Shooting freefall at 4*5 format

[PhreeZone 20]

http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2010/02/creative-advice-from-carl-jung.html
http://www.aarongustafson.net/#

ARTIST BECOMES FIRST TO TAKE LARGE-FORMAT PHOTOGRAPHS WHILE IN FREEFALL
Seattle artist Aaron Gustafson shot a series of large-format landscape photographs while skydiving using a custom-designed 4x5 helmet-camera.

Seattle, Washington, 8 February 2010 – Seattle-based artist Aaron Gustafson recently completed a series of large-format landscape photographs that he shot while freefalling through the skies of New York and Washington State. He became the first person to take large-format photographs while skydiving.

“I wanted to upend the norms by making a [large-format] camera to be used in a wildly different way,” Gustafson said. “This is what you’d get if you threw Ansel Adams out of a plane.”

Gustafson designed a helmet-mounted 4x5-inch film camera, and during the period of several months he made one photograph per jump while skydiving at speeds greater than 130 miles per hour.

“There is a long history between photography and adventure,” artist-photographer Arthur Ou said of the project. “Gustafson's work … continues on this lineage, though not without a sense of wit and sincere irony.”

Artist Miranda Lichtenstein added, “Gustafson contemplates the sublime by jumping into it—literally … Picture [Dutch conceptual artist] Bas Jan Ader working for the [US] Geological Survey.”

Gustafson specially designed the camera that he used for the series. He made a prototype and then worked with a machinist and a plastics specialist to realize the final design. The camera is a cube-shaped acrylic and aluminum box that contains a wide-angle lens and houses a single sheet of 4x5-inch film at a time.

After learning to solo skydive, Gustafson made approximately 25 photo-dedicated jumps in New York and Washington State. The photographs show expansive aerial views of the Shawangunk Ridge in New York, and the Cascade Range and Puget Sound in Washington State. Subtle blur in the images alludes to how they were made.

“Photography is in a strange place now where everyone is taking camera-phone snapshots and posting them online,” Gustafson said. “But photography can still be grand and larger-than-life. This project came out of a desire for that. It’s a hybrid of new and old, calm and chaos.”

Aaron Gustafson is a 2009 MFA graduate of Parsons The New School for Design, New York. The freefall 4x5 project was a part of his final thesis, which was shown at Arnold & Sheila Aronson Galleries, New York, in 2009. Gustafson was born in Washington State and is currently based in Seattle. Much of his work deals with man in relation to nature and challenging conventions of photography.

Web site: http://www.aarongustafson.net/
Video document: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEmpSRro5EE

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[pilotdave 0]

I guess it's kinda cool but...

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Subtle blur in the images alludes to how they were made.

Huge camera to get crappy pictures? No thanks...

Dave

[DSE 5]

They'll look amazing when blown up to a billboard tho.

[pilotdave 0]

If they weren't blurry they would. That's the point of large format. If the pictures are blurry, you might as well shoot them with a point and shoot camera, right? Guess it depends on what they mean by "subtle blur."

I guess it's art because it was hard and he only took one picture per jump. I took 400 on one jump on saturday. I am no artist! (It was a CRW jump, by the way
Dave

[DSE 5]

That "slight blur" lets you know the camera was moving?

Either way...the concept is really cool. Not sure about the application/execution in looking at the photos, but the concept itself is cool.

High concept and all that stuff.

[BMFin 0]

LOL

Large format to shoot empty sky ?

Why not just take those photos from an aircraft ?

[DSE 5]

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Why not just take those photos from an aircraft ?

Cuz then it wutn't be art.
The aircraft prolly wouldn't give it blur, either.

[davelepka 4]

It's been done before, and they shot skydivers in freefall. I can't remember who, when, or where but I do remember hearing about it when I first got into cameras. 1995 or earlier, for sure.

I'll bet Mike McGowan knows the story.

[Laszloimage 0]

I really want to shoot some photos in freefall with this:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/671884-REG/Hasselblad_70480542_H4D_50_Digital_SLR_Camera.html (I know its only medium format)
...and I have some aristic ideas too (I'm seriuos not trying to be sarcastic!)
I just need the budget.
I'm sure I can rent this camera, but I would still need a decent "fund" to make my ideas to happen.

[gthomas101 0]

Thats the difference between a photographer that has spent the years and dedication to learn the craft of making a image and someone that screws a camera to a helmet and jumps out of a airplane. the dedication that comes from making a image with a 4x5 or a 8x10 takes time and mistakes, and more time and more time. But then again ive spent thousands of dollars learning the craft with film before digital came along. The photos are kinda boring without skydivers in it, but they do tell a story and thats what a image is all about, not showing off the egos of our buddies in freefall. but then again thats alot of fun also, so what the hell do I know. I thinks it pretty cool he set up a project, saw it though and has the respect of one of the top photogs in the world, he just wrote his ticket into nice career.

gthomasphoto.com

[BMFin 0]

IMO what matters is the result, not how it was achieved.

No matter how I look at it, I just see blurry pics of empty sky.

I guess I could be wrong. If you give a brush and a canvas to a horse and it manages to make a few sweeps, I guess someone would pay big bucks for that magnificent painting.

[bomb420 1]

mcgowin owns one. I believe the shot in this months parachutist for skydive arizona's holiday boogie was shot by this camera. Pretty crazy setup.

-Trunk

HYPOXIC

[DSE 5]

I have a Pentax 645n with a 75mm lens, but the thought of putting it on for freefall has only momentarily crossed my mind. Can't think of any real value for the subjects that I have reasonable access to.
I never considered shooting only sky. I guess I'm not artistic enough.

[tonyhathaway 0]

Did I read that right, the FIRST person to wear large format? It was done a LOT up until digital really took off. And 4x5 was usually considered medium format. Just ask chuck karcher......

My O.C.D. has me chasing a dream my A.D.D. won't let me catch.

[shogo 0]

I don’t think 4x5 (in inches) format was ever considered medium format (e.g. 6x7 in centimeters.). But I agree. It this really the first time?

[tonyhathaway 0]

yeah, you're right , 4x5 inches is big. I was thinking of maybe a 6x7 centimers i guess. I used to want a medium format camera so much back in the 90's when i was shooting slides so much. Never got one though......

My O.C.D. has me chasing a dream my A.D.D. won't let me catch.

[shogo 0]

Yeah. He is amazing. I came across his picture with exif info on the internet the other day (says Hasselblad H3D). What a dedication.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/870382
It looks to me that he used flash. I can’t imagine the total weight.

[shogo 0]

Pentax is coming out with a digital medium format this year. Might be a cheaper alternative. The ad says 1.7x the 35mm full frame sensor, so that will have the same size sensor as H4D.
You should buy it!
http://www.camera-pentax.jp/new/
But can you still pan-focus with hyperfocal distance? 1.7 times mean 35mm lens would be like 60mm. Auto focus?

[BMFin 0]

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But can you still pan-focus with hyperfocal distance?

I guess you could pan focus with this using smaller aperture, but just like with 35mm and other systems you need to know the distance of the subject in beforehand. But for shure this would be less forgiving in this way..

Why pan-focus anyway if you have AF lens and body ?

[shogo 0]

I have tried auto focus. (using USM powered and non-USM powered lenses) I feel it's easier with manual focus. I look at pictures with auto focusing and I find a lot of them are focused at infinity. (On DPP, you can see where the camera focused, too.). But guys at my DZ have been telling me Auto is the way to go. I will try both next season. Maybe I need a real ring sight, too.

[BMFin 0]

Im curious, where exactly on DPP can you get info on which distance the photo was focused on ?

Only thing I have noticed is the "AF point" selection on DPP which will give me the AF grid, but that doesnt really give me any info on where it was focused and which distance.. (see photo)

And yes, Im strong believer of AF as long as you lens can deliver good AF. Lots of times I notice people taping their focus ring near infinity and shoot objects at any distance what so ever with the same point of focus.. (you can believe the results arent that sharp)

My rough guess is that I get maby 5% out of focus, but I rather deal with this than get all my photos "somewhere around there"

[shogo 0]

-Only thing I have noticed is the "AF point" selection on DPP which will give me the AF grid, but that doesnt really give me any info on where it was focused and which distance.. (see photo)
That's what I meant.
But yours are all red. Is this due to the camera deciding to use average of these points; or is the camera showing you the user selected AF points. Mine shows one or more of the points in red where the camera decided to focus. (If I am using “all points used” mode.)
I guess we are deviating from the thread too much. But I am very curious about this.
My e-mail is shogo@dropzone.com.

edit
By the way nice picture.

[Laszloimage 0]

Wow! Good for him. That's an expensive "toy" just to own it. I'm sure he can untilize it...
Hopefully I will be able to do that too soonner or later.

[Laszloimage 0]

How about for a big-way for a billboard ad?
That would be a cool assigment to use a large still camera like that.
I would also use "big equipment" for a photo exhibit if the prints were made of a "real life" size.
...as I said it's only a matter of budget for me.
Something to work on in the future...

[LouDiamond 1]

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I can’t imagine the total weight.

It's actually not that heavy and it's remarkably well balanced even with a 580 unit on it. I'd say it's about what most dual camera set ups weigh. I have seen what it can do and to say it is sharp is an understatement. The prints that he's hung up in the hanger on occasion are about poster size and they almost look 3d there is so much detail and depth to them. You can zoom in on those groups shots and see the color of peoples eyes and close up details of patches with no degradation in image quality. It's an amazing camera to say the least. Here are a couple of quick iphone shots of it.

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