Re: PLANE OF SHARP FOCUS

Do a Google search for "Scheimpflug Principle" for the *amazing* answer to
your first question. You won't believe what you're reading until you use a
view camera yourself. As for the camera postion, that's a creative decision
made by Avedon. The location of the camera is the view point, figuratively
and literally, for any photo.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Shank" <gshank@flash.net>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
Sent: Saturday, December 24, 2005 11:08 AM
Subject: PLANE OF SHARP FOCUS

> The Amon Carter Museum is currently showing a collection of Richard
> Avedon portraits. They also have photos which show the subject,
> background, & camera locations for these portraits. The portraits were
> taken outdoors using natural light. The camera he used was a 8x10
> field camera which was located about 12 feet from the subject. The
> camera height was about the same as the head of the subject and the
> camera bed was angled down so the lens axis was in line with the chest
> of the subject. The back of the camera was normal to the lens axis so
> it was tilted forward relative to the ground plane. The photographer
> had to stand on a box to view the ground glass. By examining the 40 x
> 50 in. portraits, the plane of focus is vertical and extends from the
> eyes to the belt buckle. The portraits are not cropped and they extend
> from the top of the head to a few inches below the belt. My question is
> why is the plane of sharp focus verticle when the camera back is not
> verticle and what is the advantage of the camera position he used?
>
> Gary Shank
>
>
Received on Sun Dec 25 05:34:06 2005