5x4 Workshop Sessions
In this workshop, I have learnt how to set up the Sinar F-Series 5x4 large format camera to connect to the tripod - I’ve also learnt how to focus and take a photograph. Due to the price of the colour transparency paper, each move made by the photographer must consider to the result in the final outcome, I like the idea of striving to achieve the image you imagined than capturing a couple of images and hoping for the best. The workshop allowed us to familiarise with the camera and how it operates, understanding the creative freedom that the photographer has with the large format.
Firstly, we set up the tripod, by holding the red buttons to release the legs; the aim was to make sure the tripod was upright and secure for the 5x4 camera to sit above it. So to be extra careful, I made the base (legs) wider to help maintain a good balance if anyone accidently knocks into it. Once the tripod was is set up, the 5x4 camera should simply click into place on the top if the tripod if the camera hasn’t clicked on do not trust it. It is important to take the time to make sure the tripod is secure, not just to prevent damage but to save your shot as well. If the photographer is attempting to focus an image on an uneven or loose tripod, it will make it much harder to sustain the focus in the image.
To begin with, on the camera are small scales and everything should be set to zero, if the camera isn’t aligned to zero it may cause blur in the image. It is important to remember to set these before setting the image up, to avoid any confusion later on. You can even use a spirit level to double check the positioning of the camera, it should always be up straight. The image should appear upside down and back-to-front on-screen, it is advised to use a cloak to assist with the focusing on the image to reveal the detail. There are multiple ways to focus the image, you can either control the distance between the lens and the transparency paper with the monorail and the hook stands that will adjust the focus of the image. The photographer also has the opportunity to adjust the camera in two significant ways that will affect the final result ‘Shift Movement’ & ‘Swing/ Tilt’. The ‘Shift’ movement can adjust either horizontal or vertical and can be applied to either the film or the lens plane to change the position of the subject. Whereas, the ‘Swing/ Tilt’ movement, again, either horizontal or vertical axis to affect the offset of the image. I couldn’t quite get my head around this until I experimented with the camera to notice the significant difference in the perspective of the subject. Both of these movements change the shape within the image, they allow the photographer to adjust the perspective of the subject. If the photographer wants to achieve maximum focus on the subject, you can do it not only with the loupe magnifying glass and the cloak but you can also adjust the distance of the hook stands with a ruler to equivalate the focal length of the camera (150mm Standard Lens) that should produce ‘near infinity’ focus. It is important to analyse the subject through the camera, as the subject and lighting may look correct to us, however, the camera will see different. Working with the camera’s perspective to capture the image is a recording of the result the photographer will achieve. Paul assigned us to take a self-portrait of our group using the shutter release cable. Once the shot was in focus, and we’d gathered the correct aperture with the light metre; we loaded pre-loaded dark slides into the rear of the camera, the white side (the paper) facing the lens so the light can travel into the photographic paper. Dark slides hold the film light tight until revealed inside the camera where the Bellow maintains the light isolation. To photograph the subject, the photographer has to remove the smaller slip on the slide to expose the film from the light tight compartment. When the image has been taken, the slip should fit back into the slide whilst still in the camera and then can be removed, archiving the latent image.
You can locate the aperture and shutter speed on the lens of the camera, which is the standard 150mm 5x4 lens. The lens has a leaf shutter which allows you to shoot and synchronise the flash at any film speed, due to the fact that the whole picture area is exposed simultaneously. Another component of the camera is the bellow, the black tunnelled tube, the bellow (deceiving the 5x4 camera for an accordion) which helps keep the film light tight and only exposed by the image, as the camera is a component camera the bellows can be adjusted for different outcomes.
Photograph of 5x4 Camera adjusted movement to alter the perspective.
Diagram of 5x4 Camera (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/View_camera)
Photograph of the Sinar F-Series Large Format camera.
Photograph of focusing in the Workshop Session.
Photograph of the studio set up with the two lights and the packaging. The packaging was given to us to practise focusing a subject on the camera.
This was a group photograph using the 5x4, of myself, Jack and Sam, experimenting with lighting and the setup of the camera.