Large format Camera

Large Format Camera

http://benneh.net/techshit/tips-on-large-format-photography-what-they-dont-tell-you/

The above website describes in great detail tips on Large Format Camera Photography.

Large Format Photography 

Large format refers to any imaging format of 4×5 inches or larger. 

The main advantage of large format, film or digital, is higher resolution. A 4×5 inch image has about 16 times the area, and thus 16× the total resolution, of a 35 mm frame.

Advantages

Most, but not all, large-format cameras are view cameras, with fronts and backs called "standards" that allow the photographer to better control rendering of perspective and increase apparent depth of field. Architectural and close-up photographers in particular benefit greatly from this ability. These allow the front and back of the camera to be shifted up/down and left/right (useful for architectural images where the scene is higher than the camera, and product images where the scene is lower than the camera), and tilted out of parallel with each other left/right, up/down, or both; based on the Scheimpflug principle. The shift and tilt movements make it possible to solve otherwise impossible depth-of-field problems, and to change perspective rendering, and create special effects that would be impossible with a conventional fixed-plane fixed-lens camera.

Operation

1 Film loading using sheet film holders requires a dark space to load and unload the film, typically a changing bag or darkroom.

image visible on screen when darkened

2. A tripod is typically used for view camera work. 

3. In general large-format camera use, the scene is composed on the camera's ground glass, and then a film holder is fitted to the camera back prior to exposure. Time needs to be spent because there is no room for error, once the film is developed it is too late. Some photographers use "Polaroid" to avoid exposure risks. 

composition, the image is upside down on the screen

4.Large-format photography is not limited to film; large digital camera backs can be made to fit large-format cameras. 

Applications

1. landscape photography, advertising photos

2.Fine-art photography

3.Scientific applications 

4. Architectural

5. Images that will be enlarged to a high magnification while requiring a high level of detail.

Film is loaded in a dark bag, notches on film aid loading of film into film holder

Large format film is also used to record of historic resources for the National Park Service documentation programs. Buildings and sites of historic significance are recorded with large format cameras and black and white film and using techniques that document the key features of the historic resource with special care not to distort the angles and views. This rectified photography can be accomplished with large-format cameras by keeping the film, lens and subject perfectly parallel. Smaller format cameras need to be tilted to view high or low subjects, but the same subjects can be captured by shifting the lens element of a large format camera up or down to keep the film, lens, and subject planes parallel.

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Equipment needed for Large Format camera Photography

Large Format Camera. Concertina fabric in between the standards 

Camera can be taken apart and bits can be replaced individually

Dark Bag

Film Plate and Film holder

Lens

Lens Plate

Bellows holder 

Shutter

Tripod

Light meter to determine settings

Exposure Measurements

jaykayphoto.co.uk.tutorial 5x4

Photographers who have used large format

Ansel Adams

Bernd and Hilla Becher

William Eggleston

Sally Mann

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_format_(photography)

Unit 23 Medium Format Scanned Film and 3D objects

Scanning Film

Method

Mamiya RZ 67 camera was to take pictures in Serrano Type style images
Magic tape was used to tape the pictures to the glass

Negatives attached to glass plate with magic tape

Scanner Epson Perfection V700 Photo Dual Lens System.

Linked to Apple Mac with Epson Scan Software.

Document Type-Film with film area guide, Positive Film, 24-bit colour, resolution 1200, preview, scan, save as jpeg

High light the picture you want to scan with marching ants, zoom to preview then press scan.

Scanning 3D Objects

Method

All the information remains the same, the only information to change in the Apple Mac Epson Scan Software is "Document Type" changes to Reflective instead of positive film.

change to reflective

a paper was placed over the object to give a light background. The lid remains open.

3D scanned tulip

3D scanned flowers

Health and Safety

HEALTH AND SAFETY RELATED TO PHOTOGRAPHY

There are many risks related to studio and location photography. I have tried to include all the health and safety issues that may occur related to photography.

Health and Safely in Digital Photography

Risk Assessments

Risk assessments are very important to identify any potential hazards that may be encountered either on the photographer's premises or on location. There are several risk assessments the photographer should undertake in relation to his premises. These include:

fire precautions
using display screen equipment (DSE)
manual handling
control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH).

Fire precautions relate to having adequate types of fire extinguishers, which must be regularly serviced; displaying escape and emergency signage and ensuring escape routes are free from obstructions.

With the increased use of computers and digital equipment for manipulating images it is essential to consider the people who use a display screen equipment (DSE)  for long periods of time. It is very important to ensure that the computer, the workstation and the working environment meet current safety regulations, to lessen the possibility of wrist and eye strain.

Most photographers at sometime have to lift reasonably heavy and bulky equipment, such as flash lighting. A risk assessment will highlight the potential damage to the human torso, which may result in long-term absence from work. Manual handling training can help people to store equipment at correct heights and how to lift objects. Also, a risk assessment can indicate where mechanical aids such as trolleys can be of help.

With the advent of digital imaging in the industry, chemicals for processing and printing (wet processing) are not so widely used. There are however certain products used which are hazardous, for example, batteries and printer ink cartridges, along with industrial cleaning substances. These should all be listed as required by COSHH on a risk assessment.

Electrical safety is also very important. All electrical equipment such as flash equipment, kettles, microwaves etc. should be tested (usually referred to as portable appliance testing) at specified intervals. The electrical wiring installation of the photographer's premises also requires testing at specified intervals. A competent person should carry out all testing and records of these tests must be kept.

Location safety mainly resolves around 'trips, slips and hazards'. Each location should be assessed to ascertain hazards and where possible to control these to reduce any injury resulting from an incident, especially to any member of the public. Photographers, their employees and the self employed should work within the framework of the Health and Safety at Work Act, and where reasonably practicable, take steps to ensure the safety of themselves and others around them.

Health and Safety for Traditional Photography

Working in the Darkroom

Make sure all work surfaces are clean and free of debris, litter etc.

Put any bags or belongings away from these work areas.

Remember the darkroom is a low light, and even no light, working environment. So store coats, bags etc. where they cannot be tripped over. Under the enlarger bench is a good place.

Make sure that the equipment you intend to use are clean, dry and to hand.

Turn on any extractor fans.

Check that the enlarger bulb is working.

Check that the chemicals you wish to use are fresh.

Mix any chemicals you need and place them in the correct apparatus, for example printing trays, before turning off the main white light.

Do not take food or drink into the darkroom.

Correct Use of Chemicals in the Darkroom.

Always keep chemicals away from the dry benches and electricity.

Water based chemicals and electricity do not mix and can be lethal.

Do not touch electrical equipment, enlargers, timers etc. with wet or damp hands.

This is one of the reasons darkrooms are built with a dry bench area, for enlargers etc., and a wet bench area, for chemicals, printing trays, developing tanks etc.

Do not walk around carrying chemicals in printing trays, developing tanks etc. You can spill them and cause the floor to become slippery.

Wear protective gloves if possible, if not, avoid prolonged contact with photographic chemicals. If you have sensitive skin take special care. When printing use printing tongs.

When you have finished wash your hands.

Take care not to put fingers in or near your mouth and do not rub your eyes.

If you get chemicals in your eyes, via a splash or rubbing your eyes, use an eyewash and seek medical attention. Take the chemical bottle, showing label, with you when you visit Doctors.

If you have a cut or a graze on your hand protect it with a waterproof plaster. After you have finished working in the darkroom remove the plaster as it may have chemicals on it.

When pouring chemicals take care not to splash.

Always wipe up any spillage right away.

Using Photographic Lighting Equipment Safely

Always uncoil all electricity cables, do not leave them wound on any storage spool. If you do this the coiled cable gets hot and there is a serious risk of fire.

Tape down, using strong ' gaffer ' tape. This prevents people tripping up on loose cabling.

Always use the correct lighting stand for the photographic lighting you are using.

Do not over reach/raise the lighting stand, this can cause the stand to tip over.

Please remember that photographic lights, particularly tungsten, can get very hot. Do not over balance them. If they fall onto a model, for example, they can cause horrific burns to skin.

If they fall whilst unattended there is serious risk of fire.

If adjusting ' barn-doors ' etc. on tungsten lighting ALWAYS use protective gloves.

After you have finished, allow the lighting equipment to cool down before moving.

Always use the correct fuse specified for the equipment you are using.

Do not over load electricity supply/circuit.

COSHH

COSHH Symbols 

COSHH

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
When using chemicals, all photographers  need to be aware of COSHH. All chemical containers should be labelled with COSHH symbols that identify how hazardous they are. They should be clearly labelled, for example irritant, toxic etc. If you are working with any chemicals understanding COSHH symbols and having the knowledge to take the right precaution is cricital. If any mishap does occur and a trip to A and E is necessary, practical advice would be to take the chemical container with the patient. The chemical components will speed up diagnosis!
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 is a United Kingdom Statutory Instrument
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations have been in place for more than 20 years and the scientific evidence suggests that over this time industry has, in general, been consistently reducing exposure to hazardous substances.

Dependent on working environment or job requirementsphotographers can undertake operations which result in exposure to chemicals or hazardous substances. It is important to ensure that exposure to hazardous substances is minimized and does not fall foul of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (2002).

Harmful chemicals and substances may cause serious health conditions, health problems that may arise can influence a photographers productivity and, possibly, the entire production and operations of the images and business .

COSHH Regulations require that suitable risk assessments are completed and that necessary precautions are implemented to prevent or minimize exposure to harmful or dangerous chemicals.

COSHH assessments, are required and monitoring exercises are required to fully evaluate a situation and advise on actions required to manage the risk and prevent photographers ill-health.

Unit 27 Marsden Montage

Marsden Texture Montage

Final Montage 

The final montage I created was as a result of memories I had of a day I spent in a historic town called Marsden in Yorkshire.

Image 1. This picture gives a sense of life in Marsden today and yesteryear. 

The picturesque stone built cottages along the river Clone. These give a sense of history that would have existed when this area was important in the production of woolen and cotton cloth. The washing hanging outside gives a sense of life in the village.

Image 2. The image of the two boys gives a glimpse of the future of Marsden. Children living, playing, feeding ducks by the side of the river in this historic town.

Image 3. This image of a map of Marsden was created in bronze. I used this in the final montage to give the final image depth and texture.

Image 4. The lady in the picture maybe a decedent from the woolen workers, or even a Luddite. All I can say for sure is that she is still hungry in this image!

Making The Marsden Montage

. I opened all the images in Photoshop

. All the images where the same resolution

.To create the montage i used layers and layer masks in Photoshop

. I played with Opacity (reducing from 100%),  to create a textured and interesting look to the image.

. I introduced image 3 as texture, but also this image provided significant history.

. To highlight certain colours, used the blending tool and the opacity tool. For example the purple in the final montage.

. I used the Free Transform tool to rotate image 1, this was to achieve texture and play with the texture and light across the montage.

. I reduced the image of the boys (image 3), using the Transform Tool and Scale.

. I flattened the layers.

. Finally i used levels and curves to improve the final image.    

. Note i created the Final montage image prior to using a scanner, if i was to recreate it, i would use 3D objects that were reminders of Marsden. These could add texture  depth  meaning and a new dimension to the montage.  

. I have not added text on to the final image because i think it works well without it. I have demonstrated that i know how to add text onto montages in previous blog posts.  

Research

The Colne Valley was famous for the production of woollen and cotton cloth regarded as some of the finest quality produced anywhere and all due to the soft acidic waters of the River Colne and its brooks running down through the side valleys (cloughs) from the peat moors above.

The river flows from west to east through the Colne Valley passing through the villages of Marsden, Slaithwaite and Milnsbridge toHuddersfield and then on to Cooper Bridge where it feeds the larger River Calder.

Who were the Luddites?

The Luddites were an organised group of workers in the textile industry, who destroyed the machinery that was taking their livelihoods. The movement began in 1811 in Nottinghamshire, and quickly spread to Yorkshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

The Luddites in Marsden

Towards the end of the Napoleonic Wars, food was scarce and unemployment was high. James and Enoch Taylor, two brothers who were smiths in Marsden, developed and made a cropping machine that could do the work of 10 hand-croppers. The mill owners in the Marsden area were installing these machines. Enoch Taylor also made sledgehammers, which were called "Enochs", so the Luddites would quip, "Enoch made them, and Enoch shall break them."
Apparently, the law-abiding menfolk of Marsden were stirred to riot by "desperate men of Longroyd Bridge!" The first riot was at the scene of William Horsfall's mill, which had been fortified.

The leader of the Marsden Luddites was George Mellor. He could read and write, and while in prison signed a petition calling for Parliamentary reform.

The Luddite Myth

The word 'luddite' has come to be used to describe a mindless opposition to change, particularly technological change. However, this is something of a myth. There is no record, for example, of them opposing the new canal in Marsden, nor of any threat to the Taylors' workshop, which made the new machines.. All the violence was against machines in mills, and there appears to have been an element of radical, even revolutionary, political thought in the movement. To lose one's livelihood would mean poverty and starvation, smashing machines carried the death penalty, and trade union activities were illegal. With this in mind, the luddite response seems neither mindless nor unfocussed.

Evaluation

Even though the main picture of the lady sitting is mundane, the layering looks textured and interesting. Texture is created by the light and dark tones in the image.

Colour blends through the image, there are splashes of red echo from right to left and makes the montage cohesive. The swirls of iron also give movement with in the image.

Even though the image is very abstract and looks mixed up, there are still recognisable elements that are distinct. There is a feeling that the montage can be deconstructed into its original components.

New York Composite

New York Composite

Music Texture Composite

Music  Texture Composite

Gum Bichromate

Gum Bichromate

The gum print works on the principle that an organic colloid (in this case gum Arabic) when combined with a dichromate becomes light sensitive. Exposure of this dichromated colloid to light causes the organic colloid (gum arabic) to harden in proportion to the light striking it. Adding watercolour pigment to the gum provides the colour. Development is achieved by floating the exposed print in water for 30 minutes or more. The unhardened gum is washed away, leaving the hardened, exposed gum to form the image on the paper.

 

The gum print, unlike most traditional photographic prints, can be physically manipulated to a considerable extent. During development, when the print is wet and fragile, details can be rubbed out with the use of a brush or water jet. Images can be re-sensitised and re-exposed several times, either to deepen tone or to achieve definite colour shifts. Tone, texture and colour can all be altered and manipulated.

 

Most photographic processes are essentially the product of chemical interaction, but gum printing is a balance between chemical and physical interaction.

 

http://www.gumphoto.co.uk/about_gum.html

History

In 1839, Mungo Ponton discovered that dichromates are light sensitive. William Henry Fox Talbot later found that colloids such as gelatin and gum arabic became insoluble in water after exposure to light. Alphonse Poitevin added carbon pigment to the colloids in 1855, creating the first carbon print. In 1858, John Pouncy used colored pigment with gum arabic to create the first color images.

Gum prints tend to be multi-layered images sometimes combined with other alternative process printing methods such as cyanotype and platinotype. A heavy weight cotton watercolor or printmaking paper that can withstand repeated and extended soakings is best. Each layer of pigment is individually coated, registered, exposed and washed. Separation negatives of cyan, magenta, and yellow or red, green, and blue are used for a full-color image.

when in a bath of room-temperature water to allow the soluble gum, excess dichromate, and pigment to wash away. Several changes of water bath are necessary to clear the print. Afterwards, the print is hung to dry. When all layers are complete and dry, a clearing bath of sodium metabisulfite is used to extract any remaining dichromate so the print will be archival.

To read more in depth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gum_bichromate

Marsden Postcard

Postcard of Marsden

Marsden a day out

Research For Unit 27

Marsden, West Yorkshire

Marsden is a village in West Yorkshire Huddersfield and is located at the confluence of the River Colne and the Wessenden Brook.

Marsden is the on the West Yorkshire side of Standedge crossing of the Pennines into Greater Manchester. The village is surrounded on three sides by the high moors which are called Marsden Moor and Meltham Moor although Saddleworth Moor is very close.

We planned a day trip out to view an exhibition of photographs by a friend on our course. The images below are my memories of the day.

 Life in Marsden Village

The church of St Bartholomew completed in 1899