burkphoto wrote:
Click the All Sections button at the bottom of the page to go to a list of all sections of UHH. YES, there is a section on film photography.
Scanning 4x5 film is probably the best way to use it in 2024. You can order professional drum scans, or do it yourself on an Epson D850 flatbed scanner.
OR, you can backlight your film with a video LED light panel diffused through thick milk Plexiglass or Perspex, and photograph it with a macro lens. If you photograph negatives, you can convert them to positives manually (a royal pain in the ass!), or you can use the Negative Lab Pro plug-in for Lightroom Classic, which is absolutely excellent.
The one thing to consider is knowledge and equipment. For a digital post production workflow, you really need a fast computer, good graphic arts monitor, a calibration kit for the monitor (usually a colorimeter and software or spectrophotometer and software from Datacolor or Calibrite), and a software suite such as the Adobe Photography Plan. If you print your own, you'll want a PHOTO grade printer from Canon or Epson.
As for a changing bag and other darkroom gear, both B&H (https://www.bhphotovideo.com) and Adorama (https://www.Adorama.com) have darkroom specialists who can recommend the best of current offerings.
If you are curious about "camera scanning," Here's my take on it, and a few samples of what it can do with just 35mm film. To scan 4x5, I'd want a full frame digital camera with 60+ MP resolution, and a really good macro lens, although a Lumix G9 II would do quite well in high resolution mode. The samples below were made with a 16MP camera.
Click the b All Sections /b button at the bottom... (
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When I saw the graveyard photograph it looked very familiar. I was there once, reluctantly using it to get from where I managed to park, not an easy feat in the Holy City, to the church to record a Spoleto concert carrying bags of gear and soaking my clothes with sweat. I always wanted to go back to make some photographs. Thanks for sharing that one. It is possible to get locked in or out of some of Charleston's cemeteries depending on timing having found out the hard way.
As for working the OP and working with 4X5 film, I would strongly recommend a blacked out closet or bathroom over a changing bag. Usually the wife has the large closet if you are making a darkroom. I am not sure how to advise in that case.