Lake Attilan and Volcano Guatemala
Lake Attilan and Volcano Guatemala
Very sweet, Bill!
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
Originally Posted by viboons
Lovely!
Nice discussion (I'm going to say I have "standing" since I roam about in the Appalachias, albeit a few hundred miles south of you.)
I'm glad you mentioned Porter. A couple of things I picked up on in his compositions (e.g. in In the Realm of Nature was 1.) just how tightly he frames his "lithic" subjects, and 2.) how his arborscapes float patches of color against a backlit, almost monochrome background. Along those lines, I think the Porter-esque action is happening in the upper right quarter of the frame...I could imagine you taking a few steps to your right and shooting "through" the catkins and flowers at what ever aperture seemed reasonable. You very well might have use movements and lots of 'em, but the framing that works for the other, more pastoral, images you shared might need to give way to a more aggressive approach the further you get from civilization.
pdmoylan - -
Look man, if you use film and a view camera and concentrate happily in lovely spaces, God bless you. However you wish to work is fine - and none of my business. There aren't any rules for creative thinking, or working methods. Like David Vestal said, anything goes if the picture works.
The fellow starting the post was just beginning to use a view camera, and it's just been my experience that movements should be minimized initially - for beginners - to avoid confusion. Initially . . . not permanently. He'll get the hang of it, and probably become an expert pretty quickly - like you are. And for me - I've never really used a great deal of camera movements for some reason. A "realistic rendering" can be awfully dull - for me. But that's just me. I'm only an expert in my own opinion. I firmly believe that someone like Fred Picker did a great deal of damage trying to formulate rules for how people should "see" and work creatively. I'd never want to do that. It's one thing to have rules for getting dust out of holders before you load them - it's quite another to dictate rules for where to stand and how to organize a photograph - very dangerous.
If I see something a certain way, that's up to me. If you see something differently, that's your business. And you wouldn't have to agree with me at all. Years ago I knew photographers whose working methods astounded me - they seemed so haphazard and random. But they made beautiful pictures. One fellow hand-held a Bronica 6x6, sometimes he'd take a picture with one hand! - while I assiduously set up my 4x5, leveled and squared it, following classic "rules." And his pictures were much better than mine. They had life and energy - mine were dead looking.
I'll bet your pictures are nice too, eh?
I don't have a dog in this fight, but the person starting the post did so in 2008, and hasn't posted here since 2012. (You can see this by clicking his/her username and then looking at "View Forum Posts.") The thread is now up to 1531 pages, and it's just about posting landscape images now, not how to use the view camera. Your suggestions might be better posted in the Style & Technique forum.
Note also (everyone) that "Critiques should only be offered if requested by the original poster." In my mind "I would have done this or that" is a critique.
With regard to all this, I find I keep myself fresh by changing my vision every few years. Sometimes I use small apertures and movements to get everything more or less in focus. At other times, I use larger apertures and get out of focus backgrounds. One thing I like about large format is the number of options.
Just wondering if you also happened to shoot this in horizontal orientation? If so, please post it also!
I think the size is fine for viewing once I click on the image. Great job, especially given the low light and long exposure!
Michael,
To incorporate a fair portion of the yellow foliage in an horizontal, I would have to moved back considerably, perhaps losing the salient aspects of this view, or change to a 75/65MM lens. I already was carrying 3 lenses but not a 75mm or wider, so did not consider a horizontal. Remember that I am already risking neck and limb by climbing on damp rocks, meaning sometimes images are a function of safe traverse and limitations in focal length. My arthritic shoulder prove out that 3 lenses was my limit when hiking.
Best,
H20 - No dog or fight for me, no offense from the "critique" by Barrister and Creation Bear - in fact quite the contrary. Sharing of ideas and approaches should be embraced, no? Obtaining good LF images requires significant seasoned craft, opportunity, decent vision and good composition, and above all, a body that can withstand carrying 25-35 pounds of equipment (plus tripod) on a regular basis. Scars from dislocated and arthritic shoulders from 20+ years of this passion are worth the effort, IMO. Pardon my didactic approach, but 12 years of teaching outdoor photography comes to the surface every so often.
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