[belch_queen]

Originally Posted by Jim Jones

You might get plenty of hands-on training in LF photography. You also may be left to learn much on your own. If so, there are several good books on LF photography. My favorite, and perhaps the most comprehensive, is Leslie Stroebel's "View Camera Technique." It is available in several editions over many years. Books on the subject by Steve Simmons Jim Stone, and Harvey Shaman and perhaps others are also useful. These are sometimes available at modest cost from online booksellers such as http://www.abebooks.com/. Any school that expects students to use LF must have at least one of the two series on photography by Ansel Adams. They don't go into great detail, but have much good information. Finally, remember that a large format camera without a tripod is like a car without gas.

In some ways LF photography is very exacting; in others, quite casual. If you can experiment at home, and have a small dark place to develop film, cheap film processed in print developer often suffices while learning some of the basics. A computer and a scanner with a 4x5 transparancy unit is a quick way to view the results. You'll need some film holders. The instructor can advise you on the quantity. A cheap hardware store bullseye level is handy for archetectural photography. Of course you need a darkcloth. Any nearly opaque cloth works indoors. Outdoors it should be white on the outside to reflect heat, and of course black on the inside. Some exposures may be long. Musicians can count seconds accurately, but a watch may be more convenient. I use a cheap (under $10 at most camera stores) magnifier for focusing. One can spend much more, but it isn't necessary. Feel free to ask specific questions. Other sites that can be quite helpful are http://www.apug.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13 and http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/

awesome. thanks!

and i have a nice heavy tripod..and the legs are as big as my arms =) haha.