[Leica] Alfred Cheney Johnston Photog

[Mark Rabiner]

I'm assuming what we are looking at is the 1920's here and a few even
before. It was the 30's  depression that depressed American culture and its
still bouncing back. From the technical end I've always been fascinated by
large format as in not 4x5" sheet film but large enough to contact a
respectable sized print.
And 8x10 really opens things up but it is 11x14 that feels not too small on
a wall.  And also there's this glass plate thing. Hugely superior to flimsy
sheet film flopping around in a holder who the hell knows where your film
plane is? He seems to be shooting not stopped all the way down as many large
format shooters normally do. Areas in thief image drop off suddenly. Small
areas are in focus. You don't see that in large format normally. It could be
retouching on the negative but I think he's shooting f8 which is pretty
darned wide for 11x14 inch format. For many lenses covering that format it
would be near wide open. Looking at a groundless that big though would be
quite a revelation. You'd easily be able to see everything even if it was up
side down. It would be like my new iMac I'm going to get in the next few
weeks.
Huge.


On 10/1/16 1:35 AM, "Gerry Walden" <gerry.walden at icloud.com> wrote:

> As you so rightly say Mark, there is some wonderful if rather stylish work of
> so many young ladies who later went on to become household names. The plates
> are very typical of the age, but a well-crafted photographer has bought a
> polished aspect to them. Only one (2nd girl in) shows the way the market would
> prograss, and makes you wonder if this was a more personal plate than the
> rest.
> 
> Thanks for the link.
> 
> Gerry
> 
> 
>> On 1 Oct 2016, at 03:15, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:
>> 
>>  Alfred Cheney Johnston was not as famous as  Alberto Vargas.
>> They both worked for Ziegfeld at the same time.
>>  "Cheney"   (1884-1971)  did photos. Vargas did paintings. Vargas I'm long
>> familiar with as I'm sure most of you are as well. But Cheney I just found
>> out about tonight. Harrell I've long known worked in 8x10 sheet film a thing
>> I thought I'd have experience in by now.
>> But Cheney did the bulk of his work with 11x14 glass plates!!
>> And its worth it that extra size and that glass. Checkout some of his stuff
>> I think you'll agree.
>> (Caution) near naked ladies.
>> Amazing gorgeousness. And craft. And art.
>> 
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Cheney_Johnston
>> 
>> .
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Mark William Rabiner
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
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-- 
Mark William Rabiner
Photographer
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/