larger cameras in most situations. As long as it doesn't collapse under the weight of the camera and will hold things still, there's no problem. Just don't photograph in windstorms and earthquakes and you'll be fine and your back will thank you for it.

    Glass negative carriers are a PITA. I only use mine when I really need to.

    ... All for now

    Doremus

  9. #39
    Randy's Avatar
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    Re: What’s your most “unpopular” opinion about LF?

    The main advantage of LF photography is film size, not camera movements. (apologies Mr. Scudder)

    no, No, NO!
    Buy one lens!
    Use one lens!
    You only need one lens!
    (two at the most)
    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/52893762/bigger4b.jpg

  10. #40

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    Re: What’s your most “unpopular” opinion about LF?

    Quote Originally Posted by Randy View Post
    The main advantage of LF photography is film size, not camera movements. (apologies Mr. Scudder)

    no, No, NO!
    Buy one lens!
    Use one lens!
    You only need one lens!
    (two at the most)
    Ha! No apologies necessary. Still, I don't think I'd want a large-format camera without movements.

    But really, I have to carry four or five lenses minimum! Really (although sometimes I only use one or two...

    Doremus

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