Yeah, I admire Jack. But, he can use any gear he wants to. He did write the book on 4x5 landscapes, and you can't take that away. Maybe it's just a phase. He started working with the ILCP and also doing African workshops, two jobs in which digital is a necessity. I shoot 4x5 and digital. There's nothing wrong with it.
Posted by Benjamin Glatt on February 22, 2010 at 2:12 PM
He also does some shooting with an iPhone..a couple friends of mine spotted him leading a workshop and snapping some shots with his iPhone in the Alabama Hills.
I like my 4x5 and use it for 99.9% of my work; but, that's me. It really doesn't matter if Jack, or anyone else, for that matter, uses film or digital, as long as they create images that support their vision and meet their goals.
--P
Posted by Harley Goldman on February 22, 2010 at 2:23 PM
I had read about Jack going mostly digital. It doesn't matter much to me what anyone else uses. I have a 4x5 system and a really nice digital system. I prefer using the 4x5 and use it for the vast majority of my work. Whatever works for you. If digital works for Jack, fine by me. It won't make me stop shooting my 4x5.
Posted by Mike Bohlander on February 22, 2010 at 3:34 PM
Kind of interesting as he is one of the very long time prime shooters for Arizona Highways, and I most recently read an article somewhere that they insisted that their team use 4x5 for their large spread images. I wonder if he had issues with the QL's going away.
Oh well, nothing is forever I suppose. I'll just keep burning film until there ain't no more. In fact, as he is going digital now it will just mean more film left for us old die-hards.
Posted by Richard Wong on February 22, 2010 at 8:28 PM
It doesn't matter to me though it would be interesting to see if there is a noticeable shift in the types of images he shoots. Hopefully he doesn't get into compositng though as I'd rather just see straight images.
Posted by Eric Good on February 22, 2010 at 8:46 PM
I thought the current OP article was an interesting read... and one of the best covers they've had in a while IMO.
Posted by Steve Sieren on February 23, 2010 at 12:53 AM
Sorry guys, hope I didn't come off ass a hoo ray for digital thread, just curious as what you die hard MFer's & LFer's thought about it.
The Borderlands Rave project was created in a very short amount of time and the digital probably helped speed up the process for Jack like Jeffrey mentions. Taking away the QL's might have added to the choice for digital in a constraint like that.
Richard, I'm sure if he chooses to composite he will do it tastefully.
"Sorry guys, hope I didn't come off ass a hoo ray for digital thread, just curious as what you die hard MFer's & LFer's thought about it."
No need to apologize, Steve. I didn't take your post as a 'rave for digital' at all.
A camera is just a tool. How we use it to express our vision and creativity is what counts. My preference is for 4x5 because it suits me, and I'll keep at it until....
-P
Posted by Steve Sieren on February 23, 2010 at 2:41 AM
Let's hope that .... is far away!
Posted by Paul Duval on February 23, 2010 at 8:12 AM
Well,
I think film will be around probably for a long time, I know of photographers who have purchased vintage wet plate cameras like the ones used by William Henry Jackson, Timothy O'Sullivan, Carleton Watkins and George Fiske and continue to make images by that process. While not a film shooter myself I can definitely observe that the creative process for a format photographer is much different than a Dslr or for that matter a 35mm film photographer. Irregardless Digital cameras are still cameras and suffer the same foibles and faults of film cameras. It's just they store their images electronically instead of chemically. If you want to spend bou-cou bucks you can get a digital camera with a huge sensor that mimics the detail capture of a format camera. I suppose they operate similar I've never seen one.
Under conditions where I am waiting for light like a dawn shoot I might put my Olympus e-500 on the tripod and set it up with all of the manual settings Iso, aperture, exposure etc and hang the Nikon D-300 around my neck to catch quickly breaking images around me 360 degrees. That's me and it seems to work. I would be saddened if film ( format ) passes away ( and with processing businesses closing it's a possibility ) because while still photography it's an art all it's own.
Paul
Posted by Harley Goldman on February 23, 2010 at 10:18 AM
Steve,
I did not take your question as a hooray for digital in the least.
I actually wish I liked shooting digital more than I do. Digital is far faster and the files are much easier and quicker to process. I already own the digital camera and there are not film and processing costs when using it. The results are damn good too. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I really enjoy the slow, contemplative zen-like process of setting up a 4x5 in the field. It gets my head into my photography far more and I feel like I get better results from 4x5. For the foreseeable future, I expect to keep shooting large format for the vast majority of my work.
Steve, I'm sure all took your post and question with your main intent, which was to be informative. I was totally unaware of Jack's move to digital. As Preston, Paul D. and Harley have pointed out in their comments posted here, there are various medias to be used in capturing images, ALL still have a place in the photographic art world, thankfully.!
Posted by Dan Baumbach on February 23, 2010 at 10:51 AM
People like Jack make their living through photography so it's also a business decision about money and productivity. For those of us who spend their living through photography, we get to use the equipment that we like best.
- Dan
Posted by Ben Horne on February 23, 2010 at 10:56 AM
Harley Goldman Wrote: "I really enjoy the slow, contemplative zen-like process of setting up a 4x5 in the field. It gets my head into my photography far more and I feel like I get better results from 4x5."
This is the exact reason why I prefer to shoot with film. I enjoy the process of LF. It forces me to think through the entire process. With digital, it is so fast and so easy to capture an image. As a result, I don't think through the composition as much. Also, you can "get away" with certain things on digital more than with film. With a LF camera and slide film, there is very little forgiveness -- so all the settings need to be downright perfect.
Posted by Benjamin Glatt on February 23, 2010 at 8:23 PM
he can shoot with whatever he like as long as the results are great.
maybe age (and agility) is also a factor why he chose a lighter set-up. (?) hiking deep into deserts with 4x5 ain't getting easier when you get older. just a thought.
as long as there are choices to get E6 labs, there will be film, when the E6 labs keep closing, it will all come to a sudden end. might happen faster then we would expect now.
I hope Jacks work will still be distinguishable (at least the north american desert-stuff) and not turn into everyday-soup, like it happened with some other LF masters.
georg
Posted by Chris Rice on February 28, 2010 at 7:35 PM
In the words of Chase Jarvis, "the Best Camera is the one that's with you"...
Discussion
19 repliesI know we have a lot of film photographers here at CANP so I'm just wondering what your thoughts on that might be??
If you are not a Dykinga fan you might not even care but I do love his desert photography.
--P
Interesting read about his technique and motivations
Oh well, nothing is forever I suppose. I'll just keep burning film until there ain't no more. In fact, as he is going digital now it will just mean more film left for us old die-hards.
The Borderlands Rave project was created in a very short amount of time and the digital probably helped speed up the process for Jack like Jeffrey mentions. Taking away the QL's might have added to the choice for digital in a constraint like that.
Richard, I'm sure if he chooses to composite he will do it tastefully.
Thanks for the link Mike!
No need to apologize, Steve. I didn't take your post as a 'rave for digital' at all.
A camera is just a tool. How we use it to express our vision and creativity is what counts. My preference is for 4x5 because it suits me, and I'll keep at it until....
-P
I think film will be around probably for a long time, I know of photographers who have purchased vintage wet plate cameras like the ones used by William Henry Jackson, Timothy O'Sullivan, Carleton Watkins and George Fiske and continue to make images by that process. While not a film shooter myself I can definitely observe that the creative process for a format photographer is much different than a Dslr or for that matter a 35mm film photographer. Irregardless Digital cameras are still cameras and suffer the same foibles and faults of film cameras. It's just they store their images electronically instead of chemically. If you want to spend bou-cou bucks you can get a digital camera with a huge sensor that mimics the detail capture of a format camera. I suppose they operate similar I've never seen one.
Under conditions where I am waiting for light like a dawn shoot I might put my Olympus e-500 on the tripod and set it up with all of the manual settings Iso, aperture, exposure etc and hang the Nikon D-300 around my neck to catch quickly breaking images around me 360 degrees. That's me and it seems to work. I would be saddened if film ( format ) passes away ( and with processing businesses closing it's a possibility ) because while still photography it's an art all it's own.
Paul
I did not take your question as a hooray for digital in the least.
I actually wish I liked shooting digital more than I do. Digital is far faster and the files are much easier and quicker to process. I already own the digital camera and there are not film and processing costs when using it. The results are damn good too. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I really enjoy the slow, contemplative zen-like process of setting up a 4x5 in the field. It gets my head into my photography far more and I feel like I get better results from 4x5. For the foreseeable future, I expect to keep shooting large format for the vast majority of my work.
- Dan
This is the exact reason why I prefer to shoot with film. I enjoy the process of LF. It forces me to think through the entire process. With digital, it is so fast and so easy to capture an image. As a result, I don't think through the composition as much. Also, you can "get away" with certain things on digital more than with film. With a LF camera and slide film, there is very little forgiveness -- so all the settings need to be downright perfect.
maybe age (and agility) is also a factor why he chose a lighter set-up. (?) hiking deep into deserts with 4x5 ain't getting easier when you get older. just a thought.
as long as there are choices to get E6 labs, there will be film, when the E6 labs keep closing, it will all come to a sudden end. might happen faster then we would expect now.
I hope Jacks work will still be distinguishable (at least the north american desert-stuff) and not turn into everyday-soup, like it happened with some other LF masters.
georg