I can go either way on the crop/no-crop issue. If I see something in the viewfinder and like the composition square, I'll shoot with the intent of a square print. If I see some extra on the top/bottom/sides that really doesn't need to be there, I'll crop. I love working square though, it's so much more comfortable than tilting a big-assed camera on its side.
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Bob Fowler fowler@verizon.net
Some people are like Slinkies. They're really good for nothing, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Personally, I bought a 6x6 so I could shoot square. I'd rather buy a square camera than crop a rectangle. I think the square format really is a challenge compositionally, especially the landscape. I have always thought of the viewfinder as a space to fill until I have this intuitive reaction that it's 'right'. Which is why I like to print full-frame and in the format of the camera. I concentrate on utilizing the available space in the viewfinder - I don't ignore it - I emphasize it. For 6x6, my eyes were really opened by Harry Callahans' book "Waters Edge" - really masterful use of the 6x6 in the 'landscape'.
I endorse having a look at how well Charlie Waite (www.charliewaite.com) has done with his square landscapes. Primarily working in colour, he also uses B+W. Having bought an SQA on impulse 5 years ago, discovering his books helped me enormously with landscape and in the use of the square format.
My SQA doesn't get out much now, but I do still appreciate good square images. Think of them as a happy halfway house between Portrait and Landscape format!
I endorse having a look at how well Charlie Waite (www.charliewaite.com) has done with his square landscapes. Primarily working in colour, he also uses B+W. Having bought an SQA on impulse 5 years ago, discovering his books helped me enormously with landscape and in the use of the square format.
I bought his two landscape books a year or two ago and I've been going back over them recently. Partly because I've been finding the 35mm landscape format too rectangular! I know you don't have tell me -- I'm weird I find I'm often cropping the sides off my negs during enlarging. It's this reason, and the fact that I'd like a bigger neg, that I've just bought a C220. We'll see how I get on over the next few months!
One thing that Charlie Waite seems to advocate a lot in his work is the use of a step ladder to gain some height. Seems like he takes one on many of his shoots. I must admit, I can't see me hiking across the South Shropshire Hills with a step ladder strapped to my back, my tripod is bad enough, plus this new C220 is no featherweight
...the photos of Charlie Waite-and having just visited his website,I admire him even more!
I tried to get one of his books a while back,but (just my luck!)it had been deleted!!!
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A common mistake people made when designing something completely foolproof was to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.
Computers are incredibly stupid,but they are capable of being incredibly stupid many millions of times a second.
Both said by Doug Adams
Only put off until tomorrow that which you are prepared to die having not done-Pablo Picasso
...the photos of Charlie Waite-and having just visited his website,I admire him even more!
I tried to get one of his books a while back,but (just my luck!)it had been deleted!!!
The two that I've got are his "The making of landscape photographs" and "Seeing landscapes". The first one was published 1992 and the second 1999. Both seem to still be available on Amazon UK at GBP 9. They're both good books, the second is slightly more modern, better paper etc. They both deal with his thinking behind his photos for example, why he often uses 6x6. Sometimes he has several versions of the same photo taken at different times, slightly different angles etc, and he explains why one "worked" and the other didn't. Also, he's not afraid to crop if he feels the image needs it. Both recommended.
I find I'm often cropping the sides off my negs during enlarging. It's this reason, and the fact that I'd like a bigger neg, that I've just bought a C220. We'll see how I get on over the next few months!
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