More Fun with Large Format Film Images!

[Francois_A]

An image that I've been working on this afternoon, which is going to be part of a series. Still a work in progress. Sinar F2 , 210mm

[Francois_A]

Another version after much PS curve twisting, dodging, burning and masking!
Still, not quite as good as what I could print in the wet darkroom.

[Jeremy]

8x10 with 360mm f/6.3 Fujinon. Wide open for 3 seconds.

Francois,its a beautiful image,as is yours Jeremy,3seconds of life,so interesting.Im being slowly pulled into the large format thinking;like the idea of 10x8 but that standard lens must be a monster.Havent used such a camera for about twenty years,such a nice way of working..............all the best Neil.

[Francois_A]

Thanks Neil!
I am thinking about the 8x10 too! There is always the 5x7 size as an intermediate step to the bigger format.

[Lars Vinberg]

Originally Posted by Francois_A

Thanks Neil!
I am thinking about the 8x10 too! There is always the 5x7 size as an intermediate step to the bigger format.

Actually 5x7 is not a bad idea. Equipment is portable in a whole different way than 8x10. You might have to cut the film yourself from 8x10 but it isn't that much of a hassle. Development equipment like tanks and enlargers (if you want to go that way) are smaller, and scanner options are vast compared to 8x10.

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by nei1

,as is yours Jeremy,3seconds of life,so interesting.Im being slowly pulled into the large format thinking;like the idea of 10x8 but that standard lens must be a monster.Havent used such a camera for about twenty years,such a nice way of working..............all the best Neil.

Thanks for the compliment. The 360mm lens I'm using is big in comparison to lenses most are used to, but it feels downright puny compared to some of the big brass lenses I have (think 6.5" flange just to mount the lens to a board).

[Lars Vinberg]

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Thanks for the compliment. The 360mm lens I'm using is big in comparison to lenses most are used to, but it feels downright puny compared to some of the big brass lenses I have (think 6.5" flange just to mount the lens to a board).

Speaking of monsters, I have an Apo-Nikkor 610 f/9 repro lens in barrel. I never got to use it - it's just too unwieldly at about 5-6 pounds. It's huge and has moderately wide coverage, should cover 11x14 with movements. At this time it's a great conversation starter.

Here it is next to my Sigma 50/1.4, which in itself is a huge lens for an SLR normal.

[Jeremy]

That's one dense piece of glass! Here's a quick snap of some of the larger lenses I play with along with a few other items for scale.

L -> R
135mm f/5.6 Schneider Symmar-S
360mm f/6.3 Fujinon (this is the lens used for the above portrait)
Rolleiflex for scale
18" f/4 Verito
16" f/4 Dallmeyer 3A

[stephengilbert]

Jeremy,

The 16" Dallmeyer should be next to a refrigerator for scale. What does it weigh?

Steve

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by stephengilbert

The 16" Dallmeyer should be next to a refrigerator for scale. What does it weigh?

Stephen,

The 16" Dallmeyer uses waterhouse stops instead of an adjustable iris for stopping down so it just consists of 2 cemented elements at the front and 2 at the rear of the lens. For the size, it's quite light. The 18" Verito next to it does have a built-in adjustable iris and weighs more, but doesn't weigh as much as the Dallmeyer 6D I have with built-in adjustable iris. That sucker, the 6D, is over 5 pounds.

[JimCollum]

Fort Ord

this one with Betterlight and no IR block filter





compared to the 8x10 color provia image




(shot on different days...)

[JimCollum]

some more with the betterlight and Fort Ord

[Francois_A]

Hi Jim,

I particularly like the second image with the tires marks on the foreground.

How would you rate the dynamic range of the scanning back compared to digital backs (they all claim to be 12 stops)?

Thanks,
Francois

[JimCollum]

Originally Posted by Francois_A

Hi Jim,

I particularly like the second image with the tires marks on the foreground.

How would you rate the dynamic range of the scanning back compared to digital backs (they all claim to be 12 stops)?

Thanks,
Francois

i think its about time i give that a test. my gut says the Betterlight has a greater range


another one from the Betterlight

Rodenstock 65mm lens w Ebony view. F8 if i recall

[JimCollum]

Some Betterlight pano's

all of the original files are 6,000 pixels in height

[Lars Vinberg]

Originally Posted by JimCollum

Some Betterlight pano's
all of the original files are 6,000 pixels in height

Showoff.

[JimCollum]

Originally Posted by JimCollum

i think its about time i give that a test. my gut says the Betterlight has a greater range


another one from the Betterlight

Rodenstock 65mm lens w Ebony view. F8 if i recall

100% crop

[viablex1]

like the albert khan shot!!

[JimCollum]

Originally Posted by Lars Vinberg

Showoff.

[JimCollum]

Betterlight and an old Verito 8 3/4" f4 (shot wide open)




100% crop (the door is the plane of focus)

[JimCollum]

4x5, Betterlight, Cooke portrait lens

[robmac]

Poor turtle ;> have to love the detail and tonality of LF.

[Diane B]

Originally Posted by JimCollum

Betterlight and an old Verito 8 3/4" f4 (shot wide open)




100% crop (the door is the plane of focus)

I saw this image and something clicked. Is it the same subject that Jack used in his essay for Outback photo for tilt/shift technique??

http://www.outbackphoto.com/workflow/wf_42/essay.html

Just trivia, but strange that i would have remembered this so well LOL.

Diane

[scho]

Maple, Fern, & Myrtle. Tachihara 4x5, Rodenstock APO Sironar-S 135mm f/5.6, Polaroid Type 55 negative. Down to my last box of type 55.

Zoomify Image

[Jack]

Originally Posted by Diane B

I saw this image and something clicked. Is it the same subject that Jack used in his essay for Outback photo for tilt/shift technique??

http://www.outbackphoto.com/workflow/wf_42/essay.html

Just trivia, but strange that i would have remembered this so well LOL.

Diane

Hi Dianne:

It is indeed the same location and similar shooting position.

For those interested, that is a walkway in the Alviso area of the SF Bay wildlife refuge. The "gates" were added to replicate the gates used in the old harbor that used to reside there. Due to environmental restrictions, harbor dredging was halted in the 70's I think, and several of the boat harbors along the South end of the bay filled in and turned into marshlands. They of course then went broke, could not be sold and were "turned over" to the government.

[Lars Vinberg]

Originally Posted by Jack Flesher

For those interested, that is a walkway in the Alviso area of the SF Bay wildlife refuge. The "gates" were added to replicate the gates used in the old harbor that used to reside there. Due to environmental restrictions, harbor dredging was halted in the 70's I think, and several of the boat harbors along the South end of the bay filled in and turned into marshlands. They of course then went broke, could not be sold and were "turned over" to the government.

This must be near Drawbridge? Some years ago (-95?) I went on a photography walk in Drawbridge an early Sunday morning. The morning fog was heavy, all that was visible were the railroad tracks, the marshlands, and the decayed wood building, all in the middle of the south bay.

[Jack]

Hi Lars:

Yes, Drawbridge is a ghost town that is now flooded by marsh tides. It lies on the railroad tracks half-way between Alviso (where the above harbor is) and Fremont.

[Jeremy]

Nevada. 4x5. 135mm. Just printed it as a 16"x20" palladium print this evening.

[Jeremy]

Fort Worth. 4x5. 135mm.

[Jack]

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Nevada. 4x5. 135mm. Just printed it as a 16"x20" palladium print this evening.

I like this one a lot. Only nit is I would like to see just a wee bit more room on the RH edge, but the discomfort of that close edge may be why it moves me

[Jeremy]

Working on a new project where I'm looking at perception and following in the footsteps of Merleau-Ponty. Initial shot is on 4x5, second shot is on 8x10. I'm thinking of printing the series with both images at 8"x10" in palladium and putting them in the same mat.

[Francois_A]

Beautiful images with rich tonality Jeremy!

[Francois_A]

Some experimentations with the newly acquired Betterlight scanning back.

[routlaw]

Originally Posted by Francois_A

Some experimentations with the newly acquired Betterlight scanning back.

Congratulations, you got one! Hope it works out well for you. And cool experiments BTW.

Rob

[Francois_A]

Originally Posted by routlaw

Congratulations, you got one! Hope it works out well for you. And cool experiments BTW.

Rob

Thanks Rob!
I got a 6K-HS from ebay for a good price.

I like the the subdued colours one gets when it is used without filter. This is something that has grown on me after seeing Jim Collum's images.

At first, I thought I would avoid situations where there is any movements, but now, I realize it is a different way, with its particular aesthetics, of recording the passage of time.

Francois

[JimCollum]

Originally Posted by Francois_A

Thanks Rob!
I got a 6K-HS from ebay for a good price.

I like the the subdued colours one gets when it is used without filter. This is something that has grown on me after seeing Jim Collum's images.

At first, I thought I would avoid situations where there is any movements, but now, I realize it is a different way, with its particular aesthetics, of recording the passage of time.

Francois

thank you for the compliment!

and yes... there's nothing any more 'real' about blurred/foggy long exposure water vs. the wave action from a scanning back.... as you said. both are artifacts of time

[Jeremy]

I'm jealous! I only have access to the massive files of the 8k, but would prefer the speed of the 6k. Then again, I think I just need to come up with a still life project for the 8k....

[JimCollum]

Originally Posted by Jeremy

I'm jealous! I only have access to the massive files of the 8k, but would prefer the speed of the 6k. Then again, I think I just need to come up with a still life project for the 8k....

..... and shot wih a Veritos

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by JimCollum

..... and shot wih a Veritos

[Francois_A]

Some more tests with the Betterlight using a Schneider 47 XL.
First one without any filter; second one with a Lee 87 infrared filter. I was shooting through a window, so there are some reflections. I have yet to muster the courage to venture outside with all that equipment!

[AlexLF]

Well, I'd like to add to this thread since I'm really enjoying large format photography even having Nikon D3x. I use Linhof Techikardan 45S and Rodenstock lenses.

[AlexLF]

One more:

[routlaw]

Originally Posted by Francois_A

Some more tests with the Betterlight using a Schneider 47 XL.
First one without any filter; second one with a Lee 87 infrared filter...

I prefer the second one Francois FWIW. Nice work either way.

Alex nice work too.

Been to busy this summer to get in the field with the BL, but here is one I did a couple months ago using the infrared approach.

[Francois_A]

Beautiful image Rob!

Alex, I particularly like the second image. What focal length did you use?

[AlexLF]

Originally Posted by Francois_A

Beautiful image Rob!

Alex, I particularly like the second image. What focal length did you use?

This is taken with Rodenstock 55/5.6. I like these super wides.

[JPlomley]

Lotus Flower
Arca Swiss 4x5 F-Field
Rodenstock 300mm/5.6 APO Sironar-S
RVP-50

[donbga]

Just a few digitally toned for faux VDB with the Dan Burkholder method.

This is the Cable-Greg home in the Cades Cove section of the Smokies. Section of a 4x5 negative shot on the old TMAX 400 emulsion developed in pyro cat.

Final inkjet print size ~ 9.5x36 printed with QTR. Even extremely experienced alt printers think the inkjet print is a palladium print.

Don Bryant

[donbga]

Here is a section of an 8x10 negative. Final print as a cropped contact print with palladium. Faux VDB tone again. Part of series shot on Sappelo Is. Ga of the RJ Reynolds Plantation.

Original exposure made with a rickety old Folmer-Schwing 8x10 on the old TRI-X emulsion developed in pyrocat.

Don

[donbga]

Last contribution. This is an iconic funerary statue found in Laural Grove cemetery, Savannah, GA. Made with a Wisner 4x5 Tradtional on the old TMAX 400 emulsion - pyrocat developed. Final prints range from silver gelatin, palladium, VDB, cyanotype and inkjet print. This negative is relatively easy to print but does require some careful burning to achieve the proper shadow rendering. The highlights just need the correct contrast and exposure. Faux digital toning once again.

Don