Large Format Photography and Darkroom Printing - What an Education

 

 

Falls, Buzzard Hill, Appalachian Trail, Virginia, by Reed A. George

Horseman 45FA 4x5 Camera, Wollensak Raptar 135mm f4.7 Lens

EDU 100 film, f/22, 4 sec. exposure

 

I've gone back to basics for this phase in my photography. As I mentioned, a dear friend has given me his father's darkroom, which helped to set me on this path.

 

I'm making a lot of mistakes, learning about limitations, and really enjoying the occasional success.

 

This is a scan of a print I made in the darkroom, with my own two hands. It represents so much more thought, effort, and investment in the process than a similar image I'm sure I could have made with a digital SLR. In fact, I could've made hundreds of similar images with the DSLR in a fraction of the time. And that's just the point; that's not how this image was made.

 

I understand that viewers won't necessarily care, but I do.

 

So much left to learn about this craft...

 

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Getting Out and About With the 4x5 Speed Graphic

I have a beautiful early Graflex Speed Graphic 4x5 camera. Because it's not so convenient to use, I haven't spent much time with it. I decided to change that over the three day 4th of July weekend. I made a total of ten exposures (on Arista EDU film), and found that five of them are worth sharing. That's a pretty good hit rate compared to smaller formats, where I shoot a lot more images per scene.

 

Here are my five favorites from the weekend:

 

 

I usually set the camera on a tripod, using the ground glass back to frame and focus. I did that for the last three images above. For the first two, I used the rangefinder and shot handheld. Getting the focus right is a challenge, and I missed on some other shots. But, when you get it right, it's pretty nice.

 

In the picture of the house (Thornton House at Manassas National Battlefield), I used the front rise movement of the camera to allow me to keep the camera level to avoid distortion, yet still capture the roof and chimney. Pretty cool.

 

In the shot of the lotus flowers, I threw all concern for distortion to the wind, shooting with the camera nearly on the ground, pointing up at a steep angle.

 

I'm very happy that the Speed Graphic is not my only camera, or even my main one. But, it's instructive and fun to use.

 

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Computer Upgrade Brings Up Some Old Images

 

Hands of Time, by Reed A. George

Graflex Speed Graphic 4x5

 

I'm about half-way through migrating all of my images to my new computer. As expected, the process has been difficult, mainly because I'm not much of a computer tech person. But, I've now successfully moved Windows to a fast SSD drive, installed a new hard drive, installed Lightroom and moved over my existing catalog, etc. So, much progress has been made.

 

As I move images over, I'm seeing a lot from about 8-10 years ago, when I started storing them on my computer in earnest. This one is from 2006, I believe. The watch is one of the only things I have to remember my grandfather, who died when I was a child. The hands belong to my daughter, who's just started high school.

 

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Pinhole Only?

I was reading a post on the Analog Photography User Group (APUG) forum about pinhole cameras. The poster asked the queston "How often you shoot pinholes instead of lens cameras?"

 

Personally, I answered that I use my 4x5 pinhole camera about twice a month, but enjoy it immensely. I also mentioned that I had recently ordered a 6x17 pinhole, which I can't wait to receive. I wrote about that camera in my December 12 post.

 

(Click Here) to read the post on APUG.org.

 

I was interested to find that more than one person responded that they were tempted to switch to pinhole photography exclusively. That got me thinking. Uh, no. I don't think I could do that. At least not at this point.

 

That said, I do plan to continue my work with my 4x5 pinhole camera. And, I can't wait to see what those huge 6x17 pinhole panoramas will look like! My camera should arrive around Christmas time.

 

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Evan Leavitt Does It Again

Evan makes incredible pictures with vintage tools and processes. Here's his latest, "Feeling the Passage," made with a paper negative in a 4x5 Speed Graphic:

Image Source: https://evanleavittphotography.wordpress.com/

 

I would be proud to have made this image. It's right up my alley. It reminds me of some of my recent pinhole images.

 

(Click Here) to see some of my pinhole and large format images.

 

(Click Here) to see Evan's original post.

 

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Lessons from the Forest - My Upcoming Exhibition

I spent some time yesterday printing and preparing for my upcoming photography exhibit, as part of the "Coffee and Critique Exposed: The Exhibit," to be hosted at Glen Echo Park, Maryland, from November 21, 2014 - January 5, 2015.

 

I've been working on a set of photographs related to my meditation practice. I've put together five prints for the show, printed on matte paper. I'm using Epson matte paper at the moment, but may experiment with some other papers before the exhibit hangs on November 13.

 

One thing I learned from the Magnum Days workshop with David Alan Harvey is to make short slideshows of my work, as part of the editing process. Here's one that I made and posted on youtube for this exhibit:

 

 

Lessons from the Forest, by Reed A. George

 

All five images were shot on 4x5 film. The first and final shots were made with a Graflex Speed Graphic, the others with a pinhole camera. I have a lot more to do on this project, but the goal of this series was to share something of the state of mind that I achieve in meditation, and particularly in walking meditation.

 

I hope you find it interesting!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Engineer Prints Arrived - Pretty Impressive!

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a new product from Photojojo - large, low tech monochrome prints. At 3' x 4' in size, these prints are made on lightweight (aka cheap) paper, using large printers designed for engineering drawings.

 

(Click Here) to read my previous post about Engineer prints.

 

Well, I ordered two, with very different images, to see if I like the result. Both images were shot with my 4x5 pinhole camera. Here they are:

 

Trunks, by Reed A. George

Wooden Pinhole Camera (4x5)

Arista EDU iso 400 film

 

In my opinion, this first image is almost perfect for the engineer print technology. It came out looking really great, and the quirky artifacts of the low tech printing really don't detract from the power of the image. I'm 100% pleased with how this one printed.

 

Walking Meditation, by Reed A. George

Wooden Pinhole Camera (4x5)

Arista EDU iso 100 film - 90 second exposure

 

The second image, Walking Meditation, is part of a new project I'm doing. As you can see, it's quite different from my usual work. Not a sharp element in the whole image, it's meant to be much less literal. I wanted this image to give the viewer a feeling, not an answer. The engineer print of this one is a little more difficult to judge. When I first viewed it, I was not pleased with the result, thinking I'd chosen the wrong image to print in this way.

 

Now that both of these huge prints are pinned to my wall, I'm enjoying both of them quite a lot. I'm thinking that I may make an entire exhibition of engineer prints of pinhole images. That in itself could be a fun project.

 

So, I consider this little experiment a success.

 

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My Entry for Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day 2014

April 27, 2014 was Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day.

 

(Click Here) to read about it and view all of the images. So far, there are over 1,000 images from pinhole photographers in 53 countries posted. No cost, no contests, no awards as far as I can tell, this event has one goal - to get people excited about pinhole photography. All images on the site are 1) shot with a lensless camera, and 2) shot on April 27.

 

So, of course I had to load up my own pinhole camera, a wooden box that is constructed to fit a 4x5 film holder, and participate. You can only submit one image to the page. Here's the one I selected (out of four total I took that day).

 

Network, by Reed A. George

Pinhole Camera, Arista EDU 400 Film (4x5)

2 seconds exposure

 

My pinhole camera has an equivalent f-stop of about f256-f512. Since I bought it used, I don't know the exact size, and have never taken the time to measure it directly.

 

I was out on a hike with my wife and saw this old dead tree. I put the camera at the base of the tree, looking straight up, and in two seconds exposure, I had all the light I needed. I did add some tone to the image in Lightroom before calling it done, but made no other adjustments.

 

Sometimes it's really fun to go back to the basics. In this case, that means pre-digital, pre-auto focus, pre-manual focus, pre-electronics, pre-mechanics, pre-lens optics.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Japan in the 1950s - Cool Picture of Nikon Lens Manufacturing

I saw a post on Rangefinder Forum with a link to The Atlantic Monthly's site, sharing images of Japan in the 1950s. The first image below really caught my attention. It's a Nikon factory worker, assembling rangefinder lenses. Very cool.

 

The second image is a press conference in Japan. Not a Nikon (or any other) rangefinder in sight. Instead, we see movie film cameras, and a lot fo 4x5s, mostly American, if I'm not mistaken. I'm sure I see a lot of Graflex Speed Graphics in that crowd.

 

Image Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2014/03/japan-in-the-1950s/100697/#img12

(Click Here) to see the images on The Atlantic Monthly.

 

Thanks to Rangefinder Forum member VTHokiEE for the post (Click Here) with this link.

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4X5 Photographer Visits Abandoned Kodak Building in Toronto

Mike B. of the blog "A Year On Film" has posted a nice shot of the entryway and stairs at an abandoned Kodak building in Toronto, Canada.

 

 

Image Source: http://blia-yof.blogspot.com/2014/02/returning-to-kodak.html

 

He shot this image through a classic Kodak Ektar 127mm f4.7 lens ("normal" focal length for 4x5), mounted on a Calumet camera. Ironically, he used Ilford FP4+ film instead of Kodak!

 

I love reading about other people like me who enjoy the process as much as the pictures. While I'm sure this image would look great a 4' X 5' on a wall, it's tough to see the advantage of large format film for blog posting. That said, I do see the fun associated with this slow type of photography. I bet it took ten minutes to set up this shot. I think it's very nicely done. Inspires me to get the 4x5 out again soon!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Cheap Pinhole Cameras Can Be A Lot of Fun

I like to play with pinhole photography once in a while. I have a nice 4x5 film pinhole camera that takes pretty decent images. Here's one I love:

4x5 Pinhole Image, by Reed A. George

 

However, there are many less expensive pinhole cameras, including some nice kits where you actually build you own camera out of thick paper. Here's mine, the Kikkerland, which shoots pinhole images on 35mm film:

 

 

With the smaller negative size of 35mm film (as compared to 4x5), you cannot expect the same results. The resulting images are always unsharp, but can still be pretty cool:

Unsharp Knife, by Reed A. George

Kikkerland Paper Pinhole Camera, 35mm Film

 

(Click Here) to read a nice post about another paper pinhole camera, this one a "Sharan," by

Andrea Taurisano on Rangefinder Forum. Several nice images are included.

 

So, if you find yourself obsessing about sensor size, noise reduction, or lens sharpness, grab a cheap little pinhole camera and allow yourself to enjoy a low tech image or two. Works for me!

 

There's a link to the Sharan model on Amazon below. If you feel really adventurous, you can google for DYI pinhole camera ideas.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Worldwide Pinhole Camera Day - My Results

I've been out shooting my 4x5 film pinhole camera lately.

 

(Click Here) to see some of my recent shots.

 

I recently took part in Worldwide Pinhole Day, which occurred on Sunday, April 28.

 

(Click Here) to read about Worldwide Pinhole Day, and browse the gallery of results. There are some really nicely done images there, shot in everything from coffee cans to expensive cameras like the Ilford Titan. Click the Amazon link at the bottom of the page to see the Titan. I want one, but haven't decided to spring for it yet. It's a lot of money for a lensless camera, but the design is quite cool.

 

Anyway, here are my results from shooting on Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day:

 

White Horse, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, Arista Edu 100 Film, 30 sec.

 

Dark Horse, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, Arista Edu 100 Film, 30 sec.

 

Rushing Water, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, Arista Edu 100 Film, 60 sec.

 

Still Water, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, Arista Edu 100 Film, 180 sec.

 

You are only allowed to submit one image to the Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day gallery. Here is my selection:

 

On the Water, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, Arista Edu 100 Film, 30 sec.

 

I like how the rushing water at the lower right contrasts with the sharp structure of the bridge. The canoe on the water in the background is the perfect addition to my composition.

 

I had some issues in developing the 4x5 sheet film. You can see the artifiacts of those issues in the first image, and maybe some others. However, that's part of the allure of shooting this way. It's truly low tech and messy. It's interesting to me how you can get a thought or message across, even using the most basic of tools - basically a wooden box with a tiny hole in it.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Pinhole! 4x5 Pinhole Shots From Manassas Battlefield, US Civil War

I wrote recently that the announcement of new pinhole cameras from Ilfor inspired me to get out and shoot mine.

 

(Click Here) to read about the new Ilford Pinhole camera.

 

My pinhole camera looks very much like this one (Click Here), available from Freestyle. It uses standard 4x5 film backs, which is great (the new Ilford model does not). This means that I can carry multiple shots with me easily, without the need to reload in the field in a dark bag.

 

A couple of days ago, I took my out to Manassas Battlefield, here in Northern Virginia. I took six exposures, and will share five in this post (the sixth was an alternate exposure of one of the other scenes).

 

Let's start with Thornton House, as Sudley Ford, at the north end of the battlefield. This house was in the direct approach path of Union soldiers as they crossed the river at Sudley Ford to advance on rebel troops in Manassas. It was also the site of the Union's bloody, beaten defeat, and served as a field hospital where many limbs and lives met their end. Here's a view of it today:

 

Thornton House, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, iso 100 Film

 

I found a shot of Thornton House at the time of the civil war online. (Click Here) to see how it used to look.

 

Here's a shot of an old barn that I encountered on my drive. I cropped it to get rid of ugly pure white sky.

 

Barn, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, iso 100 Film

 

The remaining shots were taken at the river crossing at Sudley Ford. This is a somber place for me. When I'm standing there, I can imagine the excitement of the tens of thousands of soldiers as they pound across the river to go fight for their country. I can also imagine their fear, shock, and pain as they retreat back across, having witnessed some of the most brutal warfare humans have ever experienced. It's quiet there now. I prefer it that way.

 

Sudley Ford #1, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, iso 100 Film

Sudley Ford #2, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, iso 100 Film

Sudley Ford #3, by Reed A. George

4x5 Pinhole Camera, iso 100 Film

 

My pinhole camera has an equivalent f-stop of about 250 (256?). That means that in bright daylight, iso 100 film should be exposed for eight seconds. I usually find that I underexpose with this camera, so I pushed it further this time. I actually did overexpose some of these images, but was able to resurrect them during scanning. The first picture, of Thornton House, was quite overexposed at one minute, but it had a wide range of tones, from the shadows in the trees to the pure bright white of the house's exterior walls.

 

I took these on April 21, 2013. It turns out, Worldwide Pinhole Day is on Sunday, April 28. So, I'll treat this as a test run, and be sure to get back out this coming Sunday!

 

(Click Here) to read about Worldwide Pinhole Day.

 

Get out there and shoot some yourself! Share some of your results with me. Maybe I'll even post one or two of yours on DMC-365!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Nadav Kander, Guest Photographer on Tim Ashley Photography, Documents the Changing Yangtze River

I like to include at least one image with every post. Since my subject for today is from a site that doesn't allow sharing of images, and for good reason (proceeds of use fees go to a non-profit organization serving challenged individuals and communities), I decided to include one of my own.

Potomac River, Modified by Man, by Reed A. George

Rolleiflex T Twin Lens Reflex

 
This shot was from one of my first semi-cohesive projects, about the C&O Canal. The project went no where, but I'm sure I learned a few things from it.
 
Anyway, my subject today is a series of photographs by Nadav Kander, posted on Tim Ashley's photography site. Nadav photographed the Yangtze River in China, from it's urban terminus in Shanghai to it's source far inland. It is a sublime series of photographs.
 
(Click Here) to see Nadav's photographs on Tim Ashley's site.
 
The Yangtze's banks, according to the text, are home to 18% of the world's population. I guess it all comes down to how far from the river you include in that calculation, but in any case, it's an amazingly large number of people. The river has succumbed to the wants and needs of man in many ways, including pollution, bridges, and dams. Mr. Kander's photographs show this, with relatively bleak colors and amazing contrasts in scale of subjects, many times with enormous structures overshadowing human figures. However, the images also show people improvising and adapting to their new world. My favorite image shows people sitting at a large round table under a giant highway overpass. It is entitled "Chongqing IV (Sunday Picnic), Chongqing Municipality."
 
Nadav shot all of the images on 4x5 film, which lends a nice uniformity to the style.
 
Even though it was not his objective at the outset, Nadav has produced an important visual narrative on the state of our world, yet without bitterness or despair. In fact, I find the people interacting with the new river encouraging, even though it's true that whole villages of peoples' homes have been lost to the "progress."
 
I need to re-commit myself to photo projects.
 
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