How Did We Come To LF?

[otto.f]

Awesome!

+1

[Myriophyllum]

I moved to large format film - 4x5 and 8x10 later in life, I am working on a now 20 year project loosely based on Consumption , I solarize all my work and at the beginning of the project I was hesitant to do film solarizations as Man Ray and Lee Miller set the bar and I wanted my work to not look anything like theirs. After about making a few hundred print solarizations and being very comfortable with the methodology I concluded I did not really like the white maki lines but actually wanted black maki lines on my finished work. I therefore switched to 4 x 5 and large and using the old hanger system and a point light source above the developing station I am able to get the types of prints I was dreaming of. Shooting Roll film was not an option any more for me. Attachment 223781Attachment 223782 These images are my tests from this past weekend, they are my dogs bones that they would chew on or Consume over the last 14 years.

Very impressive!
Never liked my own results...

[bob carnie]

Thank you for the nice words. I must also say I introduced two young women to Large Format 8 x 10 and 4 x5 as they assisted me on this recent project and we did over 100 setups which they both shared the duties of setting up the camera, loading film and eventually they also processed the film and solarized it. I think they are hooked , we will buy two Intrepid cameras 8 x 10 and 4 x 4 as the young women loved the process and are my day to day lead hands.

So for under 1000 dollars we will have cameras - I have all the holders and lenses so it is perfect storm for us.

[John Kasaian]

Thank you for the nice words. I must also say I introduced two young women to Large Format 8 x 10 and 4 x5 as they assisted me on this recent project and we did over 100 setups which they both shared the duties of setting up the camera, loading film and eventually they also processed the film and solarized it. I think they are hooked , we will buy two Intrepid cameras 8 x 10 and 4 x 4 as the young women loved the process and are my day to day lead hands.

So for under 1000 dollars we will have cameras - I have all the holders and lenses so it is perfect storm for us.

Very cool!

[Collin Orthner]

Started with a Kodak 110 when I was maybe 7 or 8 and even won an award at our local fair using it. I loved making images and scrounged and save hard to acquire my first 35mm (Minolta XG-M + 45mm) when I was in grade 10. I used it exclusively for a few years when an older gentleman who printed my colour images for me offered me a Yashica Mat 124G for a crazy good price. A lot of film went through that camera and to this point (maybe 10 years or so) I had only used cameras with a single prime lens. The simplicity was fabulous! I started working at the Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (now the Royal Tyrrell....) when they were looking for help in the design studio back in 1986. I did a lot of photography there for brochures and publications or the curators, and they came to me asking if I would copy all the original paintings used for the large murals in the museum and if I could do it in large format. Well..... no hesitation was necessary to decide that indeed the work could be done and I was capable! I ordered up a Zone VI camera and a process lens for copying. I now use both 4x5 (Anba Ikeda) and 8x10 (Wehman). So I progressed through the formats from 110 to 8x10 and continue using all the formats mentioned including a couple of digital Sigma cameras every now and again. I also own a Korona 7x17 which is being worked on to make usable.

[esearing]

Because Internet! I was happy with my 135 Minolta x700 and having my color snapshots produced at the drugstore. But then I saw black and white images which led to developing at home. That led to research around the time digital 2MP cameras were all the rage and people scanning negatives were making serious gains in pixels. Then found forums like these with developer info and printing tips which led to single shot development for quality control and 4x5 was a nice entry level price since everyone else was going digital. Then Sandy King starts touting Pyrocat HD and Bergger 200 film combo so I just had to try it. Fast forward 20 years and I bought a 5x12 after searching for 7x17 for many years. And now branching out in to ALT processes.

Forums are the reason I also own two rarely used Digital SLRs and two 135 range finders. And will likely add a Hasselblad to my gear at some point. Discussions and info leads to GAS.

[Luis-F-S]

I began photgraphing in high school with a Pentax Spotmatic. After a few years of fooling around, I began to get better assignments and bought a used Hasselblad 500C, followed by two new 500 C/M' and then three more followed by a SWC/M.

I met someone a couple of hours away who was a great photographer and he used an 820 Korona and an 810 Deardorff always with Dagor lenses. He introduced me to LF, so I bought a wooden Wista and a couple of Zone VI cameras. Dissatisfied with the Zone VI's, I bought my first Deardorff, new at Central Camera in Chicago. This was followed by a 5x7 Dd, an 8x10 Omega F. I stupidly sold my 8x10 Deardorff(still have the V5) and the Omega F and bought a Zone VI 5x7 enlarger which I never liked. I eventually replaced it with a Durst SM-183 that I still have. Later I bought a used 8x10 Dd followed by two mint ones. Since I wanted to enlarge 8x10, I found a DeVere 5108 and when my lab went all digital, I picked up a second 5108 with a closed loop head for free. I've made a lot of money with my Cameras but all of my commercial work is digital. When the digital cameras got good enough and reasonable, I bought a couple of D70's, to replace the 'blads followed by D200's, followed by D800's which I still use. Still have all the 'blads and the digital bodies I've bought. Well, there you have it. My journey in a nutshell. L

[r.e.]

I started working at the Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (now the Royal Tyrrell....) when they were looking for help in the design studio back in 1986. I did a lot of photography there for brochures and publications or the curators, and they came to me asking if I would copy all the original paintings used for the large murals in the museum and if I could do it in large format. Well..... no hesitation was necessary to decide that indeed the work could be done and I was capable! I ordered up a Zone VI camera and a process lens for copying.

Cool. The Tyrrell is pretty high on the list of museums that I'd like to get to:

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_..._Palaeontology

The Tyrrell Museum website: https://tyrrellmuseum.com

[Collin Orthner]

Cool. The Tyrrell is pretty high on the list of museums that I'd like to get to:

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_..._Palaeontology

The Tyrrell Museum website: https://tyrrellmuseum.com

It really is worth a visit - truly world class! Not just for those interested in earth sciences either as there is something for everyone and a great "museum experience". Pretty fantastic place to work as well.