Digital BW, The Print

> Are there any workshops to help get a grip on the mechanics
> of shooting with a LF camera?

Tillman Crane occasionally teaches one at the Maine Photographic Workshops 
and/or Peters Valley Craft Center. Steve Simmons teaches one at the Sante Fe 
Photographic Workshops. John Sexton's workshops usually have some large 
format instruction even though they aren't labelled as such. You just need 
to go to the web sites or get the catalogs of the major workshops, i.e. 
Maine, Sante Fe, Anderson Ranch, Palm Beach et al and you'll likely find a 
large format workshop being taught at one of them. However, I don't think 
you need a workshop to get into large format photography, there are several 
good books, one by Leslie Stroebel, another by Jim Stone, from which you can 
learn all you need to know to get started.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott McLoughlin" <scott@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 27, 2005 7:11 PM
Subject: LF Workshops? was - Re: [Digital BW] A bit OT....MF to b/w print


> Are there any workshops to help get a grip on the mechanics
> of shooting with a LF camera?
>
> Scott
>
> ccolbertbw wrote:
>
>> Diane,
>> I shoot most of my BW (which by anyone's standards is woefully little),
>> using a 4x5 field camera. I also have a 20D, which I use for all
>> sorts of photography. No doubt the 4x5 wins - big surprise. It is easy
>> to scan on a desktop scanner (an EPSON 3200), whereas 35 mm does
>> not scan very sharply at all. I like the tons of small detail that
>> comes from
>> the large format. One thing I don't see mentioned much, is that the
>> printers can really print with a lot of resolution. You can see the
>> difference
>> in the print from large files with lots of data, even in a relatively
>> small print. Not to say that the smaller formats - digital or film -
>> can't make a nice large image. It is more a question of visible
>> detail. And
>> the ease in which you can transfer it to paper.
>>
>> A great way to see whether a larger format will make any difference
>> to your final product is to try printing some big files. There are a 
>> large
>> number of scans in the library of congress. For
>> example, some of my favorites are Lewis Hines' images of children
>> working in mills. Or the Wright brother's plane. You can download scans
>> of their glass plates - 5x7 usually. I have used these for test prints
>> sometimes when trying to tweak the printer. Download a couple of
>> these and print them to see if they look any different than your
>> current equipment. These ancient images look just wonderful and
>> I think show off what a print from a big piece of film looks like.
>> There are also test images from big Dslrs (say on dpreview) that you can
>> download and compare. Never know which one you will like best.
>>
>> A view camera does take a lot more work than a hand held SLR,
>> whether digital or not. Once you start putting the camera on a tripod,
>> and with practice, the difference is somewhat less. After getting used
>> to the view camera, and this is a big point, you feel like you have much
>> less control of the camera when you don't have movements. Sure, the
>> bigger format needs the movements to get acceptable depth of field,
>> but all in all there are just more choices than deciding what's in the
>> frame. That's fun and useful to some people, not so to others.
>>
>> Hope that adds something to the thread.
>>
>> Costa
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Diane Fields"
>> <picnic@c...>
>> wrote:
>> > Ken, I am, indirectly, asking about this also. I understand that
>> there is bias on all sides,
>> but I also would like input from all sides. I can remain 'all digital'
>> or I can veer off and
>> incorporate film/MF also---but realize that I will have to incorporate
>> a whole new support
>> system for a different format--and that's not inexpensive. I'm quite
>> good at PS---and
>> have done b/w conversions for a number of years, so that's not the
>> issue. The real issue
>> is---will I find that I will end up with a 'better' image than I can
>> with digital. Today, the
>> assumption by the salesperson was that I'm not 'contemplative' about
>> my photography--
>> with the reality that that is part of most people's approach to
>> digital--lots of shots on a
>> card, etc. However---I AM slow, contemplative, etc.--its part of my
>> creative nature (if you
>> spent over 20 years as a textile artist/craftsperson with the many
>> MANY layers of
>> 'process'---you learn how to plan and never ever have quick
>> gratification). So--I'm trying
>> to determine where I want to go with this--and I am most interested in
>> the b/w print.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Please visit the Group Homepage to check the Files, and other
>> resources as they are often being updated.
>>
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint
>>
>> If you wish to receive no emails or just a daily digest, or you wish
>> to unsubscribe, please edit your Membership preferences by visiting
>> this same page.
>>
>> Please follow these basic guidelines:
>> - As threads develop, trim off excess portions of earlier messages to
>> keep them short.
>> - Good manners are required at all time. No personal attacks or
>> flames. Hostile, aggressive or argumentative users may be removed from
>> the membership without notice.
>> - Keep your posts and threads related to the group topic of digital
>> B&W printing. Users who persistently make off-topic posts may be
>> removed from the membership.
>> - By posting on this forum you agree to abide by the group rules and
>> guidelines, and to abide by the actions and decisions of the group
>> Owner and Moderators. See \ufffdGroup Topic, Rules and Guidelines\ufffd in the
>> Files section:
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/files/
>>
>> BY PARTICIPATING IN AND/OR POSTING MESSAGES TO THE DIGITAL BW, THE
>> PRINT YAHOO! GROUP YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT THE \ufffdOWNER\ufffd
>> AND \ufffdMODERATORS\ufffd OF DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP SHALL NOT BE
>> LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL,
>> CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
>> DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE
>> LOSSES (EVEN IF THE \ufffdOWNER\ufffd AND \ufffdMODERATORS\ufffd OF DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT
>> YAHOO GROUP HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES),
>> RESULTING FROM: (i) THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THE DIGITAL BW,
>> THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP; (ii) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF
>> YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA; (iii) STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD
>> PARTY ON THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP; OR (iv) ANY OTHER
>> MATTER RELATING TO THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP.
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
>>
>>     * Visit your group "DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint
>>       <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint>" on
>>       the web.
>>     * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>>       DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>> 
>> <mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe>
>>     * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
>>       Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>.
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>
>
>
>
> Please visit the Group Homepage to check the Files, and other resources as 
> they are often being updated.
>
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint
>
> If you wish to receive no emails or just a daily digest, or you wish to 
> unsubscribe, please edit your Membership preferences by visiting this same 
> page.
>
> Please follow these basic guidelines:
> - As threads develop, trim off excess portions of earlier messages to keep 
> them short.
> - Good manners are required at all time. No personal attacks or flames. 
> Hostile, aggressive or argumentative users may be removed from the 
> membership without notice.
> - Keep your posts and threads related to the group topic of digital B&W 
> printing. Users who persistently make off-topic posts may be removed from 
> the membership.
> - By posting on this forum you agree to abide by the group rules and 
> guidelines, and to abide by the actions and decisions of the group Owner 
> and Moderators. See \ufffdGroup Topic, Rules and Guidelines\ufffd in the Files 
> section:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/files/
>
> BY PARTICIPATING IN AND/OR POSTING MESSAGES TO THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT 
> YAHOO! GROUP YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT THE \ufffdOWNER\ufffd AND 
> \ufffdMODERATORS\ufffd OF DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO 
> YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR 
> EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF 
> PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES (EVEN IF THE 
> \ufffdOWNER\ufffd AND \ufffdMODERATORS\ufffd OF DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP HAVE BEEN 
> ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES), RESULTING FROM: (i) THE USE 
> OR THE INABILITY TO USE THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP; (ii) 
> UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA; (iii) 
> STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT 
> YAHOO GROUP; OR (iv) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE DIGITAL BW, THE 
> PRINT YAHOO GROUP.
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>