Oaklands

          Okay, so I have this great piece of history, that can still make great pictures if I do my part. The Graflex definitely rewards hard work and doesn't tolerate any shirkers. So it was time to do some planning. What do I shoot? As I have stated earlier I often will just get a vague idea of what I'd like to take pictures of and just go. Oh I'll plan "the big trip" but locally I simply consider what I'll be shooting pack my bag and hit the road. But, this was different.
          I felt that I needed to be much more deliberate. Going so far as actually imagining what type image I wanted to capture and how I wanted it to look. It is different that most other photography I do. It's the difference between a hunter going into the woods seeking whatever quarry he may find, as opposed one hunting a very specific prey with very specific weapons and knowledge. You have to consider it a lot more. The environment, the animal's behavior, weather conditions and more. The same can be said of large format, at least in my experience. Yes, you can go out and be spontaneous, but I felt like I needed to be purposeful. What am I photographing? When? What type of weather is there going to be? What type film? What position will I shoot from, assuming I had been there previously to scout it out.
          That's when I decided I would take pictures of where I'd been before. I was familiar with these locations after all and I knew what to expect. So the first places I decided upon were the Stones River National Battlefield (and it's aforementioned failures), the Murfree Springs Wetland area and the Oaklands Historic Mansion. I decided upon the Oaklands.
         One of the things I love about Murfreesboro is the rich history it possesses. Once the capital of Tennessee it featured prominently during the Battle of Stones River during the American Civil War. Much of the impact of the founding families can still be felt in the city today.
         The Oaklands began as a plantation founded by Dr. James Maney and his wife Salile Murfree Maney. Located at the then north part of the town next to some nearby springs that Sallie inherited in 1813.

Murfree Springs located near the Mansion. Named for Colonel Hardee Murfree
Nikon F6, Tokina 100mm 2.8 Macro Ilford XP2 400 film

          Setup was straightforward. There is a turn-about in front of the mansion with a large circular area of grass with two huge trees on either side. The Optar was working perfectly for once that day and I released it a few times just to be sure. I metered on several locations of the home and surroundings and performed a simple average. What was different this time was a second attempt at using color, after the failure at the Battlefield. Loaded with Portra 400, this time my shutter on the questionable Optar worked. 

Golden Afternoon at the Oaklands Mansion
 Pacemaker Speed Graphic, Optar 135mm,  Kodak Portra 400

          Upon development I found the exposure was a little overexposed. But the beauty of color negative film, especially Portra 400 is it's incredible exposure latitude. It is extremely forgiving and a very good choice for one's first foray into color film. I made some corrections in Lightroom and got an acceptable image. 

          I am using a "hybrid" system to process at present, as I do not have a darkroom set up in my home as of yet. So I develop my film in the traditional manner then scan, process and print digitally. While not 100% traditional it does make film shooting easier for those who do not have a dedicated darkroom. 

         I did take a black and white capture from exactly the same position. I had to meter again for the slower film, which yielded a more accurate exposure this time. 

Oaklands in Black and White
Ilford FP4+ 125 film

          When I returned home and developed my sheets I was very happy. Both the images and the performance of the Optar's shutter. I thought my prescription for work to cure this shutter had finally succeeded. It was a brief calm before the storm. Nearly every shoot after this one would be met with failure of the shutter to release properly and end in many failures and frustration. It nearly made me stop shooting the format all together. Happily that was not the case. 

          If you are ever in Murfreesboro, be certain to stop by the Oaklands. They have many programs that occur there during the year along with a very friendly staff. Until then you can visit their website for more information on this wonderful historic home. www.oaklandsmuseum.org

Once again thanks for reading and until next time, search for beauty and creativity in the great world around us!

Early Successes

     After getting the Graflex and cleaning it the best I knew how, it was time to go and take some pictures. Only one problem. I had forgotten to order film! So I went to Nashville to a couple of stores I knew would have some 4x5 as I didn't want to wait the three days if would take to order via mail. So after visiting a rather large Pro Shop in my area I was disappointed to see they had nothing. So hopping back in the car I headed for the only other shop that I thought might have some. They did, one box of Ilford HP4+. I paid for it and headed home wondering how this film would be as I had never shot it before that time.
     I found the style of shooting large format isn't like other cameras and photography that I was accustomed. I will often just grab a bag and get in the car and go where ever the road takes me. I'll plan my trips, but the Graflex I felt deserved some more planning before I took it shooting, especially considering it was $1 to $3 per shot!
     I thought to keep it simple and visit a couple of places around my home. One is an old barn, another was a dogwood tree I saw in bloom near the road as I drove into town. I grabbed my bag I had loaded with my Graflex, four film holders filled with HP4+, cable release, light meter and a makeshift dark-cloth. I also brought my Nikon D700 to assist with metering if needed.
     I stopped off at the old barn I drive by almost every day. It was an overcast spring morning. The lighting was pretty soft from the cloud cover and I didn't have very far to walk from the fishing access road that leads to the nearby river.
     I was very keen on metering correctly and coming from using an auto nothing film camera in my teenage years got me very use to spot metering. I metered on several different locations in the scene: the barn wall, the field, trees and sky and performed a simple average.
     One thing about large format you are forced above all other systems I've ever shot to slow down. It's like a rocket pre-launch checklist. Tripod secure. Check. Focus locked. Check. Aperture set and shutter blades closed. Check. Film holder inserted. Check. Review previous settings. Check. Remove darkslide. Check. You may now trip shutter...3...2...1...(click) And then you are done with the exposure, but not with being careful. It's time to protect that hard won image. Replace the dark slide but reversed to show the black "exposed" side. Don't mix it up here or you'll just get a double exposure, or worse you'll burn out the sheet when you pull out the holder or reopen the shutter blades for composition.

     Here is my first exposure with the Graflex.

Pacemaker Speed Graphic, Graflex Optar 135mm lens. Ilford HP4+ , developed in Rodinal

     While not the greatest composition in the world, I was thrilled when this came out. I felt, "This is actually possible!"

     After making a single exposure, I packed up and headed to my next stop. A large Dogwood in spectacular bloom. When I arrived it was quite a bit more windy than I expected, but not too bad. I set up to capture the whole tree. But the background was quite distracting and I decided against a wide exposure and decided instead for a close up.
     The advantage of extendable bellows is the ability to reduce the focus distance of the lens. Turning most any lens into a close up capable lens. So I set up on some blossoms and focused.

Pacemaker Speed Graphic, Optar 135mm lens, Ilford HP4+, Bellows extended for macro. Developed in Rodinal

   
     On the barn shot I used the rangefinder and the view screen to confirm focus but I used the viewer only for the flowers. After confirming my meter reading I loaded the film and made an exposure.
     Then I was done. I planned two shots and made two shots. I went home feeling very fulfilled and prepared my sheets to develop. This was an entirely new way to shoot to me. Oh I've planned shoots before, but this was vey precise and purposeful and deliberate. It was methodical and analytical. It was a way to really think about your subject before making a capture.
     I had some difficulty scanning the files as my scanner couldn't scan a full 4x5 sheet. So I had to  scan in sections and photo-stitch them together at first. This grew much easier as I got a scanner that specifically handles 4x5. Yet, this medium while very rewarding is one where care must be given. But I felt that first day that I had grown as a photographer. That my work would take a new turn. Little did I know the frustrations that awaited me.

Thanks for reading and until next time, search for beauty and creativity in the great world around us.

Bobby

Next Post: "Early Failures"

Welcome

     Welcome to our premier post. If you've come here you are either a friend or someone who is curious about large format photography. Either way, I'm glad you stopped by. I won't bore you with too many details of my personal photographic journey at this time, I'll leave that for another post. But in the 24 years I have been, off-and-on, involved in photography I have encountered many interesting type of cameras. This however is my story of how I discovered and started in large format photography.
     I grew up with 35mm manual cameras then later their more advanced automatic counterparts. Then digital came along. While fascinating and full of promise, not to mention instant gratification, I often found it wanting. Colors and tonalities just weren't what they are with film. And while I enjoy and shoot digital my love with this art lies with film. Not too long ago I began playing with medium format cameras: Bronicas and Yashicamats. I loved the larger negative and the slower more methodical approach. But there was still one format that eluded and even intimidated me a bit...Large Format Film.
     While I enjoyed medium format and still do with my little Yashicamat 134G, I was still missing something. It's not as fast nor agile as 35mm, and while I love it's more purposeful approach, there is something about the large negative of a 4x5 or 8x10 that is very appealing to me. The ability to where my eyes have the feeling of "stretching" into the photo, looking for colors and tones and details is greatest in large format. But yet, while I enjoyed large format photographs and viewed the works of great landscape artists, I still had no idea where to begin. Yes, I did a little investigative research, but nothing in depth, and nothing inspiring me to the point to make the leap into it. 
     I'm not necessarily a gear head. My infatuation with gear has grown less and less with time. A photographer's skill and vison far outweigh any camera, lens, film or megapixel. Yet, in spite of those feelings there is one bit of technology that has changed my life photographically. The incomparable Nikon F6. When the D800 and D4 are gone into digital obsolescence this camera will still be going, and while it is still merely a device, owning it has led me to some very important friendships, and a particular cadre of online friend photographers who share and encourage one another. One of them, a talented young photographer by the name of Eric Smith convinced me to purchase a Graflex. An American legend in its own right, the Graflex is simply an amazing piece of engineering. 
     After grilling Eric with hours of questions about the Graflex and Large Format in particular I began research into large format work and finding a Graflex. I knew I had to have the Pacemaker Speed Graphic, simply for its versatility and great redundancy. Yet, finding one in decent condition for the price I wanted to pay was not the easiest task, but after a couple of weeks and searching www.graflex.org, I found it. I forked the dough down and within a week it was at my doorstep. 
     Little did I know what I was getting myself into. I already self develop my own film, so the development part was straightforward enough once you get around the difference of a sheet of film as opposed to a roll. While the Graflex itself was in great shape, the lens it came with was not. It is an excellent little Optar 135mm 4.7, and while the glass was good the shutter had a bad habit of sticking at the worse times. I didn't blame the seller, this is not an uncommon occurrence and after some work, I got it freed up and working.
     So with my new Graflex and a handful of holders I set off upon this new journey shooting large format. I hope you will join me along the way, as my walk on this particular path of my photographic journey is a new one and I haven't gone very far. I hope I can spark a little interest in you in this wonderful medium.

I'll end this post with a quote from Ansel Adams...     

 “I hope that my work will encourage self-expression in others and stimulate the search for beauty and creative excitement in the great world around us.”

         

Until next time, search for beauty and creativity in the great world around us.

Bobby

My Graflex Pacemaker Speed Graphic on the first day of shooting it. Spring 2013.

PS - Here is the list of my photographer friends. Their friendship as well as their encouragement and talent as photographers continue to inspire me. 

Eric Smith: http://www.easmithv.com/ The culprit who got me into Large Format to begin with, Eric is an excellent photographer with a great heart for instruction as well as a great love of the traditional darkroom process. His assistance has been invaluable in learning not only large format, but a great many developing techniques. He possesses a gifted eye which, when teamed with his cameras makes for some very unique imagery.

Bob Kidd: http://www.bobkiddphoto.com/ Traveller, writer, blogger, and photographer extraordinaire. Bob has a great gift for teaching, but also in recognizing the nuances of day to day life and art that makes photography so interesting. Bob is prolific writer and his weekly blog "Sunday Street" is not something to miss. Bob is a great encourager and is always willing to give some very useful and wise insights. Be sure to check out his "Advent Calendar" this holiday season.

Mark Kittleson: A "newcomer" to our group Mark too is a lover of all things analogue. We look forward to what he has to share with us in the future. Mark uses a variety of formats and captures a diverse range of imagery. He is between webpages now and we'll post it as soon as it's up.

John Crane: http://www.johncranephotography.com/ John is quite simply one of the kindest and best photographers I know. John's work spreads across many disciplines using both film and digital to capture his subjects. Indeed it was John's work that led to me want to get a Nikon F6 in the first place based in no small part to his other webpage. http://www.nikonf6.net/  John's work is primarily in color and he spends a great deal of time in the outdoors in the western U.S.