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| PO Box 221
| Waynesville, NC 28786
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT LARGE FORMAT PHOTOGRAPHY
What kind of camera do you use?
I use a large format view camera. Often referred to as a box camera. It is made of cherry wood and brass. There is a ground glass on the back of the camera where the image appears and must be viewed with a dark cloth over your head to block out the surrounding light. It produces an image that is 4x5 inches. This results in superb clarity and sharpness and allows me to make very large prints without getting a “grainy” image that is common when using 35mm film. I have a variety of lenses ranging from wide angle to telephoto.
What kind of film do you use?
For color I use 4x5 inch transparency sheet film. This produces a positive (Rather then negative) image, which is viewed on a light table. Just imagine a 35mm slide that is 4 inches wide and 5 inches long. The brand I use most often is Fuji Velvia because of its sharpness and richness of color.
For black and white I use 4x5 inch negative film. My preferred brand being Kodak T-Max 100 for its sharpness.
Depending on the scene I am photographing my exposure times with these films can range between 1/4 second all the way up to 3 or 4 minutes.
Do you shoot digital?
Not yet. Although digital cameras are getting better and better all the time I believe it will be a few more years before I can get something that matches the quality of the 4x5. It will happen though.
How do you make your prints?
This is one area where (at least in my case) digital printing has replaced the darkroom. I have my images scanned and put on a CD. I then color correct, size, crop, etc. on a Power Mac G-4. All my printing is done on an Epson 7600, 24inch wide printer. I use Ultrachrome ink, which has a life span of over 75 years. All my work is guaranteed not to fade for as long as you own it.
Do you manipulate your images in the computer?
Aside from color correcting, sizing and cropping I try to match the original piece of film as closely as possible.
What kind of paper will my print be on?
I use different paper depending what type of image I’m printing:
For large format photographic prints I use a premium luster paper. I’ve found this to be excellent in showcasing the color and detail of these images.
For prints of hand colored photographs I use watercolor paper. My hand colored originals are done on watercolor paper so what you get is a print very close to the original.
For prints from oil paintings I use a canvas paper designed to be used with my printer. It can be stretched just like real canvas and the prints match the original paintings so well it is hard to tell the difference. | |
