I love the work of Linda Butler as seen in her latest book, "Italy :In the Shadow of Time." As I will be working along similar lines I would like to know what 4X5 camera and lenses she uses. Any ideas?

-- Arthur Gottschalk (Arthurwg@aol.com), June 16, 1999

Answers

Well Art, knowing what clubs Tiger uses or what paper stock & typewriter Hemingway used aren't gonna help ya write or golf as good as them. But you probably already knew that. She's been shooting for a good while and has at least 3 books to her credit. Check out the article on her in View Camera Sept/Oct. 97. You could always try contacting her directly at :

Linda Butler 817 Hanover Road Gates Mills, OH 44040 216-446-9981

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), June 16, 1999.

p.s. check out www.mopa.org/britaly.html

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), June 16, 1999.

p.p.s. LenWork Quarterly # 24 has her work in it as well. They're online at www.teleport.com/~lenswork/lwqmain.htm

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), June 16, 1999.

Thanks Sean. I too like her work. One of my favorites is the ladder in the old church. James

-- james (james_mickelson@hotmail.com), June 17, 1999.

I like the silverware, too!

-- Ron Shaw (shaw9@llnl.gov), June 17, 1999.

(I've seen a few photos from the Italy book, but not the whole book, this may skew my thoughts a bit...)

Take a look at her book "Rural Japan, the Radience of the Ordinary" too. The style is a bit different than the Italy book - more literal, more group f/64ish the photos are less dream-like to me, but the nostalgic feeling of continuing traditional lifestyles is similar.

I don't know how she did it, but she got access to a lot of places in Japan that would not normally be open to ordinary Japanese citizens. As a foreigner, she would find some doors more open, and some more closed, but she got interesting photos of interesting places.

I believe in that book she mentioned that she used a Wista 4x5 with Kodak film, and I don't remember if it was TMAX or Tri-X.

-- mike rosenlof (mike_rosenlof@yahoo.com), June 17, 1999.

FWIW According to the V.C. article, she's currently using TMAX - 400

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), June 17, 1999.

Just got a hold of her Shaker book. Here she was using an 8 X 10 'dorff with HP5 and no mention of what lenses.

I hadn't realised that in the Italy book she had split-toned her prints. NEATO! WOnderful wonderful effect!

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), September 21, 1999.