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Gowland Aerial 8x10 Camera Testimonial
by Ed Keck, Photographer from Pasadena California
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I am the very happy owner of a Gowland 8x10 aerial camera that Peter built for me in December 2005. My Gowland 8x10 aerial is one of my favorite cameras to use because it is so simple to use in the field. Contrary to its designation of "Aerial Camera", it is a fantastic camera for ground based shots, and one of the least expensive and easiest to use 8x10 cameras in the world. Although I can use nearly any camera I like between what I have and the rental house, my Gowland 8x10 aerial is truly unique in its ability to combine at least some of the mobility of a 35mm with the fantastic resolution of 8x10 film.
Some shots do not require the movements of a traditional field camera, however they do require pre-focusing and the ability to shoot in windy conditions, or a walk from the car that is too exhausting to take with a normal view camera. You can call me biased because I helped Peter with the camera pages on this site, however Peter's great talent, wonderful attitude, and wonderful cameras are the reasons why I did so.
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Street Style Image - Click to see it larger. The original file is about 250 megabytes, and this is a smaller cropped version.
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The Gowland 8x10 Aerial allows me to blend in with my surroundings. A large part of photography is being in the right place at the right time, or being able to make images in less than ideal conditions.Without a tripod, few people ask me what I'm doing or even seem to notice that I am making images, which is a very different experience compared to using my Deardorff 8x10 in the field. So far, I have had nobody harass me for "taking pictures" with the 8x10 Gowland Aerial, whereas my Canon DSLR camera attracts all kinds of people who tell me why I can't "take pictures".
The quality of one's scanner ( if digital finishing is desired ) matters much less when using 8x10 as opposed to 4x5 or smaller formats. Even an Epson 4990 gives pleasing results because it's 1200dpi optical resolution still makes a nice 40x50 from 8x10. Contact prints of course are really stunning.
The experience of getting a Gowland camera is very personal. Peter really did his best to ensure that I ended up with everything just the way it needed to be. There is a lot of work that goes into making one of the cameras, and also great care to achieve just the minimum amount of features needed. Peter always says "keep it simple!, simple is best!", and perhaps the Gowland 8x10 Aerial is the most simple of all Gowland cameras. Although it is of lightweight construction, the Gowland quick loading bale back is a joy to use - it keeps the film holder in very solid yet is very easy to release. Don't laugh at the sports finder - it works great in low light conditions and it takes in just a bit more than the actual frame, which is perfect for a "safety zone" in case of lab processing clips or small development issues.
If you get a Gowland Aerial 8x10 camera, you will be a very lucky photographer, because soon Peter will be out of stock on the parts. I feel very lucky to have this camera, and I view it as not only a valuable tool but a piece of fine art crafted by Peter Gowland. You will also be lucky because you had a chance to deal with Peter Gowland, a truly kind and talented legend in his own time.
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