[LargeFormat] Death of Large Format !

[Joseph O'Neil]

At 16:51 12/3/03 -0500, you wrote:
>At one time uranium oxide was used to produce a very rich yellow glaze on 
>pottery.  I think I used one of Matthew Brady's cameras to photograph some 
>of them in a past life. :)

-snip-
         Actually, I have an old WW2 ere (1943 to be exact, uing the 
CAMEROSITY legend) Kodak Aero ektar.  Uses thorium int eh rear two 
elements, and yepper, they're "hot".  exaclty hwo hot, I am not sure, but 
if you take a sheet of HP5, sit the lens on top of the bare sheet (in my 
darkroom in total darkness of course), and leave it overnight, then develop 
it, hey, you get lots fo neat "fireworks" on that negative.  :)

         As for the "death" of large format, man, am I ever getting tired 
of doomsday senarios.  I mean, even if humanmity were to over night solve 
all wars, world hunger, aids, global warming, the ozone layer and Michael 
Jackson, the point is, we woudl all still die - sonner or later.  What's 
the old saying - every life is a trajedy, it allways ends in death.

         BTW - if any of you have figured a way out of this corner, feel 
free to e-mail me.  :)

         So, if you have something you enjoy, go for it.  I love my LF 
gear,and if somebody wants to spend  5 years wages ona  peice of equipment 
that has a commerical life span fo three years,a nd sucks up battery power 
faster than a starving vampire let loose in a blood blank - hey cool, go 
for it.  But i seriously doubt it's the death knell for large format.

         To put things another way, didn't large format face "extintion" 
when pros moved from LF to 120 or 35mm, many, many moons ago.  Personally I 
think  if large format  survied that exodus, ti will survice the digitla 
exodus too.
joe








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