Large Format Film Photography - A Lake Shoot with the 4x5 and B&W Film

[@tHaH4x0r]

That last image is absolutely incredible, your way of being able to find interesting compositions that I would have never thought of, never fails to inspire me.

[@SteveONions]

Thank you 😊

[@WstawajGramy]

To be honest I'm not too big on landscape phtography. I find most photos people shoot boring, just a blob of green here and a blob of blue there, but I've gotta say - the last image (11:07) is an absolute banger. It's moody, it has such detail and composition is spot on, absolutely love it!

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Kajetan 🙂

[@2logj]

yes the panoromic views in large format are incredible.Another Paintographic.I liked the last one where the hands of sun rays reaching the water simmering under it reminds of the Lord blessing his desciples.What a wonderful shoot!

[@Larpy1933]

Steve, your dedication to your work is nothing short of inspirational. Possibly even more so is your facility with sharing your work methods and creative thinking with us. Thank-you very, very kindly. I, too, would like more of your thoughts and opinions on that 4x5 setup, and if you could explain how it influences your creativity, so much the better.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Larry, I keep meaning to do a video on large format and why (and also when) I use it.

[@deanlawrence3744]

Steve, yet again another fantastic video. Your no nonsense approach is excellent, and I'm constantly amazed and inspired by your images, and love of photography. Excellent stuff.

[@james5553]

Lovely stuff. My 4x5 arrives this week and I could not be more excited. I loved the combination of imagery and music in this one.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks James and what a good time to get a 4x5, plenty of light and warmer weather 👍

[@charlesmorgan8440]

Such ease of explanation, terseness of edit and beauty of shots and video. I have learned so much from you this year and you have inspired me in so many ways. A big thank you!

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Charles, all the best for 2019.

[@oldfilmguy9413]

Very inspiring as always, Steve - I really like your focus on doing different things than the usual 'iconic" shots - you really bring out the beauty of black and white. Happy New Year, and you have made my 2018 that much more enjoyable. Cheers

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Robert and all the best for 2019.

[@terrywbreedlove]

I bought a 65mm for my 4x5 mostly to shoot panoramic style shots. Due to the horrible winter weather I have yet to shoot it. Your video is pushing me to take it out and give it a try. 👍🏻

[@SteveONions]

I once had a 65mm f/8 for a 4x5 and it was great but I did struggle to focus the thing and only had a rough idea what the composition was when viewed on the groundglass. I ended up making a DIY panoramic 120 camera and had the lens set to hyperfocal distance for f/16 - worked a treat.

[@terrywbreedlove]

I bought the 65mm SW Nikkor f 4 Hoping the faster larger aperture would help with focusing. My old eyes need all the help they can get :)

[@SteveONions]

Should be fine with f/4 Terry.

[@joshuafagans7534]

Simply love the "Two Islands" shot! Wonderful image! As always, fantastic video thanks so much for making it!!

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Joshua.

[@SilntObsvr]

That last image in the video was genuinely amazing. At first I was wondering how you had so much grain from a 6x12 -- and then you pulled back to the full frame shot and I could see the first views were tiny details. It looked like something a painter would produce, if they could think in shades of gray. Wonderful!

[@SteveONions]

Thank you, I really like this image too 😊

[@garywong3136]

Enjoy your video. Absolutely fabulous B&W panoramic landscape photos taken with the view camera.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Gary.

[@northeasternwildlifephotog4504]

The last shot was awesome. Love the grain. Just ordered a gopro 7 black. Just a few more pieces of the puzzle before I can start vlogging.

[@martincutrone5816]

Very good video, Steve. Appreciated your comments on metering, always good to hear one's reasoning. Also, drone shots were excellent and added to the quality. My favorite was "2 Islands", but a number of good images today.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Martin, all the best for 2019.

[@philbraithwaite1316]

Superb Steve, some stunning b&w shots. Pure craftsmanship.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Phil.

[@CraigPrentisPhoto]

Nice one Steve. You pack so much in to your videos. Love the panoramic shots from that 6x12 back and the light on the last one at 11:05 was beautiful.

[@SteveONions]

Cheers Craig.

[@lensman5762]

Simply loved it. Pure photography at its best. Loved the last shot particularly the small fishing boat ( I think it is a small fishing boat , LOL ).

[@SteveONions]

Thank you 😊

[@fairwayfrank]

A great way to wrap up a marvelous year of work, which, as we all do hope for ourselves, just keeps improving. The Horseman back on the Intrepid seems to be a strong combination for panos. All the best in 2019.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Frank and I hope 2019 is good for you too.

[@andrewfrost8866]

Always brilliant and enjoyable videos Steve. I love your attention to detail and your presentation which covers those details in a very clear and interesting way!

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Andrew.

[@irvingdiaz299]

Very inspiring, Steve. Thanks for sharing your beautiful work.

[@SteveONions]

Thank you Irving.

[@Igarpe]

Steve, the last pano on Rollei IR 400 is simple amazing! Thank you for all of your great videos

[@SteveONions]

Thank you, I did enjoy the shoot.

[@paultaylorphotography9499]

Very fine work Steve. Impressive throughout.

[@SteveONions]

Thank you Paul.

[@colinmair2576]

Wow! Superb once more Steve... some good shots on what you can get on B&W.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Colin.

[@tommorgan3125]

Simply stunning images. You make it seem so easy, Steve.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Tom, on this occasion it was fairly easy unlike many outings where the weather is the biggest challenge.

[@oldgamer444]

Those B&W shots are incredible.

[@SteveONions]

Thank you.

[@Harlequin565]

Those last 2 were lovely. I am convinced that the (unfiltered) Rollei IR 400 film is a bit of an undiscovered secret. My images at 6x7 have been lovely and sharp & contrasty with really nice grain. Nice to see the avoidance of clichéd images in favour of more atmospheric, and interesting compositions. Have a fab New Year!

[@SteveONions]

The Rollei film is a very good all rounder and surprisingly tolerant of exposure mistakes. It also scans particularly well but the 4x5 version is tricky to load for development as it is by far the thinnest film I've ever used (probably explains part of the sharpness).

[@RobinWhalley]

Great video Steve. I can see the GoPro working its magic on the sky at the start of your video. The pano at the end was excellent. It makes me want to load up some B&W film and head out with the XPan. The landscape also reminds me a lot of the Crowden area just across the moors from me. It's another area that no one attempts to shoot - we must visit. Thanks for the link at the end of your video.

[@SteveONions]

Definitely need to visit more locations like this one, nobody seems to bother with them as there are no obvious shots (thank goodness).

[@fafnorcal]

Thanks for your near weekly VLOGs, Steve. They are always interesting, informative and motivational for me. Best to you for good health and satisfaction in 2019.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Frank and all the best to you too.

[@Chris-wj4ze]

8:35 What a beautifully composed photograph. And another one at 11:04. Wow.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Chris.

[@nikwilliams3600]

I really like your videos and your work Steve. Look forward to more!

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Nik.

[@MuthukrishnanNeelakandan]

Steve, I enjoy your videos even though I don't shoot in films. I like the way you focus the content on the process of taking pictures. Many of the other photography channels talk more about life, positive thinking, extending photography to view life in a grandeur way etc., I come to your channel and I feel like sharing my time with a photographer who is going about his process to create as many good pictures as possible. Please continue your good work.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Muthukrishnan, I definitely want to keep it all about the photography,

[@key2adventure]

That final panoramic shot is just fantastic, great work 😀. I must get out with my large format and the 6x12 back again, haven’t used it since ny trip to Iceland in ‘18, but I do love to shot the panoramic aspect ratio.

[@SteveONions]

I’ve told myself to shoot some more large format this year too - videos on the way.

[@shaunbrowne3963]

Steve, unless you have secreted some support people, a drone pilot, and someone to scout for locations, I can’t imagine how you do all of this work yourself? One suggestion for a future video would be to do a ‘how to’ explaining how you reconnoiter the locations, prepare for the shoot, fly the drone, prepare the images, and produce the video. By my estimation, you must expend 1-2 days in pre-shoot,1 day to shoot, 1-2 days in post production. Your work flow is a finely tuned machine, developed after years of experience, and each new element introduced only after careful research and consideration. Congratulations!

[@charliegenovese7500]

I too would love to know how you get those drone images of yourself! Great video. Really enjoyed the black and white.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Shaun. I was fortunate on the day that the location and weather conditions meant I could get between shots quite quickly and fly the drone without the usual buffeting thanks to the weather we normally get here. There is certainly a lot of preparation and post processing including all the developing and scanning but I enjoyed this trip more than usual as I had the place to myself and good light for the entire day.

[@SteveONions]

Hi Charlie. There are a few modes on the Spark that allow it to fly autonomously after locking onto a part of the scene (hence the bright blue coat). You get a few seconds to initiate the sequence and put the controller down before standing meaningfully or looking like you are operating the camera :)

[@SteveONions]

Ross B. I think they will ban them here soon or at the very least make it tricky to get a permit. Until then I’d better get out and fly it as much as I can.

[@barrycohen311]

Steve can never reveal how the sausage is made! Proprietary trade secrets they are.

[@barrycohen311]

Brilliant images mate. They would have never worked at all in colour. They had an excellent vintage feel about them.

[@tonyb2760]

An excellent video presentation with beautiful images. Love those panos. Thanks for sharing

[@SteveONions]

Cheers Tony.

[@BillMcCarroll]

Great video Steve...agree that last panoramic is stunning. You’ve made me pine for a panoramic back. Best wishes to you for 2019.

[@SteveONions]

Cheers Bill and don't wait for too long on the roll film back, they are going up in price!

[@davidpearce2981]

There's an area in the Brecon Beacons I shoot similar, in fact I thought that's where you were. Excellent images as usual steve. Have a very happy new year

[@SteveONions]

Thanks David and I hope 2019 is good for you too.

[@Leffe49]

Wow! What beautiful panoramic photos you shot at 8:41 and 11:07. Loved them!

[@VikasKM]

Stunning images n great video again 👍 So much thinking, calculations go into making one image that it’s made is mind n then transformed into the film. Enjoying n living that moment while making it.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Vikas.

[@JimNorman-op1cv]

The panoramic formats are addictive. Some are rendered best in 6x12, others in 6x17. You've motivated me to try some infrared pano, though my temptation will be to use an IR filter.

[@SteveONions]

Glad you liked the video.

[@joedavies1524]

Great blog as always Steve, and for me, some of the strongest images I have seen on your channel, so refreshing to see mono shot when it works as it should.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Joe, I knew before the trip that it was a location that would only work in B&W and that made finding compositions a lot easier.

[@BarryWardPhoto]

Some stunning photos there Steve. The last one was just breathtaking. Great vlog as always.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Barry.

[@JoeSmith-uz8mu]

Steve. You are inspiration to everyone who knows you. keep up the good work. love from Birmingham.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Joe 😀

[@derekcoe9633]

Never get tired of your videos even though I don’t shoot film 👍

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Derek.

[@angryanimaldoc]

Really liked the last 2 images. Great drone work as usual. Happy new year .

[@SteveONions]

Thank you.

[@jbairdexp]

Always a pleasure watching you work! What a fantastic area you visited, and I thought that last panoramic was great. (I need to catch up on your previous video next).

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Julian.

[@101jumpit]

Insanely beautiful photographs.You do some excellent work Steve !!!

[@SteveONions]

Thank you.

[@IainHC1]

I really don't think scanning a negative reviles the photo's true beauty. I'd really love to see a darkroom print result.... The way forward to seeing a truly beautiful result :-) Love your stuff mate :-)

[@SteveONions]

I also liked the look of darkroom prints but have to admit that i can achieve so much more through the scanning approach.

[@erichstocker4173]

Great video as always. Perhaps in one of your videos you could go over the filter system that you are using with your large format lenses. Also, maybe include what your set of lenses for the 4 x 5 are. I suspect a 90mm, 150mm and 210mm. But in this video you also talked about a 300mm. Great photos as always. I really enjoy hearing your description of the pre-visualization and composition that you provide. The last photo was really great!

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Erich, I'll try to do a section next time on the equipment I carry for 4x5 next time out.

[@john3Lee]

Thumbs up from me - Its good to see your thought process behind each image.. Thank you.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks John.

[@robertjones769]

Hi Steve, loved all your images but the final panorama was definitely my favourite - amazing! Thanks for 2018 and all the very best for 2019.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Robert. all the best for 2019 to you too.

[@jameslane3846]

Fab photos there Steve, I loved the first one of the wind turbines the most

[@SteveONions]

Thanks James.

[@spyratekodaks7494]

The photos are amazing!!!!

[@SteveONions]

Thank you.

[@brianmccutcheon3205]

Beautiful pics Steve

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Brian.

[@katharinemovertonphotographer]

Enjoyed your video and photos love the B roll to - must take time to make these videos Thank you

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Katharine, the shooting part is always the easy bit, the real work comes in developing, scanning, processing and editing :(

[@marcobutz3950]

Fantastic work!

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Marco.

[@thomasbernier2342]

that last shot is so beautiful ! great job :D

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Thomas.

[@odedzukerman9368]

Gorgeous work!👍

[@terrywbreedlove]

I have a Nikkor 65mm I bought mostly for panoramic images shot with my 4x5. :) Building my darkroom now and should be printing in a couple weeks.

[@SteveONions]

Good luck With the new darkroom Terry.

[@lifeonfilm7227]

This is amazing, very inspiring work!

[@stuartbaines2843]

Last shot 👍 A certain irony about new places, i concur keep them to yourself ;)

[@c.augustin]

Yes, the last image absolutely nails it, and I love the grain! Lovely drone footage too, just a bit too much for *my* liking (I think others might like it this way). If your drone would have the right camera (Mavic Pro II with "Hasselblad" camera) you could get some great stills out of it (from angles that you would never reach with your 4x5 ;-)).

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Christian. A decent drone image could certainly look good and I need to explore this more, the Spark has a very good 12mp still capability but limited exposure control sadly.

[@paulcomptonpdphotography]

a great set of images you really do keep it real

[@SteveONions]

Cheers Paul.

[@kenholt6244]

Hi Steve, thanks for this location with your 4x5 The panoramic is that done by using a film back fastened on your 4x5. Some of your followers want to know how you do it all, that is what makes it fascinating fo me. Enjoy as they say and I do. Regards Ken

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Ken. The Panoramic back is indeed clipped onto the back of the camera in place of the ground glass holder to make the shot. It uses standard 120 roll film which is cheaper and easier to process, not to mention carry. The last shot was actually made on a normal sheet of 4x5 film and cropped later in Lightroom, works just as well but is more expensive and fiddly.

[@kenholt6244]

Steve O'Nions dare I ask what film back it is Mamiya?Regards Ken

[@SteveONions]

It’s a Horseman Ken, very well built and pretty light too.

[@bamulthup]

Just another great video. I really like the fist shot and the two island shot. I really like the roll film back I think I might try to fine one too. Oh did you get a new backpack? Keep it going Steve!

[@SteveONions]

I’ve started using a rucksack (Osprey Talon 44) with simple camera inserts as it has a lot more space than the equivalent camera bag.

[@bamulthup]

Steve O'Nions thanks Steve happy new year

[@ernietech-101]

Just found your channel. Great stuff

[@SteveONions]

Thanks David.

[@AE5X]

Nice use of the drone!

[@liviucozma9019]

How wonderfull is the creation ! Praise be our Creator and our Lord Jesus!

[@runninblue9415]

Some of your best work imho. So refreshing to see a place off the beaten track done so well. Are you happy with the quality from the Epson scanner?

[@SteveONions]

Thank you. The Epson is more than good enough for large format and pretty acceptable for medium format. It's asking a bit too much to get good 35mm scans though.

[@myronhensel]

Love love this video and your approach with your photography and how you explain things even if it's just little details. We love to know those little details and what's going on in your mind. I have a question, how do you like the Cokin resin filters? I am surprised how affordable they are. If it gets your approval I will have to order some. I've been meaning to put a set together for black and white so yellow, orange and red. Which contrast filter do you use the most, yellow?

[@SteveONions]

Hi Myron. The Cokin coloured filters are very good and I’ve used them for many years. I have recently bought the neutral density graduated set in The X size and they seem fine but I need to do a few more trips before being totally happy. In terms of which coloured filter I use the most it is 90% yellow with occasional orange then the red which probably comes out every couple of years.

[@miguellopez-araus7020]

Great photos and video again, Steve. What is the 6x12 panoramic back you use? Is the 5x4 intrepid camera acept any panoramic backs? I am considering the idea of buiyng the intrepid camera for landscape photos. Please consider making a video tutorial of which large format lenses are better for landscape photography. Thank you Steve.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Miguel. I use a Horseman 6x12 back which uses the standard Graflok fittings and any make or model should fit OK. I'll definitely look into doing a video just on the equipment I use with the 4x5.

[@massapix]

Hello Steve, i follow you now quite a while, and started also to do film photography again (Mamiya 645) Thanks for that!. But could you please explain in one of your next videos how you develop the films and your following process. That would be perfect. Klaus.

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Klaus, I’ll try to do something on film development but to be honest it has been done extensively by others and I’m not sure I have anything new to add.

[@martinberry1540]

Love the pano image at the end

[@philipculbertson55]

Steve, great shots first of all but also a question. Is the black hood on large format cameras strictly an aid for focusing or is it also required to prevent light leakage?

[@SteveONions]

Hi Philip. It is just for focussing but sometimes it helps to drape it over the film holder to stop any possibility of light getting through.

[@soulstart89]

Hey Steve great work. I’m actually looking to purchase a 6x12 back and a large format camera. My question is have you marked out the 6x12 framing on the 4x5 ground glass. If so how did you do it? Cheers

[@SteveONions]

I’ve not marked the glass itself although that is easiest way to work. I have made a couple of cardboard masks to block off the top and bottom of the screen so I can only see the 6x12 frame. This way I get a clear view of the final composition without the distracting top and bottom elements.

[@soulstart89]

Steve O'Nions cheers Steve. The search for the 6x12 film back begins!!

[@beekellyplus]

The panoramas are a delight and unusually moody. Have you tried any other aspect ratios? (I should remember but I don’t.) Would the 240 mm have worked to any degree differently with a 6 x 9 back?

[@SteveONions]

I took most of these images down to a 3:1 ratio instead of the native 2:1 of the horseman back. A 6x9 would give a tighter 2:3 crop that might work well in some situations.

[@beekellyplus]

Steve O'Nions Thanks.

[@marieta.s]

Hi Steve, just a quick but kind of dumb question from me. When you were mentioning in which zones your highlights and shadows fall into, it is down to your personal experience, right? I am not going to ask if there is an app for that but maybe there is one.

[@SteveONions]

Definitely personal experience Marieta, there is no definitive way of saying what corresponds to each zone other than 0 is Black and X is white. That said the most important thing for me is to determine the shadow area I want full detail in as this will be my Zone III. From there the calculation is easy, meter that shadow and open up two stops. I do watch my highlights but rarely worry about them in B&W as I can scan them effectively enough and work on them in Lightroom. If they were very bright I would possibly use a grad filter or go for a yellow/orange which usually looks better and benefits tonal separation in most landscape shots.

[@marieta.s]

Steve O'Nions thank you so much for tour reply, that was some really useful practical information. I wish they had taught us more like this when I took photography classes at our local club. I do appreciate these little gems. I hope you have a wonderful and very creative and productive New Year with lots of good videos to come. All the best!

[@darrylroberts6546]

Excellent channel. Thank you. What filter system do you use?

[@SteveONions]

Usually it is Cokin P series or the equivalent HiTec resin filters Darryl.

[@darrylroberts6546]

@@SteveONions Thank you very much

[@juancarlosguzman2827]

Awesome video. I have the same camera it I haven’t used yet. What lens do you recommend to start with

[@SteveONions]

I would start with a 150mm f/5.6 from Nikon, Schneider or Rodenstock. This will be easy to focus and not too expensive.

[@juancarlosguzman2827]

Thank toi for thé feedback

[@PictureSizeDoesMatter]

The 8:39 is wider than 6x12?

[@SteveONions]

Cropped 🙂

[@2logj]

sorry what was the ISO apperture and shutter speed for that last one?thanks Steve

[@SteveONions]

I can’t honestly remember the settings (unless I said what they were during the video) 🙂

[@bkspicture]

Lovely!!

[@lhuhnphotography]

Steve, Any advice for anyone looking to buy a Horseman 612 back? I am selling my Holga Panoramic Schneider conversion to help fund the purchase of the Horseman. Is there anything I should be looking for other than the obvious condition? I will be using it on a Toyo 45CF. Thanks

[@SteveONions]

I’ll be honest Larry that I don’t know that much about the Horseman backs other than they are well regarded and mine is excellent. I purchased it from a dealer to be safe and only bought it because the condition was top notch.

[@tomislavmiletic_]

I had shot large format only once, back in photography school, and I'd like to try it agin, but unfortunately the enlarger I have at hand goes up to 6 x 6 cm, so I don't even have the ability to develop pictures made on a 6 x 7 negative...

[@SteveONions]

You might be better off going down the scanning route Tomislav, very easy with a negative of that size.

[@tomislavmiletic_]

@@SteveONions Maybe, with a negative of that size... 20 yrs ago I scanned some B&W 35mm negatives and results was awful; I got 100x better results from analog process, and than I'd scan 18x24cm image in any flatbed scanner...

[@aimetutorials]

Inspiring! Thank you :)

[@SteveONions]

Thanks Aime.

[@anja5758]

You might have done the video with favourite photographs to quickly ;) Last one definitely should be there. Thanks for sharing!

[@saler65]

Great 😍

[@davidv.kutaliya]

❤️

[@christopherhowell3209]

To all those people who gave the thumbs down,...let me say this ...go get a life ,and don't bother watching this channel!!

[@mcroman-superfeat]

FYI: I have this ERROR on the flickr link :: This is not the page you’re looking for. 2022-10-14T15:03:05Z-ca69cad5-3751-4fbc-8e35-4288c1df7142@server It appears the album you seek doesn’t exist. Here are some of today’s best photos instead:

[@SteveONions]

I deleted my Flickr account over a year ago Ian, it was too hard maintaining a presence on more than a couple of sites.