When I use my "ordinary SLR" I often check through the viewfinder for potential shots. Sometimes the viewfinder reveals things I did not notice before. Or what looks good to the eye does not look good in the viewfinder. So the viewfinder had always been an aide in my search for compositions.
That is not so easy with LF. I find that I now have to rely on my eyes alone. Through years of viewfinder checking I have learned to recognize promising compositions. The viewfinder now basically verifies what I see as potential. So I think I am adapting to not constantly checking the viewfinder. It is this experience I am using for my LF photography.
How do you find your compositions for Large Format photography? Do you see exactly what you want before you set up the camera? Or do you discover things as you view the ground glass? I realize of course that there are always minor adjustments during the composing of the image.
Thank you for your response. All replies are highly appreciated.
When I started with LF I used the same mode you describe - identify something promising, then set up the camera and explore it, moving the camera around, changing lenses etc. After a couple of years though I realized I was no longer doing it and compositions became more obvious to me before ever setting up the camera.
Of course you can always use a cardboard cutout or hand-held viewfinder as a composition aid as well.
Guy
Posted by Robert Helms on April 29, 2006 at 8:40 AM
I'm starting to get to the point that I see compositions in the 150mm range before I even set my pack down. I suppose this is due to the 150 being my most used lens. For the most part though I still use my 35mm viewfinder to give me a better idea of how all the elements will fit together. By using the 35mm it gives someone a better understanding of how the final image will look using a tool that they are familiar with.
I would like to get to the point that I just drop my pack and already know what lens I need. However, I still fumble around and take forever to do anything. The cutout is a helpful composition aid; if you do not already own one you may want to look them up or make one yourself.
With LF and my limited range of lens (two actually), I learned to trust my eyes. But I'm still carrying cardboard cut out. Of course, sometimes I see a potential with my eyes, but on the ground glass it reveals all the weaknesses. I guess that one year of using LF camera isn't nearly enough .
I have made a cutout and tried it. It can be an useful aid. But can this cutout or viewfinder checking eventually become a "crutch" instead of an aid? I was told that LF allows for compositions that are not with the realm of 35mm. Would we discover those with a cutout or viewfinder from a 35mm? Should we learn to see with unaided eyes (glasses excepted, of course )?
Thank you for your replies.
Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
Posted by Dan Baumbach on April 29, 2006 at 7:09 PM
Like the rest of you, I would put my 35mm camera down of the tripod and compose through the viewfinder often using a zoom lens. With 4x5 I've learned to look for compositions with my eyes, sometimes framing them with my hands before I set up my camera. I refine the composition on the ground glass with camera position and lens choice but I don't have the freedom of just looking through an SLR to see if things look good.
Will, with the exception of frame width/height ratio, the same compositions can be achieved with a view camera as with any other. The view camera allows you to control distortion and focus better than other types.
I don't think you're at a risk of becoming dependent on the cutout as a composition aid. Eventually with enough repetition, being able to visualize compositions is not that different from other common activities that we perform subconsciously while focusing on more cognitive activities.
My 4x5 efforts aren't too much different from my 35mm efforts - most compositions are found without pulling out the camera. That being said, I tend to shoot far fewer images than most of the folks I know so maybe I missing out on some opportunities by not exploring them further through the viewfinder or using an aid like the cutout.
I'm always mentally composing as I'm hiking along, but something has to really strike me before I'll go to the trouble of making an image. At that point, I know that there's something there to work with, and I'm using the viewfinder or ground glass to fine-tune the comp rather than explore the scene.
Posted by Tony Kuyper on April 30, 2006 at 2:34 PM
There are also viewfinders with multiple focal lengths for 4x5 cameras. Linhof makes one, but they are pricey. You can put a string on it and hang it around your neck and preview your compositon before you unpack your camera. I still have one and used to use it when I was still doing 4x5. For me though, compostions are clearer on the ground glass of the SLR than through this instrument.
I use a cutout. I think my compositions improved signficantly when I started using the cutout on a regular basis. Frequently, I find scenes that look good to my eye, but once framed, lose their zip. Conversely, I can look around a scene through the cutout and find interesting compositions.
Hi Will: I carry only a 4x5 and I don't use any composition aids - just my eyes. When I find an image that thrills me, I set up my camera and shoot. Sometimes my subject requires me to 'develop' the composition a bit more and I'll explore it from all the angles to get the single 'best' image, but most of the time I can set up in precisely the right spot with the right lens and fire away.
Like most anything else, the more comfortable you become with the equipment and process the easier it is to compose visually (without aids). Once you can free yourself from the challenges of using the equipment (if you are still in that stage), seeing becomes a lot easier and more exciting.
While in the past checking through the viewfinder has always aided me in choosing compositions. I would see a composition with my eyes and confirm wether or not it is worthy of pursueing with the viewfinder. Cutouts work too and is of course more practical for LF photography.
I prefer to use just my eyes now. I guess the trick is to look for subjects; composition comes after. That is a conclusion I reach when I read your reply, Michael.
It all comes down to practice, practice, practice.
I also just use my eyes to find a composition. I sometimes use my hands to gauge what lens to use. I have noticed that one spread out hand from the tip of my thumb to the tip of my index finger covers the angle of view of my 300mm lens on a 4x5. Like wise my two hands spread out with thumbs touching gives a field of view close to the 150mm. So when I see something that I think will make a good composition, I check which lens I want to start with before I put my pack down.
Although I carry cutouts for my three lenses, I almost never bother using them and instead can just look at a scene and estimate what lens ought to cover the intended frame. Years ago for a decade, I shot 35mm with fixed lenses so estimating lens coverages is second nature. I'll also use my thumb and fingers to make rectangles that I will crudely frame scenes in front of my eyes since that can help evaluate if a scene has good aesthetics. Once I look at the ground glass, I am quick to move my tripod position and adjust its height to optimize whatever the frame needs. In any case with my view camera, I miss the better sense one has with the geometry of a frame when using an SLR.
Discussion
14 repliesThat is not so easy with LF. I find that I now have to rely on my eyes alone. Through years of viewfinder checking I have learned to recognize promising compositions. The viewfinder now basically verifies what I see as potential. So I think I am adapting to not constantly checking the viewfinder. It is this experience I am using for my LF photography.
How do you find your compositions for Large Format photography? Do you see exactly what you want before you set up the camera? Or do you discover things as you view the ground glass? I realize of course that there are always minor adjustments during the composing of the image.
Thank you for your response. All replies are highly appreciated.
Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
Of course you can always use a cardboard cutout or hand-held viewfinder as a composition aid as well.
Guy
I would like to get to the point that I just drop my pack and already know what lens I need. However, I still fumble around and take forever to do anything. The cutout is a helpful composition aid; if you do not already own one you may want to look them up or make one yourself.
Marko
Thank you for your replies.
Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
- Dan.
I don't think you're at a risk of becoming dependent on the cutout as a composition aid. Eventually with enough repetition, being able to visualize compositions is not that different from other common activities that we perform subconsciously while focusing on more cognitive activities.
Guy
I'm always mentally composing as I'm hiking along, but something has to really strike me before I'll go to the trouble of making an image. At that point, I know that there's something there to work with, and I'm using the viewfinder or ground glass to fine-tune the comp rather than explore the scene.
Like most anything else, the more comfortable you become with the equipment and process the easier it is to compose visually (without aids). Once you can free yourself from the challenges of using the equipment (if you are still in that stage), seeing becomes a lot easier and more exciting.
I prefer to use just my eyes now. I guess the trick is to look for subjects; composition comes after. That is a conclusion I reach when I read your reply, Michael.
It all comes down to practice, practice, practice.
Thank you.
Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
I also just use my eyes to find a composition. I sometimes use my hands to gauge what lens to use. I have noticed that one spread out hand from the tip of my thumb to the tip of my index finger covers the angle of view of my 300mm lens on a 4x5. Like wise my two hands spread out with thumbs touching gives a field of view close to the 150mm. So when I see something that I think will make a good composition, I check which lens I want to start with before I put my pack down.
This is pretty much the story of Life, Will. You can't get better at anything without doing plenty of it. There is no substitute for the experience.
...David
www.davidsenesac.com