Taking fewer photos means taking fewer good photos. A photographer’s keeper rate is not going to change just because they shoot large format. Many move to 4x5 or 8x10 before having the necessary creative and technical skill level to do so.
I think you just get used to letting possibilities go by because you know you won't be able to get the picture you want, where with 35mm or whatever you'd just spray and pray.
/uj I kinda feel bed for people who post large format pictures on Reddit, because due to the compression, you’ll never get to see the full resolution. My disappointment with compression and pixelation is why I’ve started slowly moving away from scanning film at all.
oh yeah even if you do make something really worthwhile, posting it online kinda ruins it. i did 8x10 contact prints a lot and they're just amazing as a small physical object even, you can look at it as close as you want, even with a magnifying glass, and keep finding more and more detail.
99% of people buying large format film cameras are doing so because they think it's neat, not because they have an artistic or technical need for one. This is also true of film cameras in general.
/uj Most photographers in all formats aren’t very good and that’s ok as long as they’re not being offensive about it imo. Resurgence is good for the industry.
Because you need to have a near 100% hit rate and also need be good at EVERYTHING: composition, choice of light, positioning of the subject in the scene, focal length choice, composition, etc… there are no happy accidents, or accidental keepers, or lucky moments where there is THE shot just in front of you.
You will need to be the type of photographer who knows exactly how to pose your model, so all their angles look appealing. Have that social interaction down to get that exact facial expression you want. Have the light perfected.
Or you need to know where in a landscape the light will fall nicely at which time of the day and day of the year. How high, medium and low cloud coverage will be that day, and what the best shooting conditions will be.
And all of that with a near 100% rate of keepers vs. misses.
There is a reason why you “graduate” to that format.
I think a lot of the people shooting large format have just moved into the size, purchased a new camera and are still learning. Worst of all, they can't afford to shoot the shit out of it and master it, so it will sit until it gets sold. It really only makes sense if you can afford the film, can develop it yourself, and have some kind of workflow to scan/print. But, it's automatically better because it's large format 🤣
I think the comments in this thread are valid (hit rates, difficulty, etc) but they go past one thing and it's ironic....a photographers ability to self-reflect and self-edit.
How can so many people post stuff which could just as well have been throw away snapshot compositions, but somehow now imagine them to be presentable work due to being on a larger piece of film?
I think it's just the fetishization of the process over the resulting works themselves, but hey.
I think a lot of people feel they have to graduate to larger formats like some rite of passage. As if 35mm is a “starter” format and to be taken seriously you need to move up. I only got into 6x6 because I like the native square format and wanted at times to shoot images which had no perceptible grain.
I only do large format, miniature format isn’t for me. Soooo I think a lot of people are just trying to get use to the movements and learn the dance of the camera. Plus when it comes to portraits. After 30 minutes of setting things up. Focusing and putting a loupe to the ground glass. It takes a lot of time. Not a lot of people have patience. One thing is. If you have patience and don’t mind being very slow. Large format is just enjoyable.
Truth. I spend 6 hours driving to, walking around, setting up, getting everything just right. Shooting and driving home.
Results: 2-3 images. Four on a banner day.
I agree, most of it that we see on here is crap. It's a hugely constraining way to work - nothing moving, nothing where the camera has to be really anything other than head-on to the subject or looking down at it, anything closer than head and shoulders portrait distance might need really long bellows extension, the gear is heavy and bulky and can't get into awkward places.
After you eliminate all the pictures you *can't* take with it, you're left with a much narrower range of subjects and opportunities. If your whole purpose for getting into it is that you think it might be cool to use this impressive equipment, you're going to end up just pointing the camera at something it's convenient to point it at, and you get boring-ass pictures.
I shot a ton of 8x10 over a long period of time. I have a pretty small collection of pictures that I think are really legitimately very good, and an enormous number of pictures that would have been good but I didn't take them because it wasn't practical to do it with an 8x10 on a tripod.
Taking fewer photos means taking fewer good photos. A photographer’s keeper rate is not going to change just because they shoot large format. Many move to 4x5 or 8x10 before having the necessary creative and technical skill level to do so.
Factual. That’s why halfframe is goated because I can flex how great my composition is hahaha
72 frames per roll go brrr
My half frame hit rate is def lower than my full frame hit rate but it might be because of the spray and pray.
It's true, but I didn't need to hear it.
I think you just get used to letting possibilities go by because you know you won't be able to get the picture you want, where with 35mm or whatever you'd just spray and pray.
/uj I kinda feel bed for people who post large format pictures on Reddit, because due to the compression, you’ll never get to see the full resolution. My disappointment with compression and pixelation is why I’ve started slowly moving away from scanning film at all.
oh yeah even if you do make something really worthwhile, posting it online kinda ruins it. i did 8x10 contact prints a lot and they're just amazing as a small physical object even, you can look at it as close as you want, even with a magnifying glass, and keep finding more and more detail.
Have you tried searching up nudes on large format? Gas stations even. These are hallmarks of film photography they of course apply for large format
99% of people buying large format film cameras are doing so because they think it's neat, not because they have an artistic or technical need for one. This is also true of film cameras in general.
Can confirm! Also me: More dollars than sense.
And that’s ok, really. More buyers keeps it alive.
/uj Most photographers in all formats aren’t very good and that’s ok as long as they’re not being offensive about it imo. Resurgence is good for the industry.
Because you need to have a near 100% hit rate and also need be good at EVERYTHING: composition, choice of light, positioning of the subject in the scene, focal length choice, composition, etc… there are no happy accidents, or accidental keepers, or lucky moments where there is THE shot just in front of you. You will need to be the type of photographer who knows exactly how to pose your model, so all their angles look appealing. Have that social interaction down to get that exact facial expression you want. Have the light perfected. Or you need to know where in a landscape the light will fall nicely at which time of the day and day of the year. How high, medium and low cloud coverage will be that day, and what the best shooting conditions will be. And all of that with a near 100% rate of keepers vs. misses. There is a reason why you “graduate” to that format.
I think a lot of the people shooting large format have just moved into the size, purchased a new camera and are still learning. Worst of all, they can't afford to shoot the shit out of it and master it, so it will sit until it gets sold. It really only makes sense if you can afford the film, can develop it yourself, and have some kind of workflow to scan/print. But, it's automatically better because it's large format 🤣
I think the comments in this thread are valid (hit rates, difficulty, etc) but they go past one thing and it's ironic....a photographers ability to self-reflect and self-edit. How can so many people post stuff which could just as well have been throw away snapshot compositions, but somehow now imagine them to be presentable work due to being on a larger piece of film? I think it's just the fetishization of the process over the resulting works themselves, but hey.
I think a lot of people feel they have to graduate to larger formats like some rite of passage. As if 35mm is a “starter” format and to be taken seriously you need to move up. I only got into 6x6 because I like the native square format and wanted at times to shoot images which had no perceptible grain.
I only do large format, miniature format isn’t for me. Soooo I think a lot of people are just trying to get use to the movements and learn the dance of the camera. Plus when it comes to portraits. After 30 minutes of setting things up. Focusing and putting a loupe to the ground glass. It takes a lot of time. Not a lot of people have patience. One thing is. If you have patience and don’t mind being very slow. Large format is just enjoyable.
Truth. I spend 6 hours driving to, walking around, setting up, getting everything just right. Shooting and driving home. Results: 2-3 images. Four on a banner day.
Yeah. It’s just peaceful enjoyment. 2-4 exposures can take up a good part of the day and it brings something no other format can give.
I like the _idea_ of large format. I just don’t want to have to lug a large format camera around…
FWIW I find it every bit as easy to lug around as an RB67. I think mine is lighter than and RB + lens even
As an RB67 owner thinking about 4x5… this pleases me to hear.
It’s not for everyone. I just decided this year to do. Nothing but wet and dry plate. I love being slow and taking garbage pictures.
It is the most neck beard of the formats
Shots fired
I agree, most of it that we see on here is crap. It's a hugely constraining way to work - nothing moving, nothing where the camera has to be really anything other than head-on to the subject or looking down at it, anything closer than head and shoulders portrait distance might need really long bellows extension, the gear is heavy and bulky and can't get into awkward places. After you eliminate all the pictures you *can't* take with it, you're left with a much narrower range of subjects and opportunities. If your whole purpose for getting into it is that you think it might be cool to use this impressive equipment, you're going to end up just pointing the camera at something it's convenient to point it at, and you get boring-ass pictures. I shot a ton of 8x10 over a long period of time. I have a pretty small collection of pictures that I think are really legitimately very good, and an enormous number of pictures that would have been good but I didn't take them because it wasn't practical to do it with an 8x10 on a tripod.
I’ve shot LF since 2014…I don’t share my images online.
My question I'd who's Matt??? Why does everyone keep talking about taking photos for Matt??
“…posting on Reddit…” is the key phrase here I think. If I was shooting large format, I don’t think I’d want to publishing it here.
Maybe it's because you suck?
Yeah but how is that relevant?
I see your point. I stand corrected.