Digital BW, The Print

Hi Bill,

Actually, I think this thread started when Dickbo felt he should go to a
larger format than 35mm and wondered what others thought would be a good
choice.

I feel this has gone beyond equipment and into certain operating methods and
philosophies, which  while away from the strict discussion of B&W digital
has been very interesting.

When one looks at your web site and sees all the great images you have
produced, what you have stated certainly makes a lot of sense. I also feel
that for others the use of a tri-pod also makes sense. It is the method and
final need that dictates what is best for each person.

A long time ago when I first started doing weddings and did not have contact
with other wedding photographers, I used 35mm. Then, many years later, I was
convinced by my photographic peers that 35mm was an amateur camera and I
needed to go to medium format like most of the other professionals. I
switched to Hasselblad, hired an assistant, started taking portrait lights
and backgrounds to the wedding and did all the portrait and candid
photgraphy with medium format.
I burned out, quit the whole wedding thing and started doing just portraits
and some commercial work using medium format. After several years and a
clearer head, I could look back at the 35mm and the 120 coverage and while
the medium format was technically better, I had not captured the emotions of
the event as well as when using 35mm. Technically better is not always the
best, sometimes the emotion of what's on the paper says it all. That's why,
I, like you have great respect for those who can not only get the emotion,
but can do it with larger format.

Just my 2 cents.

Regards,

John in Okc  (For those of you who haven't seen Bill's web site, you are
missing a lot of great images)


| I must have missed the first message in this thread, but it seems to
| be a discussion about everyone's choice of format and why.  I think I
| will go "against the grain"...and vote for 35mm...or maybe I might
| better say "with the grain."    While I own high quality professional
| 4x5 and 2 1/4 outfits which I occasionally use for professional work
| requiring detail or camera movements,  I must confess that I am a
| 35mmm photographer in my soul.  I hate to use tripods and like the
| rapid visualization and discovery that only small format can give.
| Smaller is better for me.  I hate to lug around lots of equipment.
| Also, to my eyes,  the abstract quality of grain is a big plus.
| Infrared is a specialty of mine and it certainly doesn't look real in
| the sense that Tri-x does.
|
| In the future, I will most likely go all digital...as Photoshop is a
| big part of my routine now.  I have been a part-time college
| photography teacher for about 18 years, mostly black and white and
| for the last three have been only teaching  the Digital Imaging
| (Photoshop) class.  I will probably make the switch to all digital
| when the 35mm professional cameras have larger capture devices and a
| 20mm lens takes a 20mm image and not a 28mm image.  Actually I like
| the idea of shooting everything in color and converting in Photoshop
| to get zthe effect I like.  This is similar to what a lot of people
| are doing with color negative film for black and white final prints.
|
| All formats are wonderful in the right hands.  I certainly admire
| other photographers work with large formats, but I can shoot a roll
| of 35 in the time most 4x5 people set up a camera for their first
| shot.  I like that variety and the process of discovery that comes
| with it.  It all simply boils down to a one's personality,
| temperament and individual aesthetic.
|
| Bill Agee
| --
|
| b i l l  a g e e  s t u d i o
| c a p i s t r a n o  b e a c h  c a l i f o r n i a
|
| billagee@...
| http://www.redsilver.com