A Recent Article from Outdoor & Nature Photography - Winter 1998

Nature's Light: Large Format Landscapes of the Southwest

by Michael Fatali

I was precariously leaning over the canyon passageway as I pitched a small stone, listening to hear it reach the canyon floor. I could hear only the sounds of my nerves starting to quiver as I was about to descend into a deep and dark crevice, perhaps bottomless, or the home of the king rattle snake. Dangling from a rope, I used my legs and hands to protect myself and the camera gear from smacking against the slick rock walls. With a few minor scrapes I met the canyon floor in one piece. I'll admit to being slightly crazed but I am a believer of being half-mad in order to capture the holy light on film.

"Hey, lower my tripod, quick." I shouted in a state of visual excitement. I began to set up my "fat" camera- the 8x10 format- and proceeded to expose a sheet of film. I noticed that the light was beginning to move during the five-minute exposure time, and soon became a mere shadow of time. It's experiences like this one and the incredible images of the Desert Southwest that keep me motivated and willing to take risks.

The Large Format Camera. Photography is a vehicle to convey one's visual experiences and to share them with others. With that objective in mind, choosing the appropriate camera format is an essential part of the creative process. Today the ancient view camera is undergoing a revival in popularity and it can make a wonderful photography experience. If you're making the transition from a smaller format, you can expect some difficulties initially produced by the change in your tools and visions.

For example, viewing a reversed, upside-down image on a view camera's ground glass screen can be disconcerting. I have become used to this, of course, and I think that viewing the world in this manner has an advantage. You can look at a scene more graphically, observing pure graphics: the shapes, lines, colors, and balance. Work with these elements to achieve the most satisfying results and landscape offers.

On the other hand, when photo-trekking in the back of the beyond - in a harsh wilderness environment perhaps - the smaller camera format may be tempting because it weighs a lot less. Other benefits include lower film cost, compact size, greater variety of lenses, built-in light meter, and the speed of camera setup.

The large format view camera has its own set of advantages including extraordinary perspective control known as movements. These allow for a high degree of control over the image shape, distortion, and depth of field. In other types of cameras, the camera back and the lens are held parallel to each other. The view camera's front lens and film plane can be adjusted independent of each other allowing for tilt, swing, and the rise and fall of the lensboard and the film plane. These controls are one of the most persuasive reasons for using the view camera. I take advantage of these movements mostly for controlling the degree of image sharpness throughout the scene in my compositions. These techniques help achieve great depth of field; nearby subjects in the foreground and distant background elements can be rendered in focus.

The large format camera takes a great deal of self-discipline; the methodical process requires careful attention to detail. I have also found this discipline teaches you ways to slow down and see nature in a more intimate manner. For example, the cost of large format film will prohibit you from blasting off several exposures in the hope that one may work. This will force you to evaluate the scene more carefully and objectively. Eventually, this self-discipline will become a part of the creative approach, allowing you to express your emotional responses to the natural world with fewer hang-ups about the equipment. Perhaps equipment handling techniques should be learned and then stored away in your subconscious.

While the built-in light meter of smaller formats sounds like a blessing, I always use an accessory Pentax spot meter. It gives me a lot of freedom to take readings of all different areas of the scene so I can previsualize where I'm going to place my exposure and where the different values will fall. A spot meter allows me to meter several areas and read how far apart they are in stops. Then I can decide on the shade of color or how much information I want to hold in the shadows and highlights, setting my final exposure adjustments with this in mind. Even if I were using a 35mm camera, I'd ignore its light meter because this technique has been so reliable for me.

Note: Some 35mm and medium format systems include perspective control lenses; while these may not have all of the movements of a view camera, they can help to achieve some similar effects.

Making Choices. Why did I choose the 8x10 format? No, it was not for punishment but due to my addiction to detail in the print. This very large format satisfies my taste for extreme quality. The majority of my prints handing in my galleries are 24x30" or larger, making 8x10 an ideal format to work with. The large film size enables me to convey to the viewer a feeling of being in my footsteps with infinite details of visual dimension.

Ever since I have been making prints from my negatives, I have used a large format camera, starting with 4x5. In 1990, I began working with the platinum and palladium processes, making prints the same size as the negatives and switched to the larger 8x10 format. Eventually I decided in favor of color photography exclusively, and found there's nothing quite as beautiful as an 8x10 transparency on a light table. Although there is not a great deal of difference in a 24x30 print from an 8x10 or 4x5 original, the larger camera had become an integral part of my approach to making landscape photographs.

Because they are large, heavy, and expensive, the choice of lenses for large format is an important decision. For my own visual journeys in the Desert Southwest. I generally carry three, from 120-800mm, comparable to 20mm and135mm focal lengths in the 35mm format. The choice of lenses depends on your optical palette and your own way of seeing, so your choice may differ from mine.

Note: Keep in mind that a 4x5 camera system has significant weight and size advantages especially if you prefer the longer focal lengths. To get the same angle of view in 4x5 as in 8x10, the focal lengths are considerably shorter. The 4x5 cameras are less expensive and more readily available in a broad variety of types and styles. Either of the large format negatives or transparencies is capable of producing exquisite images.

Some landscape photographers use a lot of filters, but I rarely do so because I can usually achieve a similar effect by selecting a desired exposure and film choice. I can also control color balance when I formulate the recipe for the Ilfochrome Classic print in the darkroom. I like to carry at least two film types, with different characteristics of contrast and exposure latitude. I'll use Velvia in really soft or subtle light which may look flat and dull to the eye; this film will saturate the colors and build contrast for a more pleasing effect. In a scene that is a lot more contrasty, I'll use Fujichrome Astia 100 instead to get more highlights and shadow detail.

Personal Vision. Natural light is my only choice when photographing landscapes. To me, there is no other way to communicate the quality of nature's light. I look for ways to compose these natural phenomena in ways that convey feeling. This approach helps shape my own photographic voice in a world photographed by many different styles and approaches. My philosophy in this regard is simple: pursue a path holding the integrity of your own vision.

Photographers sometimes have preconceived ideas as to the image they want to make. For example, they'll look at a photograph in my gallery which inspires them to find the same subject. They are often disappointed when they get there because the scene does not match their expectation of how it should look: the lighting, the vegetation, and other colors in the scene, the color and texture of the sky and so on. My suggestion is to be a little more open and flexible, letting the different events of nature come to you. Allow that to happen and you can make an entirely different image; it will be an expression of your reactions to the landscape in front of you at the time.

Hiking with Large Format. No one will attempt to convince you that it's easy hiking with a large pack filled with camera and survival gear. On a typical backpacking trip I'm probably carrying 80 lbs. including a sleeping bag, food, and water for three or more nights of camping. Being in good physical shape is a must and shouldn't be taken lightly.

Making an appropriate choice of camera pack is also critical to your outdoor enjoyment. I would select one that distributes the weight on your hips instead of your shoulders. Most photographers can relate to shoulder strain, but the right pack makes the experience more comfortable. The majority of serious camera pack manufacturers are very conscientious about their engineering design in order to protect the camera gear. Still, not every one offers a suitable design for your body when carrying excessive amounts of weight. I prefer a backpack such as a Gregory, Lowe, or North Face but suggest you check out several types - with heavy weight inside the pack - when shopping.

Note: Invest in a good pair of hiking boots, break them in before a long trip and carry plenty of mole skins for your blisters.

Conclusion. When you're hiking and you see an incredible scene, one that strikes an emotional chord, it's tempting to pick up a camera and just start shooting. If you do so, you may find that the final images do not come close to representing the emotion you felt. Instead of shooting all those frames, consider stopping to study the scene more carefully. Think about how you will expose and compose it and how your film can best capture some of the excitement you are feeling.

I spend a lot of time in an area studying it at different times of day, just watching the light move across the land. I'm looking for something that brings an emotional response that I want to express in my photograph. I think that a passion for - and an intimacy with - your subject is the key to producing something meaningful. Because I carry only a few sheets of film in my pack, I don't have the luxury of blasting away. This helps encourage that discipline I mentioned earlier: a careful study of the scene, of the composition, of how the lines are flowing, what the light is doing, and how I should expose the subject.

If a 35mm camera is your primary choice for landscape photography, I suggest treating it like a view camera to broaden your photographic discipline and intellect. This is what I emphasize in my workshops too: it's not how many photographs you make - it's the number of images that are truly expressive. No matter what type of equipment you are using, remember that landscape photography is not about depth of field, it's about depth of feeling.