4x5 Woes

This week was yet another lesson in patience as I delve deeper into the world of the large format view camera. As I diverted from food photography this week to shoot a stock American flag shot, I felt grateful for the fact that I am a pretty patient person when it comes to my photography. I like details and I am a bit of a perfectionist. These characteristics demand patience on a daily basis. This brings me to the infamous flag shoot. I essentially picked the hardest setup possible with a view camera... why? Some might say masochism, others would say I love a challenge. I am sure both are accurate to a certain degree. If anyone is familiar with the view camera and how it functions, creating a focal plane that essentially runs perpendicular to the film plane is especially difficult. Add in the fact that I decided to shoot from slightly above and pivoted sideways on the subject all means that I had entered the 7th circle of hell, photographically speaking of course. Several hours after attempting to capture a single frame I came away with something that I could live with, but was by no means perfect. Will I be able to walk away and let the Sinar win? Probably not, but until the re-shoot... this exposure will have to do.