fred_de_van3

Your comments about your Gossen are consistant with my past experiance

and the questions from many friends. These meters IMHO have for a long

time been designed by conceptially limited technologists. They may

give accurate information but the nature of it is very unphotographic.

They instill a layer of complexity and annoying information which

needs to be interpolated. Drives me nuts. I long ago standardized on

Minolta meters. Totally photographic in the info the deliver, and if

interpolation is needed it is done from a midrange value that can be

depended on. I have tested Minolta meters that differ by 15 years in

manufactuer but deviate less than .25 stop in readout. I have

standardized on matched flashmeter III's. Take a look at the Minolta

line, they may simplify your life a lot.

I don't know where you live but the primary suspect would be the

battery(s) in you meter, or the effect of cold weather on them. Or a

shutter running slow when cold.

I have been a Balcar user ever since Dick Bali and Fred Thomas started

building them 35 years ago. I have used lots of others too. All WS are

not the same. There is a BIG difference in light output. I sincerly

doubt that you need 4800 WS of Balcar output for LF portraits. The

heads alone are a major factor, then the electrical design. On

one surprise situation, I lit the atrium of the Wash. DC Marriot with

Bill Marriot in it, when on assignment for Forbes, with a 600 WS

Balcar Rapid 600, using asa 50 Chrome film. It would have taken 2400WS

of another makers power to do the same photograph. I can assure you

that 3 Balcar 1200 WS packs will not trip a household breaker in fast

mode. They make a lot of usable light and in LF portrature, the slow

charge mode is faster than most others running full out. Balcar is a

good choice. So is Comet and most of the big bucks Euro systems. They

are worth the price.

<p>

Fred

There are current production, light weight (under 3 Lbs.), modern,

fast, flexable, modular, Hand Held LF cameras available, designed for

just this kind of use with an eye to treckers and hikers. They are

available 4x5, 6x12, 8x10 and are fully configurable. They are the

GranView series of cameras. Best attribute, they are inexpensive. Take

a look at http://www.granview.com

<p>

Fred

In between San Diego and Tucson, there is Sweet Light Lab in Palm

Springs. They exist for large format and I think they have a nice

Hostert E-6 machine. It is a favorite of the big format car shooters

from Detroit and the fashion guys from Europe. You may have some luck

with Cactus flowers down around the Salton Sea and Joshua Tree. You

could call Living Desert (museum) in Palm Desert and find out whats

blooming and where. Also you could call Mark at Granview Camera,

(builders of large format cameras), the number is on the Granview

site. He is 70 miles east of San Diego. He is sure to know.

He will not mind. http://www.granview.com

<p>

Fred

Gabriel,

<p>

Harold certainly is your uncle, and you did not miss the ferricynide

class. Harold and I are old buddies from NY and Philly.

<p>

That kind of light is very simple and can be done a number of ways.

God forbid that Harold would employ a complex means, anyway. As I

quickly said. Paul's cone is the way I would accomplish it. Ellis'

Balcar box will do it to. That is what I used when I had one. Great

device. Quick and easy to use. The flower is closer to the camera and

the light source than the flower is to the background. I used a 4x6 ft

piece of hurculite (super strong, super dense glass) for things like

this, and the background is not within the cone of light. One light

will do it two at most. The front illumination is just a tad brighter

than the reflected light and can easily be done from one source and a

paper cone. The trick is figuring the depth of the cone. That has to

be just right.

<p>

I once designed a greenhouse for growing plants on the same principal.

It had a tuned (to sun angles) open south side and a big, curved,

reflective north side and top, with a light grey floor. Think of how

confused the owners of a standard clear greenhouse were when they saw

the light inside. It was very similar to the light Harold used.

I do not know if he is still around, but the best B&W lab I ever found

in the west was Isgo Lapagian, I think he was in Receda, San Fernando

Valley, LA area.

<p>

Fred

Peter,

<p>

No need to look, it will confirm your suspicions. All you will do is

refine your guess to possible specifics.

<p>

Fred

Hi Paul,

<p>

When Harold and I taught that class at the Annenberg School (Uof P) we

used to race each other to get there, since we had Candice Bergen and

Mary Ellem Mark both in attendance we both told all, but somehow you

missed that class. I have not seen the book but have seen some of the

prints and noticed the great job he did. I think I know the answer,

but I'm not tellin'. Here is a hint: Think, lighting jewelry and the

law of inverse squares. I have been trying to get hold of Harold since

I found out last month that we share the same book publisher. My

editor said she will pass him my number. I will ask him when I speak

to him.

<p>

Fred

What the Kodak rep was saying was that in his "shortsighted opinion"

Digital ia a mature technology, which the brighter minds even at Kodak

are clearly aware, it is not. That rep will be gone and everything he

is selling you today will obsolite well before there is really any

threat of the FUD (Fear Uncertainty and Doubt) he is spreading

becoming true. To stock up now would only dislocate the market. If you

had been in the meetings I had in the early 90's I was in with Kodak,

you would be rolling on the floor at the very suggestion that Kodak

even knows what time it will be at noon tomorrow.

<p>

What they do know is that Digital in its current form will be obsolite

and most of what they are now selling along with it. This includes

even the file formats and storage systems. Those who commit now will

line up behind those who invested heavily in the Disc Camera, APS and

PhotoCD. They all got badly burned. Kodak has a long history of

betting on the wrong horse, and taking those who listened with them.

<p>

The change began last Thursday when the FCC quietly approved something

called UltraBroadBand. UBB will transform everything in Digital

hardware and sets the market for digital services which is much bigger

and infinately more lucritive than the market for digital hardware.

Three weeks ago Kodak spun off their digital services unit into a

seperate free standing company because they knew the change resulting

from UBB will become a major one. The changeover will bolster film not

weaken it, and the current digital workforce has to be concerned about

their own long term veracity and ultimately, survivial. They are

pushing a digital equal to APS, and some even know that. In 18-24

months it may be all over for todays digital systems. What will take

their place is THAT impressive, but film will survive very well, thank

you. (But with little thanks to Kodak)

Gee... I had forgotten all about Charlie.... He was one of the 777

afflicted too. What a great guy, magnificent wit and fine

photographer. Yes, he was Magnum.

<p>

Fred