Newcomers to LF: First Read The Book

[Tin Can]

I think we need consider if the LF newbie has shot 35mm film most of their life or only has used DIGI

A film user may understand the developing process already

A DIGI only user will not

Image capture with film is a distinct process unlike DIGI

Autofocus vs adjustable focus is a big difference

It IS possible to shoot a 4X5 by knowing nearly nothing. Aim, focus, fire shutter.

Then hand it all to somebody else for the rest

That is exactly how I shot my first 4X5, 22 years ago

I didn't load a holder, nor develop the film. I never printed it. I lost the neg for years

Here is a scan of that first 4X5

I did understand exposure and focus from decades of Sunny 16 35mm always processed by somebody else, like those parking lot 1 Hour kiosks

Here it is, Neg 1

Father 1998 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

[Havoc]

Does everybody needs to work the same way as someone that lived before they were even born? He worked with materials that were maybe not even available. From what I understood, he even did not all the work himself. But it seems to be that that should be the only way that should be worked.

Smells like organised religion to me.

[Tin Can]

Few heros are left

AA, a big Club

Does everybody needs to work the same way as someone that lived before they were even born? He worked with materials that were maybe not even available. From what I understood, he even did not all the work himself. But it seems to be that that should be the only way that should be worked.

Smells like organised religion to me.

[Vaughn]

Very cool, TC...reminds me of another image back there in my brain somewhere.

Chances are that someone deep into digital and deciding to go film might be very aware of the availability of on-line resources, such as videos. Let's not insult them by telling them they need to go read a f**king book...
Recommending books is way cool, too.

[John Kasaian]

Using the View Camera got me started after quite a bit of floundering around with a hurt Speed Graphic and if you're book oriented it's a great primer. Also worthwhile is his chapter on selecting used lenses and selected portfolio for inspiration.
Other excellent sources is the Graflex Graphic (or is it Graphic Graflex?) Photography book by Lester and Morgan (or is it Morgan and Lester?) as well as A History of the Photographic Lens by Rudolph Kingslake

[Tin Can]

The focus thread is odd

Why not train new users what is infinity and look at it on GG

Then focus directly at close objects

Nobody ever did that for me

a big ? is, What is Infinity anyhow

[Dan Fromm]

[QUOTE=Tin Can;1598129]I think we need consider if the LF newbie has shot 35mm film most of their life or only has used DIGI/QUOTE]

Good thought. In other words, the newbie may know little or nothing about what the camera's controls (shutter speed, aperture, focus) do and many not understand the basics at all. The best book I've ever seen for teaching those lessons is A. A. Blaker's Field Photography. It looks like a book about 35 mm, and has nothing about movements, but everything in it carries over to LF. I like it so much that I gaves copies of the book to friends who were beginners.

[Benjamin]

The "Ansel Adams/zone system is a religion/cult" spiel is getting old and usually comes from people who never bothered to read his books.

Ansel Adams developed a system to help himself make the photographs he wanted, and then wrote about the system in order to help people - by giving them a choice - make the photographs they wanted to make. There is not a single line in AA in which he says that the ZS is the only way to make black & white photographs. When you read AA, one thing that comes out is modesty - he often admits to mistakes, even when using the ZS. He admired many photographers who never used the ZS, starting with Edward Weston.

I read the three volumes when I was starting photography, they went way over my head, and I never regretted it. Not understanding something, realizing that photography is more complicated than "just go out and shoot" is a good thing. It starts you on a quest. It pushes you to want to understand every aspect - from the most technical to the most artistic to how both of them work together - of this thing called photography that you love doing. I read them now with much more enjoyment, and am able to pick the parts that interests and help me, and skip the others.

That's another reason to love books. But then I'm of the generation that did not grow up with YouTube. Which I actually love, and in which I've found many answers. I find saying "don't read book you'll find everything you need in YouTube" as narrow-minded as saying "don't go to YouTube, it's superficial, read a book instead". We live in a time where both have great information to provide to whomever wants to perfect his art as LF photographer.

I'll second the thought: recommending books is way cool. And YouTube videos too.

[John Olsen]

In addition to above-mentioned sources there's also Harvey Shaman's "The View Camera."

I'll confess that I'm a book learner, but even so, all that book-learning was helped by some previous working with photographic processes in my day job. With that in mind, rather than only rely on newcomers reading the books or watching YouTubes, a third approach would help a lot: Experienced LFers might be great resources by offering hands-on tutorials to folks who had just bought something but really had no experience. It might help new enthusiasts get over the initial hesitancy.

[Pamsails]

My inspiration to work in LF was viewing the prints by Weston and Adams, the actual prints in folios by the artists, back in the mid-60's. Looking at those and studying them was the greatest lessons I could get. The knowledge I had in 35mm and 120 work gave me the background so I only needed to focus on the tools of 4X5 cameras. The books show a better picture than YouTube, and if you can see the actual prints you would be blown away by those. The ability to compare one's work to others is a good way to learn.