Jump to content

Large Format like portraits using FF camera


paolo_saccheri

Recommended Posts

Hello,

I understand that I won't ever be able to have a real ambrotype effect on a portrait using a digital camera and printing in cyanotype. That said, I have considered that buying a LF 8x10" camera and films + developing cost is not worth my business here in Lanzarote where I actually live.

 

Nonetheless I am keen to start a new project with 30x40cm portraits handprinted in cyanotype and toned in cochineal. I have a FF camera (Nikon D750) and have guessed how I could get close to the look of an ambrotype (or tintype) studio portrait (head and shoulders). I like their super details and the super shallow depth of field, also the darks and highlight being a little blocked out.

 

So far I thought I could keep my camera on a slightly raised position from the subject so to have eyes and lips in the same focus plane (tilted back plane) and hopefully get the shoulders the most out of focus as possible. For this I think I would need a very fast lens, not too short and now I only have a 50mm f1.8 and a 105mm f4 micro (manual focus) + a 24mm.

I don't have studio experience, I guess I won't work very well with the 50 unless I go very close annoying the subject. The 105 is may be too dark at f4 maximum aperture to give me the dof I wish.

Then, how do you focus your subject so close, you rely on the camera face/eye detection or you manual focus? I would use a tripod.

 

For the lighting I was thinking to buy a beauty dish (with front diffuser for some portraits) or cheaper umbrellas. I believe that for a very small studio with only head and shoulder business and very shallow DOF I need a non powerful strobe (which power is a mistery to me).

 

I hope you can help me answering to some of my questions (I need a sort of studio photography course I know) with your professional experience, on how to give a LF camera look to my portraits!

Thank you in advance

Paolo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Get a friend to be your subject, then use both the 50 and 105 lenses and see how each turns out. You won't know until you try.

 

For your light, use the bright sun from an open window. Sunlight is cheaper and easier to figure out than a flash, which is a whole subject by itself.

 

As for LF look, IMHO you need to study the old studio photography lighting, and try to duplicate it. Because back in the the LF day, that is what they used, not an umbrella, which has a different look.

 

Focus should be either

- AF, and make sure you get the AF on the EYES.

- Manual. You NEED to practice, as AF cameras don't have the best screens to manually focus.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a technique for creating the large format shallow depth of field with crisp clarity film look by stitching multiple images together.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenizer_Method

 

Yes thank you, I have been reading about it just yesterday, but it's not useful for my aim that is head and shoulder portraits, I won't work with models so an average client wont be very comfortable staying put while I take the series of photos from close distance... It can be useful for ambient portraits where you can shoot the head with one photo and the rest of surroundings will go with no need for the subject to mantain total stillness

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...