How often do you not expose?

[jonathan_bundick]

As someone new to LF, I am learning a great deal about how I approach subjects, and view light, tone and composition. On several recent outings I have returned without exposing a single frame. Even a single frame of 35mm, which I use as a meter, but always has film loaded. I never banged away in motor drive with my 35mm, and had hoped LF would lead me to be more critical of how I compose and shoot, but I feel I may be going too far the other way, and possibly missing "good" shots. All this relates to landscape photography by the way.

 

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So, my question is: How often do you return from an attempt at a landscape without any exposed film?

[rob_pietri3]

Personally, not too often. If the day is uninspiring, or I am not in

the mood, I stay home and do other things. It really depends on how

you approach your subject. Case in point.

 

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I was shooting for a client in a botanical garden with my Hasselblad,

80mm lens, no meter, velvia in the back, no bag and no tripod. I

walked quickly around a water garden and within a few minutes, saw a

workable composition. I lay the camera on a smooth, level concrete

slab, composed and focused and shot off some frames. The client loved

it and published it.

 

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There was also another photographer roaming around the same area,

longer then I was. She had her camera around her neck, finger on the

shutter, but was walking around like a nun in silent prayer. My

impression was that she was looking or waiting for the inspirational

bolt of lightening to strike. As I was leaving, I looked out of the

corner of my eye and saw her going over to see what I had shot.

Whether she had already shot it, I do not know, but it seemed as if

she had not.

 

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The point is, there are times you will come home empty handed. But

maybe you should think whether the reason is, you didn't see what was

there vs nothing there at all. The best way to learn is to shoot film

and make pictures, keep good records. Then analyze the results. If

you don't like the results? Figure out why. If you do like what you

did, figure out why. Go back to the same location repeatedly and take

more pictures. Sometimes you have to force yourself. Film is the

cheapest part of this business but sometimes what is least used. If

you don't shoot, you won't learn.

[mark_wiens]

Never....I at least take one shot.

 

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I agree with Rob in that it is practice. If you like the shot or don't

like the shot, you figure out why and learn from that. I took 20

shots when I went to Death Valley and not many of them came

out right, but I'm going in 2 weeks and I know now what I didn't

know then.

[tony_galt]

I'm really new to LF, and although I've yet to go out and come back with no film exposed, I find, to my amazement, that it really takes a long time to make each exposure, so coming back with more than a couple of exposed sheets of film means that I've been out a long time, or conditions have been optimum. In an out during which I might have exposed two 36 exp. rolls with 35 mm (on a tripod and methodically,) I find that I'm shooting maybe a maximum of 6-8 sheets of 4x5 film. I'm shooting black and white for now to keep expenses down as I learn the craft, so cost per sheet is not that great (especially as I'm developing the negatives myself and digitally scanning them). The cost of color film and processing would probably make me more careful and I could foresee conditions (bad weather, particularly)where I might not make an exposure. On the other hand, not exposing film means I have no results to learn from, so I do try to come back with something, even if only to learn from it. It took a couple of sessions in the field, for instance, to get to the point where I feel I begin to understand focus and depth of field with movements on a view camera. So in that sense, coming back empty handed would slow my learning process.

[james_chinn]

Since you are new to the format, you should always be exposing some

film when you are out with the camera, if for no other reason than to

learn. Use the time to try new film, or shoot anything with the idea

of exploring how LF film records light and tonality different than

35mm. Think in terms of everything around you and not just a generic

type of landscape image. Sometimes it is better to go somewhere and

explore what is within feet and not miles of your camera.

 

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Also carry a composition card, a piece of cardboard with a 4x5 hole

in the center, held from the eye at various dstances equavalent to

the focal length of your lens. It allows you the ability to explore

the scene without having to set up the camera and use the ground

class all the time.

 

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There are times when I will go out to photograph a particular subject

and when I get there the light isn't right, or the winds to high etc.

From experience I know I would just waste film so why expose any?

But I usually try to explore somewhere nearby and usually find a

surprise or two.

 

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Keep at it. As you gain more experience, you will begin to see many

more opportunities and subjects that are there now, you just don't

recognize them. You will expose more film and each sheet will be how

you planned it.

[matthew_runde]

Jonathan,

 

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I, too, am new to large format, although I've used 35mm for years.

One of the things that I've found necessary with LF is to practice my

close-up technique. Calculating the exposure with the addition of

bellows-extension factor, reciprocity failure, and filter factors

takes practice. This has proven very helpful in photographing

landscapes, as well, because I am more aware of the bellows and how

compressed it is.

 

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Also, before I took everything outside I practiced quite a bit

indoors. Once I did begin to photograph outdoors, I was not always

pleased with the results because they didn't seem as precise as when

I had used a 35mm camera. I'm getting the hang of it, though. Keep

going, and remember to enjoy the process.

 

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Whatever you do, I would recommend not turning up your speakers and

visiting the <a href="http://www.toho-machine.co.jp">Toho</a> site.

The music could get stuck in your head.

 

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Good luck!

[conrad_hoffman]

I think Mark has a good point. I'm not very good at landscapes, but I

recently started going back to the same spots (when possible) to try

again. This has paid off both visually and processwise. I can get the

angle I should have tried the first time, possibly catch better

lighting, and get the contrast just right. For whatever reason I

never used to make multiple attempts, and that was a mistake! Works

for any format, too!

[scott_walton2]

I agree with J. Chinn and of course Conrad. If you are out and

something doesn't strike you in the overall picture, look down. Yes,

macro to some extent. I was out shooting dunes and I didn't like what I

was seeing so I looked down and I came upon an image of a blade of

grass being blown by the wind in an arch. I shot close and came up with

a composition of a smile in the sand. It was stunning. Look ALL around

you and you WILL see images. Slow down and feel the area and you will

be amazed at what you will come up with. Don't get me wrong. I'm a

technical commercial shooter and struggle for the artsy pictures but I

have been told my work is unusually beautiful.

Cheers

[wayne_crider4]

It happens; I just don't let it bother me as I enjoy the outdoor

experience as much as the picture taking. I do prefer tho to shoot at

least a couple at a time if possible, as I can't get motivated to

develop unless there's a couple of sheets. If anything, shoot a cloud

formation or try out a filter. What about a portrait? Send it to your

Mom.

[joel_brown2]

Jonathan, there are a couple of things I do that my help you. First

before I start out for my trip I mount my LF on the tripod with the

darkcloth covering the camera held on by a bungee cord. It rests

in the backseat of the car with a seatbelt in place, almost like

another passager. I find it all too easy to talk myself out of a shot

if I think of all the hasel of setting up. Next, I don't consider the

first 5 images I take will be anything more than an exercise in

composition. It really takes the pressure off you if you know the

first couple of shots are just to get your juces flowing. I find that I

fumble around alot with the camera as if I have never seen it

before. I think the MOST helpful advise I can give is to go shoot

with another LF photographer. The camaraderie that comes with

photographing with others can help you see things you may have

missed, plus it can be more fun than being alone.

Good Luck,

Joel

[terence_m.]

After shooting 35 for a few years I bought a Rolleicord. After a few

rolls of 120 I saw what a larger neg could do, and really discovered

how much a tripod helps. That slowed me down a lot. As I got better

I stopped taking shots I knew would turn out poorly and concentrated

on "good" shots and shots I couldn't decide on. A lot of the in

between shots actually end up being better than my "good" shots. So

I had already cut down a lot between slowing down and being more

selective. I've recently picked up (cheaply) a 4x5 and a 5x7.

Trying out the 4x5 I find I am slowing down even more and only

shooting 1 or 2 shots, with one bracket shot each, in an entire day.

The only exception to all of this is when my girlfriend is with me.

If we drive around or hike all day and I don't at least take a shot

or two I never hear the end of, "why are you carrying all of that

crap if you're not going to use it?" Somehow, responding with, "why

take the shot when I know it's going to suck," never satisfies her.

[michael_a._smith1]

Don't worry about it, Jonathan. Two extremes: Some days I have exposed

over 40 8x10-inch negatives (all different pictures); late last year I

exposed only about 24 negatives in two weeks. Why the difference?

Mainly the light, I think--sometimes it is just not right. But whatever

the reason, there it was. I do not recommend exposing negatives just

for the sake of doing "something." The photographs are not the point

anyhow, when out with your camera, is to have a deep and genuine

experience. Consider the photographs to be a bonus. The photographs

will come of their own accord when they are ready. No need to rush

them.

 

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On the other hand, if you are very new to LF, you do want to make

enough exposures so that you are confident you know what you are doing.

[domenico_foschi]

Don't worry....

 

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You said it yourself, you are new to large format, give yourself

some time, this is a new way to take pictures. get aquainted

with the experience of seeinf the image in the ground glass, if

you cannot "see" , this is part of the process. It might seem to

you to be stuck but inside you might be brewing something.

Be aware of what is going on inside, and sometime don't force

yourself to take pictures, the best images come when you are

letting go........it always, ALWAYS works.

It is a frustrating place to be, but ,as i said, it is part of the

process.

[david_goldfarb]

If I come home from a landscape expedition without any exposures, it's

usually because the light doesn't work for me. At home, I generally

don't go out on such days and try to work on other things, but if I'm

travelling and had planned to make photography an important part of my

trip, then I try to make do with the light I have.

 

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If that's the case, I look for details in the landscape, where flat

light might be to my advantage before packing it in. If the clouds

aren't happening, then I think about what I can do without including

too much sky. Sometimes the photograph I hadn't planned to take is

better than the one I was looking for.

[john_kasaian2]

Jonathan, FWIW I often return from an outing without shooting a

single sheet if I can't find anything I really want to shoot. On the

other hand, I often go out specifically to make test shots with a

different film, unusual lighting conditions, seeing if a "new" old

holder leaks, experimenting with film speeds etc...and expose six or

twelve sheets of film with no expectation of getting one of THOSE

pictures, just learning what my stuff and myself can do, and provide

exposed film for practicing my darkroom developing skills. This is

actually FUN! Maybe not as much fun as capturing the moonrise over a

clearing storm over Mt Bullwinkle, but fun none the less. Don't get

discouraged. IMHO, I approach landscape photography much like being

the tourist I am. I want to explore. If I find something that causes

me to say WOW! I'll shoot, or maybe come back and shoot when the

light is better or the clouds are more dramatic or something. The

trade off between the excitement of the instant of seeing something

for the first time and the more diliberate act of waiting hasn't

seemed to effect my negatives so far. There are probably better ways

of approaching landscapes, but this works for me so far. Good luck!