Howdy Gang,
So after my last outing with Kodachrome (I still have to scan and post the results from the last roll!) I realized that the Kodachrome experience had been very good for me. Because it had been the last rolls of Kodachrome I'd ever shoot, I was incredibly careful with the photos I took and my hit rate skyrocketed. There was none of this digital "spray and pray" mentality that I had found myself engaging in lately. Every shot was carefully composed and metered and was a true reflection of my photographic vision.
But...just like that, December 30th came and went, and I was without that guiding force again. What to do, what to do? The closest I had come to that before the Kodachrome Finale was my little excursion into large format. The problem I had with that was that I didn't have the room to set-up a 4x5 based dark room. I did have a small space that I could dedicate to a dark room, though. I thought about engaging myself more deeply in medium format but then I was struck by a thought that hit me like a proverbial ton of bricks. What if I went larger than 4x5?
Now that may seem silly. If I don't have the room for a 4x5 darkroom, how could I go bigger? Well, paradoxically, going bigger freed me up to utilize a smaller darkroom. In the world beyond 4x5, contact printing becomes somewhere between a workable option and a necessity. There are 5x7 and 8x10 enlargers out there, but both are humongous. Beyond 8x10, there are very few enlargers available, so contact printing is a necessity.
There was another added benefit. As negatives get bigger, they get more expensive. Fast. That may seem like a silly benefit, but it would really force me to contemplate my shots and would kind of put me in the same mindset that I was in at the end of my Kodachrome experience.
Deciding that this seemed like a good path to follow, I set about selling off my K20D and some of the random Pentax gear I had laying around to fund an 8x10 set-up. It's been a slow process, and I've had to scrape together bits and pieces and even make a few, but eventually it was all there. Two weekends ago I was finally set to take the beast out into the wild.
For now, I only have two film holders, so I'm limited to 4 shots per outing. Normally, I use Union Station as my testing ground for new equipment. Unfortunately, RTD has it closed so they can screw it up...er...I mean improve it. I decided that the Colorado Railroad Museum would work as a good proving ground so off I went.
Here are the first four images I took:
Flickr Link
And, to give you an idea of what I'm shooting with, here I am with my Calumet C-1 (affectionately known in the LF world as the "Green Monster" with it's 12" (300mm - a "normal" focal length for 8x10) Gundlach Radar f4.5 (a Tessar clone that dates to about the same period as the Goose, give or take a few years).
All the shots were taken on Efke 25 developed in Rodinal at 1:100. They were printed on Arista.EDU Variable Contrast Fiber Paper in Photographer's Formulary 130 (the same as the old Ansco 130). Eventually I plan to upgrade to Lodima (a modern Azo replacement that Michael A. Smith brought out) in Amidol, but still have a ways to go on cheaper materials first.
Also, I would like to stress that I am *NOT* ditching digital. There's an old saying "Horses for courses." Because normal working apertures for 8x10 are usually in the f16 to f64 bracket, and because I'm using a very slow speed film, photography of moving things will be nigh onto impossible. The fastest shutter speed I used on the shots above was 1/10th of a second. Even if I had faster film, the fastest shutter speed on the old Betax No. 5 shutter on the Radar is 1/50th of a second. 8x10 is about scenes that are going to stick around for a bit.
Additionally, the camera, lens and tripod for everything above weighs in around 50 lbs. or so. So it's not something that's easy to pack up and set up very quickly. Because of all of that, I still plan to give my Pentax K-x plenty of work, and will probably be picking up a K-5 sometime later this year.
For now, the 8x10 setup gives me a great chance to explore some creative avenues and just revel in the amazing detail that only a contact print can bring! Wish me luck!
As always, comments and critiques welcome!
-ChrisWest Chicago, ILChristopher May Fine Art Photography"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration." ~Ansel Adams
Absolutely wonderful, Chris. Your passion for, and dedication to photography can be clearly seen in each image. Your eye for detail continues to amaze me.
And that certainly is one massive camera!
Those are great shots, Chris! I wish you were coming this way for the thing north of here again this year. But I think you'd need to buy an extra seat for that camera!
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Chris....It's certainly obvious you're continued seeking to "look over" the next horizon of photography for something "different", and specific, and so on is still at the top of your desires.
That massive camera surprised me.....I thought perhaps you were into digital far enough, that an instrument like that, was perhaps not even on your "radar".
Lugging around 50 #'s of equipment to your places of interest, must put a new perspective to it all....
The results certainly are a beautiful crisp, clear image, I suppose made possible at least, partly in it's large 8 X 10 size.
Liked the sharp, shiny chrome on the radiator of the vehicle....And even wonderd if you purposely, "cleaned" it preparing for it's photo...
Certainly liked all the sharp "details" on the Shay type engine.
And of course, your self portrait.
Quentin
Way to go CHRIS!
I agree with Zardoz and Quentin. The detail is amazing and certain will be funn to see some more off your efforts with the " Green Monster".
As I have said before, I am no photographer, but enjoy shooting some photos at times. Always, enjoy your work and commentary.
Thank you for sharing your work and thoughts here.
Thank you for keeping the craft alive. Even though I am viewing the result in digital form on my PC it really shows that you are working with quality equipment and are respecting that quality.
It is a joy to see your work.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
As always, Chris sets the mark.
Good stuff!
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Crazy amounts of detail Chris. I admit - I had no idea what the first two things are until I checked Flickr.
Dan
Chris, I always like to guess at your subject lines, which are another creative behavior you exhibit. I guessed right on this one, as I remember the fun you had earlier with the smaller view camera efforts.
I had already figured out Rodinal and high dilution after looking at the first picture. That century-plus old formula still is one of the best developers around. Fond memories of same.
Hadn't heard the "spray and pray" analogy but I love it. Being an old guy who learned by having to buy film, process and print anything I shot and thus learning to be pretty careful and judicious, I can't help looking down a little bit at someone who fills several flash cards with a couple of thousand images in a weekend and then comes up with two to print. Somehow, "blind squirrel" keeps popping into my head when I see that.
The other great thing is that, because you are now constrained by shot count and time you can make do with the normal lens or maybe with a moderate wide-angle, 240 or (no lower than) 210 and have all the glass you need, plus there is a wide range of very good glass out there (given how few people are shooting super-size format) though it needs to be hunted down.
Best of all, though, is that because of the time factor, you have more of an incentive to consider the story that you are telling, which I know is a lot of the fun and enjoyment you get from the whole effort. I sure know that I get a lot of enjoyment when you share your image stories with us.
I should mention for the benefit of the forum readers, some of the costs involved. The film he mentioned is about $3.50 a sheet. Each. (Color would be a little over $12 a sheet.) And a new Fidelity sheet film holder (holds two sheets) is $100 but you usually have to buy a two-pack. Heck, two 4x5 Fidelities are $100, and I can remember when they were less than $10 each. That, folks, is commitment.
Thank you all for the kind words! I had initially approached this whole journey with a little trepidation. I did have to sell off some of my digital gear (including my K20D that had been to Alaska and New York and everywhere in between with me) and more than once I questioned if this was the best option for me. All it took was one look at the ground glass to confirm that yes, it was. Unlike the 4x5 ground glass that was functional, viewing an image on an 8x10 ground glass, especially with a fast f4.5 lens on the front is a true joy. Seeing the negatives and the prints in the darkroom was just the icing on the cake.
Carl - I really had wanted to attend the CRPA event again this year. With the commitment to the long distance relationship, it just wasn't feasible. Hopefully by next year that won't be a problem anymore and I'll be able to attend again. Traveling with the 8x10 will be...a challenge. The Green Monster was billed as a field camera despite its weight and it does fold up fairly neatly for a camera that has enough bellows for a 24+" lens. The biggest problem will be figuring out how to support it. My current tripod is a surveyor's tripod that will be quite a challenge to get on a plane. I'm thinking I'll have to rent a tripod wherever my peregrinations take me.
Quentin - I was a bit surprised at the journey back to film, too. Like I said, the results from my final Kodachrome rolls had a lot to do with it. Another added benefit is the control I have with a large format camera simply can't be done with digital. There are some very nice Tilt/Shift lenses out there now, especially for the Canon system, but they still don't offer the flexibility I get from even a low end large format camera. Controlling the plane of focus is one of the most interesting differences in large format photography that can't really be experienced any other way.
Chuck - I am so very, very glad that Rodinal has survived after Agfa's unfortunate departure from the marketplace. I need to stock up on it in case it ever really does disappear. Since the stuff lasts forever (I read about some WW-II era Rodinal being used effectively last year), it would behoove me to have a stash of it around. Dilute Rodinal does such an amazing job of taming the contrast of slow speed films. I want to re-do the Shay Cylinders shot by shooting a little closer and eliminating the cab and such. The angles and tones of the cylinders themselves are what I want to focus on so I'll be re-shooting that one. That being said, there's a ton of detail in the shadows in this shot that if I spent some more time with the negative in the darkroom, I'm sure I could make an amazing print. That's hard to do with Efke on a sunny day. I don't think many other developers could bring out shadow detail like Rodinal does.
It's funny that you mentioned a 240mm lens. I think I'll be selling off the 4x5 gear to fund a Fujinon 250mm f6.7. I was thinking that a slightly wide angle like that would be the ticket for most of my shooting on 8x10. The Fuji offers a really big image circle and should take care of anything I'd really need to do. Eventually, adding a process lens or two for portraiture will probably be on my short list, too. I'm thinking a Goerz 19" Red Dot Artar would compliment my style of photography well. There's an APO Nikkor 610mm f9 that I keep eyeing, too. The lens is simply massive, but fantastically good from what I've seen. They go for a song if one keeps one's eyes open, too.
I also toyed with the idea of getting a vintage Petzval or Rapid Rectilinear lens and shooting some homemade dry plates. Dry plates aren't too awfully bad to make with some of the liquid emulsions available. The real benefit would be the limited spectral sensitivity. The liquid emulsions are blue-sensitive only, and very slow. It would be pretty easy to imitate the look of wet plate photography without actually having to shoot wet plates.
Finally, there's one other avenue that I'd love to check out one of these days. Now that I'm contact printing, the world of Platinum/Palladium prints has opened itself to me. I'm a little scared to take a walk down that path because I've read that Platinum prints are possibly the most addictive alternative process. They're also on the more expensive end of that spectrum, too, unfortunately. Someday...
Chris, I am getting feelings of envy that you are getting to do some things that I should have done in my mis-spent younger years. The Goerz Artars have been praised over the years. I longed for a Golden Dagor for my Orbit nearly 40 years ago but could get nowhere near the needed cash.
When they call an 8x10 camera a "field" camera, I think they are thinking of Coors Field or Soldier Field.
As you note, Rodinal is excellent for shadow detail and the tonal separation is just astounding. Now, I think, you are beginning to understand what Ansel Adams was talking about with respect to how much effort and skill in the darkroom went into creating his images. He averred that his best skill in photography was as a printer. Of course, that was where he really translated his mind's eye into something we could all enjoy. (And yes, I would hoard a few bottles of that stuff if I were you. At least at 100:1 dilutions, it should last for a while.)
Of course, as a selfish forum regular, I hope you don't completely lock yourself away under a safelight so you can continue to bring your stories to our virtual coffee house to share.
ChuckCobleigh Chris, I am getting feelings of envy that you are getting to do some things that I should have done in my mis-spent younger years. The Goerz Artars have been praised over the years. I longed for a Golden Dagor for my Orbit nearly 40 years ago but could get nowhere near the needed cash. When they call an 8x10 camera a "field" camera, I think they are thinking of Coors Field or Soldier Field. As you note, Rodinal is excellent for shadow detail and the tonal separation is just astounding. Now, I think, you are beginning to understand what Ansel Adams was talking about with respect to how much effort and skill in the darkroom went into creating his images. He averred that his best skill in photography was as a printer. Of course, that was where he really translated his mind's eye into something we could all enjoy. (And yes, I would hoard a few bottles of that stuff if I were you. At least at 100:1 dilutions, it should last for a while.) Of course, as a selfish forum regular, I hope you don't completely lock yourself away under a safelight so you can continue to bring your stories to our virtual coffee house to share.
Lugging around 50 Lb.s of gear, huh? - Methinks I know where to find a ne candidate to be a gunner (instrument man) on our roaming survey crews. But that camera appears to be bigger than our "robot" total station you see in my avatar.
Chris:
Now you know why Matthew Brady traveled with a wagon!
Best of luck, visit and share here, often!
Wonderful images - composition, exposure, and detail ! Thanks for sharing !
Has O. Winston Link been reincarnated ?
- Paul North.
Paul_D_North_Jr Wonderful images - composition, exposure, and detail ! Thanks for sharing ! Has O. Winston Link been reincarnated ? - Paul North.
We'll have to wait and see!
If Chris starts pulling his stuff around in a little trailer behind his car, you might be on to something. Of course, he will have to find a source for large flash bulbs these days. (Large means about the size of a 60-watt incandescent and having a normal screw-in base. Not sure I have any of those left but no telling what's in some of my junk boxes. )
More accurately - William Henry Jackson. See - http://www.lib.byu.edu/dlib/jackson/ - search for "railroad", and enjoy !
Thanks again, Chris - and also for the technical details. Interesting to see what's changed - back in the day, I was a heavy-duty user of Plus-X and Tri-X film - self-loading cassettes from a bulk reel - along with lots of Microdol for developing both the film and the prints. Still looking the same as the day they were made - which is not to say "good", but that's another story . . .
Very Nice Shots!!!!!!!
Darren (BLHS & CRRM Lifetime Member)
Delaware and Hudson Virtual Museum (DHVM), Railroad Adventures (RRAdventures)
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