Sometimes one of the trickiest parts in photography is making that mental leap between what your eyes see and what your camera/film will see.  The more out-of-the-ordinary your tools, the more difficult this leap becomes.   ⁠

Here, we have a Horseman SW612 - a panoramic 6x12cm medium format camera - loaded with Lomochrome Purple film.⁠

⁠There is definitely some adjustment necessary when shooting panoramic.  There is just so much real estate running both left and right that needs to be accounted for, waiting to be filled with relevant subject matter.  So much image for your visual narrative.  This is the challenge that comes along withe the allure of wide angle lenses and panoramic cameras.  In some ways, shooting wide angle panoramic is more difficult just for that large amount of frame to keep in mind.⁠

While the panoramic format is quite distinct, you might find that the aspect ratio actually fits your field of vision better even than a standard-framed SLR with a 50mm lens.  This is because a panoramic camera, like this Horseman, better approximates the field of view that we have by including our peripheral vision.  ⁠

⁠Of course, Lomochrome Purple is a truly wild film emulsion.  Concocted in such a way that it swaps colors, particularly greens with purples, it does present a normal world in very surreal fashion.  This certainly takes some getting used to and is a film that works better the greater your familiarity with it.  As a creative ingredient, it is definitely a fun one to throw in the mix. ⁠

⁠Even with that familiarity, it remains a tough film to previsualize.  This makes the anticipation of seeing the resulting images a lot of fun... though, when standing in front of a scene, it can be difficult to accurately predict just how this film will render it.⁠

⁠All these thoughts were playing through our heads on a recent outing to the Columbia River Gorge.  So we decided to make this documentary image of the camera in its environment, just prior to exposure, as well as that resulting image for comparison.⁠  Enjoy!

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(This post is part of a series of images made of our film cameras out in the wild, along with the photographs they made in that moment.  The comparison can be a great way of learning how film sees... or even how the creative mind of a photographer can see.)  

The funny thing about setting a camera up on a tripod is that it can act like a subliminal beacon, guiding oblivious passerby as to where to stand.  Take for example, this wide open beach with miles behind and forward, not to mention, quite an expanse from surf to shore's edge.  Yet, as we were setting up to make this image, we unsurprisingly attracted that person who just had to stop right in front of the camera.  And not just to stop for a quick snap of their own, but several snaps.  It can certainly be frustrating, if you let it, but it can also be amusing in its way.  On one hand, some people would be very uncomfortable if you were pointing your camera obviously toward them for a photo, but those same people will walk right into a frame without much thought.  The unwanted passerby in the frame is a challenge many a photographer has had to deal with over the history of photography, and there are a variety of ways to deal with it.  You can wait them out.  You can politely ask them to move out of the frame.  You can be rude and impolitely ask them.  You can make the image anyway, treating them as a serendipitous element.  The list is as long as your imagination/problem solving capabilities.  ⁠

⁠One of our preferred methods?  Ultra long exposures.  Almost nobody stands still in such places long enough to render in a 4 or 8 or 15 minute exposure.  Since they tend to move on after a moment, they don't render in the final image at all.  This can be a handy way of making even a crowded location appear deserted.  And even if they do show up, it will be as a cool, ghostly blur more than likely.  This has been our way of working in such places.  Anyway, here is our "before and after."  We hope you enjoy the images, as well as the thoughts behind them.⁠

This image was made by a Horseman SW612⁠ on Fuji Acros II⁠, with an exposure time of 8 minutes.

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