Don't take a friend when you go shooting LF ... now I believe!

I've just come out of my darkroom and surprise surprise the first three film holders I used which I hoped were ok, have given me six apparently perfect negatives!!!!

That now leaves me with three holders that still have film in them and accordinng to the orientation of the slides the film is unexposed ... which I know can't be true. One of the holders definitely has the negative that I accidentally exposed to light by not closing the shutter after focussing and maybe one or two of the others has one exposed negative. I'm not about to waste another litre of developer in the Combi finding out what's what ... and I'm reluctant to use any of them on the assumption that they may be unexposed to actually take a photo because more failure on top of the current debacle doesn't fit with me at all.

Hmm ... twelve 4x5 negatives to get six successful exposures. I'm glad they weren't chromes. :p
 
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Keith I reckon its worth just processing them all. Hopefully get a couple more good exposures and close the book on it.

Hey if you ever want a large format photo buddy, I will come along with my speed graphic and a sock in my gob. Hey I might even bring a pinhole and give some back to you for Carol ;p
 
I have no problems with that. My husband and I are both keen on shooting in the streets. The only thing is that we often notice the same motives: who is going to shoot? ;)
 
I don't really even enjoy shooting with other photographers. There's enough going on in my little brain already, and I don't need social interaction (or even the thought of social interaction) to muddle things up.

Go with the wife and kids and things become impossible.
Wife, "Just bring your camera along and we'll all have a good time."
Me, "Yes dear." (Inside though I'm saying "Yea, like I'll have time to shoot," using my most defiant internal voice.)
 
Keith,

You are just spoiled by all those silly little toy cameras you have. That Leica and Olympus stuff will never really catch on. Look at how many of those companies have gone out of business, Minolta, Konica. You need to focus on your Graphic form. You should know better than taking someone you care about (or is cute) with you when you use your real cameras. And what is this I hear about you using a light meter?

B2 (;->
 
dazedgonebye said:
I don't really even enjoy shooting with other photographers. There's enough going on in my little brain already, and I don't need social interaction (or even the thought of social interaction) to muddle things up.

Go with the wife and kids and things become impossible.
Wife, "Just bring your camera along and we'll all have a good time."
Me, "Yes dear." (Inside though I'm saying "Yea, like I'll have time to shoot," using my most defiant internal voice.)
Click to expand...

I hear the same things (I even hear your defiant internal voice speaking). What's just as funny is AFTER going somewhere with the family and one of them says "you brougth your camera but why didn't you take any pictures?" I never quite know how to answer.
 
Friends, or other people's presence, can be helpful too. Almost 30 years ago I watched a documentary on Terry Donovan, the film crew followed him on a day's outdoor fashion shoot, it went something like this:

Chauffeur opens back door of Rolls-Royce, Terry gets in, chauffeur closes door, drives to location.

Said Rolls-Royce stops at location, where art director, lighting crew, assistants, models, make-up artists, hair stylists, wardrobe team, etc, all there, model in position.

Chauffeur gets out of Rolls-Royce, opens boot to take out photo equipment, sets up tripod, 8X10 camera, composes, focusses, sets shutter speed and aperture, closes shutter, cocks shutter, places 8X10 darkslide in camera back, pulls out drawslide, walks back to Rolls-Royce, opens door.

Terry walks out, approaches said camera, "click!"

Terry walks back to Rolls-Royce.

See: nothing to it!
 
I often take a friend or my wife. Tomorrow is one of the days a friend and I will be out for the day. Personally I like having someone to talk with and occasionally go out with two friend. For most of my career I've had clients and art directors standing over me putting the pressure on so a friend along is a pleasure. I think as shooting becomes more a part of you and second nature it won't be as big a deal when someone is there talking to you. I love photographing people and talking while I shoot seems to relax my subjects.
 
nome_alice said:
how can anyone talk and draw at the same time!?
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I think it's related to experience, competence and your comfort level with what you're doing. I've stood next to one particular cardiac surgeon I worked with and talked with him while he did a bypass on a guy. Another ortho surgeon friend did a scope on a guys knee while taking to me.
 
I often go shooting with a friend, but then again we both shoot LF :D
"Seet UP TRIPOD"
"Ataaahcd CAMERA"
"Open Shutr"
"Compose and focus"
"CLOOOSE Shutr"
"SET Shutr, Aperture aand cock"
"INSEERT HOLDER"
"REMOVE darkslide"
"READYY...... SHOOT"
CLICK CLICK
"Insert Darkslide"
"Remove holder"
"Open shutter"
"Control composition and focus"
Actually we need a third man to give the orders :)
Best regards
 
whaha.. thats funny. Kieth, I had the same experience with LF once when arriving late for the sunset. My girlfriend was rattling to me while I was preparing. ended I forgot to close the leaf shutter after focusing followed by mounting the back and pulling out the dark slide. kekeke.
 
Keith said:
I've just come out of my darkroom and surprise surprise the first three film holders I used which I hoped were ok, have given me six apparently perfect negatives!!!!

That now leaves me with three holders that still have film in them and accordinng to the orientation of the slides the film is unexposed ... which I know can't be true. One of the holders definitely has the negative that I accidentally exposed to light by not closing the shutter after focussing and maybe one or two of the others has one exposed negative. I'm not about to waste another litre of developer in the Combi finding out what's what ... and I'm reluctant to use any of them on the assumption that they may be unexposed to actually take a photo because more failure on top of the current debacle doesn't fit with me at all.

Hmm ... twelve 4x5 negatives to get six successful exposures. I'm glad they weren't chromes. :p
Click to expand...

Process all the film! Otherwise, you'll never know if your best negative of the day is among them. The liter of developer is cheap relative to the petrol it took to get to your destination and the time you spent making the exposures.
 
Soren,

That reminds me of an old story from the days when news photographers used large-format dry plate cameras. It was customary for all the photographers to share one burst of flash from flash powder and they took turns to fire the flash. They had the routine; just prior to flash the one with the flashgun yelled "caps off!" All the others whipped their lens caps off and boom!

One occasion they were covering an official function with all the big wigs dressed to the hilt; so it was the same "caps off!"... boom! and then waited for the cloud of smoke to disperse.

The technicians at all the newspaper darkrooms were all quite bemused to see all the subjects in the photographs with their hats off!
 
Soeren said:
I often go shooting with a friend, but then again we both shoot LF :D
"Seet UP TRIPOD"
"Ataaahcd CAMERA"
"Open Shutr"
"Compose and focus"
"CLOOOSE Shutr"
"SET Shutr, Aperture aand cock"
"INSEERT HOLDER"
"REMOVE darkslide"
"READYY...... SHOOT"
CLICK CLICK
"Insert Darkslide"
"Remove holder"
"Open shutter"
"Control composition and focus"
Actually we need a third man to give the orders :)
Best regards
Click to expand...

You'd get on well with howitzers as well, I suspect. ;)
 
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