Things You'll Need
Instructions
Prepare your film holders. Remove the dark slides from the film holders and place them facing the same direction. As one side is white and the other black, this color coding will be used to tell you when your film has been exposed and prevent double exposures.
Read the film box. Every brand of film has a "notch code" to help the photographer distinguish the emulsion from the base side of the film; this is done by notches cut in one side of the film. Each manufacturer uses a different code.
Prepare the film. Place film holders, dark slides, and the box of 4x5 film in a light-proof room or film changing bag and light-proof the area. In complete darkness, open the box of film, remove the outer covering, and open the film bag. With care to touch only the outer edges of the film, feel along the top edge for the notch code. Insert the film into the film holder with the emulsion side (as presented by the notch code) facing outward. Slide the dark slide back over the film to cover it fully. Repeat for each sheet of film, and then place the remainder of the film back into the box before returning to a lighted area.
Meter your scene. Using a handheld light meter (operation varies with make and model), measure the exposure time and aperture settings, and then adjust your camera to these settings.
Place the camera on a tripod. Slide the exposure lock open, which will open the lens and allow the scene to be composed and focused. Attach the dark cloth to the ground glass end of the camera. Under the dark cloth, the ground glass will be easier to view. Focus the scene by adjusting the bellows length, using the loupe to view the image closely and verify focus. The photographer may also add tilt or shift at this time. Tilting the film plane will add additional depth of field, where shifting it will correct spatial distortion in lines such as buildings or trees. Close the exposure lock and double check exposure settings.
Open the ground glass side of the camera and insert a closed film holder. On the side of the film holder that faces the lens, raise the dark slide. The film is now ready to be exposed. Press the shutter release to expose the film, and then reverse the dark slide so the opposite side is facing outwards. This is a reminder that the film is now exposed.
Repeat this process for each photograph.