Last week, when I had a few days off work, I decided to go and shoot some more sheets of film with my large format camera. It’s been over six months now since I first got a 4×5 camera, and in that time I’ve bought two of them. This wasn’t my original intent but, due to problems with the first camera that I was unable to resolve I was left with two options. The first, give up on large format, wasn’t really an option as I’d invested in all the associated kit that goes with the format (plus I didn’t want to give up on it). The second option was to bite the bullet and buy a replacement camera and, thanks to finding a used Chamonix model at a good price, this was the route I took. There was actually a third option too – to borrow a camera from someone, and this is what I’d set out to do before I found the Chamonix. In fact I’ve still been loaned another camera and a couple of lenses, meaning that I’ll soon have shot three large format cameras in this relatively short period of time!

However, shooting large format is not something that can be done on a whim. While 35mm and even medium format cameras can generally be picked up and taken out to make some pictures quickly and easily, large format demands much more of my time, both in terms of setting the equipment up to make a picture, and also in preparing for an outing in the form of loading film into holders using a changing bag. No grabbing a roll of film and quickly dropping it into the back of the camera with this format!

What this has meant is that I haven’t really been out with a large format camera all that many times and so I’m not well practiced in using the gear. I know what I’m doing, but I’m not very good at it yet, which means I tend to make mistakes every time I do have a session. Not major mistakes usually, but enough to reduce the quality of my work to some extent. Still, practice makes perfect, so I try to get out and use the large format when a suitable opportunity presents itself.

I had hoped that last week would be such an opportunity as the weather had looked promising, but it turned out to be less optimal than I’d hoped in the end. I decided to visit Magpie Mine in the Peak District, a place I’ve photographed before, and which I thought might be promising for some 4×5 photographs. The day had a cloudy sky, albeit one with plenty of texture and relatively frequent gaps where the sunshine would break through. With smaller formats it’s relatively easy to take advantage of the good light when it fleetingly appears. Not so much with large format as, by the time you’ve set everything up, the light has changed again. This was made even more difficult by a brisk wind that was present. While the camera wasn’t being blown about too much (although I did lose one shot due to camera shake), the darkcloth that I use to be able to see the ground glass on the rear of the camera was whipping around like a dervish and making it very difficult to check composition and focus.

While there was the occasion splash of nice light, I didn’t have the skill (or patience to wait!) to make use of it, so the shots I took at the location are a little flat. I’d planned on shooting more images while there, but the conditions (well, the wind) meant I decided to head off to somewhere in a more sheltered position.

Of the three shots posted here today, the first is probably the best executed. The focus is good across the piece and, while the lighting could be better, the subject isn’t harmed by it too much. The second picture is my facourite in terms of composition, but I wish I’d closed the aperture another stop as the distant buildings aver a teeny bit soft (although the wall in the forground and the building at middle distance are both fine). The final picture of the lone chimney, was a bit of an experiment. I wondered how it might look shot wide open at f/5.6. However all this has done really is soften the foreground grass, add a noticeable vignette and, because there was probably a bit of tilt on the front standard that I neglected to check properly due to my frustration with the wind, has thrown the top of the chimney out of focus too. Still, as I’ve already said, practice makes perfect, and every time I use the camera it’s a learning experience!

Chamonix 045N-1. Fujinon NW 135mm f/5.6 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°

Taken 1 August 2023.