Help support the Biggest Camera

[FrancisF]

I wanted to make sure everyone in the LF community know about Dennis Manarchy project in Chicago. A 35 foot camera to take 4 x 6 (foot!!!) negatives to blow up to 2 stories.

His "Vanishing Cultures" trip to bring this camera all around the US is inspired and inspiring.


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...archy?ref=live

He raising the "seed money" for the project through the Kickstarter program - he has set a goal of raising $50,000 in donations. He only has a few weeks to go. You pledge a donation but if he does not reach his goal, he does not collect the donation and you play nothing.

He really needs our support now. Check out the site and send him something if you can.

Thanks
Francis Fullam
Flossmoor, IL

[Marc B.]

This project might make so much more sense, if only the deadline was not on 'April Fools Day.'
Not questioning...Just saying!

[Fourtoes]

When I read the title of this post, I thought you were looking for a sturdy tripod.....

[vinny]

I think we've all read the article but I'm wondering how he's planning on enlarging these negs that big?

[bob carnie]

Funny title to the thread, when I first heard of this project I sent a direct email his studio , offering to make contact fibre prints of his negs if he wanted.

To date I have not had a reply ... I guess they need no support or help in that direction, but it is odd not to reply to an offer of help and interest.

[Jay DeFehr]

No offense intended, but I don't find the project inspired, or inspiring. What are the "vanishing cultures" he intends to photograph, and why so large? What is the viewing venue that requires such enormous prints? It all has a very Barnum and Bailey feel, to me. And besides, I have my own inspirations and aspirations that need funding.

[ic-racer]

"Allows us to make prints over 2 stories high..."
As Bob alluded to, I wonder if any prints have been made at any size. The web site only shows digital reconstructions and a projected

In fact, I'd suspect that website borders on false advertising. Look at this photoshop creation in the link. Those images could have been taken with a digital SLR. No evidence that the massive camera or prototype took those images. The presentation is obviously fake. No proof I can see any large negatives have been made or printed. For example the images of
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...ures/girl2.jpg

The image with two people in front of a large print could be 'real' but since everything else on the website is a photoshop creation, why believe just one image?http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...tumn16foot.jpg

If I were to send money, I'd want to know how the negatives are processed, where the film comes from, how much the film is costing them, type of film, how many negatives have been exposed, have any prints been made?

I'm going to also offer a highly biased opinion: that big camera just looks stupid.

[FrancisF]

FYI - I got this private message from a member who stated some of the same reservations that others have noted as a reason not to send a little $ to the project. I just replied to his note but thought I would share it because I think there are many good reasons to be supportive of the project and consider sending Kickstarter a little $ to support things. I have removed identifying information from the message that this forum member sent to me.


Francis,

thanks for posting info on the big camera ...
it looks like an impressive project !

i am a trained xxxxxxx
as well as a documentary photographer ( portraits and other cultural resources )
and i can definitely see the importance in documenting our vanishing culture ...

but i personally won't donate any money towards this project.
i don't think it is fair to ask for a million dollars of donations
to then turn around and charge $50 thousand dollars for a portrait session.

best of luck !

XXXX


Dear XXX,
Thanks for the note. There seems to be a lot of chatter about this project on the forum...some technical...and much dismissive.

I think you are among the few who understand the larger picture here (no pun intended). This project is about getting some public recognition for a diverse groups of peoples around the country. And a celebration of photography.

From what I understand about Mr. Manarchy, he is a successful and well respected commercial photographer. This has been a labor of love of his for years and it sounds like he has been investing his own money for a decade to put together a prototype. This is an audacious project ... to build something this big, truck it around the country, sponsor events at each location to show off the camera, take the pictures to recognize important people (not necessarily well known people). Then film the whole process to make a documentary and then blow the pictures up to an awesome scale. This will take lots of money....so in terms of the "$50,000" figure this may not be out of line. From what I can tell this would only be charged to the vain few would who can both afford and appreciate the project. My understanding is that they would not charge the people who's pictures are taken on the Vanishing Cultures project.

I am so surprised the LF community has not been more supportive.

I urge you to reconsider a donation to Kickstarter. Anything will do, it is not about the amount of money. Five dollars would be appreciated. I think that if he pulls this off Mr. Manarchy might become even better known, but not necessarily richer by it. More importantly, he will will bring attention to LF photography (and attention to those of us who do it), and attention to aspects of our changing country. Above all else (and people seem not to acknowledge this) his work is of great art and fun at the same time. When the truck pulls into a town with this camera, it will be like the circus coming to town.

Thanks
Francis

[bob carnie]

He should respond to emails of support then.

From a very commercial point of view, my company can make monster contact print fiber wet prints off film, if this is a real project we would invest our time and money helping this project get kickstarted so to speak. No response after two months tells me this is not serious and I am not surprised why LF community has not been more supportive.
Can you imagine a direct contact sheet on Ilford Warmtone paper, it comes in 50 inch x 100 ft rolls
Maybe my email got trashed.. but I do not think so as I was directed by the author of the first announcment directly to this photographers email account.

[Fred L]

I couldn't find anything on the Kickstarter page but I presume the negatives will be scanned then output thru inkjet (ie-ad murals).

I have a feeling the size of the camera and resulting print are more marketing than anything else but ymmv. It's all about getting eyes and BIG tends to grab attention.

As well, and this kinda bugs me, the page seems pretty well all about Manarchy and his BIG camera but scant little about the people he wants to document. I want to know WHO he thinks needs to recorded and why ? Where are these people living that they're in danger of receding into oblivion ?

So far, it's all about the camera and less so about the 'vanishing culture'. For this reason, I can't see opening my wallet.