For Labor Day, A process flashback. I made a number of the pictures in Woonsocket RI with a baby Crown Graphic camera and 6x9 roll film back. I thought at the time that I wanted to continue a view camera method: camera on tripod, ground glass focus and framing, but with a smaller camera and 120 film. So I got a baby crown and a very nice 65mm Super Angulon lens. On 6x9 that works out to be very close to the same angle of view as a 28mm lens on a 35m camera. Perfect I thought. I got a bright screen to help with the focus, the SA was an f8 lens. I also got two graflex roll film backs, locating the later versions with the rollers installed. Should be quick and light, compared with a 4x5 or 8x10.
Still, even with the rollers in the backs I could see that that film flatness was less than ideal, in fact it was pretty bad. No problem I thought, the lens stopped down has such depth of field I won't have any problems with lack of focus. This was true. However the lens couldn't help with architecture turning into ribbon candy near the edges of the frame, in focus yes, straight no. For landscape it would be fine, but facades, not really.
This and the very limited range of movements brought this experiment to a close, but at least I tried it.
Always fun to wander around Woonsocket.
