My first photograph

Spring 1951, Reisecamera 9x12, Objectiv "Helioplan" Hugo Meyer Doppel Anastigmat.

---

"My view on large format cameras" As long as I remember, cameras were always around. My father was a Painter, who used beside his canvas often a camera as a kind of notebook. He also built his own Darkroom and used the same camera as an enlarger. I was about 7 years old, when I had my first encounter with the Magic. A piece of white paper, floating in a tray with fluid, suddenly became more and more an Image. However vision was not very luminous with the red lights in that time, this was a lifetime-working spark of dedication to photography.

A couple of years later, I was allowed to have my first go with the large camera. It was during a walk in the spring, that I arranged this Image of my parents. Using a tripod, set up by my father, I managed to focus and made this composition on the groundglass. My father checked the distance and through his experience, he guesstimated the exposure time. I could hardly wait till he put the cassette on the camera. I had practiced removing the dark-slide a lot in those years. Finally, when I thought everything was the way I liked, I tripped the shutter.
It took another week to develop the film and another week to print, but we were both very content and to be honest, I still am.

Probably being that close with photography and not having my own camera in that time, other interests, school, army etc. It took another 10 years to explore photography all by myself.

Assisting my father whenever I could or was allowed, I remembered a lot of weird things from those days. My father made a night-exposure from inside the house during a snow blizzard.

I was standing close and actually had an image in my mind, but when the print was finished there was even more magic. Around the streetlights were beautiful circles, this was spectacular I thought. The only thing my father said:"Halo", and was not very happy at all. In retrospect, I had some background after all.

Thanks to this background, there were almost no troubles picking up photography many years later. I guarantee, when you know how to work with those view cameras, you can use any camera around.
It won't work the other way around unfortunately. That's why most people are a little scared of those "BIG BEASTS". If you have the urge to take up photography as a hobby, it would be best to start right away with 4x5". (No kidding!)
Following my advice won't only result in an image quality you never will find afterwards, except if you decide to go bigger that is, you will also experience a kind of meditation with your subject.

Many these days, have seen their subjects only though the viewfinder. You have to try this to know exactly what I mean. Then there's the problem with investment. Nowadays cameras can be bought for low prices, and will enable you to make pictures with no fuzz. For certain occasions however, smaller formats can and must be used, moving objects are inevitable to overcome with the large format.

But as for most things in life, there's no machine that can do everything. On the other hand if Landscapes, Architecture, Portraits or Figure-studies have your interest, then these cameras are unbeatable or unequaled by any other camera. Returning to the question on investment. Often heard, that film is expensive. True to a certain extent, but in practice this can be disregarded as photography with the large format has its own disciplines, one of them is, you will notice very early, it takes some time to take a photograph (or the photograph takes you).

This results in fewer exposures, but what's more convincing, before you finally release the shutter, many mental pictures may have been made beforehand. This is where the craft will start to grow and you will be building a relationship with the actual moment and the magical moment.
When this is resulting in a final exposure, you hopefully will experience that special feeling. I won't try to describe this phenomenal feeling, as I would fail for certain. You tell me later eventually. Then there's the price of the cameras, you better start to look for used view cameras, and there must be a lot of them.

Have a look at garage sales etc.. Speed Graphics are everywhere. Or you can build your own camera or buy a kit. Start with one good lens, don't bargain on this, pay what your pocketbook allows you...you will have this piece of quality for years to come. Finally, search for a steady tripod, 2 cassettes , Light meter, dark cloth and off you go. An alternative when you don't want to invest in lenses, follow the links to Pinhole Photography. If you can afford, see our preferences and ask for information.

The tragedy with photography is, that there's no more progression. Long time ago, there were beautiful procedures to make images of outstanding quality. In these days of Digital Images, cameras are becoming smaller and smaller, you don't have to think anymore. I wonder when the day will come, that a camera will alert you and lead you to a wonderful subject, then when a green light is flashing it is the right moment to expose for the decisive moment.
Anybody can take an image and people seem astonished what those cameras can do, they are happy with the results, they never knew or forgot what quality can look like!
Just view some images of Stieglitz, Sander or any photographer back in the beginning of the 20th century...

Now that there's still time and many subject matters left, I would like to share my experiences with others and pledge if something is worth to be photographed, let's do it with the best possible medium and now! On this very moment.

I will end my view with an answer I picked up somewhere on the question: " What's subject matter " The answer was very direct and straightforward:

That's a subject that matters