It's
Archival Works Friday!
As I
mentioned before - I'll post a painting, drawing or serigraph
(silkscreen prints) from the "archive" files of years
past...and give a little back story on the work - the first Friday of
the month.
I am
now including photographs of past years. I hope you'll find it
interesting!
 |
My first large format camera - a 1951 Crown Graphic
|
I was first
introduced to “large format” photography back in the early 1970's
when a student at the University of Iowa's School of Art. My
Father-in-Law bought an old Crown Graphic 4X5 press camera from an
older gentleman who had been a professional photographer all his
life. The retired photographer “Andy” had bought this camera new
back in 1951. I was a one year old in '51!!!
For those out
there that don't know what large format is – its a camera that
takes any type of sheet film from 4X5” and larger. One sheet of
film. Large format cameras were build to accept film holders –
they held 2 sheets – you'd shove the holder into the camera's back,
pull a dark slide out of the holder, take the photo, push the dark
slide back in and pull the holder out...if you wanted to take another
photo you would turn the holder over and shove it back into the
camera back and repeat the process. You had to remember to mark the
holder or flip the dark slide so you'd remember that sheet was
already exposed...in the heat of the moment I must have double
exposed my share of film over the 30 years I used my 4X5's! Oops!!!
I also had a
Graphic 6 sheet holder – this was very cool if it didn't jam up or
fail...it was finicky! If I were to fog or waste a sheet – B&W
film wasn't too bad...maybe about 35-50 cents a sheet, but the color
film could be as expensive as $1.50 to $2.00 a sheet! To make
matters worse, if you didn't realize you screwed up your shot, having
to get it processed or doing that yourself spent more money on
processing or chemical costs! It was always a moment for regret
after processing a batch of film only to find out something had gone
wrong! A sheet of color film, after being processed could add up to
as much as $5.00 “A SHOT”! That was a bundle to lose back in the
70's through the 90's!!! Especially for just one picture!
There was a lot
of ways to lose shots...the subject moved...the tripod jiggled a bit
during a time exposure...the film holder leaked, or jammed...you just
plain blew the exposure...and a lot more ways!
Don't get me
started with how easy everyone has it these days!!! Oh dear, my age
is showing!
I became very
good at processing sheet film...I worked in a professional photo lab
in Kansas City for 3 years back in the mid 70's...processed thousands
of sheets - “manually” by hand. And I found I could cut my costs
by over a third by doing my own that way, but it was extremely
tedious and time consuming...and chemicals were not cheap or
forgiving.
 |
My 4X5 Field Camera - a Tachihara
|
I used 2 types of 4X5 cameras – the first one I
mentioned a ways back was just one year older than me...the other was a
beautiful wood/folding field camera...a beautiful piece of
workmanship, a Tachihara 4X5 Field Camera. This wooden field camera was lighter than the lenses and lensboards I used! I won't get into all the
drawbacks or challenges of large format film and cameras, suffice it
to say I've already mentioned a few, but the 2 toughest hurdles for
me were always depth of field and the shutter speeds you were forced
to use. Most large format landscape images required F/32 or higher and
shutter speeds of ½ second or longer...ya, try hand holding that! NOT! My favorite tripod was a wood ash tripod – still use it to
this day – HEAVY bugger but steady as a rock!
I guess I could
keep complaining or bragging about how I had to walk to school for
over a mile, up hill both ways, when I was a kid (Really – I kid
you not! Well, after grade school any way) But it was “work”
for sure. (Just don't get me started on cameras and smart phones
these days – Aacck, there I go again!)
There are a lot
of stories I could get into with Large Format photography, but the
all time favorite was one vacation back in the early 1980's.
On vacation, the
family had to resign itself to the fact that I was always stopping to
take pictures...always! The tripod and back pack were ever present
and a photograph could take up to several minutes to as much as a
half hour or longer – depending on what was going on or where we were.
I carried a lot
of loaded film holders, but it didn't take me long to run out of
film! The only way to “re-load” film holders was in total
darkness. OK...if you're out camping in a tent, on vacation, your
opportunities are limited!
One day in
Cascade River State Park in NE Minnesota I ran out of loaded film. This was NOT the place to run out of film! We were camped in the
park itself and there were too many cars, headlights and flashlights
at night to chance changing film holders in the tent, so I went
searching for the park ranger's house, knocked on the door and tried
best I could to explain my dilemma...I showed him a sheet of film and
a film holder...showing him how it worked. I asked if he had a room
in his house that was able to be completely darkened in the middle of
the day. He said the only room he could think of was the hallway
closet and agreed o let me take it over for about a half hour!
Well the closet
was “close” to being dark...there was light making it's way under
the closet door, so I took clothes off their hangers (ya using the
ranger's coats and jackets) and stuffing them around the door bottom.
It worked! The room was very hot after a few minutes and I had to
try and keep from letting sweat drip onto the film – literally!
As I was getting
to my last couple holders I heard a woman's voice enter the house.
Then I heard foot steps walking down the hallway toward the closet
door. Next I heard the ranger's voice almost shout “Don't open the
closet door – a man's in there!!!”
I don't remember
much after this point except with me “popping” out of the closet
drenched in sweat – then the ranger's wife shrieking hysterically!
I'm sure we spoke
briefly before leaving the ranger and his wife behind, but really all
I remember is the unstoppable laughter emanating from their house as
I carried my pack of film holders back to the campsite.
I do remember
leaving them a sheet of film as a memento of this auspicious/wacky
occasion.
I'll wager the
word “photographer” brings back a story for them both to this
day!
Crazy camera
nut!!!
(No argument there...)
