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I have made a few portraits with 4x5" cameras and nice lenses.
What I have found however, while most people are intrigued by the 'old type camera' they are sitting in front of, the experience of having to have them sit still while we go through our checklist of duties is not easy for them. So after going through it a few times before pulling the trigger, they still seem to feel out of sync with the experience. They really do have to freeze for a tiny bit, and that can come out looking unnatural IMO. There is a reason why a lot of the antique portraits of the past have unhappy faces staring back. Professional models are a different story and that is why they get paid for their talent. If I were a rich woman, I would hire beautiful male models to pose for me, but that is not possible. :ROTFL:
The two photos above are of my son and one of his friends. I had to direct them 100% and the best shots were the ones of them looking away from the camera, even tho I made a point of setting the camera up, and then standing next to the front standard to talk with them as I waited for the right moment to pull the trigger.
Not being able to look at the ground glass prior to pulling the trigger can be expensive too. I have decades of experience shooting portraits with medium format cameras and that is where I do my film portraiture. But it is always fun whenever my non-photography friends come to my studio and marvel at my big cameras.
Best of luck,
Darr