Large Format Film Portraits (Toyo 45a, Ilford FP4 & HP5)

This was my first time shooting some model portraits with my new Toyo 45a large format camera.
I shot with 4 sheets of ilford HP5 and 4 sheets of ilford FP4.
I only managed to get 7 out of 8 in focus but I'm starting to get the hang of it.
I definitely need to get better and using swing and tilt shift to get both eyes in focus though!
Would love to hear your thoughts on the photos.
Portraits start at 4:18 if you don't want to listen to me waffle on.
Apps I used -
Viewfinder - apps.apple.com/gb/app/viewfin...
Light meter - apps.apple.com/gb/app/photo-l...
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Follow me on Instagram - / tomhumblephoto

[@jlangvad]

Joel Sternfeld is the king. His works have inspired me immensely.

[@alvaro_arteche]

Love these photos so much!

[@ron.jordan]

These shots came out amazing man. Definitely gained a subscriber, looking forward to seeing more

[@Tom-Humble]

Thank you man appreciate it

[@BryanBirks]

Nice portraits Tom. Loads better than my first attempts and it seems like you have the process pretty sorted out. That’s half the fuss with getting a good 4x5 image in the first place. Looking forward to many more!

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks Bryan! There was definitely a few mistakes at the start but I’m starting to get comfortable with the process.

[@jamesamoh7340]

Amazing photos and BTS shoot. As always great content and that Ilford FP4 is exceptionally sharp. 🙏

[@Tom-Humble]

Thank you. FP4 is my fave b&w film to shoot with.

[@bigkinglouis]

Incredible photographs. Would love to see more videos like this.

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks

[@deadpool6072]

Amazing photos! The model is great too! You just earned a sub!

[@NunoAlmeidaPhotography]

These portraits turned out so good! Keep them coming!

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks man. Yeah I’m picking up a 210mm lens also so will shoot some portraits with that.

[@NunoAlmeidaPhotography]

@@Tom-Humble Nice! I'm just getting into medium format but large format looks awesome!

[@neildewestelinck6639]

First of all: Gorgeous model. And I mean that in a really positive way. I loved the pose where she sits on the bench. I have shot a lot of people, and kids-models on 4x5 Intrepid. And when we talk fashion models they are ussually not used to work like this. But it looked like she handled it very well. I love the B&W.

[@4053rubber]

Great shots Tom. The detail rendered is awesome.

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks

[@3trip1e]

Great shots, love the first shot especially

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks

[@barneyarthur4615]

these were stunning mate

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks dude!

[@walterglover3423]

Admirably brave man shooting one sheet per shot. with a live subject it can prove beneficial to shoot both sides of the double dark and engaging with the talent to vary expression, safeguard against blinks, twitches or landing insects. It also minimises the risk of a holder with one unexposed sheet and one double exposed sheet. Don't worry we've all done it! Welcome to the glorious world of LF (and Toyo).

[@Tom-Humble]

This was the first time I shot portraits with a model on large format. It's all a learning curve and one I'm still enjoying figuring out. Appreciate the tip!

[@willysheepskin]

Dang dude nailing focus on 7 of 8 of them is a veeery good success rate haha! Even more so given it was your first time doing model portraits! So rad, that Toyo is actually the same one my local lab rents out for people to use, and I found it trickier to use than some of the other 4x5 stuff I've played around with so props to you big time! I really like the first image and the last image, they just ooze large format vibes, and the model killed it too!

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks man! I haven’t tried any others to compare but I find it pretty easy to use now I’ve had some practice with it. I may upgrade to a chamonix pr something similar one day but for now this will definitely do.

[@andreshernandez]

love it man!! beautiful photos!

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks man!

[@twistedl2009]

Love the shots, great video 👍

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks 🙏🏻

[@spyratekodaks7494]

the photos are amazing!! they could easily be shown in a gallery!!

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks!

[@deldridg]

Well done. You obviously nailed a solid shooting process quickly - no doubles etc. Lovely model - a little variety in expressions would be nice, but again - a lovely shoot with a very high success rate! Now 2 years later, I'll check out your more recent LF work (loved your street shoot btw). Cheers and thanks mate from Sydney - Dave

[@neilpiper9889]

I just bought an MPP Micropress 5x4 with a 135mm Schneider Xenar 4.7 lens. I bought some Fomapan 200 from Bristol Cameras. Took my first 2 shots and dish developed them in Rodinal 1 to 25 for 5 minutes. Great success. Going to contact print on to Foma tone warm tone velvet 133 paper. Then photograph the print with my Huawei P10 plus phone and edit a bit and upload to Instagram. Most of my pictures are taken with a 2006 8.1 megapixel Ricoh Digital camera.

[@petemc5070]

1:35 - the Peak District looked sublime.

[@jimwlouavl]

Great video. Glad I found your channel as I explore both portraits and LF as well. New subscriber. Your focus, exposure, and development were excellent yielding a perfectly white dress, great skin tones, and the right contrast. I’d love to know more about your development and any post processing work.

[@Tom-Humble]

Thank you. I’ll try and do a video around my post processing of scans in the near future.

[@weezintrumpeteer]

Really enjoyed the video - great photos, and makes me feel like I finally need to go out and get a 4x5 (which I've been threatening to do for years now!)

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks! Do it, it’s such a different experience to shooting other formats and thoroughly enjoyable.

[@archywiseman]

Life is short. Go after what makes you happy.

[@aram4854]

Awesome photos

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks

[@Notimportant1995]

Great video man, there aren't too many decent 4x5 videos with models (mostly just landscapes or photos of cars) so would love to see more!

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks man! Got some more 4x5 portraits coming later today

[@RocketinExile]

Excellent

[@lululashlounge]

Why do I feel like a lot of photographers are going back to film because it feels like a talent thing.But honestly anybody can adjust to using film.Those pictures are awesome.

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks man. It doesn’t feel like a talent thing for me but it does definitely feel more rewarding when I manage to get a semi decent image, as it takes a bit more work to get there.

[@thisjaredrussell]

NIce video. I'm considering a similar camera (Wista 45VX) also for portaits and landscapes, so this was really interesting. Thanks

[@my2004rt]

Wonderful content!

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks!

[@oudviola]

Nice images. Shooting at f5.6 is bold indeed!

[@ZainRiza]

that's a pretty camera. Loved that final full body portrait. I miss your GFX haha

[@Tom-Humble]

I miss your x100v 😂

[@landesnorm]

Humble, Nice work, look forward to more. For photogs who use LF for portraits, you might check out Yousef Karsh. He shot with an 8x10 Deardorf, used photoflood lights, and shot mostly on location. His background, he claims, was an old Army blanket. You might like his work and learn something from it. Also, Richard Avedon's early work with models was sometimes done on 8x10.

[@jamesprivet]

Brilliant review and photoshoot thank you! Did you have to add a stop of +1 exposure compensation at 8:46 to compensate for backlighting and the white dress?

[@allanhugh2044]

First time I have seen your videos, pretty good work. A piece of string for critical focus when working that close can be of great help, but with some models it doesn't work. I know this is some time after and you were looking at picking up a 210mm lens, which is a bigger jump from a 135mm lens compared to the oft used 150mm as a standard 4x5" lens; have you thought of a 250mm lens instead? For portrait work I have a 250mm Fujinon on 4x5" which I've found to be great for portraiture, landscape and pretty much everything else. Since getting it 4-5 years ago, I have hardly pulled out the 210mm and no longer carry it in my bag. The one I have is a Fujinon W f/6.3 250, relatively cheap and relatively light. It would have been interesting to see the negatives lined up on a light box, which would tell you a lot about your exposure regime. As in a little bit under on this one, possibly a bit over on this one. On the last sheet, if you look carefully behind her left upper arm area, the white background of the buildings, has a darkened area. This is operating like a black halo, which for white on white subjects, outlines the subject matter better than her right side for direct comparison. Nit picking, but this is technique that you gradually pick up bit by bit. I thought your choice of model was perfect; hopefully she liked the B&W stuff as well.

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks Allan, I'm still learning so any advice is appreciated. I actually picked up a Nikkor 210mm 5.6 but have yet to properly they it out. I also got my hands on a Schneider Tecknica 135mm f3.5 lens I've been using more instead of the fuji 135mm 5.6.

[@anthonyfarmer6811]

Great vid Tom . Got me inspired to break out the Wista 45D . What tripod is that you're using? . Looks really up to the job .

[@Tom-Humble]

It’s a vanguard carbon fibre one. Not too expensive and does the job

[@ImperiousImages]

Great film and digital images. The portability of the Toyo 45A looks great. Does the Voigtlander cause any vignetting on the gfx?

[@Tom-Humble]

A little when wide open but easily corrected in post

[@francoismadelin3389]

What backpack are you using ? Great photos 🔥

[@pfp101]

Congratulations for the pictures, great approach. I’m beginning large format too. I Just bought a 4x5 field camera. I really liked your b&w pictures, can you tell me, what focal distance of the lens that you used? I hope see more pictures from you, good job.

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks. I was using a Fujinon 135mm 5.6 lens.

[@YOUAREMYKIN]

Wow, those last photos in color are beautiful. Do you shoot with the Voigt 58 1.4 wide open on those? Trying to gauge how usable the F1.4 will be on my GFX.

[@vikdaddy]

Hi Tom, would love to see a review of the Voigtlander 58mm on your GFX!

[@Tom-Humble]

It's coming!

[@nicklutz7895]

Fantastic shots and video. Can you share what app you are using to meter?

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks, I’ve added a link in the comments.

[@enzocastellucci6416]

Hello Tom, what about the mount for full frame lenses you mentioned? Do you think is it possible to put my 50mm nikon F lens on mamiya 645 1000s?

[@iseolake]

Great job. The model’s experience must be quite different from digital. Then again, large format would be fast for models accustomed to working with painters. Believe it or not, I’m curious about your dark cloth. Black and red. Almost every dark cloth I found for sale in Japan (where I live) is black and red. I’m wondering if Japan picked that up from the UK, because in the States, almost every cloth is white (or silver) and black. I believe black goes inside for weaker reflections, white/silver to keep out heat.

[@bernardkelly235]

Impressive work with the Toyo, which was a good choice for many reasons. I couldn’t tell, but do you meter first or focus? I find if I meter first, the model is less likely to move in the interval between focusing and exposure.

[@Tom-Humble]

A mix of both tbh but you’re probably right that it’s best to meter and then focus.

[@yusufaksoy3697]

Great video again ! How do you get those tones in digital images?

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks. I edit them in lightroom with film emulation profiles.

[@gibcoprobe66]

@@Tom-Humble Which ones?

[@ravibindra565]

you may find focusing and working with a screen much easier without the sunnies. less likely to miss focus. also try stopping down - like old SLR lenses, wide open is low resolution.

[@Tom-Humble]

They’re prescription sunglasses so they actually helped focus and I wanted to test the lens out wide open.

[@jerryeisner1]

Tom Great Video and model shoot. On the one you missed focus on your camera back and film holder were at a drastically different angle than the model's face. Couple that with the shallow depth of field and you would have almost no chance at all of getting a full focus on the face. The eyes only in focus may have saved you but I don't think you double checked the eyes. Additionally, I'm not totally sure if you tripped the shutter on that last shot only with your hand. But it looked like that to me on the video-that you did not use the cable release. If so that may have caused camera shake and additional softness of that last image.

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks! And thank you for the advice. It’s all still very new to me but I’m learning and enjoying it which is what counts!

[@moloipo108]

I need to stop watching large format videos... I don't have the money to get a 4x5. All jokes aside, beautiful work, Tom!

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks man! If it wasn’t for my photography addiction I’m pretty sure I’d be Jeffrey Bezos rich by now

[@ttizm]

Probably missed some info - what r the lences used? Thanks❤

[@tomislavmiletic_]

I admire your determination, and determination of all other large format shooting KZbinrs. I've shot large format only once, in photography school, and never agin. Too expensive, too fiddly and time consuming for my taste...

[@Tom-Humble]

Thank you. I actually enjoy the fiddly bits!

[@Foxglove963]

Tomislav. Then it was a questionable school that provided next to no support that made you give up. If you own no dedication for the medium then you'll never be an artist. I use 8 X 10" and it's superb!

[@anthonyfarmer6811]

Just on focussing , do you use a loupe on the ground glass ?

[@Tom-Humble]

Yeah just put it flat on the ground glass.

[@davefaulkner6302]

Why did you choose the fastest shutter speeds available and widest aperture? Why not 1/60 and f22 or similar, i.e., something with a wider DOF?

[@Tom-Humble]

Because I like my portraits to have a shallow DOF.

[@Machster10]

What is your processing?

[@Jennifer_Prentice]

Older video but was very fun to watch :). The model was not my favorite as she kinda looked pissy the entire time.. Maybe hire one that smiles next time :). Great photos

[@Tom-Humble]

The pissy, teenager look was the intended look. She did a great job at doing it too. I've worked with her multiple times (you can see on my insta) and she has a great smile! Also you can't just ask a model to smile as it's fake and looks fake. Smiles need to be genuine and can be achieved simply by being a nice, kind person. Or funny. I do my best to bring both to the table during a shoot.

[@vanodyssey1659]

@5:20 did you not do any light metering? Or just guess it?

[@Tom-Humble]

I was using a phone app to light meter

[@ashleyhoff7561]

OK, fellow 45A shooter here. I am now 4 minutes into the video - you have missed the single key ingredient to large format. What's the lens? You've done a great job with the light. Those shot under the pier really shine. Excellent set of images

[@Tom-Humble]

Thank you! I used the fujinon 135mm 5.6 here.

[@anatrindade4524]

I was going to ask the same question ;) thank you both.

[@johntylor3980]

I wonder how you develop these beautiful white black films .😍

[@Tom-Humble]

In ilfosol 3 with a stearman press tank

[@johntylor3980]

@@Tom-Humble Standard development time？Thank you.

[@Tom-Humble]

@@johntylor3980 I develop at 1:9 and it’s 4 mins for FP4 and 6.5 mins for HP5. Agitate every 30 secs.

[@johntylor3980]

@@Tom-Humble Thank you!

[@camerachica73]

@@Tom-Humble Have you tried using thinner films in the stearman i.e. fomapan, Bergger? I heard that they scratches very easily.

[@gibcoprobe66]

Honestly, that 3D pop that you typically see with LF, is not that present here. Perhaps the lens that you used? Love your digitals shot though.

[@huanliu1449]

what tripod you are using?

[@Tom-Humble]

VANGUARD VEO 2 PRO 263CPV Photo/Video Tripod with Innovative 3-Way Pan-Head www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QHNJ7GQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_OsOlZNuqIrylA

[@zerofull6936]

So you took your wife along!!

[@joejojo5966]

what app are you using on your phone ?

[@Tom-Humble]

Viewfinder app to compose and then light meter app

[@joejojo5966]

@@Tom-Humble Ty!

[@ernestnazarov3195]

What lens is that?

[@Tom-Humble]

Fuji 135mm f5.6

[@johnyjsl9219]

She so serious

[@yansemartin3430]

What is the lens?

[@Tom-Humble]

This was with the fujinon 135mm f5.6 lens

[@GraemeSimpsonPhotography]

nailing those shots. Do wish you'd made her smile. Something about her moodyness took me out of the feel of the shot. Still great work though dude

[@Tom-Humble]

Thanks man. You’re the second person to mention. It’s just not the vibe we were going for. Although I’m now keen to purposefully get some smiles next time.

[@rdandelionart]

Do you really smile at rest? because I don't, and smiling artificially for a photo is more inauthentic and worse art.

[@GraemeSimpsonPhotography]

@@rdandelionart it's not just having a beaming smile, it's also the eyes. I get what Tom was trying to achieve here but I was just saying I'd like to have seen a smile or just a brighter expression. It's not inauthentic to smile if the talent is reacting to something the photographer says or does. Guess after the last 18 months I'd just prefer to see happiness in people is all :)

[@lensman5762]

I admire your choice of model, but given her height and looks, she looked more of a fashion model than portrait. In any case you did well. It is not easy taking photos of models with a 4X5. In fact I don't think I have done it even once in the last 40 years or so of photography. For this sort of shoot I much prefer a medium format , a Hassy is perfect here, or even a 35 mm loaded with a suitable emulsion. The photos looked good though.

[@Tom-Humble]

Yeah portraits are much easier on medium format for sure. I’ve tried many medium format cameras out but there’s something about the effort that goes into making a large format photo that feels a bit more rewarding.

[@twotwofresh]

Great video Tom, "Resting Bitch Face" lol nice results, great model Annabelle #Londonlovesyou

[@Tom-Humble]

Haha thanks

[@kstrohmeier]

Were you tempted to try one portrait with a smile?

[@Tom-Humble]

Nope

[@kstrohmeier]

@@Tom-Humble Serious question - is that because it was the style / vibe you were going for or because the mechanics of the camera (time needed to focus, checking exposure and settings, etc.) kind of dictated it?

[@Tom-Humble]

@@kstrohmeier to be honest that was the style in mind prior to the shoot. She does ‘resting bitch face’ as we call it very well and the vibe was supposed to be an unimpressed teen.

[@jimwlouavl]

@@Tom-Humble That’s actually the impression I had before reading this comment. The one with her on the bench with her legs open showed her youthful face and unimpressed attitude.

[@olympus2OM]

There is no advantage in comparison to medium format. Large format is very slow, unnatural and the opposite of spontaneous. All planned out and the model is waiting and waiting and waiting. For what? I don't know. I think large format is overrated and in most cases unnecessary. Large Format wastes a lot of film and is very bad for the environment with the large amount of chemicals they are needed for the film and the developing of the film. 
 Large Format speeds up the climate warming in irresponsible way. Large Format ist a luxury. We can't mess with the environment in this way any more. Certainly not at all for insignificant shots without added value for nobody. Large format photos has to be extraordinary to document important things for future generations. Only then it is justifiable. 
 35mm film or medium format is really good enough for almost everything. Large format is kind of a narcissistic thing. Thoughts: It has too be bigger for my own ego. Yes, I have to prove something to myself.

[@Tom-Humble]

That’s your opinion which you’re entitled to. I will say that I disagree though.

[@andrewbartram2478]

Bigger is better - we all know that…. Well most of us 😂

[@gibcoprobe66]

@@Tom-Humble I do agree with him. It's the law of diminishing returns.

[@davefaulkner6302]

Wrong. Large format uses less film because you take one or two shots instead of whole rolls. It is slow and involved and uses tiny amounts of resources. You use more carbon taking selfies of yourself on your iPhone and posting them to facebook for a thousand people to view. If you want to save the planet, drive less. And nothing beats the resolution of LF, including cutting edge 50K$ digital cameras. The images jump off the page from the resolution. There are many reasons why LF is still superior to all other formats, and has been the first choice of many great photographers for over a century.