a morning of 4x5 film photography | Leo Petroglyphs

[@collincourtois8587]

Beautiful work!!! Thanks for sharing.

[@quietamericanreed]

Re the image with the light issue @7:59 I had some similar issues and think it was my lens hood; when the sun struck it in the right (or wrong) way the hood created a sort of "line flare" across the image. I assume it happens with lenses that have shorter hoods but could be wrong.

[@wietvrouw]

Hey man, keep taking us on these journeys. Especially for people who are just starting out, it is very inspiring to see how you are critical of yourself, yet always pushing through. It takes the fear of not landing every shot for us.

[@blainehenkel6828]

I totally agree with the comments, and fully support what Robbie said 4 days ago. The Stearman Press SP-445 tank system is the way to go. I have been developing 4 x 5 negatives for a year now and they all turned out excellent; have developed at least 30 sheets. In the beginning when I first started developing with this system, there were slight bands on the back side of the negative, but did not show up on the scan, nor the print. With more use of tank, I did not notice them. There is a slight issue with leaking on the top of the tank, but not at all a deal breaker. Loading the sheets for the process is quite easy with just a few dry runs with a used sheet of film. I have great confidence in this system and would highly recommend it for your developing process. It also uses only 16 ounces of chemical, which is a money saver for 4 sheets of film.

[@mattiashaggstrom2049]

Thank you for a calm and relaxing video. I have recently started to shoot 4x5 (and 6x12 with a roll film back) I had a similar light problem as you showed at 7:58. Since it is on the right hand side of the image it is light that exposed the left part of the negative. I believe the light leak is not coming from the dark slide opening, instead it could be caused if you did not pushed the film holder all the way in. That was the case for me anyway. I am using the Mod 54 and have not got any development issues. I do rinse the film in water and with some agitations while I am mixing the developer (HC-110).

[@erichartke4331]

Nice shots Matt and gorgeous camera! I am waiting for my Crown Graphic to arrive it will be my first step into large format.

[@johnbarben]

Love the journey and the honesty - please keep rolling!

[@dimitrisadamopoulos]

Stearman press sp445 and you're golden. Great video thanks for sharing!

[@mattdayphoto]

I’ve ordered one! 🙏🏻

[@dimitrisadamopoulos]

@@mattdayphoto you'll love it! Enjoy! 🤘

[@aguynamedstahl]

Such a great atmosphere in your video! Always love to shot early in the morning, too. I appreciate that you are showing progress which is so important for people which starting with photography.

[@mattdayphoto]

Thank you! And that’s what it’s all about. ❤️

[@RobbieMaynardCreates]

Awesome work, Matt. I like how you really thought about your compositions - As for developing, you gotta get on the Stearman Press 445 bandwagon, its amazing. Life's just a garden, hoe it.

[@vickyroy4796]

Love the vibe Matt, it's calming & provoking me to get down on the roads to photowalks in a relaxed way👌📷

[@MikeGrayFilm]

Loved this. 🙌🏾

[@aiv86]

The third one is very good! So much depth and volume! Thanks for sharing, video is very interesting! Go on!

[@marcomasetti2260]

Hey Matt another great video, thank you. As already suggested by others I use the Stearman sp 445 and had no issues since first dev. Easy to load and use. Keep posting!

[@mattdayphoto]

Great to hear! Definitely looking forward to trying it out when mine arrives. I ordered one today. All of my large format shooting has been plagued with “now let’s just hope the negative doesn’t get messed up…” and it started to get in the way of me actually shooting it.

[@kenblair2538]

That's the only reason I got my 4x5 out, ease of developing with that sp445.

[@alexandcoffee]

My SP 445 always has those light baffels moving around. Is there any reason I cant just glue them in place?

[@kenblair2538]

Mine jiggle in place, but haven't caused any issues. Check with the builder, he has a YT channel.

[@Dick911R]

@@alexandcoffee mine jiggle too but does it matter? The tank does a great job every time

[@caseyjmoreno8653]

Loved it man, it would be so cool to see you and Nick Carver do some photos together too, especially since he loves large format so much!

[@thehealthpotions]

Can't wait!!!

[@davidroberts6766]

Absolutely, more like this. I got up before sunrise, promised mist and fog, earlier this week. You guessed it. Crap light, no fog, no frames exposed. Learning your process, coming along for the ride, so to speak, has great value, even if the images are not amazing. What would you do faced with the same situation. I, seriously, would love to know. This whole video is far from perfection, but its real….and I liked it!

[@kenklontz1945]

Great job just found your channel nice to see that some one will show it all good bad and all keep up the great videos

[@jessejack7829]

Glad you decided to make this video.

[@morrisbagnall2690]

Keep shooting and sharing Matt. I think most of us are experienced enough to know that not every shoot turns out images we love or even like. It's sometimes the journey rather than the destination and vice-versa. We get spoiled by those occasions where it is both.

[@acscharf]

Your shots are fantastic dude, but it doesn't even matter. Thanks for going out into the woods and sharing a cool morning with us

[@ehokyle]

amazing, dude. enjoy all the process, no just the final product. peace!

[@hanneswelthagen9747]

Great work! I really enjoy these types of videos.

[@donyee8970]

Sorry to hear about your sheet film getting messed up while developing. For years, I tried different solutions that included Yankee Agitank, color print drums and trays. My latest is using an old plastic paper safe with stainless steel film hangers lying flat inside with about 1/2 inch of chemistry. I had pretty good luck with it after some trials. I had bubbles with my developer in the first sheets. My solution is to put a couple of drops of Edwal LFN in the developer. The paper safe allows me to agitate the chemistry in daylight. I just bought a 4-4x5 film hanger so I could process 4 sheets in my 8x10 paper safe.

[@ScottDunnCA]

Wicked video Matt, love the video - great shots at the park, keep up the outdoor shoots.

[@wichersham]

I really liked this slow photo walk video.

[@newtypexzerox]

Thanks for sharing this, it's not often you see creators be so open with how they aren't happy with their work. As someone who is starting out with film it helps to know even experienced photographers struggle with liking their own stuff sometimes.

[@ambenn55]

Loving this slowed down approach Matt!

[@adventureStaley]

We are often our own worst critic. Great shots man.

[@RYANPARKPHOTOGRAPHY]

awesome work, Matt! Love the process of large format recently 😍

[@tattooedmamaof2]

I love this format of videos! It’s fun to feel like we are out there with you!

[@sevsuk2011]

Hi Matt. Definitely recommend the stearman sp 445 Dev tank. Super easy to load the sheets and minimal chems needed. If the lid doesn't sit flush with the body of the tank, so chems leak on agitation, I found a couple of elastic bands work a treat. I recently bought the same camera and Minolta spotmeter, wonderful pieces of kit.

[@benjaminneoh]

Hey Matt, I really enjoyed this style of video. Blending the BTS shooting process with a touch of story and your down to earth character too. Must mention the music was spot on as well; great pace, mood and most importantly, I never paid attention to it, in a good way that is.

[@wetdogdryflyphotography]

as others have said - look into the Strearman Press products - those spiral inserts have scratched way too many sheets of my 5x7 film even after I went over them to sand down the mold marks - the SP-445 has never damaged a 4x5 - I went to Strearman's SP-8x10 for 8x10 and 5x7 film (will also do 4x5 as well)- it's just a lights on way to do tray processing - works great

[@TheBigNegative-PhotoChannel]

6:27 so hilarious. 😂 Just seeing you take photos make me happy. you don't need to make masterpices while filming.

[@EdmundKBoateng]

This was refreshing Matt! Thanks for sharing

[@GreggObst]

I've used the 20th Century Camera reels in every size from 2x3 up through 8x10 and the only time I've ever had scratching was when I used X-Ray (scratches to be expected but it was an experiment) and when I was careless and dragged the sheet across the center separator. No issues that can be attributed to the reel. It sounds like Jeff gave you some ideas to try for the next deveoping batch so I would give those a try before complely writing it off. It really does work but I respect that it may not work for you in your workflow. Thanks for the video and exposing more people to the world of Large Format.

[@TimothymakeupsDitzler]

This was shot so beautifully dude! You got me inspired to dig out my 4x5. Hope all is well man! Miss ya

[@mattdayphoto]

My dude! I miss you too, man. Would love to see you pop up on the feed again.

[@CristianGeelen]

Imported that 20th century reel to the Netherlands. Had nothing but trouble with it and bigger marks than the mod 45. The guy who bought from me had the same. Tried mailing them but never go a reply in return. Too bad because I was really rooting for the design. Now still using the mod 45 and decided not to be bothered by these marks since they are smaller.

[@peter2712]

I've been developing 4x5 with the Stearman tank, very satisfied loads just like a sheet film holder. Easy to use.

[@baumstanz]

No marks since I used the jobo 2509n for my negatives. Need to make sure the emulsion is facing inside though. Good luck!

[@jimwlouavl]

Enjoy watching you work. Aren’t early mornings great? Hope your ladies let you nap when you returned. I use the longer Benro tripod and the geared head; it’s light compared to an old Bogen setup I used before.

[@InAnInstant]

Matt Blue Skies absolutely raw dogging this video! Loved the compositional challenge of staying at f/22 and the "it's fine" narration busted me up something significant. I recommend the Stearman Press tanks for devving LF - really handy kit.

[@jimbo9576]

looking forward to hearing what you thought about the negative supply gear.

[@stevedobbs9427]

Hello from South Australia Matt. This reminds me of a Nick Carver video where he was after one shot of a familiar mountain ridge and a similar framing of an island. Sometimes you've got to just enjoy the shooting experience even if the results aren't up to our expectations. The lows make the highs so much sweeter.

[@andyvan5692]

great video, as far as the light leak you mention at 8:05; one cause could be the register of the holder; there is a 'gouged' area on one of the small sides, this is a light baffel, but also a lock, it gives a "thud" when the holder goes in, this gives you confidence, that the frame of film is lined up with the frame of the back, so no light leaks, or mis-alignment of the frame, same as you would have on a mamiya RB 67 if the arrow was mis-aligned at the film loading stage!; BUT this protrusion on the holder, and the gouge MUST align correctly, ie for a 4x5" format size, 1 1/4 x 2 1/4 " or 6x9, 6x12 etc, each film size is specific, there is a millimeter or two difference, NOT in film size as far as print size, just the bit inside the groove of the holders' frame!, but this can be enough of a difference to jar this holder off the focus plane, ie in the camera back, allowing in light!!, OR the springs on the grafflock back could be a little loose, or be jammed open by some part of the film holder, or a piece of the focusing cloth!! ( thus not exerting the correct pressure on the ground glass to create an effective light seal at the holders' edges); some cameras, esp. 5x7" and 8x10" also have a 'bail' to open the back frame for film holder entry, if this doesn't close correctly then you also don't get the required pressure to effect a light seal!

[@brycepinson8641]

I live just a 2-3 hours from you and shoot 4x5 a lot for landscapes. The forrest in this area can be very challenging in terms of clutter and trying to simplifying a scene. I think you did a nice job with the compositions.... The issue with your negative is in developing. It's not a light leak. I'd suspect it was in contact with something. I use a cheap reel off of eBay and it has served well... Delta 100 in 4x5 is go-to. It's superb.

[@sethbourget680]

I use the Stearman Press developing tank for my 4x5 and I've never had any problems.

[@jaytayag810]

I searched high and low for a good way to process my large format negatives without getting scratches. The one that I eventually settled on is the stearman press 8x10 processor. It also does 4x5.

[@edwincampos7142]

Which stearman press do you use? If you don’t mind me asking, I get scratches on my 4x5 negatives.

[@CalumetVideo]

Great photos. I need to find time to get back out with my LF camera (Intrepid Mk4 4x5 and Tachihara 4x5). I find it takes time and patience and a lot of finding the right compositions. For developing, I use the Stearman Press 445, it’s a great tank and have had great success with it.

[@jeffreygoldammer1741]

Matt, please continue to follow through with the 4x5; I need the inspiration

[@JHurrenPhotography]

I'm glad you shared it Matt. It's not about the results, though most of the time we think it is.

[@jiml989]

Would appreciate your opinion/review of the PRVKE you are using. What size is it? How do you stow your gear? Pros & cons, etc...

[@stephenperera7382]

I like the look of the dark cloth which on is It???? I also have a Chamonix....

[@andreshernandez]

love the Video Matt, I'm having the same issues with the Mod54 I'm trying to find some solutions for that issue. cheers man!

[@hybridlobo]

I think we all do this, only want to show our best, or what we believe to be our best. I would rather watch and follow someone that is relatable, someone that can show their struggles. I get in the same mind set and I even talk myself out of going out to shoot... you know why bother right? I am not good enough, I am tired, don't feel creative. You are inspirational Matt. You give what I feel is authentic experiences... Now I am rather new to 4x5 shooting as well. I started out with an old Yankee Tank, Easy to load but takes a lot of chemical to fill 55oz for 4x5, it is probably what I should have stuck with. .. but took a dive into the JOBO system, I don't get scratches with either since the are only edge held like the smaller format reels. I shoot Arista 100 edu which I am told is easily scratched. Anyway the JOBO uses much less chemical to process that I is really reason I switched. I really enjoy your videos... keep up the wonderful work.

[@Craig-it5sv]

Hey Matt. Good stuff-thanks. I use the mod 54 with no issues. One thing I do is only load a total of 4 sheets. For what it’s worth I thought I’d share

[@TylerFetterman4]

Great video! Where did you get that dark cloth?

[@garyclennan2993]

Were the marks on the emulsion side? If not, minor rub mark don't matter at all.

[@ljames43230]

Matt you’ve gotten several good suggestions on developing options, but If they persist I’d recommend the Jobo 4x5 system. I use mine with their loading system and it’s worked great. Early on I loaded it incorrectly and had some negatives touching, but not anymore. I hand rotate my tank on a little system I built. It is tight to load in my changing bag, but it works.

[@terrywbreedlove]

On shots I really know I want to print. I shoot two sheets just to make sure I have a back up if one of the negatives gets damaged.

[@thesubtleimage893]

I had the same issue with the reels I realized I wasn’t pushing the negatives all the way in. After that I had no Further issues.

[@yang13bruno48]

i was just wondering why are u shooting black and white on the scene that have so many beautiful colors

[@pictor125]

I have the same problem with some of my film holders. Though my intrepid has a rotating back which allows me to insert the film holder from below which so far has allowed much less light to creep in when my slide is out. Another trick is to just not take the slide completely out of the holder (though this only works when it’s leaking only when the slide is removed)

[@TheFilmFellow]

Metallica 🤟🏽…right on! Great production Matt and again completely authentic. I always feel watching your videos that the best is yet to come and this video confirms that feeling. It’s okay not to be happy with the photos. Happens to all of us. Great you took us along for the ride and that ending 😂

[@MattWeddis]

This is my favourite video you’ve made. I took my Chamonix out for it’s maiden voyage on Friday and made a video. Needless to say, the images and video are not great but was great fun. I have a question about the Benro geared head. Do you find that it interferes with the base of the camera? I’ve been looking into getting the same head but the top knob looks quite high.

[@AeromaticXD]

Some beautiful shots! I’ll admit, I’d have no clue how to frame in some of those situations myself, so I think you did well with your compositions! I gotta do the same thing where you stop down to f/22!

[@davewell]

I agree that the marks on the film are light leaks from when you shot the film and not from the 20th century holder. Try exposing the sheets with your dark cloth over instead of taking it away once you have focused. That should tell you whether it's an expose or development problem. I always have the dark cloth over when shooting outdoors to minimize the risk of leaks. I have also had a 20th century film holder and haven't had any problems with it all. I used to have a sp445 but had long, thick streaks on my mid speed films that I couldn't fix. It was also frustrating only being able to develop 4 sheets at a time.

[@nickRS100]

Don’t be hard on yourself. I too am new to 4x5 but not film photography. I’ve had 19 sheets out of 30 sheets when I got an image. I managed to expose the other 11 with I think every variety of mistake possible- misloaded and even double sheet loaded in film back, removing the dark slide of an “empty” back, leaving a random sheet on work surface after loading several backs. Of the 19 the majority were underdeveloped or under exposed….and I do sensitometry so I know now it’s mainly underexposed. And I rarely get underexposed images with 35mm or 120 film. I use the mod 54 with no problems due to that. I invert for agitation and use tap water but although I love HP5 I’ve been using Fomapan 400 and 200 until I’ve reduced the error rate! I’ve got about 5 sheets that look ok technically and 0 that I’d print.

[@petergoodrum1607]

Try both with reels with unexposed film. I use the 5x4 and 9x12 21Century reals with Caffenol CM and I categorically don't have any issues. I prewash, dev, water stop bath and fix for absolutely ages..... Foma and some Ilford... If there are no marks it has to be a film holder /camera issue or potentially film . In Pat Tanks I invert 10 times in the first min, invert 3 times on the minute there after. I tap the tank on the bench to dislodge bubbles etc....

[@chevy2die]

Matt take your camera into a dark room, set it up on a tripod with no lens and put one of the suspect film holders into it. Take a flashlight and shine it around the back side while you look through the front standard. This is a good way to check to see if your film holders don't fit your camera right.

[@ManLikeMorrison]

Paterson orbital works great for me. You only need a tiny amount of chemistry, and theres no risk of the emulsion touching anything

[@krishnansrinivasan830]

@1:57 I really loved the composition :) Nice video :)

[@garciatony]

Hey Matt, how do you like the PRVKE bag?

[@anthonymiller8979]

I was so unhappy with the commercial reels and how many people were getting marks I just went to try processing of my 4x5 negatives. Slower but no marks. If I shot larger volumes it may be an issue but with the few images I make it works.

[@AngelGuzmanFoto]

love it

[@oudviola]

Large format is totally about the process!

[@mattdayphoto]

Yep! A morning well spent, despite not loving the photos. ❤️

[@oudviola]

@@mattdayphoto Shooting in the woods is hard, Steve O'Nions in England (on KZbin)is really inspiring for that.

[@Jamie12375]

The light is not a light leak but reflection from the film holder that you can get with wide-ish (is this a 90mm?) lenses and Fidelity holders. It's basically a sort of flare that bounces off the edge of the holder onto the film. I think it happens less (or not at all) with some other film holders although I'm not sure which ones. Ironically, one way to try to mitigate it would be to use the darkslide as a lens shade to limit the amount of light that hits the lens from steep angles but even that doesn't always work.

[@mattdayphoto]

Ahh, the two holders that I got recently are Fidelity holders and that’s when the issue started happening. Thank you for the heads up on this! This was taken with a 150mm lens, but I want to get a 90mm soon, so that’s good to know. Thanks again! 👊🏻❤️

[@Jamie12375]

​@@mattdayphoto You're very welcome! Also check out this video where the guy talks about this particular issue and possible alternatives: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mn-kYp2sdquIi7M

[@Rico-ns5dt]

Great video. So tired of 50 reviews on every camera or film stock. Nice to see a photo channel simply taking photos.

[@mattdayphoto]

I appreciate that.

[@spyratekodaks7494]

Make a video about the mamiya press!!

[@mattdayphoto]

That’s the Polaroid 600SE, essentially the same camera, but I only have the Polaroid back for it. I’m using it for a specific video in the coming weeks.

[@BryanBirks]

Man I don’t know what’s up with the reel situation. I’ve developed over 100 sheets with the mod54 and never had problems of any kind. I know a bunch of people do though so I’m not sure if I’m some sort of an anomaly or what. I have the same thoughts about making KZbin videos and it’s amplified times 10 with large format. If anything just go out and make some photos without filming and you can just talk about them like you did in your first video. Puts less pressure on making video and 4x5 work at the same time.

[@mattdayphoto]

No idea if it’s a quality control issue or what, but definitely hang onto your copy if that’s the case. Haha. That’s true. That’s how I’ve always done it, I’ve never been one to film things myself while I’m out shooting, but I did have fun this time. But it’s that idea of “you went through all this trouble to film the process, you used a VIEW CAMERA and a 4x5 sheet of film and THIS is what you got out of all that work??” 💀 But that’s how it goes! Some days it hits, some days it shits. (just made that up)

[@doctorstrobe]

Yeah Matt!

[@Zetaphotography]

Man wish I can watch a video where you bought all of your gear.

[@AtlantaTerry]

Why keep a sheet film holder that might be defective in your kit? The easiest thing to do is number each side then make notes as to what side imaged what scene. Over time the bad side should make itself known.

[@ernestnazarov3195]

What camera is that Matt? I mean model…

[@JoeyShip]

Chamonix 45n2.

[@jamesjennings3726]

"You can't carry your camera like that" yes, you can, it's your camera, carry it how you want.

[@TheMungo54]

More please

[@melvyn_ivy]

my ass watching Matt reviewing an imperfect reel: "ah damn :(" *also my ass carelessly taco-developing for five years or so now

[@chevy2die]

I have the same problem with development, everyone tells me to get a Stearman tank. Thats my next step.

[@chivachava3899]

You should use an old fashion developing tank and the stainless steel film holder. I never liked the plastic developing tanks and reels for any film format, they have too many problems if wet the film sticks to the sides and they damage easily, just to name a few. I have been using stainless steel reels and film hangers since the 1970's and learned to develop film with them. A word of caution there is a learning curve to using stainless steel because there is a certain way to load the reels and for 35 and 120 film. 4x5 not a porblem you just drop the film in the square film holder. You can buy the 4x5 tanks and film holder at a reasonable price on ebay. I purchased my on 1979 and they are still working great.

[@spincityvisuals]

Looks great but it’s not really best to stop your glass down that much, looses performance sharpness etc obviously, why not use f11 etc optimum range

[@FerrisThomas]

It's always a rough slog when you're not satisfied with the end result, but feel you need to show something anyways.

[@crocato]

I like you because you are so perfectionism ❤️❤️❤️

[@lukeisafinename]

This is the content I've been looking for 🙏🏻

[@AtlantaTerry]

Don't want any marks on your negatives? Buy some used Kodak #4A 4x5" stainless steel sheet film racks. So far I've collected about 30. I use plastic tanks that I found at Dollar Tree. I can easily put 10 sheet film holders in about 116 ounces of developer or I can risk scratches and cram in 12 racks.

[@AtlantaTerry]

About those pesky film drying clips, Don't Use Them! Why? They don't grip as well as wood clothespins! Affix spring-powered wood clothespins to your drying line. Drill a small hole and bend a paperclip to fit through the hole then twist it to lock. That solves problem #1: the clips won't fall. If you tie a knot in your drying line every couple inches, the paper clips won't slide downhill due to the catenary. #2 is the wood itself. I believe the wood fibers swell up when they get wet with the PhotoFlo solution (or any surfactant). That makes them grip whereas the metal clips are only holding on by friction and what is the coefficient of friction for soapy water? The wood clothespins grip so well they actually *pop* off when you want to remove your film from their grip. BTW, I first started working with 4x5" cameras when I was handed a Speed Graphic with a flashgun and a bunch of flashbulbs then pointed toward our high school football stadium. That was 1962. Terry Thomas... the photographer Atlanta, Georgia USA

[@larson0014]

Rock wall would have looked great in B&W

[@bernardkelly235]

Definitely not a waste for the rest of us. Landscape photography isn’t that easy to do. Unless, like Steve O’Nions or Mat Marash, you do it all the time. They seem to find the best compositions without much effort. And yet it probably took them years to get there. I think what you’re doing right now is a great start. (Especially after a sleepless night.) But I’d also like to see you use the camera where you normally take photos, I.e., around town.

[@bigjames6666]

You and Matt Marash should hang out

[@MikeMena]

The story of video was great, whether ya think ya got good photos or not, super entertaining and educational at same time!