The standard Large Format process...

[raucousimages]

The Large Format Photographic Process.
(In 66 easy steps)


1. Wake at 3:00 AM.
2. Load 100 Lbs of gear into truck.
3. Go to 7-11, get coffee.
4. Curse.
5. Return home, get film off of kitchen table.
6. Curse for late start.
7. Drive to location.
8. Park truck, step out into cactus.
9. Move truck.
10. Get out, stumble in the twilight looking for marker you left last time.
11. Step in wet cow pie.
12. Wipe off cow pie.
13. Find marker.
14. Get tripod out of truck.
15. Set tripod.
16. Return to truck for camera.
17. Place camera back in truck.
18. Get wrench out of toolbox.
19. Pick collapsed tripod up off ground, tighten leg tension screw.
20. Reset tripod.
21. Get camera out of truck.
22. Mount camera on tripod.
23. Open camera.
24. Mount lens.
25. Get dark cloth and loupe.
26. Try to compose image.
27. Remove lens, remove rear lens cap.
28. Mount lens.
29. Open lens.
30. Compose and focus.
31. Apply front tilt and re-focus.
32. Insert film holder.
33. Take meter reading.
34. Try to set f-stop and shutter speed, find lens pointing at ground.
35. Remove film holder.
36. Pull front standard back and lock this time.
37. Re-focus.
38. Insert film holder.
39. Set shutter speed and f-stop.
40. Cock shutter.
41. Remove dark slide.
42. Try to trip shutter.
43. Remove film holder, throw away film, insert dark slide.
44. Close lens.
45. Insert film holder.
46. Check lens, test shutter.
47. Cock shutter.
48. Remove dark slide.
49. Trip shutter.
50. Remove film holder.
51. Throw away film, replace dark slide.
52. Return to truck.
53. Find second film holder.
54. Go back to camera.
55. Make exposure.
56. Remove rear darkslide when removing film holder.
57. Return darkslide.
58. Lock darkslides.
59. Remove film holder.
60. Walk back to truck.
61. Place film holders in film bag.
62. Remember you replaced darkslides white side out.
63. Realize you didn’t mark film holders and don’t know which ones you just used.
64. Go to cooler.
65. Open beer.
66. Take up watercolors.

[BarryS]

LOL--this wasn't supposed to get out. How will we ever find new recruits?

[Bill_1856]

Been there -- done that!

[Bryan Lemasters]

Now see, this is exactly why i quit getting up at 3:00 am.

[Don Boyd]

I think you should offer workshops. You do it in about half the steps it takes me. In fact you actually remembered to go back and pick up the film off the kitchen table. Much more effective than setting up everything for a sunrise shot at Yaki Point with curious onlookers watching only to discover that your film is in your truck, back at the parking lot where you had to catch the bus to get there. Not that I would know from actual experience of course!

[Preston]

This is great!

I have had no such experiences. Not!

You forgot one...Forgot headlamp so can't see watch to time that pre-sunrise long exposure...

"1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000"...Step in second cowpie..."Damn, where was I?"

Go to step #51.

Have a great holiday weekend, you all!

-P

[W K Longcor]

Then there is the "commercial" aspect -- two staff photographers travel to the clients plant with Hasselblads , 4x5 and 8x10 Sinars, three or more lenses for each format, and several hundred pounds of additional equipment. Then at the same time they say to each other --"Go get the film from your car----My car? I thought it was in YOUR car!" (It was in a large case sitting buy the door in the studio, twenty miles away.)

[Richard M. Coda]

Or, you drive 40 miles early Sunday morning only to realize you left the tripod in the garage!

[Nathan Potter]

You forgot my step 15a where the set tripod accidentally contacts the electrified cattle fence and you have to return to the truck for a calming shot whiskey!

Nate Potter

[poco]

Much more effective than setting up everything for a sunrise shot at Yaki Point with curious onlookers watching only to discover that your film is in your truck, back at the parking lot where you had to catch the bus to get there. Not

That's when you trip the shutter, give a satisfied little smile and walk away with a snooty air.