Suggestions for Photographing rock art

Hi everyone,

I am planning a trip to the Colorado Plateau to backpack and photograph

Pictographs and Petroglyphs. Ideally I am thinking handheld Mamiya7 but not

sure if that can do 40x50 prints. The 40 x 50 print is the driver behind my

equipment selection as wells as price. I need suggestions for 4x5, tripod and

lens for this specific application. This may sound crazy but I will not be

doing a lot of scenics/ landscape there. So lens selection would probably be

different definetely want the good lenses though. Thanks for any advice on this

application.

It would be helpful, when deciding on a lens, to know if you will have room to back up and get it in, or if you should bring a wide angle. If not sure I recommend a 90 and a 135 or 150. Get the best wooden field camera you can. Consider the 5x7 format as well when going for large prints. The difference in the enlargements to same size is striking. In that case, a 90 or 110 and a 180 or 210. There are some very good 5x7's available new for under $1400.

Don't forget a good loupe and a polarizer.

Ther mamiya 7 is one of my favorite cameras. It doesn't focus close and it's lenses are slow(

well not compare to LF). It could probably deliver decent results at that size with slow film

but probably not handheld on an overcast day. A tiny backpacking LF lens, the nikon 135 5.6

. You will also have to decide what the intended viewing distance for your prints will be ie.

scrutinized very close in a gallery setting or from a few feet away in your den.

good luck

Your Mamiya 7 will do it with an Imacon (not flatbed) scan, but the best way is probably Canon IDs Mk II with 50mm Macro lens. Light with a small strobe for maximum sharpness, and I think that you won't need a tripod. Most any tripod will work, but I am partial to the Leitz Tiltall (used, on ebay for less than $100).

Depending on the specific rocks being photographed...take a spritzer water bottle...sometimes, particularly if the rocks have an element of polish, the colors can be strongly differentiated with a brief spritz of water. Never tried it on petroglyphs, however.

Mike,

 

<p>since you asked for suggestions for 4x5, tripod and lens, I'll add my two cents.

 

<p>With regards to the camera, a solid wooden field camera (Shen-Hao or Tachihara, around $600 new) will do the job properly.

<br>Sometimes you can't back up, sometimes the rock art panel is quite a bit away. All my rock art photographs (I made lots of them) were made with 90, 180 and 300 mm lenses.

<br>If you think of only two lenses, take a wide angle and a moderate tele lens, 90mm and 210/240mm, for example.

<p>I suggest a carbon fiber tripod, not too big. Rock art photography will lead you far away from your car in some cases.

<p>Unless you're going to include a rock art panel into a broad landscape shot, avoid direct sunlight under all circumstances. You'll have the best colors in shadows or overcast skies, or when the sunlight bounces back from the opposite wall.

<p>While a "brief spritz of water" will saturate the colors, I'd avoid this method, to be honest. Some pictographs (= paintings!) survived thousands of years because they remained dry.

<br>If you want intense colors, use a saturated slide film instead.

I have done a little rock art photography and noticed a big difference in clarity depending on the direction of the light source(either natural or flash). Any specific ideas on the use of flash?

great info, I wouldn't have thought of as I am entering into this phase of photography. I am a little skeptical that the 1ds MKll can deliver 40x50 scrutinized gallery prints. To determine my smaller format I'll have to rent the canon and the Mamiya make a few tests before I go. The 4x5 or 5x7 are a given, anyway what a fun learning curve.

Cutting edge sharp.<div></div>

Most sites in the USA have been exposed to the sun & rain, heat and cold for centuries, as opposed to cave drawings. They seem to have survived pretty well, so a water spritz isn't generally harmful, and in fact may be beneficial if it rinses off debris in areas which experience high moisture acidity due to sulfur dioxide or nitrous oxide in the air.

...thanks Bill, time to rent a 1ds mk2 and a few others before I start

writing checks. My only experiences so far are with 6x7 MF and DX sensor 6mp. I just can't imagine a digital going anywhere near my old

6x7 maybe 645. Oh well time to rent.

After going on a good number of rock art trips, my experience has been that the time

invested in researching rock art sites and working out backup plans in case of "bad"

weather, sun angles, or impossibly slick roads etc. is a far greater predictor of success

than the amount or quality of gear that I bring along.

 

I always seem to find a way to use the widest lens I own on every trip however, but that is

a personal preference.

Paul,

Your singing to the choir, been there, being a world travelled backpacker, I just never photographed.

I was thinking of researching older 50's and 60's publications to find locations. On my first trip to the Colorado Plateau I found it difficult to get any information about locations due to the vandalism. Any suggestions for finding the lesser known.

Mike,

<p>for some good reasons the locations of many rock art sites and ruins should remain as secret as possible.

<br>Some sites can easily be found because they're part of public knowledge.

<p>Anyway, I found it always helpful to talk to a Nat'l Park or BLM Ranger and tell him what I was looking for and what I was going to do there.

<p>In most cases I got friendly help and detailed descriptions how to find good sites.

<br>In every case I was told to keep my hands off the paintings and was encouraged to keep my knowledge secret.

Mike, Check out the books by Laurent Martres on Photographing the Southwest. In addition to accurate site information he often comments on the best times to visit the sites. Here is a link to the Colorado volume on Amazon.com:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Photographing-Southwest-3-Colorado-Mexico-Soutwest/dp/0916189147/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197430587&sr=8-1

 

Here is a link to my web-site which has some pictographs and petroglyphs, mostly from Southern Utah. www.donboyd.com. Those taken with 4x5 would handle 40x50 nicely. I will shortly be printing one on canvas at 36x45.

(BTW, I have mislabeled the 9 Mile Canyon Image, it should say Buckhorn Wash.)