marc_leest1 Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 Hello, I am considering stepping up from 35mm to large format (4x5) Being a 20 year advanced amateur in the small format (and a littletired of the format), I am looking for some standard books about largeformat camera's, techniques, do and don'ts. (Practical hints arewelcome to, of course) Thanks for all suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_karp Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 The best book for a beginner (in my mind anyway) is Using the View Camera by Steve Simmons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_killian1 Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 The previous post recommended a good choice. The other option is Large Format Landscape Photography by Jack Dykinga. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georges_pelpel Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 I second the two previous messages. Start with Simmons books and then read Dykinga once you have played with a LF camera for a while.Make sure to check the Tuan Luong's Large Format Webpage at:http://www.largeformatphotography.info/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_bailey1 Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 Sinar does a nice series both about their cameras and topics such as architecture, landscape and people (tilted and featuring toward their products, but good all the same). Keep reading this forum. Maybe you also want to take one of the many great workshops available. Another thought is to rent some equipment before making any final decisions. Regards, John Bailey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 "Graphic-Graflex Photography." Out of print for 50 years, but still available used. Try to get a post WW2 edition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugene_singer Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 Marc, Leslie Stroebel's books are considered to be the bibles of large format photography. Look for the latest editions about how to use a view camera. Also, if you can get your hands on a copy of Fred Picker's Zone VI Workshop book, you'll find it to be a treasure trove of info. on large format, as well as general photography. You're going to be facinated by the possibilities available with large format when you begin to get into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_karp Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 Marc, It occurred to me that if you happen to live in the Los Angeles area you can take a View Camera workshop offered by Los Angeles Photography Workshops. This is a new venture by John Richardson and Phil Bard, two excellent photographers. The workshop, entitled "View Camera Technique," is on Aug. 3, costs $175, and could give you an idea if you will like large format. You can rent a camera from Calumet or Samy's to use during the workshop. If you are not in the LA area, perhaps there is something similar nearby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_karp Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 I should have noted that Los Angeles Photography Workshops has a website: laphotoworkshops.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil_poulsen1 Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 To me, understanding large format photography isn't so much about making adjustments on a view camera as it is about having a fundamental knowledge of photography. In that regard, I would recommend Ansel Adams books. (Camera, Negative, Print.) They are classics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin carron Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 Stroebel is good on the basics. The Sinar books seem to be unobtainable but the Architecture book is great for ideas and inspiration. Roger Hicks and Frances Schultz book 'Medium and Large format Photography' is quite good and nicely unintimidating as an introduction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob. Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 I would second the 3 Ansel Adams books - they give a good overview of the whole process at a reasonable cost (plus you can miss "The Print" out if you are not printing). I would also second the point about hiring some gear for a while if possible - the jump from 35mm to 5x4 inches is an order of magnitude larger than the difference in negative sizes.... Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edsel_adams Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 I always suggest the Kodak book,"Using the view camera",it is an easily understood book.The books above are also good,especially the Shaman tome.Id avoid the Merklinger books like the plague though.(he is a well meaning professor that takes a few simple concepts,and makes them too confusing to comprehend.) The greatest thing about LF is that for a few hundred you can delve into it,and delve out with your money back if it isnt for you.In all honesty if you havent a darkroom,or access to a big dollar scanner,the grand results you seek may be lost in commercial processing & printing.Good luck & have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jos__garese Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 Harvey Shaman's book is what they recommend for beginners in LF at the ICP (International Center of Photography). That's "The View Camera", by Harvey Shaman. I would start with that. Everything is explained very clearly, step by step. And there's quite a lot to learn from it... Only then, when you get more proficient, and have got used to your camera and to taking pictures with it, would I suggest exploring Ansel Adams and or Fred Pickers books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugene_singer Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 Marc, after thinking about it over night, I realized that, since you have been a small format enthusiast for twenty years, you are probably familiar with the Ansel Adams books and the many small format magazines on the shelves. You can familiarize yourself with the world of large format photography by susbcribing to View Camera magazine. Look up the website (viewcamera.com), and you will find the subscription info. Or, go to your local Barnes and Noble bookstore, take one off the magazine rack, sit down with a cup of Starbucks coffee, and enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_leest1 Posted July 24, 2002 Author Share Posted July 24, 2002 Hi: Thanks guys, for the most helpful comments. Soon I am going on vacation (Spain), so I ordered Using The View Camera from Steve Simmons, View Camera Technique from Leslie Stroebel Large Format Nature Photography (Dykinga, Jack W.) Probably I will order the other advised books when I have my equipment. The standard works of A. Adams i.e. The Negative and the Print are already on my bookshelf. I have my own B+W darkroom so I am looking forward to get started. Thanks again. Marc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vicki_guidice Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 Best way to learn large format is to buy a 4x5, tripod, focusing cloth, polaroid back and lots of polaroid film -- 52 or equivelant... Use the camera without movements for a few weeks until you are comfortable with it, and make a lot of Polaroids. When you feel like you know it well enough to get something out of it, then look into a book for info on movements. Unless you do a lot of architechture work, or commercial stuff, movements are pretty overrated. Writers love to talk about view camera movements because it's easy to write about - but unimportant. More important is making interesting pictures, but that's difficult to write about. And "Basic Photography" by Langford has some good info on movements. Les Strobel was an instructor at RIT when I was there, and his book seems like the typical _ _ _ horse____... Picker's "Fine Print" has a lot of good stuff about view camera movements. And please -- get a good tripod. The tripod is more important than the lens or the camera. If the camera isn't still, "that dog ain't gonna hunt" as they say in Missouri. -- Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_sadouni Posted July 31, 2002 Share Posted July 31, 2002 Hello, I would like to contribute for french speaking readers, as I am myself a newbie, in the same situation as marc Leest; the best book, in my opinion, is: "la photographie en grand format" de Pierre Groulx éditions Modulo here is also a link to a very good site, fed with useful technical information: www.galerie-photo.net thank you for reading, and congratulation for this wonderful forum, from which I learn much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_sadouni Posted August 2, 2002 Share Posted August 2, 2002 hello, just a line to correct the link i mentionned above. please read:www.galerie-photo.comactually, the "dot.net" leads to their boutique, and i didn't intend to put an ad in this message!apologiesbye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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