Ever since first seeing Jim Galli's soft focus works, I just plain quit the aesthetic. Too rarefied, subtle, complex! I've tried.
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Ever since first seeing Jim Galli's soft focus works, I just plain quit the aesthetic. Too rarefied, subtle, complex! I've tried.
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Where are you located? Maybe you can meet up with one of us and try out a 4x5 and 8x10.
I have to respectfully disagree with this. Scanned film images have their own character, whether displayed onscreen or printed with all the "creative options of modern printing." I love shooting medium and large format (as well as digital) for so many reasons, even though these days when shooting film I have to switch to a digital workflow for display and printing. It's all good. Choices are good. No way of working is wrong. And I would never recommend that someone not shoot film simply because they could not print wet. Shooting film is fun, no matter how you do it. And you end up with the big honking piece of film to file away to maybe print wet someday--or to rescan and print digitally as the technologies improve.First, because I`d only shoot film if traditional darkroom printing is the printing method. If you want to scan the film, directly shoot digital and enjoy the much wider creative options of modern printing.
Bill Poole
"Speak softly, but carry a big camera."
There is nothing wrong with starting with 8x10 if you can afford it. Shooting 4x5 is a lot cheaper though. I shoot 8x10 b&w but I can't afford 8x10 color film. Some people shoot x-ray film due to it being cheaper than b&w film.
Most of us do not keep our first large format camera. We learn on that camera and then find that we desire a different camera after we learn what we like and don't like in a camera. You will probably be no different. Used large format cameras have bottomed out in price. If you buy a used camera at a good price and then sell it later you should lose very little money. The best deals are usually from someone who is selling a monorail with at least one lens, a few film holders and maybe a case.
Large format is a lot of fun. Jump in and get your feet wet!
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
Yep ;-)
I mean that as front and rear standards are identical, it is then a lot easier to understand how things are going. And, you can select one movement at a time compared to a folding where you have front standard tilt and shift that are locked by only one knob for instance.
I see that I'm not the only one to refer to a monorail...
J
I have not found 8X10 to be significantly more expensive than 4X5, but alas, must admit there was a learning curve in that discovery. It took several cameras before I landed on my "keeper's". Still, auction houses like the ubiquitous ebay mean that with some fees, if I didn't buy too stupidly, I can recoup a large percentage of what I bought to learn with.
Never too late or too old to start.
You could spend very little.
Buy any size X-Ray film. Find a cardboard box. Make a pinhole. Shoot a picture. Develop and contact print.
Repeat until you want something different.
Not better.
I started with 4x5 and now have a lightweight Horseman field camera. I just got an 8x10 that needs some work. My opinion is to start out with 4x5 and when you get comfortable and want to go to 8x10 then go for it. I'm keeping the 4x5 stuff because I'm not going to lug the 8x10, big and heavy tripod, and other associated items into the woods.
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