Posted by Doyle Thomas on October 4, 2006 at 5:27 PM
I have reached a milestone.
About ten years ago I bought a scanner with PS3 (Agfa Arcus II) and started up the digial learning curve. I scanned my entire portfolio of 4x5 transparencys without any color management as it was very expensive. Having come from a color darkroom where I was making masked Cibachrome(later Ilfochrome)prints at 20x24 (ie 4x)I was disapointed with the printing technology of the times and the dynamic range of the scanner. I bought the first Epson Stylus Pro printer(it did'ent have a number, it made a great print that lasted about a year or two if well cared for and laminated.
About four years ago I bought a new scanner as the technology had advanced greatly. I bought an Epson 1680 with higher resolution and more importantly greater dynamic range. With color management in place I started rescanning everything. By then I had an Epson 2000, and a 3000 but I did not do much digital printing. The experence was invaluable however as it was a much cheaper means of studying an image prior to going in the darkroom.
Last year I attended the National Association of PhotoShop Professionals convention in Las Vagas and in April of this year attended the Epson Print Acadmy workshop in Seattle. I learned so much that I started over again. I also purchased the Epson 7800 printer(I prefer to call it a digital enlarger).
Thankfully, by this time PS supported layers and only a few images needed to be rescanned. I tossed all layers on most of them and reworked everything. The most influnce was a result of Dan Margulis's workshop on L*A*B color correction and I highly recommend his book.
So anyway, I have now completed scanning and printing all my 4x5's and have started on the 8x10's.
Working in the darkroom(so to speak)is, I find, as satisfying creatively as working in the field and I have not been out much. As I don't have a lot of 8x10's to do(yet!)I'm going back to the field. I took the #60 road from Trout Lake to Carson yesterday, very nice up there. I made an exposure in the river at Beacon Rock and got the lecture from the Park Ranger about "work for profit permits" That big camera draws them like magenets. I was so spooked it took me 30 mins to get my Mind back.
Why 8x10? There is no noticable difference between a 24x30 print from 4x5(5x)and from 8x10(3x)on the Epson enlarger and I do not have a conventional 8x10 enlarger. I can tell you that there is a very notable increase in sharpness on an Ilfochrome 5x print from 4x5. I hope to come by a conventional enlarger some day and who is to say where digital technology will take us.
The intimacy that large format provides can not be duplicated. Flatness of field and perspective control are more important than the increased sharpness that is due to less enlargement.
The only lens I own with an image circle that will cover 8x10 at infinity is my 210mm and that is with no swings and tilts. That would be roughly about 40mm on a 35mm so slightly wide angle. This places constrants on choise of subject. Mostly I like to use it with extension to get close to the subject.
THIS IMAGE:
CALUMET C1
RODENSTOCK 210Smm NO EXTENSION
FRONT STANDARD TILT AND FALL
FUJI PROVIA
F/32.5 80 SECONDS
SPOKANE COUNTY, WASHINGTON 2000
Thanks for listening, forgive the spelling, Doyle
Posted by Tim Goodspeed on October 4, 2006 at 6:07 PM
Excellent shot, Doyle. Great color and framing.
Posted by Curtis Knight on October 4, 2006 at 6:22 PM
Nice image. lots of mood, and... BURRRRR!!!
Say did you happen to pull into Natural Bridges on your way down the 60 road? Brian and I were up there Saturday and the VM was just flamming! Yellows, oranges, reds, man it was a sight to behold! And it wasn't even quite at peak yet either!
Posted by Mike Dawson on October 4, 2006 at 6:55 PM
Very nice, and some interesting info in your prologue as well
Posted by Doyle Thomas on October 4, 2006 at 7:15 PM
Cutris,
I thought I had hit all the regular posters websites but I missed your's. I like it a lot. Yes I did stop at Natural Bridges but no exposures. I made a total of three while out there. At $15 per click you need to be very selective though I try not to think about the $$$ while in the field.
Posted by Erik Lundh on October 4, 2006 at 11:57 PM
Doyle,
Thanks for the time you put into your post. Interesting stuff. I bought the book your referring to on lab color about six months ago. Its an excellent read. My only problem is that I want to do lab color with every shot and I know it doesn't work all the time. especially if you already have nice saturated and vivid colors. BTW, I love your image. It has a nice feel to it.
I do miss working with large format. Thanks for sharing. I've never done 8x10 but did quite a bit of 4x5 for awhile. I think I'm sticking with digital now though, but dang sometimes I wish I still has my rosewood camera. Oh, and a nice image too!
Discussion
6 repliesAbout ten years ago I bought a scanner with PS3 (Agfa Arcus II) and started up the digial learning curve. I scanned my entire portfolio of 4x5 transparencys without any color management as it was very expensive. Having come from a color darkroom where I was making masked Cibachrome(later Ilfochrome)prints at 20x24 (ie 4x)I was disapointed with the printing technology of the times and the dynamic range of the scanner. I bought the first Epson Stylus Pro printer(it did'ent have a number, it made a great print that lasted about a year or two if well cared for and laminated.
About four years ago I bought a new scanner as the technology had advanced greatly. I bought an Epson 1680 with higher resolution and more importantly greater dynamic range. With color management in place I started rescanning everything. By then I had an Epson 2000, and a 3000 but I did not do much digital printing. The experence was invaluable however as it was a much cheaper means of studying an image prior to going in the darkroom.
Last year I attended the National Association of PhotoShop Professionals convention in Las Vagas and in April of this year attended the Epson Print Acadmy workshop in Seattle. I learned so much that I started over again. I also purchased the Epson 7800 printer(I prefer to call it a digital enlarger).
Thankfully, by this time PS supported layers and only a few images needed to be rescanned. I tossed all layers on most of them and reworked everything. The most influnce was a result of Dan Margulis's workshop on L*A*B color correction and I highly recommend his book.
So anyway, I have now completed scanning and printing all my 4x5's and have started on the 8x10's.
Working in the darkroom(so to speak)is, I find, as satisfying creatively as working in the field and I have not been out much. As I don't have a lot of 8x10's to do(yet!)I'm going back to the field. I took the #60 road from Trout Lake to Carson yesterday, very nice up there. I made an exposure in the river at Beacon Rock and got the lecture from the Park Ranger about "work for profit permits" That big camera draws them like magenets. I was so spooked it took me 30 mins to get my Mind back.
Why 8x10? There is no noticable difference between a 24x30 print from 4x5(5x)and from 8x10(3x)on the Epson enlarger and I do not have a conventional 8x10 enlarger. I can tell you that there is a very notable increase in sharpness on an Ilfochrome 5x print from 4x5. I hope to come by a conventional enlarger some day and who is to say where digital technology will take us.
The intimacy that large format provides can not be duplicated. Flatness of field and perspective control are more important than the increased sharpness that is due to less enlargement.
The only lens I own with an image circle that will cover 8x10 at infinity is my 210mm and that is with no swings and tilts. That would be roughly about 40mm on a 35mm so slightly wide angle. This places constrants on choise of subject. Mostly I like to use it with extension to get close to the subject.
THIS IMAGE:
CALUMET C1
RODENSTOCK 210Smm NO EXTENSION
FRONT STANDARD TILT AND FALL
FUJI PROVIA
F/32.5 80 SECONDS
SPOKANE COUNTY, WASHINGTON 2000
Thanks for listening, forgive the spelling, Doyle
Say did you happen to pull into Natural Bridges on your way down the 60 road? Brian and I were up there Saturday and the VM was just flamming! Yellows, oranges, reds, man it was a sight to behold! And it wasn't even quite at peak yet either!
I thought I had hit all the regular posters websites but I missed your's. I like it a lot. Yes I did stop at Natural Bridges but no exposures. I made a total of three while out there. At $15 per click you need to be very selective though I try not to think about the $$$ while in the field.
Thanks for the time you put into your post. Interesting stuff. I bought the book your referring to on lab color about six months ago. Its an excellent read. My only problem is that I want to do lab color with every shot and I know it doesn't work all the time. especially if you already have nice saturated and vivid colors. BTW, I love your image. It has a nice feel to it.