8x10 Large Format Photography Candids

[zarrir_junior]

<p>Hi, yes, i understand all the limitations of using a View camera (8x10 specially) for shooting daylight candids. Anyway, i was curious to check if somebody here actually does it. If so, i would be very interested in knowing the workflow for it.</p>

[dhbebb]

<p>Never done it, but some traditional large-format studio cameras (e.g. the British "Marion") had a reflex device which allowed the subject to be viewed until just before exposure (after the film holder has been inserted and the sheath pulled), which speeded up camera operation and allowed a "candid" shot in the sense that the sitter did not know exactly when the exposure would be made. Don't forget too that Graflex reflex cameras were made in sizes up to at least 6.5 x 8.5" (whole plate) - never heard of an 8x10". However, the sheer bulk of an LF camera would make candid photography in the modern sense next to impossible.</p>

[dhbebb]

<p>On reflection, a guy producing hand-made "GranView" cameras did offer a hand-holdable 8x10 (aerial camera style), which I am sure would be useful for candids!</p>

[brucecahn]

<p>What do you mean by daylight candids? Street photography? Portraits? I have done both. Yes it is very difficult. What is the question?</p>

[anthony_ilardi]

<p>See Joel Sternfield's "Stanger Passing." </p>

[robert_meyer3]

<p>The Graflex SLR was made in sizes up to and including 8x10. The only person I know of who ever saw an 8x10 version is Jay Tepper. He wrote me once that he saw one 30 years ago. Another approach to this problem of 8x10 hand-held candids would be to use an 8x10 camera with a Graflex focal plane shutter. I have one on my Century Universal 8x10. The Century Universal is a self-casing field camera much like the Crown Graphic, only BIG and with movements. The problem would be there is no viewfinder to compose the picture such as there is on a Speed Graphic or Crown Graphic. You really need to use a tripod to focus and keep the camera unmoved between focusing and exposing. The root of the problem is that long focal length lenses, needed to cover the 8x10 format, have a very short depth of focus. You might be able to hand hold an 8x10 camera if you get a short focal length lens with 8x10 coverage, like a 210mm Super Angulon (I don't have one). I tried a 150mm Repromaster on my Century Universal with the Graflex shutter, but couldn't get the lens close enough to the ground glass to focus. I should try it again with a 180mm or 210mm Repromaster (I have both).</p>

[robert_meyer3]

<p>The Graflex SLR was made in sizes up to and including 8x10. The only person I know of who ever saw an 8x10 version is Jay Tepper. He wrote me once that he saw one 30 years ago. Another approach to this problem of 8x10 hand-held candids would be to use an 8x10 camera with a Graflex focal plane shutter. I have one on my Century Universal 8x10. The Century Universal is a self-casing field camera much like the Crown Graphic, only BIG and with movements. The problem would be there is no viewfinder to compose the picture such as there is on a Speed Graphic or Crown Graphic. You really need to use a tripod to focus and keep the camera unmoved between focusing and exposing. The root of the problem is that long focal length lenses, needed to cover the 8x10 format, have a very short depth of focus. You might be able to hand hold an 8x10 camera if you get a short focal length lens with 8x10 coverage, like a 210mm Super Angulon (I don't have one). I tried a 150mm Repromaster on my Century Universal with the Graflex shutter, but couldn't get the lens close enough to the ground glass to focus. I should try it again with a 180mm or 210mm Repromaster (I have both).</p>

[drew bedo]

<p>I tried it once. We vacationed in Durango Colorado over the July 4th week one year. There is a river that runs right beside the hotel that we stayed in. People were rafting and fly fishing on the river from time to time. I walked the bank with my 4x5 field camers on a light weight tripod and tried to get unposed action shots of a man on the opposite bank wading and casting for trout...without disturbing him or making him self-</p>

<p >conscious.</p>

<p>I wouild walk ahead (20-50 yards or so) and set up, then compose, pre-focus and meter. When he walked into the frame, I would recompose slightly, set the shutter speed and aperature, ibsert film and take the shot. The fisherman never reacted so the shots were candid enough. Most of these transparencies were technically below excellent and those that were well exposed and sharp weren't good images.</p>

<p>My guess is that 8x10 candids would be exponentially more</p>

<p >cumbersome<br>

.</p>

[drew bedo]

<p>Ok...now imagine "Horshack" from the 1980s TV sit-com Welcome Back Cotter: "Oh-Oh-Oh...!!"</p>

<p>An approach that could be made to work might be a Hobo or Fotoman type camera on a monopod.</p>

<p>Sorry about the obscure intro.</p>

<p>Cheers.</p>

[zarrir_junior]

<p>Hi Bruce, yes, i meant street photography. The approach i was thinking about is similar to Drew´s above. Let´s think of a flea market for instance. I would set up everything on the tripod, pre-focus on a certain region people would be walking slowly, slide the film holder in and wait for the victim(s). My main concerns are obviously proper focusing and proper exposure times.</p>

[Troll]

<p>Why? Why on Earth would you want to do such a thing? Why? Why? Why...............?</p>

[eric friedemann]

<p>I wouldn't want to do candids with an 8x10 camera, but Fotoman makes a "P&S" cammera to do just that:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.shutterbug.net/equipmentreviews/medium_large_format/0507fotoman/">http://www.shutterbug.net/equipmentreviews/medium_large_format/0507fotoman/</a></p>

[vinny_walsh]

<p>fyi: fotoman went out of business recently and someone took it over. The cameras and their components may come from different suppliers. The former owner posted this on the large format forum earlier this year.</p>

[brucecahn]

<p>Zarrir: I never used the 8x10 for grabbing those kind of pictures on the street. Your method should work, but there will be a depth of field problem. You would have to use a wide lens to improve the depth and require a slower shutter speed, but even then I don't think there will be a lot of success, and the film has gotten very expensive. A 4x5 is a good compromise because with the shorter lenses, especially around 75-90mm, you can use f16, which I think will be the minimum aperture for pre focusing. You also get the option of using a Linhof Master Technika, which is the best possible tool for LF on the street.</p>

[jnanian]

<p>roark johnson did it for a year with a deardorff<br>

http://roarkjohnson.blogs.com/photos/stranger_a_day/</p>

[eddy_pula]

<p>How candid are we talking about? I've been photographing strangers with a 4x5 for the last 5 years. One plus with a view camera is that while people are aware that you are there they have no idea what you are doing or when you take the picture. You don't look through the camera when photographing, and with a long cable release you don't even have to be next to the camera. I set up the camera and then quietly take a picture, people are always suprised that I already took it.<br>

Lately I've been telling people to ignore me. Some times it works, like when you come across people already engaging in some task. They are aware that I'm there but by the time I'm done fiddling with the camera I've lost their intrest. I've tried 8x10, it was just to damn heavy for me to drag around the street like I'm used to. Check out Nick Nixon, his book People Pictures are all shot with his 8x10 deardorf.</p><div></div>

[jnanian]

<p>eddy</p>

<p>nice portrait ..<br>

i too have been doing that, candid photographs of strangers, people on the street, working &C for about 25year<br /> first with 35mm - 5x7 camera. ... lately with a graflex slr ...<br /> when i get some more time, with an 8x10 camera, too bad there isn't a 8x10 slr ...</p>

[ralph_jensen]

<p>Fotoman's closing is a real shame, but you might consider Gaoersi (search eBay.com for "Gaoersi 810").</p>

[greg_peterson3]

<p>I very much enjoyed seeing "8x10" and "Candids" in the same sentence.</p>

<p>It caused a chortle.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

 

[Ian Taylor]

<p>I have a friend who did this for years with an 8"x10" Deardorff. Set up in rough parts of town and did portraits of street people against a simple white backdrop. Amazing stuff.</p>