A question arises: why exactly is it that you still use very large cameras and film when photographing American landscapes? This is what I do.
I have been photographing the American West and a few other places for over 40 years. From the harsh deserts of the American outback to the rugged coastlines and lush rainforests of Alaska and Canada, through Washington and Oregon, as well as the rugged Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains. I’ve driven on back roads and trekked across the deserts and peaks of the western North American continent, almost always with a backpack full of camera gear. If I were as old as Methuselah, I don’t think I’d have time to see it all, but I’ve seen so much that I’m completely in awe of it. I often say that my worst day outdoors has been so much better than my best day indoors that I can’t truly describe it. However, perhaps my photos can convey my surprise.
I have, as an expression of my preferences, chosen to use large-format camera equipment for the same reason, I suspect, that an oil painter or watercolorist would choose to work in “plain air” rather than from a photograph published in a magazine. Could. A place they will never go.
But I’ve chosen the hard path, and along the way, it’s taught me life lessons I suspect the easy path can’t teach. To paraphrase one of my favorite authors: “I took the road less traveled by and it made all the difference.” For me, working in large format has forced me to slow down and learn technique. This has forced me to be purposeful in my composition, and even when I use a digital camera, I keep myself very mindful in the way I work.
Perhaps the one thing that forces me to slow down is not only how much time it takes to set up the tripod, dig out the gear needed for that image – which lens is best, and which filter to use, if at all. Anyhow – but also to find which lens has the best composition that pleases me and achieves focus for the image. The need to find depth of field, determine exposure, engage a cable release, load the film holder, and then make the actual exposure forces me to slow down and look, really look, and be attentive. Another factor is that when the image is viewed on ground glass, it is upside down and backwards! To me, this is one of the best checks on composition.
In the next articles, I will talk more about the technical issues involved in using these big, heavy, slow and very inconvenient cameras.
The content I’m looking for is in places that aren’t commonly visited, although over the last few years, they have become increasingly popular and much more visited. And so I look for new places, maybe more remote places. On those trips, I look for things that are unusual, and as often as I can, there will be little, if any, evidence of humanity. Often, they are more metaphor than real. Many times, they are “what is”, and that is the question I am often asked: “What is it?” Well, it’s what you think. So, the search continues – to find secluded places, unknown places, places where I can go and probably not contact any other human-like person throughout the work day, except maybe the person who came with me. , the love of my life, Virginia, and my almost always loyal and faithful companion, Gracie – a 65-pound Golden Retriever.
So, what’s the final point? Why do I continue to use this mysterious device? Probably, it’s because I like it. It is, a priori, the artistic tool I prefer to use.
One thing I don’t really enjoy talking about is the tools I use. However, it is an unavoidable question, and so I will address it here. The camera body I currently use, and have used for over thirty years now toyo 45aI’ve used the Crown Graphic before, and the only drawback of that camera is that the back is not reversible or rotatable, so the tripod head has to be rotated to go from horizontal to vertical composition. Also, camera movements are also very limited. For me and my work, the Toyo is almost a perfect camera.
I load these into a front-loading, external-frame, expedition-style backpack because it’s not unusual for me to walk ten or more miles in a day and climb from base camp at 9,000 feet to an elevation of 13,500. And even more. My pack is usually 35 to 45 pounds, depending on how long I’ll be out and what I’ll be doing. For lenses, I keep a Schneider 47mm XL lens, a Synaron 65mm, 90mm and 150mm lenses and a rodenstock 210mm and 300mm lenses. My meters are a Pentax Digital Spot Sensor V and a Gosen Luna Pro SBC. are innumerable filterWhich includes light yellow, medium yellow, orange, dark orange, red, dark green and a linear polarizing filter. The tripod I’ve been using for several years is Enduro carbon fiber, and I fitted it with a Velban magnesium three-way head. I realize these are old devices; However, I have found that pan-tilt is three-way tripod head Works better for me than ball head, probably just because I’m comfortable with it.
So, who knows? Maybe along the way, I can encourage some people to step out of their comfort zones and embrace the old ways. This is extremely rewarding and has a direct connection to the masters who used exactly the same equipment to create the paintings that most of us have admired and sometimes tried to emulate.
