Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/01/31

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Subject: [Leica] Bracketing
From: Harrison McClary <hmcclary@earthlink.net>
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 98 21:10:59 -0000

>Naw it isn't that at all, as any photographer worth his salt has done "Spin
>the Ring" a few times during his photo lifetime.
>
>"Spin the Ring" works like this in the event you've never heard of it or
>never tried it.  Be warned!!  You can go through some heavy duty rolls of
>film doing this. :)
>SNIP>.....

Ted,

Amen, I could not have said it any better.  On many of my shoots, esp the 
travel type of shoots where there is no decisive moment stuff I bracket 
like 
h*** just to be sure I get exactly the exposure I am looking for and 
often it is an exposure FAR different from what the meter is saying, and 
yes I know how to use a meter I have been shooting exclusively 'chrome 
for publication for 12 years now.  It is just that sometimes the 
"underexposed" shots super-saturate the colors and give a much more 
striking image than the others.  Also when shooting with Leica glass 
there is even more reason to bracket since the glass seems to handle the 
contrast better than the Canon stuff I used to use.  I know there are far 
fewer throw aways now than 3 months ago when I was using Canon.

There is nothing wrong with bracketing, esp when shooting chrome as the 
latitude just is not there.  If someone is going to the expense to send 
you on location and paying your fees and all expenses there is NO REASON 
to not get the shot and saying "I am so good I don't need to bracket" 
just won't cut it when the editor asks why you don't have a slightly 
darker image.  Also, judging exposure is purely subjective, what I like 
may be too dark for you and may be to light for someone else.  It is all 
in how we perceive the world and what our experiences are that color our 
judgments.

Harrison McClary
http://people.delphi.com/hmphoto