Re: [Largeformat] Photo 101 - Class 26 - The First Exposure

[Douglas Cooper <douglas@metaversalstudios.com>]

Okay, I just took my first exam in Large Format 101. Exposed my first two 
sheets of T-Max.   And probably got a D-.  It was comical:  I took my 
girlfriend out by the Hudson River to model for me, and neither of us were 
aware that the weather had turned chilly, and that a fierce wind had blown 
up.  I left my fleece behind -- the one that was, um, supposed to function 
as a darkcloth.

Okay, so there we are, the sun rapidly disappearing, and no dark 
cloth.  And we're freezing.  I open the Kodak Readyload box, and the 
"exposed" stickers immediately blow into the river.  I manage to grab the 
instructions before they disappear too.  By now I'm completely frazzled; my 
girlfriend is shooting me painful looks, and I just want to get this over 
with.  Bad frame of mind in which to do nice, meditative photography.

I bend over to adjust the tripod, but I've neglected to lock the tilt on 
the tripod, and the camera pivots down onto my head.  Painful, but I'm far 
more worried about the lens.  The front element has definitely made full 
contact with my bald head -- there's a patch of grease on the coating -- 
but apparently no damage.  (Schneider, even in the seventies, was making a 
pretty serious product.)

If I was frazzled before, I'm now close to a florid nervous 
breakdown.  Nevertheless, I somehow manage to figure out the Readyload 
system (after inserting the Polaroid holder in the wrong way around).

Of course, by this time the sun has almost disappeared, so I wing 
it:  about forty-five seconds.  With a crescent moon in the corner of the 
screen.  Moonrise Over Battery Park!   I somehow manage to remove the 
Readyload, flip it over, and make a second exposure.  I'll let you know how 
it turns out.

Nice trial by fire.  When I return home, there's even blood on the 
camera!  I think I'm going to like this.

cheers,


Douglas Cooper