4x5

Why Film Photography Sucks (and Why I Love It Anyway) by Ray Phung

Shooting in film really sucks sometimes.  Rest assured, for those of you who know me well, I routinely sing the praises of film photography - the look, the feel, the methodology, the technical demands.  I love it.  I feel my own photography has drastically improved since shooting film.  It's one of few things I truly get super, unabashedly geeked out about. And nothing is quite as exciting or satisfying than holding a properly exposed, properly developed negative.  But there is a dark side to this:  there nothing quite as devastating when the perfect shot is ruined because I flubbed it.  Big time.  And while this doesn't happen very often, it does happen, and it's beyond frustrating.  

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Linhof Photo Samples by Ray Phung

After getting my Linhof Technika III up and running, I was anxious to get ahold of some 4x5 sheet film to try it out.  Luckily, my good old buddy Adam (check him and his work out at http://www.contentunknown.com) had an old, and mostly full, box of Arista sheet film.  Adam claimed that this film was left in a desk drawer inside a sweltering warehouse for a couple of summers.  Then lived in the back of his truck for quite sometime.  "Use it at your own risk," he warned.  

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Linhof Technika III Restoration by Ray Phung

I have been interested in trying out 4x5 photography for a while.  I think it's the natural progression of film photography - 35mm is easy and accessible, and then you get the itch for trying bigger and bigger negatives.  Then, add the fact that all the cameras look vintage and cool. I mean who doesn't want to be the guy hiding under a dark cloth to take photos with a 60 year old camera?  

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