I stumble upon a picture of similar camera than I have and it definitely looks like I should be able to shift the lens board. I just can't find instructions how and for the life of me I can't do it om my camera. Infuriating!
Picture of the camera with lens board shifted in the rightmost image.
Large format camera movements
I should be able to:
Raise the lens board - check
Drop the bed - check
Shift the lens board - GgggrrR!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Sunday shots
I was having a lazy Sunday, mostly driving around running small errands. I put my Graflex into the trunk so if I happen about something interesting I might take a picture or two. I ended up taking 3 shots. One of the Golden Gate bridge and two in Alamo Square here in San Francisco. Pretty touristy stuff, but have to see how they turn out.
I dropped the films off for development today and will get them back on Wednesday.
I dropped the films off for development today and will get them back on Wednesday.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Inspecting the equipment
Haven't had any time to take pictures with the big camera. Instead I have been spending my free time making a movie and taking pictures of that with my DSLR. Some pictures can be seen in Flickr .
Today I spent some time troubleshooting my inside-out negatives. I still stand behind my instructions on loading the film. I went through the negatives and it seems that only last 4 are exposed on the correct side of the film. I also checked all the already loaded film holders and all of them seemed OK.
All the hassle must have been problems with the initial loadings. Have to start being more careful.
Today I spent some time troubleshooting my inside-out negatives. I still stand behind my instructions on loading the film. I went through the negatives and it seems that only last 4 are exposed on the correct side of the film. I also checked all the already loaded film holders and all of them seemed OK.
All the hassle must have been problems with the initial loadings. Have to start being more careful.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
1st print Negative #8, Barn
First print out of 4x5 negatives. I scanned it in the office and the results are not best possible, but this goes as preview. Now I need a proper scanner - bad.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Saturday shoot
Well, at least a mini-shoot. I was on my way to Sonoma for a production meeting and I remembered that on the way there are few old trucks on the roadside. I stopped by one and took a picture. Hopefully my film was not inside out...
Friday, February 6, 2009
Regards from darkroom
My first time in the darkroom didn't go quite as I had planned. My goal was to come back with a bunch of really beautiful pictures. I ended up coming back with one decent print.
After getting to know the darkroom and having the personnel help me set up the enlarger properly, different lens plus bellows adjustment needed for 4x5 after working on 35mm or roll film, I started with making contact prints. I got the hang of it on the second paper and managed to do all needed contacts. Looking closer at the contacts I noticed few issues. Some of the pictures were reversed to what they should have been and not all of them were focused properly.
Naturally I thought I just slapped them the wrong way around into the negative protector sleeves. Off to check the negatives and all of them were the same and the right way around. This struck me as strange and after some more fiddling I realized - The films had been the wrong way around in the negative holders when I shot the pictures! Now I have to slap myself since I even have instructions for the film loading. I'm ashamed.
I sorted out the pictures that were shot "from the back" and that also explained the "softness" in few of the shots. I have no idea yet, how did I manage to insert them the wrong way. This kind of things happen when you have to do something in total darkness and you can't really check if everything is OK.
The second realization was that my infinity focus is a bit off. All pictures that have been focused to infinity weren't sharp all the way. Well, I did cheat a bit on the focus, thinking that if I stop down the lens to 22 I can focus to a bit closer than infinity to maximize Depth of Field. I have to take a look at the camera and adjust or stop cheating ;)
This experience makes me want to focus even more, on 4x5 photography that is. Small mistakes cost pictures. Luckily I haven't been shooting any once-in-a-lifetime situations with the camera yet. Working in the darkroom was as interesting as it ever was. I did go to another darkroom here in San Francisco once before and the previous time to that must have been almost ten years ago! I was definitely rusty, but I'm sure I will get the hang of it.
Now I'm off to check the infinity focus on the camera and double check the loaded film holders to guarantee that the film is the right way around. I'll post the picture I managed to print once I get it scanned. That much I can do in the office next week :)
After getting to know the darkroom and having the personnel help me set up the enlarger properly, different lens plus bellows adjustment needed for 4x5 after working on 35mm or roll film, I started with making contact prints. I got the hang of it on the second paper and managed to do all needed contacts. Looking closer at the contacts I noticed few issues. Some of the pictures were reversed to what they should have been and not all of them were focused properly.
Naturally I thought I just slapped them the wrong way around into the negative protector sleeves. Off to check the negatives and all of them were the same and the right way around. This struck me as strange and after some more fiddling I realized - The films had been the wrong way around in the negative holders when I shot the pictures! Now I have to slap myself since I even have instructions for the film loading. I'm ashamed.
I sorted out the pictures that were shot "from the back" and that also explained the "softness" in few of the shots. I have no idea yet, how did I manage to insert them the wrong way. This kind of things happen when you have to do something in total darkness and you can't really check if everything is OK.
The second realization was that my infinity focus is a bit off. All pictures that have been focused to infinity weren't sharp all the way. Well, I did cheat a bit on the focus, thinking that if I stop down the lens to 22 I can focus to a bit closer than infinity to maximize Depth of Field. I have to take a look at the camera and adjust or stop cheating ;)
This experience makes me want to focus even more, on 4x5 photography that is. Small mistakes cost pictures. Luckily I haven't been shooting any once-in-a-lifetime situations with the camera yet. Working in the darkroom was as interesting as it ever was. I did go to another darkroom here in San Francisco once before and the previous time to that must have been almost ten years ago! I was definitely rusty, but I'm sure I will get the hang of it.
Now I'm off to check the infinity focus on the camera and double check the loaded film holders to guarantee that the film is the right way around. I'll post the picture I managed to print once I get it scanned. That much I can do in the office next week :)
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