Large format in Manhatten?

[rob_pietri5]

I am trying to get up the courage to take my 4x5 and bag into NYC and shoot around. I have been doing it with 35mm and having fun. However, lugging around a 4x5, tripod, bag just makes me nerveous. Any suggestions? Any body have any experience?

[jason_greenberg_motamedi]

Rob,

 

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I have been wandering NYC for over 10 years with my LF camera. I have

never had any sort of problem worse than a few kids making fun of me. In fact,

most people, even the kids who were making fun of me, really just wanted to

look at the ground glass. For the most part, Manhattan is pretty safe for LF--I

would guess the largest problem would be the occasional taxi who goes

careening off the road and into the sidewalk! Hard to notice if you are under

the cloth. That said, there are areas I wouldn't go to--just use common sense.

 

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Your worst danger is leaving your equipment unwatched. DO NOT LEAVE IT

IN A CAR! Do not let it sit more than a few feet from you. When you are under

the darkcloth, make sure that all your bags are closed--I keep one of my feet

between the straps of my backpack to make sure it doesn't go wandering.

 

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Actually, considering how much one can walk in NY, I think your biggest

problem is the weight, make sure you have a good backpack or rolling cart. I

am rarely exhausted after a full days hike upstate with 25 lbs of camera. After

a few hours in NYC...

[michael_meyer]

rob-

 

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i have carried a 4x5 about manhatten with no problems. i have shot in

a ton of neighborhoods, including a bunch that i probably shouldn't

have. i have had no problems. the advice about wandering equipment

given by the previous poster is valid. always keep an eye on

everything.

 

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in terms of walking around with everything, i use a backpack. mine is

a snowboarding bag that i toss my film holders into. the film holders

take up the lower half of the bag and then camera is simply placed on

top of them. (i don't worry about the camera, it is an old speed

graphic and can take whatever iu dish to it. if yours is more

expensive, you might like the idea fo the camera being placed like

this less than i do. but it is quick to get to.) my tripod is strapped

to the back of the bag with the column twisted into a mountainerring

loops and then flipped up and held with one of the board straps at the

top of the bag. (this would make sense if you saw it.) i can walk

forever like this.

 

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once i find a spot and start to shoot, i just leave my camera on the

tripod and put the whole thing up on my shoulder and walk about the

area. just tighten your head to prevent the dreaded camera flop.

 

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also, think about heading out of manhatten. coney island, little korea

in flushing, worlds fair grounds; there are tons of great areas in the

city to photograph. just get yourself a metro card.

 

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any questions about specific areas in the city, feel free to e-mail

me.

 

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-m

[mark_sampson]

along w/ the above-

good shoes are a necessity. Travel as light as possible. Your body

wil take a real pounding on the concrete sidewalks of NYC. The noise

and bustle take their toll too. But excitement (visual and otherwise)

help make up for it.

[peter shier]

Those who do LF street shooting - I'd be curious about your focus

and composition techniques.

 

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Do you set up for a particular spot and then wait for something

interesting to appear there?

 

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Do you ask people if you can photograph them?

 

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Do people ask you to photograph them?

 

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Do you hand out Polaroids?

[rob_tucher]

I've done many large-format shoots in NYC. The above cautions are

good. One thing I did not see while reading through quickly...there

are places where you need a tripod permit, and other places where you

can't shoot at all without permits. South Street Seaport requires a

tripod permit from City Hall. A few other such places do too but I

forget which. No shooting in the subways without permission!

[tim_atherton2]

One further suggestion - someone I know, who is often shooting LF

professionally in NYC - always takes along an orange safety vest. For

the practical reason that he is often halfway into the street

shooting buildings and such. An added bonus is that no-one ever seems

to bother him, even in some pretty rough areas. And that includes

rent-a-cops and real cops.

 

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I've done this on accassion,for street work (I'm often shooting at a

large open put diamond mine for my pro-work, or architects

construction sites, so I have orange vests galore...). But out on the

street, no-one pays you any attention!. You're already abvious with a

big camera on a tripod. This seems to make you so obvious, you're

invisible....

 

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BTW surveyors and the like have some great heavy duty vests full of

pockets. Great for Photo geeks (as my wife likes to say...) - and

they come in subdued colours too. Mine has a huge pocket on the back

that will take about 4 or 5 8x10 holders....

[marcus_leonard]

You may run into the following problem: it is not permitted in NYC to

use a tripod on sidewalks and in parks without permit (free) from the

Mayor's Office for Film, Television and Broadcast (whatever the exact

name is). Enforcement of this rule is weak, but on occasion some cop

wants to get rid of his anger. In particular in Coney Island I had a

real bad experience. The Mayor's Office is located somewhere around

54th and Broadway, getting the permit is a formality, you should

specify though where and when you are shooting. But as I said,

enforcement is weak, just know that the rule exists in case you are

confronted with the problem.

[rob_pietri5]

Thanks for all the great help! Apparently it may not be as dangerous

as I think. Still there are two things that concern me. One is the

walking and carrying the 25 lbs of equipment all day. It's one thing

to hike around the woods and mountains. But NYC, concrete, smog,

traffic, is much much more grueling. The other thing is spontaneity.

I was in NYC this afternoon and spent a few hours with my 35mm

shooting. The light changes very fast, people always moving, traffic,

situations come and fly away. You would think the city moves much too

fast to be caught by a 4x5. Unless of course you are concentrating on

the inanimate. But there is so much more to NYC then buildings and

the homeless.

 

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Thanks very much for the input!

[jason_greenberg_motamedi]

are homeless inanimate?

[rob_pietri5]

Certainly not! But the way most passersby ignore them, you would

think so.

[michael_meyer]

joel meyerowitz did a great series of new york shots with 8x10 a while back. they were not simply tall buildings. they were mostly people shots as i recall. humanity meeting the city.

 

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the next time you are in the city go to his gallery (it is on broadway just below houston)and aks to see the prints. i am sure they would show them to you.

 

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new york is not to fast moving for lf. you just have to think a bit before you shoot and visualize what you want.

[terence_m.]

Like everyone else said, mind your equipment. I use an old B&J 4x5

press camera and prefocus a little before I set up the tripod, just

to see if it's worth it. Cops don't bother me much so long as I'm

out of the way. Bringing another photographer is the best security.

I find my non-photog friends get bored very, very quickly. I work

downtown now so I'm exploring the area. Sunday mornings are

absolutely deserted down here and the light is great.

[darren m green]

Be advised that what ever format you use you will need a permit the second you set up a tripod anywhere in Manhattan.

 

Not for hand held but the second you put a a tripod you are required by law to have a permit.

 

Good News!! Permits are free and heres the link to the mayors office, you can do it all on line now. http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/permits/still_photography.shtml

 

Happy shooting guys.