Large Format Photography Australia

Backlit Weeds, Soft Focus
Gelatin-silver photograph on Fomabrom Variant III VC FB photographic paper, image size 19.3cm X 24.6cm, from a 8x10 Fomapan 200 negative exposed in a Tachihara 810HD triple extension field view camera fitted with a 300mm f7.5 Wollaston style meniscus lens mounted behind a Copal #3 shutter.

Taking this photograph caused camera damage. The sun is just out of frame with the result that the sun's image fell on one of the bellows pleats and burned a neat, round, 3 mm hole in the bellows. The camera is beginning to fill with smoke at the moment of exposure.

That is amazing and a bit scary... and I suppose quite costly.

Sorry to hear about the bellows, but this image is very dreamy and I like it.

Thanks John Power for your good words. The hole in the camera bellows turned out to be cheap. In fact I used the camera for a couple of years after the accident without noticing anything was amiss. What saved me was that the hole was in the bottom of the bellows facing the bed of the camera which is dark, not a light source, hence no visible light leak. Much later I did the "light bulb in the camera bellows" test to discover several pinholes and the 3mm hole. Patched all the holes with bellows repair tape: 3M type 850 Black Polyester Tape.

I like this very much, Maris,

Much as i agree that the Californian fixation with Straight Photography did yield some notable gems I also maintain that shunning other dispositions can only deny enjoyment of the motherlode that yields the enchantment of the glow that soft focus brings to these backlit weeds.