Large Format View Camera

One of the significant advantages of a view camera is that you can move one or both standards. You can either tilt/shift the plane of focus or move the board up or down to control perspective (helpful when photographing converging lines, for example, in architecture). 

The lens is where you set the shutter speed and aperture; the rest of the camera is really just an empty black box. 

Focus

You adjust the focus by changing the distance between the front and rear standards. You are at infinity when the length between the front and rear measures is the same as the lens's focal length (say 300mm). 

You open the shutter and inspect the image projected on the ground glass on the rear standard. Because the projection on the glass is typically very dim, the use of a dark cloth over your head to block out distracting light as much as possible. Opening the aperture on the lens all the way helps to see better. Just don't forget to stop it down before making the picture.

You then move the standards forward or back to get the overall focus. Then lock everything down and use a magnifier (loupe) on the ground glass to get the subject in the best focus. 

Exposure

Once the image is in focus, you change the exposure settings to your idea of the image. At infinity, your exposure operates just like it would with any camera. However, if your focus is closer than infinity, the front and rear standards are further apart. Due to this, less light will be hitting the film; this concerns your exposure. You have to calculate the 'bellows factor,' one of the more complex parts in large format photography.

There are numerous ways to figure out how much extra light you'll need, and online calculators and apps are a great help in this regard. 

Taking the Picture

Once you've set up everything, you're ready to make the picture that you've so carefully composed and focused on. You close the shutter that no light gets into the camera and cock the shutter to release it when the film is loaded.

Next, you place the film holder in front of the ground glass at the camera's rear. The film is in precisely the same plane that the ground glass was. Then you remove the dark slide to expose the film to the inside of the camera.

Now back to the front of the camera, press the shutter release to expose the film. Don't forget to replace the dark slide in the film holder before removing it from the camera. 

A lot of work before even one image is made. Why bother with this old technique? There are a few things that view cameras excel at, like perspective correction and different depth of field, not to mention the better image quality. Slowing down the photographic process and the manual tasks you have to perform might gain a new appreciation for photography. It's a totally different way of taking pictures than just using a digital camera and pressing the button.

Personally, I like it to spice up my photographic life. Different cameras can make you see things differently. In this day and age of instantaneous feedback, it's nice to be surprised by what you get later.

Anyway, it's an experience, and it a worthwhile investment to mess around and have some fun with.