[LargeFormat] The Big Digit

[Les Newcomer]

> From: "rstein" <rstein@bigpond.net.au>
> Reply-To: largeformat@f32.net
> Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2002 09:23:07 +0800
> To: <largeformat@f32.net>
> Subject: [LargeFormat] The Big Digit
> 
> Dear Friends,
> 
 <big snip>
> remember I am a modified amateur in this art - I don't earn a living by it
> Uncle Dick
> 


with that caveat, I will agree with you whole heartedly. there's no sense
for you to spend major dollars on digital when silver works just fine. As my
High School band teacher said, "If it's not baroque, don't fix it."

 In fact, on occasion I will pull out my 5x7 and my wollensak Velo II and
encourage a few well chosen brides and grooms to be to sit for old style
photography.  I won't do their wedding, I invite them for a light dinner
then we walk a block over to some common gardens and they are amazed that
you can take a picture without a click or whirr, just the lens cap. It's not
profitable, but it pays for itself and a little bit more.


Now on the flip side, I'm working towards working on a book about Speed and
Crown Cameras and all of their accessories and such.  The book needs to be
well illustrated and while part of me want's to shoot everything with a
(mini) speed graphic. That part quickly dissapears when I think of having to
print 150 'catalog shots' by hand to a very specific size.  On the other
hand, a CoolPix 950, some flourescent lights in a softbox, a roll of paper
and a frame of PVC and I've got a quick and efficient studio until dinner
time, when I have to clean off the table. And after dinner I can download,
size and shape in a tiny fraction of what it would take to get the Atwater
Kent* in the darkroom warmed up.

*it came with my Elwood Pattern Works enlarger.

les