The K. Praslowicz Ninja Speed Graphic Method

Today I'm going to help put the Speed back into Speed Graphic for the new generation of hand held large format photographers.

Traditional Techniques

The above still from Martin Scorsese's 1980 movie Raging Bull is a common depiction of how to hand hold a Speed Graphic camera. The photographer's left hand is under the strap while the right hand is on the shutter release button located at the back of flash handle.

The other common stance for using a Speed Graphic is as shown in this old US Signal Corp video. The photographer's right hand still releases the shutter except now the left hand is used as a platform to support the camera. Stable? Yes, but look how long it takes the guy to focus, stabilize, and then shoot. It isn't the most fluid method to using the camera.

For the press photographer of years past, these techniques have been tried and true. For crazy photographers such as myself who still like to walk around with large cameras while practicing street photography, I wanted something better for contemporary Speed Graphic photography.

The K. Praslowicz Ninja Speed Graphic Method

The press photographers of yore consumed a healthy amount of flash bulbs. To synchronize them with the shutter, many cameras used flash synchronizers attached the the flash handle. These synchronizers forced the use of the right hand to be the shutter release hand.

It is now 2010 and flashbulbs have long been replaced by electronic flashes which don't require the use of a synchronizer on the flash handle.  Realizing this one simple thing opened up a door for me which led to an evening of experimenting with how I held my Speed Graphic. To my surprise, I found a method which I feel makes using my Speed Graphic faster, while being more comfortable.

Turn that frown upside down.

By frown, I really mean the lens. The vintage press lenses I own for my speed graphic all have the same configuration. The cable release socket is on the top,  while the flash sync posts are on the bottom. What I've done with mine is remounted the lenses to the lens board upside down so that the cable release is now on the bottom, and the flash sync is now on the top. This allows me to work the cable release into a position where I can hold it in my left hand under the camera strap.  I can now pull the cable release like the trigger of a rifle.

Given the design of your lens and choice of cable release, rotating the lens may not be required. The important part here is just finding a way to comfortably get the cable release into your left hand.

This simple change greatly increases my reaction time when using my Speed Graphic. No longer am I required to bring my hand back to the shutter release if I need to make any setting changes on the camera.

Speed, and Mobility

Once my right hand was free of its shutter releasing duties, I quickly realized that it could be used to comfortably stabilize the camera during shooting. Instead of gripping the camera where the flash traditionally is located, I now curl it under the drop bed and grab the corner directly ahead of my left hand.

From this stance I can now easily pull the camera so that it locks tight into my right shoulder making it very stable. If you have ever shot a rifle before, this stance should feel very familiar. While being very stable, I can still easily move my torso to aim the camera at any subject which isn't directly in front of me.

If you are reading this and own a Speed Graphic, go pick it up and trying holding it hold it like this. Tell me what you think in the comments area below.