Do you get funny looks when shooting large format?

[mark_capowski]

Another funny response:

 

I was proofing a 4x5 shot and showed the Polaroid (type 54) print to a spectator. She gave me a rather unimpressed look and said "too bad those old cameras can't take color pictures."

 

In hindsight, I should have bought a Linhof. I hear they do great color. ;)

 

Mark

[leonard_peterson]

If you want to have fun, set the camera up pointing at absolutely nothing and pretend to be making an important photo. Someone will be sure to come along and copy it.

[richard baznik]

Over the past decade I've been shooting with 4x5s in a large park system that is near my home, using (in order) a Speed Graphic, an enormous Plaubel Peco Supra II, and a Canham DLC45. Throughout this project, a certain elderly gentleman has approached me about a dozen times to watch me work, and each time he has asked me if my camera is a Linhof. When I begin to explain that it's not, he nods and turns away. There's a story behind his questions, I think.

[rehor]

No. But when I had a MF Camera once I picked up this chick.

 

My GF at the time was busy that night and I was on my way to a restaurant to meet 2 friends (a couple).

 

Since I was without a friend for the dinner date I asked her if she would come. She loved my camera and came. We had dinner and ended up at my place.

 

"No LF required".

[david_beal___richmond_hts.]

Never had anyone ask me, "Is that a Hasselblad?"

 

Never had anyone ask me, "Is that digital?"

 

Usual question from younger folks: "Are you a professional?

 

Usual question/statement from older folks: "Wow! I haven't seen one of those since I was a kid!"

 

The best thing about LF: people go out of their way NOT to disturb your setup. Once, when I was ready to trip the shutter, I had a dozen or so folks stop in their tracks.

 

Yeah, LF is something else ...

 

I think I'll go out this weekend.

 

/s/ David Beal ** Memories Preserved Photography, LLC

[tito sobrinho]

Do you get funny looks when shooting large format?

 

All the time!

[jim_galvin]

I have been asked "Is that a Hasselblad?" I am going to put a Hassy pic in the the case for the next time. Ive been asked "Can you still get film for that?" Response "Not for 10 or 15 years now". I've had a person place a tiny

point and shoot on top of my Calumet and take the same pic.

[bruce_watson1]

I actually get surprisingly few questions or comments while I'm out working. Those that ask, I gladly show them - I've never had anyone turn down a look under the dark cloth when offered. I think of it as good public relations to educate the public. Haven't managed to turn any of it into a print sale though ;-)

 

What does happen, according to my wife, is that I get my picture taken regularly while I'm under the cloth. She says I've been in hundreds of pictures. This tells me that we LFers must be a really rare breed.

[mark_capowski]

Funny thing about the dark cloth.. Mine is white and black. Whenever I'm under it, people see the white side of course. They always ask why I'm using it backwards.

 

Mark

[david_senesac]

Would not categorize it as funny looks but rather curious looks. Constantly if in public. Most people just observe my wooden Wisner a bit as a curiosity. Other photographers of lesser formats come up to me while I'm working and first open with a statement complementing how fine or great looking a camera I have and inquire, "What is it?" One can hear many adults in passing just whispering to others in their party. Non-photographer women often can be heard whispering "antique" while their men may quietly chirp in "large format" and "pro". Kids of course may just walk up and blurt out something funny like "Is that an old camera?" or "Why do you put your head in there?"

[glen peterson]

It was touched upon, but when I am shooting with my Speed Graphic. The most common comment that I get is 'Wow, Thats one of those old Black and White Cameras isn't it?' People are generally amazed that film, not the camera, decides whether the picture is in color or not.

 

I think many are just surprised to see a camera without an LCD on the back anymore.

[mark_capowski]

Glen, you'd be surprised how many people think the ground glass is an LCD screen, even though the rest of the camera is entirely wooden.

 

Mark

[trw]

I once had a guy come up and say that his Digital Rebel must be much higher resolution (than my press camera) because it's newer.

[brian_ellis16]

No, but I get funny looks from my wife when she looks over my shoulder and sees me reading threads like this.

[andyk]

I was out at Mono Lake at dawn with my Toyo 4x5 and a bus full of "photo tourists" showed up before sunrise. About 50 people walked past me at South Tufa and gave me a mixture of strange looks and silly remarks like "is that an antique?" or "are you surveying?" They sounded like New Yorkers and they were all walking around with the latest digital SLRs; easliy $10K hanging from each their necks. They were all taking pictures in the near dark without tripods deployed. Are fuzzy, seriously underexposed frames the new fashion on the East Coast?

 

I took 4 frames, each carefully composed and capable of 4x5 foot-sized enlargements with detail.

 

"High tech" and disposable income do not a photographer make.

 

Since I aquired the 4x5 about two years ago I have learned to slow down and really look; to see. I have been a professional videographer for broadcast networks for over 20 years and have shot a great deal of 35mm and 16mm film for national commericals, but I am now amazed at how much I have been missing by moving fast with an SLR camera.

 

I now take far fewer frames and am much happier with the results.

 

Andy

[stephen hazelton]

"In manhattan, where I live, it is an everyday occurance to see photo shoots going on around town, and seing a view camera is (still) not all that rare."

 

One thing I have noticed through the years is that there seems to be a good bit more interest in photography and darkroom work farther north. I attribute this to the fact that darkroom work is ideally suited to long dark winters (and poorly suited to long hot summers!). I notice it most when shopping used equipment- it's seldom around here.

[razzledog]

I`d have to say this is the funniest thread I`ve read in ages! Thinking that a ground glass is actually an LCD is perhaps the best yet. I was recently out shooting 6x17 trannies on 120, when a passerby, asked was I shooting them in 'RAW'. A more common question is 'How many frames did I stitch together to get that?'

[johndc]

I've had my picture taken quite a few times while I'm using my LF camera.

 

I'm not surprised when it happens out in the suburbs. But I was surprised when in happened in NYC while I was taking a picture of the Flatiron building -- probably one of the most LF photographed structures on the face of the earth.

 

Other than that, most of my experiences involve people asking me if I'm surveying (because of the spirit levels on the 3047 head, maybe?) or if I'm doing an assessment for the bank on a piece of property (???)

 

In my experience people are equally very polite or nosey to the point of being annoying.

[andy_shand1]

in china its worse...they gather behind you like its some kind of puppet show...and then there is the expert amongst them who will ask you so many questions that you end up missing the light..fun fun fun.

[martian bachelor]

> This tells me that we LFers must be a really rare breed.

 

Well I freaked a guy out just a little over a month ago. I was coming down a trail after a day out in the wilderness (w/35mm gear) and was only a few minutes from the trailhead. He'd come up the short distance to do some fall colors in the late afternoon. As I went by I asked him if that was a Wista he had. Needless to say he wasn't expecting that sort of question out there in the boonies. But indeed it was a Wista. What were the odds that two LF people would cross paths - one of them actually out with his camera?

 

Anyway, if I'm at a touristy spot and people ask about my ancient Calumet 4x5, I just tell 'em it's my 100 MEGAPIXEL camera -- which is actually maybe even being a bit conservative depending on what you think you can get out of film.

 

But generally I screw up if I get talking to people too much, so I usually try to ignore them if I can. I'm not paid to be yet another tourist attraction, though some people haven't gotten the memo on that.

 

It has struck me too that any camera on a tripod with a cable release appears to the average yokel to be something from the far distant past, even though it's not considered particularly cool like an old car might be.

[mike_hoogendyk]

Once was all alone in the desert west of Phoenix with the dark cloth over my head. All of a sudden a voice out of no where said, "Do you mind if I take your picture?" Almost put my forehead thru the GG. Turns out it was a coast-to-coast bicycle rider with a digital and me with my LF in the middle of the desert looked rather scenic to him.

[george_mayhew]

I've made some of my favorite portraits when strangers stopped to watch me with my 4x5. People who might be threatened by a small camera pointed at them seem honored to be asked to pose in front of a view camera. The experience has taught me to bring along as many loaded film holders as I can carry.

 

I was at a beach once, with my camera aimed inland, when I heard a little girl say "You should take a picture of that, too, Grandpa." Grandpa said "Stand back, honey. He's a real photographer." I told the little girl "Your grandpa's a real photographer, too." She was thrilled, when I asked him to take my picture. It was a good day.

 

George Mayhew

[greg lockrey]

This will be a little OT but when I paint on location, I'm known for my heavy use of color. Sometimes an observer will tell me that he "doesn't see those colors in the scene". And my reply was "don't you wish you could?"

[sugi_irwan]

Me n my close LF friend were travelling together with a bunch of digital photographers to sea shore area.. U may already know how were the reactions when we both set up our 4x5 cameras..

 

We took out a calculator (which capable to present graph, etc) made a "calculation", reviewed the graphs, and discussed them

 

Those digital men were amazed.. I think u must try this.. It was so funny... 2 LF photographers were standing side by side with 2 LF cameras seriously discussing syntax graphs...