stevewillard

I just tried to download their PDF brochure and my IE browser

cleared and just stopped. Nothing! Is anyone else having this

problem? I do have Acrobat Reader installed.

When I first used my 3000 drums, I was getting streaks as well.

It turned out that I was placing the film in the tubes backwards.

That is, I placed the emulsion side of the film facing outside

toward tube. This put the emulsion up against the tube walls

causing streaks because the chemistry could not flow evenly

over the surface of the emulsion.

Why not try a piece of double sided tape in the middle of the

holder? Once the film is inserted just tape it in the middle to

secure it to the tape.

I have a friend who owns a photo lab. He does both digital and

wet film processing. He uses digital for all his commercial

work and wet film for all his fine art work. Digital allows him to

easily recover from screw ups and create images that would be

expensive to do with sets and wet film. For fine art work his

emphasis is on clarity. He does big crystal clear images and he

says you cannot get that with digital. Wet film is his preferred

solution for landscapes.

<p>

Of course, cost is not a consideration because he has access to

extensive equipment for either type. His preferences are based

soley on functionality.

<p>

For me cost is a consideration. Digital is extremely expensive

and not cost effective. Advertizing commands big dollars. Fine

art does not. What I can do with five dollars of wet film is

amazing.

Stephen,

<p>

I work exclusively with color negatives in combination with the

Zone system. I have found that color negs can record a greater

light range than b&w negs and can be subject up to n-4

contracted development to control contrast. I could not increase

contrast by increasing development. Increased development

just makes the overall negative from shadows to highlights

thicker. Thus, I have never been able to n+1, n+2... development.

<p>

Crossover is not a problem. When it does occur, it can be

corrected for by changing the color pack of the enlarger provided

you can even see it on the print. Often, I can detect crossover

with the densitometer, but it does not show up in the print.

<p>

My claims are restricted to Kodak PRO 100 which is no longer

available. At n-3 and n-4, any reds in the shadow will turn to a

murky purple or brown. In most cases, when doing landscapes,

the shadows contain primarily green vegetation so there is no

problem. There are no restrictions for n-1 and n-2; reds appear

to hold up well in the shadows.

<p>

I can record between 10-11 stops with PRO 100.

<p>

To calibrate your film, use the ISO setting that produces a 0.1

density unit in the red above film fog at a Zone I placement.

<p>

Hope this helps.

I just bought the Nikkor 150mm f8 lens. It is designed to provide

8x10 coverage. I tried to use it with my 4x5 camera, but it is so

big in diameter it will not fit through the 4x4 opening of my front

standard. I can install it by unscrewing the back element of the

lens and attaching the lens to the front standard. I then remove

the back of my camera and reach through the bellows and screw

the back element back onto the lens. This solution is not very

practical. My 4x5 Wisner camera appears to be able to handle

the weight, but it is so big in size and weight that I suspect many

4x5 cameras could not handle it structurally.

I have just bought a 4x10 back for my Wisner camera. To my

pleasant surprise, many of my Nikkor lenses which are rated for

either 4x5, or 5x7 cover my 4x10 back with room to spare.

<p>

Here are the lenses I am using with my 4x10 back: 90mm f8 SW,

120mm SW, 180mm W, 210mm W, 300mm f9 M, 360mm T,

500mm T, and 720mm. All of these lenses cover the 4x10 with

wide open apertures. Many of them should not be capable of

covering the 4x10 according to their specs. I bought the 150 f8

SW fro the 4x10, but it was so big in diameter it would not fit

through the 4x4 opening of my front standard. To my surprise I

did not need it.

Sometimes we can get locked into one way of doing things. You

could use a bag bellows design rather than an accordion

bellows design.

<p>

Some times I leave my bag bellows on my 4x5 camera. I have

used it with my 210 lens just fine.

I am looking for an 8x10 color enlarger. I have never used one

nor even seen one, so I am flying blind here. Hence, my

solicitation for advise. This is for my own personal use. I have

vertical space (9.5 foot ceilings), but not horizontal space. I am

looking for something used to keep the price plausible. I have

to be able to get parts for it, and I would like to keep its footprint

as small as possible. I will be using masks so there needs to

be space in the negative carrier to accommodate additional

layers of film (up to 7 layers). I will be enlarging 4x5, 4x10, and

5x7 negatives.

<p>

Any advice, suggestions, or gotchas would be appreciated. And

last does anyone know of one for sale?

<p>

Thanks for any considerations.

B&H has some 10" cloth covered releases for $4.95. I have one

of these cheap release attached to each of my lens except for

my Nikkor Telephoto 500/720 lens. With this lens I use a 60" (I

think) air release.

I do primarily landscape photography. I have the 65mm, 75mm,

and the 90mm lenses and the difference between the 75mm

and the 90mm is significant. However that difference between

the 65mm and 75mm is not. Because of this I have just sold my

65mm lens. My most popular lens is the 75mm followed by my

120mm lens.

Hmm. Now how does that go, "Let he is without sin cast the first

stone." I for one think Fatali had paid for his sins by simply

coming forward and cleanup any damage. I believe the court

sentence is ridiculous.

I just bought the Nikkor W 180mm lens to use with my Wisner

4x5 camera. I also have a 4x10 back standard that I swap with

the 4x5 back standard. To my surprise both my 210mm and

180mm cover the 4x10 wide open at f5.6. According to Nikon's

specifications neither lens should work on a 4x10, but they do!

Further, more I could apply lots of front tilt with both lenses

before vingetting occurred. I believe Nikon's specifications are

very conservative based on what I have just witnessed.

Andy,

<p>

I use the expert drums for process my film, and it is a lot of work

doing all of those rinse steps. JOBO is got it right, it is not the

agitaion that is important, but rather frequent water changes. I

use the Gravity Works film washer for my 4x5 film. It can hold up

to 12 sheets. It is an amazing device that removes water and

dumps new water in every 30 seconds. It is lot of fun to watch.

As mention above it does free you up to do other things.

<p>

From all of my testing, it does a slightly better job. Goos luck.

Most film holders today are made of conductive plastic. This

helps reduce static change, but does not completely eliminate it.

Because I too have lots to risk, I have replaced my plastic slides

with aluminum slides. I never store my loaded films holders in

Ziploc bags because they build static charge quickly. Instead I

use plastic bags that are intended for holding electronic boards

which are designed to completely eliminate any charge build up.

<p>

Good luck.

Perhaps we should require both.

<p>

I can remember when college loans were granted whit out any

expectation of academic performance. Billions of tax dollars

were wasted on a "few semesters of college parting". Only

when loans were awarded based on performance did the waste

stop and the money went to serious students.

<p>

My wife is a poet and has just submitted a collection of poems

for a $25000 grant. To participate she has to be published in 20

different mags over a two year period. This restriction is part

grant and part commercialism. It weeds out the rediculous and

ensures that her art is aligned with the community. It grounds

the art in reality. It dillutes the decission of foolish buearacrates

and awards money to those who are truely committed to their art.

I have both holders and I agree with Jeffery. The new holder will

more accurately align the film plane with the bottom side of the

ground glass. This will provide you with sharper image.

Whether that is worth $110 is up to you.

Michael,

<p>

Most excellent. I have just purchased the same finder last year and

it is turning out to be a very powerfull tool for quickley weeding

out junk. I suspect that this finder will have a significant impact

on my yeilds. This summer I did go to a place that turned to be

worthless. If I had done a scouting trip as you suggested I would

have saved myself a lot of time and money.

<p>

Thanks

Michael,

<p>

These are only goals and in most cases are not a measure of what

actually happens. By having goals it forces me to grow and innovate.

That is all. No goals no growth!

<p>

For the record, Hirshey and I are a real team, and we have lots of

fun on our journies where ever that may lead us.

<p>

Perhaps you could tell us about a typical day in the field for you.

Outline what you do. Maybe in between the lines there is a small bit

of information that no one except you has thought of. Something

innovative that the rest of can benefit from. For example, I attach

a 10" cable release to everone of my lens because this saves me time.

<p>

Remember, this is a small commutity and we are all in this together,

so lets challenge each other and share what little we have to

offer.

<p>

Thanks

Before you read this you should read the question I posted on

December 12 titled � An Unusual question for you�.

<p>

The reason why I love this website is because of the

experiences, commentary, and knowledge that people bring to

these pages. It is rich and invaluable. Thank you.

<p>

However I think some of you may be off topic. My questions are

not why I carry 160 lbs of gear or why it is so heavy, but rather

how can I be more productive and creative in the field. There

are very few, if any books that speak to this topic, yet this is really

what photography is all about. The equipment is secondary for

once you have it then you must do something with it and that is

very hard.

<p>

I believe that imposing a goal of 1-6 exhibition quality images per

day is absolutely essential for you to grow as a photographer. It

forces you to start to think about how can I obtain such a goal.

All of a sudden one image per week is no longer acceptable and

now you are forced to move outside of your comfort zone. Your

mind becomes filled with frustration and self drought. After

many failures you will start to ask the question am I really an

artist or just a fool running around with expensive gear. You are

now in a crisis. Only then do you really start to innovate and truly

create, if you survive.

<p>

Let me drive this point home by introducing you to another side

of myself. I am also a wedding photographer. Four years ago I

changed my whole approach and offered four packages starting

at 300, 500, 700, and 900 excellent photographs. Excellence

here means not only excellent images, but also excellence in

coverage. The next thing I did was to tell my clients that they

could keep half the fee until after inspecting the final product. If

they did like it then they do not have to pay. This kind of sounds

like 1-6 exhibition images per day, but it is even worse because

brides have unrealistic expectations. When I first instituted this

changes I can assure you my income went into a noses dive.

This year I have exceed all my expectations and booked 62

weddings and will shoot over 24,000 frames of film. So far I

have had no unhappy brides and I have received over $1600 in

tips. Four years ago I was an introvert. Today I have become a

extravert and I love pouring film over humanity. Yet, each time I

shoot a wedding I still sweat bullets which forces me to learn

and grow as a wedding photographer. If I fail to grow then I can

assure you I will not get paid.

<p>

So let me repeat my question. What methods and techniques

do you employ to insure success? To increase your

productivity? Do you have any untested ideas that you would like

to share with us. Here are just a few of the many things I have

done to move closer to my goal of 1-6 exhibition images per day.

<p>

1. I now use a llama. A llama lets me get lots of gear into

wild-prestine remote areas. Hershey allows me to set up a

comfortable camp, carry 10 lens, a polaroid system, a big tripod,

and many other things. All of this adds up to a very versatile

system. Once we start to shoot film, Hershey carries everything

(about 50 lbs) and I stay fresh, energized, and very productive.

<p>

2. I use color neg film. I then print it on Fuji super gloss crystal

archive papers to get cibrachrome colors. Most people think I

use chromes because of my colors. The reason I use negs is

because I can record up to 11 stops of total light and 8-9 stops of

dynamic light. This allows me to shoot later in the morning and

earlier in the evening. I can shoot rings around people who use

chromes, 4 stops does not cut it. I can also do contracted

development with my negs: n-1, n-2, n-3, and n-4 just like you do

with b&w film. In fact, I contend that I can take on higher

contrast scenes then those who use b&w film with my color

negs. This has made me extremely productive.

This question is not about cameras, lenses, packs, darkroom

gear, nor processing photographic materials. It is not about the

mechanics of photography, but rather its application. It is about

the application of large format photography in the field. In fact I

have only found one book that even touches on this subject.

<p>

Every year I head for the mountains of Colorado at tree line or

above. I expend a great deal of money and time executing these

photographic expeditions. There is food, film, shelter, clothing,

fuel, and tons of camera equipment. To get everything back into

remote places I use a llama. Hershey carries about 100 pounds

and I carry around 60 pounds for a total of 160 of gear for 5 days.

I may take 5 or 6 of these trips each season.

<p>

These expeditions are very serious efforts at practicing my art.

It has become a goal of mine to extract 1 to 6 exhibition images

per day while on each trip. This is no small feat and I often find

my self working from 3 AM to 10 PM every day. It is exhausting,

but it is also mentally exhilarating.

<p>

My to question to you is what methods, strategies, and

techniques do you employ in the field to insure success? To

increase your productivity? To generate lots of exquisite

images? Are there special films that allow you to shoots under

more varied lighting conditions? Are there classifications of

compositions you use to help identify possible images? Do you

classify light such as �holy light� or �dynamic light� to help you in

your quest to find an inspirational image? How do you stay fresh

and stave off exhaustion so that you �see� what really lies in front

of you? The questions are varied and many, but they all aim at

plucking forbidden images from the land, 1 to 6 per day. No

small feat, indeed.

I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for all the

comments, suggestions, and recommendations you have so

generously provided. You all have been very helpful.

<p>

This website has become a vital source of information for me. I

live in isolation as a large format photographer and the only

contact I have for my love of photography is here. The

information and experiences recorded on this website is

amazing and its value is immeasurable.

<p>

In my opinion this website is nothing less than a world class act.

<p>

Thanks again!

Currently I have been using a 4x5 camera and in my quest for greater clarity I have been considering moving to a larger format. The natural progression would be to go to 8x10. Unfortunately, 8x10 has a bunch of draw backs such as restricted DOF, very expensive to outfit, very expensive to operate, and very heavy.

<p>

As a compromise I am considering a 5x7. With the 5x7 I can use most of my current lenses (with less movement), and the Wisner 5x7 Pocket camera only weighs 4.5 lbs. I hope to get a 4x5 reducing back when lots of coverage is needed and have my 4x10 back standard modified so that it is interchangable with the 5x7 back for panoramics.

<p>

So here is my question. To use a 5x7 with color negative film, I plan on cutting 8x10 film to 5x7 - two sheets per 8x10 sheet. Has any body had any experience doing this? Have you had any problems with dust due to extensive handling? What other problems have you had? And last, for those who have a 5x7, can you give me any advice about your experiences with this format?

<p>

Thanks for any help.

Reflective readings do have some short comings. The first is

the refectivity of the surface you are reading. 18% is intended to

provide a good approimation of typical surfaces. Thus, I always

try to read dull refective surfaces. I never spot shiny surfaces or

glare. Colors of the same gray value will vary as much as a

stop on some meters even though they should give you the

same reading. I have found that greens and grays give similar

readings for all of my meters and thus, I restrict my readings to

greens and grays to minimize the errors that color can cause.

Incident meters are immune to most of these problems unless

you are reading colored light such as stage light. Unfortunately,

they are not really practical when shooting grand scenics. In

most cases the readings you need are far from where you and

the camera reside. However incident meters are perfect for

studio and portrait work.

<p>

Bill - I have a Sekonic 507 and found that when I calibrate it

using a densitrometer I end up using a significantly different ISO

setting. Perhaps basing their setting on a 13% reflective surface

would account for this. What this tells me is that Sekonic

believes that 13% provides a better approximation of typical real

world reflective readings. Interesting.

I have also found that when you caring heavy loads all day, your

are much less productive because shortly you become

exhausted and too weary to see straight. This is why I use a

llama. They can carry up to 90-100 lbs gear .

<p>

Be careful about drilling out your camera stock. It will increase

the exposed surface area of the wood. Without proper sealing it

could cause things to warp and then bind or bcome misaligned.