brian_staples

<p>Sorry I spelled it wrong. it's KOPIL. Search for that and "self-timer" on the Bay and you'll find some from $10 to about $50.<br>

Brian</p>

<p>I have a couple of Kopal self-timers. Got them on the Bay for about $10 each. They have a maximum 15-second delay.<br>

Brian</p>

<p>Lots of talk about whether the photographer has the right or not, whether he should have helped or not, whether people's suffering should be documented or not...these questions have been answered ad infinitum.<br>

Per the description, Joesph had a right to photograph the incident, personally or professionally. He was in a public place. He was stopped by "private" security (volunteers). He attempted to assert his rights (maybe not strongly enough), but failed. His ultimate goal was to sell the images to local news for editorial use. He was exercising his rights; the volunteers were denying him those rights. He lost income because of the volunteers actions. If I were him, I would take the case to court, and sue for lost income and possible damages. If the volunteers had tried to physically stop me or take my equipment, I would have had them arrested. If this happened enough, then incidents like this would wane.<br>

My dos centavos...<br>

Brian</p>

<p>I will be going to that same area in about two week, and I will be travelling with the wife and kids. They are not patient enough to wait for me as I shoot 4x5, but it won't stop me from taking it. I'd rather have it with me and not use it, then to want it for that once in a lifetime shot and not have it. Besides, the whole kit, except for the tripod, fits in a daypack.<br>

My dos centavos...<br>

Brian</p>

<p>How about "Faded Photograph" that sappy arse teeny bopper song,<br>

or,<br>

"Pictures of Lily", by The Who.</p>

<p>Does the SB 800 have a standard PC flash sync socket? If so, then you should just be able to connect a sync cord (about $10 at a camera store) between the shutter and the flash. But I thought the SBs have a Nikon propriety connector, which is round with 3-4 small connector pins in it. If that's the case, the you'll need to get the Nikon specific sync cord, which will cost you a few more dollars than a regular cord.<br>

BVS</p>

<p>My suggestion...without wanting to start a PC vs MAC war, is for you to get a Mac. I use both PCs and Macs, and there's a reason Macs are preferred by artists...<br>

Brian</p>

<p>A lot are already covered so far. Keeping the shutter open while pulling the dark slide is a big one. So other things to remember I've found is that depth of field can sometimes stand in for shifts and tilts (ask the digital shooters you know how many pictures they make at f/45 or f/64). That shifts and tilts are very small movements, not these contorted exaggerated swings you see in the ads. Getting used to composing upside down (of course now it disconcerting to use a 35mm and see the image right side up!). Zooming in and out by lifting 20 lbs. of camera equipment and walking it forward of backward. Resetting your camera to zero after making adjustments. Seeing a picture in your mind and thinking you'll just set up the camera and snap up the photo. Or spending three hours setting up the shot only to step back and say "this ain't gonna work." Spending the day in the field and coming home with zero exposures. Or spending half a day in the field and coming home with 20 hours worth of processing work (actually not a bad thing). Realizing anything you did in 35mm has little bearing on what you're doing now.</p>

<p>Like anything, practice makes perfect. I rarely make the mistakes I made when I first started all those years ago. An when I think of photography, I almost always think in terms of LF. It's a maddening passion, and once you have a couple of handfuls of sheets shot, you'll wonder why ever did anything else.</p>

<p>BVS</p>

<p>For telescope optics (much more sensitive than camera optics), we make a mixture of 1 pint of pure distilled water, one pint of 91% isopropyl alcohol, and one or two drops of a pure, scent free detergent (Ivory Unscented is one). This makes enough for twenty people for twenty lifetimes, but you need a quart of liquid because the detergent needs to be a very samll portion of the mixture.</p>

<p>Apply the mixture to either a lint free cloth, or if you can find it, surgical cotton. DO NOT apply the mixture to the lens. Wipe the lens from the center on out with the wetted cloth, and follow up with a dry cloth to remove excess moisture.</p>

<p>Brian</p>

<p >Justin:</p>

<p >You will need a mounting flange for the Copal 1 shutter, and a flange wrench helps (though not necessary). You can get a flange from S.K. Grimes (skgrimes dot com) for about 20 bucks. You'll also need a cable release; and a lens hood of some sort is always nice, though not necessary.</p>

<p >Brian</p>

<p>Hmmm...so you want to photograph in the extremest of circumstances, not spend any money (I fully understand--those Home Depot lights cost me $10/set; I can't afford <em>real </em> photographic lights), don't have pack mules/small assistants, and still achieve precision results? I love these kinds of challenges!</p>

<p>Have you though about using your car's head-lights to illuminate the scene while you focus and adjust?</p>

<p>You can also grind your own GG for real cheap--either by using grits or by using something called AcidEtch, which you can get at any Michael's craft store. There's a fair amount of resources on the web for grinding your own glass.</p>

<p>Don't get discouraged, you'll find the way that works for you best. Also, head on over to www dot largeformatphotography dot info, join the forums, which are free, and ask your questions there. You'll probably have more answers than you need!</p>

<p>Brian</p>

<p>Jody:<br>

<br />For landscapes you can set your focus during daylight hours and then shoot at night. But it looks like you're shooting more intimate shots. A couple of "tricks" I've used to make images like your graveyard shot are 1) set up during daylight hours when you can focus and set your movements, then wait until night to make your exposures. I realize this way you only get one or two sheets per night, but if the image is important enough, maybe one is sufficient. Or 2) I have two sets of dual halogen worklights I got at Home Depot, so I have four 500 watt lamps. I also have a portable AC power supply about the size of a portable stereo (like a "boom-box") to power the lamps remotely. I flood the areas I use for focus and tilts/shifts, set the camera, then shut the lights down and image. This allows more shots than one each night, but it does require a mule to haul it around (or in my case a pickup truck and an assistant if I can convince one of my kids to help out).<br>

You should also check out Beattie Intensiscreens--pricey, but you gain a couple of stops worth of light in the GG holder.<br>

Hope this gets the creative juices flowing...<br>

Brian</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I usually do most of my own processing, but sometimes I drop the film off at a lab (when I'm not up to dealing with E6). When I do, I keep them in their holders, and my film shop tags the sheets to correspond to the film holder number. That way, any pertinent data recorded against a holder number is preserved and transferred to the negative envelope.<br>

You could also ask your film processor if they have spare boxes. I'll bet they'll have some around. And, as another poster commented, before you know it, you'll be up to your ears in empties!</p>

<p>Yes, this is the camera. I have the metal frame but no screws (screws are easy to get). Does the bellow glue to the frame, or does the frame glue inside the first bellow pleat and then screw into the frame?</p>

<p>Reattaching the bellows will be an adventure for me, but once it's complete I'm looking forward to running some film through it.</p>

<p>Thanks for your help, Michael.</p>

<p>Brian</p>

<p>Greetings:</p>

<p>I have a <strong>Toyo Field 4¾ x 6½</strong> metal field camera that I bought a while back. It was disassembled but essentially complete. I've cleaned the camera up, reassembled it and it's in wonderful shape. I've been stopped, however, by how the bellows attach to the camera. I've talked with a local repair shop, and even with Toyo, and apparently this camera is just old enough to not have complete information on it anywhere.<br>

I understand there was, at one time, a schematic for this camera. Does anyone have a set that could be reproduced for me? I would of course compensate you for the schematics. Also, if anyone has knowledge of exactly how the bellows attach to the front and rear standards, I'd appreciate the guidance.<br>

Thanks in advance.<br>

Brian</p>

<p>Ben:<br>

My plastic slide measures .032" in thickness. I also have a metal slide, and it measures .031". I don't know why there is a variation. If I were you, I would get a small lump of clay, and push it into the groove where the dark slide goes, and then carefully measure it's thickness with a micrometer (or other thickness gauge). I would probably take off a few thousandths of an inch just for a little clearance.<br>

Brian</p>

<p >Hi: </p>

<p >I’m not sure of the material you need, but I wanted to have a specialty dark slide made for an 8x10 holder. I live in San Diego and there is a company here called Ridout Plastics (www.ridoutplastics.com). They deal with people from all over, so if you contact them that can probably fabricate a dark slide for you. All I needed to do was give them dimensions (length x width x thickness) along with rounded corner data, and specified a 0% opaque black plastic, and they cut one up for me. For mine, which was a half dark slide to shoot two 4x10 images on my 8x10 film, it ended up costing me about $12.00.</p>

<p >Hope this helps.</p>

<p >Brian</p>

<p>All I can tell you is try it, because I know once you see that 4x5 neg or transparency, you <em>will </em> be hooked. I do all my own B&W processing, loading daylight tanks in my bathroom and then processing in my kitchen or garage. I then scan my negs where, like Michael Axel said, I can do dodging/burning/spot retouches to my heart's content, and then output using quad inks. I also shoot 4x5 and 8x10 Provia and send it out for processing, about $2.25/sheet and $9.00/sheet respectively. Once you see your image on the film, you'll ever wonder why you shot anything else.</p>

<p>Brian</p>

<p>Hello:<br>

I recently acquired one of the beauties that was in need of cleaning and assembly, and bellows attachment. I got the whole thing together and have just the bellows left to attach to the body. I need some reference as to how and where to go about attaching the bellows. It appears the front of the bellows glue(?) to a frame that then screws into the back of the front standard, and then the back of the bellows glues(?) to the inside of the rear standard housing. Is this correct? Or are the bellow attached in adifferent manner? Any help I could get would be greatly appreciated.<br>

Thanks in advance. <br>

Brian</p>