c._w._dean

I am not a "well-known" photographer except to my local clients but I have practiced professional photography full-time for most of 32 years. I use all popular formats and all of my work is produced for ultimate sale. In the past, I have responded to posts if I felt I had some specific experience to contribute. I rarely post today because of some unpleasant experiences I have had mostly involving discourteous, disrespectful, and insulting responses to my posts. I realize that in 2003 public civility is at a premium and although I think I have pretty thick skin, I resent being insulted after taking the time to freely contribute my experience rather than opinion or theory. I have to admire Michael Smith for continuing to contribute despite the contentious comments.

According to the 1919 Wollensak catalog, the Series V, Anastigmat is a budget lens offering anastigmat sharpness "at a price that is within the reach of all." It was not offered in a Betax shutter but the catalog offers to mount the lens in the owners' shutters at nominal cost. The 13" cost $35.00 in barrel and is listed for the 8x10 format. It was about 1/3 less expensive than the Velostigmat series lenses which were generally faster and some of which were convertable. It may have been a plain vanilla production lens for a number of hand held cameras including Ansco, Seneca, Kodak, Ensign and others. It came in 7 focal lengths from 3.5" to 13". That's about all they say.......

"Does he say anything about different film? I.e., do those numbers work for TX, HP5 or whatever?"

 

He is not that specific, it's a short piece that more or less says, "Try this for a pyro stained image." It works for me with TX, HP5, & Bergger 200.

I have made very nice scans from Tri-X, PMK, negatives. Here is the abbreviated workflow focusing on the details in question and excluding most everything else. Scan RGB 16 bit, import to Photoshop converting tiff file to PSD file still in RGB. Open Channel Mixer and load a saved Channel Mixer setting courtesy of Dan Burkholder from his book on Digital Printing (Google search Dan Burkholder for his website). The Channel Mixer settings were customized by Dan especially for Pyro stained negatives and the results please me more than any method I have tried.

Settings in Channel Mixer Dialog:

Check Monochrome Box which makes the Output Channel Box say Gray.

Set Red slider to +115, Set Green Slider to +23, Set Blue slider to -31, set Constant slider to 0. Save and name setting for future use.

I have rarely had to tweak this setting.

Apply Levels and/or Curves as desired in 16 bit before converting to 8 bit RGB and final conversion to Greyscale.

Burkholder has already done the homework!!!

I have exhibited at these events more or less for 20 some years and I'll agree with all that Ted Harris has posted. The impact of the subject matter is the main attraction regardless of print size or technique. Framed and matted prints, ready to hang, sell best; again regardless of size. Planning the transportation and protection of a lot of these prints is crucial. Many events are out of doors so be prepared for rain. Wind is a worry as well (30x40's think they are kites on a windy day:). Show space is usually tight at the good exhibits so I am not sure how many 30x40's one could expect to display, but there is an old adage that says, "You have to show 'em to sell 'em!"

 

Many buyers are thinking of gifts, so events in the Fall stimulate Christmas purchases. Subjects of local or regional interest work best at shows that attract tourists, I have never sold scenes of the Canadian Rockies in Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, or North Carolina. 99% of these events are on weekends and it takes much of the preceeding week to prepare, especially if you have sold well at the last outing. It is virtually impossible to predict success from show to show or from year to year. Some are complete failures while others are more rewarding. Practice sales and people skills. Whatever the situation, you have the opportunity to show your work to many people in a short time and you will be practicing free enterprise in its oldest form, the public marketplace.

I believe the original poster wanted to expose with or by moonlight, not expose the moon itself. Nevertheless, here are some thoughts for those wanting good images of the moon inself. I have used 1/ISO between f8 - f11 with good results based on relatively clear sky. . (The astronauts have described the surface of the moon as resembling an asphalt parking lot.) It is difficult to depend on meters for correct settings.

 

The rising full moon appears huge as it clears the horizon which is mostly an optical illusion, many are disappointed that the film image is not as huge as remembered but, nevertheless, use the longest focal length that you have.

 

The moon travels about 15 degrees per hour, actually we are moving with it as well so it's not just the moon that's moving. The moon moves it's own diameter about every two minutes. Shutter speeds much slower than 1/10 of a second may start to blur and lose detail. Multi-second time exposures blur all detail and if they are quite long you will get an elongated trail.

 

The full moon usually rises within a few minutes of sunset and this varies throughout the year. Usually, the best photo opportunities for the full moon are the evening before the "official" full moon as it rises earlier while there is still some ambient daylight for the landscape and the moon is 99% or so full. That is tonight, 1/17/03 in the Northern Hemisphere.

 

Following two links courtesy of the U.S. Naval Observatory help you compute moonrise data for your location. Azimuth bearings are especially helpful, and these vary month to month. I believe their azimuth bearings are based on True North and rise times are based on sea level so if there is a mountain between you and the moon, it will take longer to appear.

 

http://riemann.usno.navy.mil/AA/data/docs/RS_OneDay.html

 

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/AA/data/docs/WebMICA_2.html

The pin can be installed in a simple, practical way but the explanation is a little lengthy. Anyone interested may email me offline and I'll try to help.

On the used ones, look out for flash sync that no longer works. Sometimes this can be repaired by the user but future reliability may be uncertain. Also, many are offered "new in box" when actually they are "new old stock". Before the present manufacturer, Hub Photo in New Jersey, acquired the company, the quality control was weak as were many of the shutters. I have no connection with the company but I always recommend purchasing a new shutter made by Hub Photo to insure reliability. When you spread the cost over the dozens of years that you will use the unit, they are very economical. Ask the seller if it's made by Hub Photo, avoid Michigan Shutter Co. The Hub Photo versions have a microswitch in the flash sync circuit which is much better than the earlier engineering.

 

An earlier poster mentioned something about rotating the Packard. Since gravity plays a part in the shutter working correctly, it should always be mounted with the piston(s) perpendicular to the ground.

 

A clean and dry Packard works best so avoid impulses to lubricate one with anything other than a very light dose of powdered graphite.

It has been done successfully by myself and others. I wouldn't worry about vibration especially at the faster speeds. If this link works, I have enclosed a photo of the 4x5" version that I made and a photo made with the outfit--it's fun and nothing else works better. You may notice in the photo that I have added a second tripod to the rear of the camera (actually the socket in the old Speed Graphic box) but it probably isn't necessary. This one uses 4x5" film, but I have made another as well with a 2 1/4 x 3 1/4" back that is adapted for roll film and it works fine as well. Notice that if you set it back a little distance, you effectively give yourself some more bellows draw for long long lenses. If the focal plane shutter is sluggish, a little silicone spray on the ends of the roller spools works wonders.

 

http://users.erols.com/cwdean/sender.jpg

 

C. W. Dean

The spectacles with the bifocals on top (as well as on the bottom) are popular with tradesmen like plumbers and electricians who must look up in tight places using the close focusing lenses. My optician calls them occupational lenses. Ask your optician about them and if they haven't done them before, find another optician who has. I have used them for many years and have even had the prescribing doctor to fine tune the top lenses for view camera convenience....still use the loupe as others have mentioned for critical focusing.

Mr. Grimes site is about as good as you will find for a quick,

detailed, and easy to understand lesson on the Packards. Mounting the

Packard in front of the lens is sometimes the only way to use them

these days because of the smaller lens boards on newer cameras. It's

a little more vulnerable to damage out front than when safely sealed

within the camera. Either way they provide a very natural working

sequence as the photographer mostly can stay behind the camera from

composition through exposure. Portrait photographers with large

studio view cameras were the big users through the mid 20th century.

 

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If you decide to open one for cleaning, remember the advice of the

present Packard manufacturer--no fluids or oils, the Packard works at

its best clean and dry. A little Graphite is fine if you use it like

a cook uses garlic--too much is worse than too little.

 

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New users tend to have trouble if they do not get the correct bulb and

tubing and do not learn the idiosyncrasies of the pin mentioned by

Leonard Robertson above.

It's a shame that the most fragile (and usually broken or missing)

piece on the Elwood contributes so much to it's successful operation.

Opalized glass may work fine for others but I dislike the long

exposures. The factory center filter is more or less ground glass

which blocks the center hot spot and graduates gently out to the

edges. Although my Elwood still has the original factory glass in

tact, I have seen successful home-made efforts using grinding paste on

clear glass.

The combination of tungsten lamp house and the center filter gives a

diffusion that I find every bit as pleasing as any cold light that I

have ever used. About 5 years ago, I installed the clunky Elwood as

my primary enlarger and have never felt the need to return to cold

light. The prints on VC paper respond especially well to the tungsten

diffused light source and I don't think I have ever made better

prints. 95% of my prints are sold to customers--so much for the latest

in high tech gear!!

Silver based photography is a durable creature but it has had a

turbulent history. Tintypes were still widely used 40 or 50 years

after good paper products were available. Pyro came and went and

came back strong. I attended a seminar in the 1970's where Karsch

lamented the rapid decline of good black & white products. They are

declining again but I always seem to be able to replace a lost product

with something as good or better.

 

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Until the Xerox machine, almost every business and government office

had a copy shop which produced photo copies of records on silver based

material. My first driver's license (1959) was duplicated on silver

based paper. The Xerox technology and the rapid rise of the type C

direct color print in the 1970's hammered the black & white market so

that such giants as Dupont, GAF (Ansco) and others abruptly

discontinued their black and white products. Eastman has been slower

to leave the field but their recent actions have been pretty speedy.

 

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On the upside, almost every new Photoshop worker eventually gets the

bug to learn and try the older processes, in other words to become

photographers instead of image handlers. I believe that nitch market

manufacturers will expand for years to come and we will have access to

some fine black & white materials--Bergger is making some exceptional

film and paper and can't seem to keep up with the demand. Many

retiring baby boomers intend to build elaborate black & white

darkrooms in their dream homes and these are the consumers who have

been driving the markets for many decades. Now is a great time to

be building a black & white facility, great bargains are out there on

discarded darkroom gear that is far from obsolete.

 

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Wearing powder free latex exam gloves during the film cutting surgery

protects the film from finger prints and smudges. I try to keep the

work area clean and do the cutting on a humid day for dust

suppression. Cool dry air full of static is trouble. A cheap

Friskars roller cutter works fine after you work out the measurements

and do a little practice.

Lighting and posing for portraits are elaborate, distinct, and

complicated skills within the craft of photography.

I have attended long workshops on lighting and posing where the

photographic process is rarely mentioned. Outdoor portraits that

don't look like anyone's snaps are especially difficult because you

have less control of the lighting than in the studio. Lighting and

posing techniques are best learned from skilled instructors who will

show you how they blend with one another to make a portrait with

impact. The Professional Photographers of America used to offer

regular workshops in portraiture around the county and I believe

Shutterbug has monthly listings for workshops. Monte Zucker, a

regular writer for Shutterbug, is about as good as they come if he

still gives instruction.

Richard brings up a good point about softening the zits and other

imperfections. A lot of the promotional literature for the old (and

new) soft focus lenses emphasizes the reduction of retouching--a

costly expense for every portrait studio. Portrait customers have

always expected the photographer to remove real or perceived flaws in

their portraits. I believe studio portrait photographers cared more

about this feature than making distinctive artistic images.

For family portraits, shallow depth of field will give you more

headaches than an especially sharp lens. I've used the 203 Ektar for

family groups but only outdoors where there is plenty of room to back

up. Indoors, depending on the size of the group, you may be happier

with a shorter lens where floor space is tight. Clients never

complain about a family portrait being too sharp as long as it is well

composed, nicely lighted, and everyone has a pleasant expression.

The speed with which one achieves proficiency in digital imaging (some

call it the "learning curve") will vary widely among individuals.

Photoshop and the associated hardware are loaded with idiosyncrasies,

subtle difficulties, and extremely complicated features. If you buy

the wrong printer, scanner, or monitor the troubles can be endless.

I believe very experienced photographers find it easier to make the

transition especially if they first seek good advice and training.

They bring into the new craft the discipline of the old craft and have

a better chance of producing exceptional work. I'm seeing many so

so photographers rushing into digital imaging where they become so so

digital technicians producing so so results.

On a recent international flight, film was fogged that went through

the carry-on scanning machine despite written and verbal assurances

that it was safe. It was not important film but it won't happen

again.......

I came kicking and screaming into digital photography as an old pro

who looked upon it as another "computer game" but tonight I'm eating

crow while I am making MIS Quadtone inkjet prints to be sold tomorrow.

I've seen the Cone prints and made my own MIS prints and I now believe

that the difference is not great enough to justify the substantial

price gap. I believe that the price will come down and the

selections of ink and paper will rapidly multiply, don't be surprised

if Epson doesn't see the market and introduce their own Quads and

dedicated B&W printers. I'm using Epson's 1160 printer (out of

production but still available), MIS Quadtones with their refillable

cartridges, and a variety of papers mostly available from MIS. Final

observation, getting up to speed in PHOTOSHOP took me quite a while

especially black & white image acquisition and manipulation. There

are plenty of pitfalls and idiosyncrasies just within PHOTOSHOP.

 

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Best regards,

C. W. Dean

Practicing Professional Photography since 1972

Photography Samples: http://www.erols.com/cwdean/home.htm

I have several old Burke & James catalogs in which they stated their

date of origin as 1897 and described themselves as manufacturers and

representatives to the trade. They closed in the early 1970's. For

many decades, they offered an elaborate selection of photography

equipment focusing on studio, commercial, and laboratory gear. The

catalogs show manufacturing facilities as well as technicians working

on lenses and states, "Burke & James manufactures the famous B&J

product lines--view cameras, specialty cameras, printers, enlargers,

dryers and other photographic equipment. Complete facilities are

maintained for metal and wood working as well as an optical shop for

polishing, re-cementing, oxidation removal, coating, respacing and

auto-collimating."

 

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They had a huge inventory of lenses of all types called their "Lens

bank". I doubt if there was a bigger or better outlet. I purchased

several custom view camera backs from them in the 1960's which I

believe were manufactured in house.

The Verito image gets sharper as it is stopped down and after F-11

it's pretty sharp. I believe that the wide open image at f-4 may be

too soft for many photographers' tastes (it's pretty mushy). My

personal perference is around f-6. I would cut the Waterhouse stops

out of thin black material like construction paper and place them

inside by unscrewing the front element and putting them in

roughly the position of the missing iris diaphram--this is quicker and

easier than trying to fabricate them to fit the slot (I would also

tape over the slot to keep unwanted light out of the barrel). For the

opening you can use the formula: Diameter = focal length over f-stop.

With the Verito, it doesn't have to be high precision or perfect.

When you find the stop that makes the image you like, leave it in

place and adjust the lighting for that stop. Neutral density filters

(if necessary at all) can be put in front or behind the lens. Lighting

with the Verito is another craft all by itself--I like umbrellas or

diffused north skylight. A deep lens shade (also from black craft

paper) is a good idea. Good luck.......

Temporary quickie lens boards can be made from almost any rigid flat

material like cardboard, matt board, foam board, etc. Glue multiple

sheets together to get the right thickness. Cut the opening with

utility knife, coping saw, or power equipment. You can paint the back

black or use black masking tape. Here is a link to some notes on

attaching lenses without retainers or flanges:

 

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<a href="http://users.erols.com/cwdean/Boards.htm"></a>

Wayne, there's a pretty good chance someone has worked on the lens and

secured the ring so it won't move--probably a commercial photographer

who didn't want it accidently slipping into the diffused mode. A lens

technician like the venerable S.K.Grimes may be able to return it to

it's original state.

I agree with Chad, this lens has a most pleasing image even at the

zero setting and I use it often in my professional portrait business.

I use the 12" with 4x5 and 5x7 and mostly don't use the diffusion dial

above #2. Portraitists and pictorialists had different reasons for

wanting a soft-focus image. The pictorialists wanted their

photographs to resemble wall art where the portraitists had a more

economic agenda--to diminish retouching. I have scanned a page from

Wollensak's 1916 catalog describing this lens and it's use and I'll

leave it on the server for a couple of weeks at:

 

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http://users.erols.com/cwdean/velo.jpg

 

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(Maybe someone can tell me how to code the above to make it a hot

link?)

 

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Let me know if it doesn't work...........and good luck!!!!