View Camera Movements

Omega 45E, Caltar 210mm f-6.8 lens, Fuji Velvia 50, Bogen tripod and pan/tilt head.
Spot metering (rocks) with Minolta Auto Meter IIIF and 5 degree spot attachment, 1/2 sec at f-32.

Rise

Rise is used for controlling perspective and parallel lines. If you want to photograph a tall building, or a tree, and want to keep all lines parallel with the camera, you use rise. Align the camera back parallel to the subject. Use the rise movement so the lens' point of view is moved above eye level. This keeps vertical lines parallel. Rise, fall and shift are all parallel movements. They move the lens up, down and sideways relative to the picture frame.

Drop-Bed, Incline Bed, Shift Bed

When front rise, fall and shift, are not enough to give control over perspective, you can use drop-bed, Incline bed, or shift bed. With drop-bed, front and rear are tilted backward at the same degree and kept parallel. This gives the effect of increased front fall. Incline Bed, front and rear are tilted forward at the same degree and kept parallel. This gives the effect of increased front rise. Shift Bed, front and rear are swung in the same direction to the same degree. This gives the same effect as shift, but with increased control.

Front Tilt

Front tilt is used for increasing depth-of-field. If you want to photograph a landscape for example, with flowers in the foreground and mountains in the background, and you want to have everything in sharp focus. If you use the smallest aperture on your lens, you may still not have enough depth-of-field, and the slower shutter speed may cause blurred images if there is wind. Tilting the lens forward will extend the plane of focus. This allows more depth-of-field. Front tilt is usually used with a small aperture such as f-22 or smaller.

Front Swing

If you were photographing a subject with a 35mm or medium format camera, and your subject were running diagonally and from near to far, you would have to either focus on the beginning, middle, or end, and use a small aperture, to get most of it in focus. With a view camera and front swing, you can swing your lens to position it parallel to the subject. This will allow you to get everything in sharp focus from beginning to end, even if you use a wide aperture.

Front Tilt-Backward

For focusing on just one part of a scene and leaving everything else a soft blur, use front tilt-backward. It can be used to accomplish selective focus effects. Front swing can also be used for similar effects with objects to the left or right of your composition center. Swinging in either direction will bring objects in or out of focus.

Rear Tilt, Rear Swing

Rear tilt can be used to emphasize a large object in the foreground. By tilting the back away from the lens, you can exaggerate the size and shape of objects in the foreground. Rear swing can also be used to pivot the back from side to side. This manipulates the shape of objects to the right or left of the composition.