Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/07/19
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Dear fellow Lugnuts,
Got a little bored this morning so I thought I sit down and pound out a f=
ew
items. I have been lurking since 1996 (believe it or not), and don't ofte=
n
post, but always read. So in an effort to catch up with Eric (and lately,=
Jim)
in one fell swoop, go get a cup of coffee, settle back, and read on....
The following details the photographic development of a new exhibit -- en=
titled
"Business Wings" -- which includes 19 photographs (by yours truly) that o=
pened
on June 12 at the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum in Washington=
, DC.
Business Wings is all about the use of aircraft for business purposes -- =
why we
have Learjets, etc. The exhibit will be up for one year, through May, 199=
9,
during which an estimated 9.2 million visitors are expected to zip throug=
h the
museum. All of the shots are now online within the Museum's Web site as w=
ell.
The primary link to the full "Business Wings Online" virtual exhibit is
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/bwhome.html The link to a ra=
ther
nifty command center for viewing the 18 Leica-shot photos is
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/bwswph.html
The exhibit's actual prints are large and all but one were taken from
January-May of this year using current production Leica equipment. I'm no=
t
kidding when I say large -- there are 5 48"x72" prints, 9 24"x36" prints,=
and 4
16"x24" prints. The 19th photo -- enlarged to 20'x40' or 800 sq. feet -- =
was
taken using a Deardorff 8x10 on Velvia, but more on that later. There is =
no
more humbling photographic challenge than making 4x6-foot prints from 35m=
m
originals.
This has been a fun, fascinating, tiresome, travel-intensive and challeng=
ing
project, during which I shot about 3,000 slides using two M6s, an R8/wind=
er,
and 24, 28, 35/1.4 ASPH, 50/2 and 75 M lenses, and 100/2.8 Apo and 180/2.=
0(!)
Apo and 2X/Apo R lenses. Almost all of the slides were shot at wide apert=
ures
or wide open, where Leica optical performance is most obvious. Most all o=
f the
photos were taken either indoors (inside airplanes in flight) or at dawn =
or
dusk. Few pictures taken between 10 and 4 seem to interest me, so I shoot
before or after, which can make life technically challenging. Briefly, my
"style" of photography is to tell "the story of business aviation" throug=
h
shots of real life as found on the road, or runway as it were. Consequent=
ly,
for reality's sake, I never use flash. It's a cross between commercial
photography and photojournalism. Sometimes in-your-face, sometimes painte=
rly,
never "beauty shots," hopefully always involving the viewer. At least tha=
t's
what I try to do.
A no-news-here caveat: none of the Web versions of the photographs do the
originals any justice. Leica quality is wasted on the Web -- you just can=
't see
it. What you can see is composition, subject matter, gross lighting, etc.=
To
really see the photos as Solms and Oscar intended, you'd have to project =
them
using a fine slide projector. Barring that, and for use in the Museum, gr=
eat
effort was made to make the best possible prints from the original slides=
. (see
below for the details). Comments on individual photos follow. As mentione=
d,
none of the shots were staged, with two exceptions: the air-to-air of the
Mooney obviously was set up as was the helicopter shot. Everything else w=
as "as
found."
Aircraft: Mooney Bravo
Location: Kerrville, Texas
Leica R8 w/winder, 180 Apo Summicron, 1/250@f5.6, Professional Kodachrome=
25
Print size in the Air & Space Museum: 48"x72"
A very windy, bouncy day. Focus was (wrongly) behind the cockpit/people.
Camera, chase plane and subject plane were bouncing around like a banshee.
Air-to-air framing is more luck and photographer's agility than anything =
else.
The 3-bladed prop arc's placement is pure luck. A 4x6 foot print in the M=
useum.
See it at: http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw12.jpg
Aircraft: Dassault Falcon 100
Location: Marshall, Texas
Leica M6 on a Bogen monopod, 50 Summicron, 1/125@f4, E100 Ektachrome
Print size in the Air & Space Museum: 24"x36"
The guy in the picture, Jeff, 26, is the airplane's co-pilot. Picture was=
a
grab shot as he returned to the hangar after opening the aircraft's door =
on
this rainy morning. The print is surprisingly attractive for what,
superficially, appears to be a snapshot. Nice atmosphere, beautifully and
correctly blue. The Museum chose this one, not me. See it at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw07.jpg
Aircraft: Beechcraft King Air B200
Location: Enroute to Smyrna, Tennessee from Cleveland
Leica M6, 28 Elmarit, 1/60@f4, E200 Ektachrome, Bogen monopod
Print size in the Air & Space Museum: 16"x24"
Three senior guys from a manufacturing company. Sunshine coming through t=
he
polarized windows lit the interior, which was very dark. May have been ex=
posed
as low as 1/30@2.8 but the 28 is an excellent performer at any aperture. =
One of
my favorite shots. See it at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw14.jpg
Aircraft: Beechcraft King Air B200
Location: Artesia, New Mexico
Leica M6, 35/1/4 ASPH Summilux, 1/250@4, Professional Kodachrome 64
Print size in the Air & Space Museum: 24"x36"
Out in the boonies again. Not easily seen, but there's a guy coming out o=
f the
plane's door. It's dawn; the sun lights the top half of the plane while t=
he
bottom half of the plane is in shadow. Incident light meter reading of th=
e
morning sun coming from the left. See it at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw05.jpg
Aircraft: Bell Helicopter 407 (a new model)
Location: Dallas
Leica R8, 180 Apo Summicron, Bogen Monopod, 1/500@4, Professional Kodachr=
ome 25
Print size in the Museum: 4x6 FEET!
Dallas has a heliport attached to the downtown Convention Center. We flew=
in
this helicopter from the plant in Arlington to Dallas for the shot, for w=
hich
we had 10 minutes in hazy late day sun. I was dropped on the heliport whi=
le the
helicopter did approaches from the city. A couple of times they hovered i=
n
front of me -- sort of like shooting ducks in a barrel. The winder on the=
R8
worked its little heart out that day. One of the most popular in-your-fac=
e
images in the exhibit. The guy in the right seat is the account manager f=
or the
advertising agency handling Bell. My Gitzo tripod was in a Bogen tripod b=
ag and
as the helicopter flew over, the rotor wash picked up the bag, launching =
the
tripod, which landed on the head, smashing it. I still need to order a ne=
w one.
Oh, well. See it at: http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw09.jpg
Aircraft: Cessna 172/Piper Navajo
Location: McCook, Nebraska
Leica R8, 180 Apo Summicron, 1/250@4, Professional Kodachrome 25
Print size in the Museum: 24"x36"
There's not much in McCook. I focused on the guy's shoes. A grab shot on =
a
lark, which the Museum liked. See it at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw10.jpg
Aircraft: Dassault Falcon 2000
Location: Enroute from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Philadelphia
Leica M6, 28 Elmarit, 1/30@4, Ektachrome E200
Print size in the Museum: 24"x36"
Cockpit of a Falcon 2000. High tech, state-of-the-art airplane. The Museu=
m
wanted to show a cockpit and this was it. You can read the instruments,
although scan lines are visible on the instrument CRTs. Hand held. See it=
at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw17.jpg
Aircraft: Cessna Citation VII
Location: Wooster, Ohio
Leica M6, 28 Elmarit, 1/125@4, Ektachrome 100SW
Print size in the Museum: 24"x36"
A picture of farmland that just happens to have a business jet in it (see=
silos
in upper left corner). I climbed up on the roof of the adjacent hangar to=
shoot
this on a very cloudy day. A landscape, really. Shot a couple of rolls up
there. Wooster is not served by commercial airlines, hence the need for t=
he
planes. See it at: http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw11.jpg
Aircraft: DeHavilland Twin Otter DHC-6
Location: San Jose, California
Leica R8, 100 Apo Elmarit, 1/90@f4, E100SW Ektachrome, handheld (sorry, E=
rwin)
Print size in the Air & Space Museum: 48"x72"
Eight AM in San Jose, in the rain, dark as anything. Check out the guy ca=
ught
mid-step coming off the plane. Seen THAT scene before? I was on an adjace=
nt
hangar roof. One of the keys to neat photos is getting up high. As flat a=
scene
as you ever will find, lighting-wise. But lots of little nooks and cranni=
es of
activity. Reminds me of a Babar scene, if you know what they are. Probabl=
y one
of the signature images of the exhibit. See it at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw03.jpg
Aircraft: Cessna Citation VII
Location: enroute to Rogers, Arkansas
Leica M6, 24 Elmarit ASPH, 1/15@4, Professional Kodachrome 64
Print size in the Museum: 24"x36"
To shoot directly across from the two passengers, I sat across from them,
focused on the opposite windows with my back to the wall, and then placed=
the
camera on a sidewall railing perpendicular to passengers. There was only =
an
inch between the camera and the cabin wall behind it. An unusual view of
passengers in a business jet and a visual innovation of which I'm proud.
Incident light meter reading (Luna Pro SBC). See it at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw08.jpg
Aircraft: Dassault Falcon 900 and Douglas DC3
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Leica R8, 180 Apo Summicron w/2x Apo Converter, 1/125@2.8 (effectively 5.=
6),
Gitzo tripod, mirror locked up, Ektachrome E200
Print size in the Museum: 16"x24"
We called this shot "Peeping Tom" as this maintenance guy was using a
flashlight to look at the windows from the outside. Just a ramp shot whic=
h,
because of the juxtaposition of the old DC3 and the state-of-the-art Falc=
on
900, the Museum liked. Otherwise undistinguished. Early-in-the-morning
overcast. See it at: http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw19.jpg
Aircraft: Cessna Citation III and "Chris"
Location: Smyrna, Tennessee
Leica R8, 180 Apo Summicron, 1/250@2, Bogen monopod, Ektachrome E100S
Print size in the Museum: 24"x36"
One of my favorite shots, taken with the 180 wide open at f2. A fun
environmental portrait and a grab shot with nifty lighting on this guy's =
face.
Unplanned. I was just plunking off shots and he walked up to me late in t=
he day
and zap. Love that 180. He is an aircraft service guy in Smyrna. See it a=
t:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw15.jpg
Aircraft: Beechcraft King Air B200
Location: Artesia, New Mexico
Leica M6, 28 Elmarit, 1/250@f5.6, Ektachrome E100S
Print size in the Museum: 4'x6' FEET
Out in the boonies. One of the most successful of the shots. Everybody li=
kes
this shot. Phenomenal 28 Elmarit. I considered the very right edge of the=
plane
to be very important to the photo. See it at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw02.jpg
Aircraft: Beechcraft King Air B200
Location: Enroute to Denver
Leica M6, 35 Summilux ASPH, 1/60@2.8, Ektachrome E200
Print size in the Museum: 24"x36"
Surprisingly dark, despite the sun. Another reality shot of normal guy go=
ing
normal places. This is not lifestyles of the rich and famous. The Museum =
liked
the guy with the open Daytimer. See it at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw16.jpg
Aircraft: Beechcraft King Air B200
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Leica M6, 28 Elmarit, 1/250@f5.6, Professional Kodachrome 25
A ramp shot, exposed for outdoors. I was just waiting around and plunking=
off
shots, wasting film. The Museum liked it. The "tug" -- used from pulling =
planes
out of the hangar -- was handmade from cobbled together parts. It has a V=
8
engine and can go 60 miles per hour. Obviously unique. See it at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw20.jpg
Aircraft: Cessna Citation VII
Location: Rogers, Arkansas
Leica R8, 180 Apo Summicron w/2X Apo Converter, Ektachrome 100, Gitzo Tri=
pod,
mirror locked up
Print size in the Air & Space Museum: 48"x72" Another of the 4x6 foot blo=
wups.
A fun shot because of the pilot coming down the stairs on the right. They=
had
started the engines and were ready to go when the door came open with the
engines running and out leapt the pilot (on right). Camera was already se=
t up
with mirror locked up when he bounded down the stairway so I snapped him =
at
this instant. Turned out that I had left one roll of film on the seat and=
he
didn't want to fly away without returning it to me right then. One of the
most-liked prints in the exhibit. A 4x6 foot print in the Museum. Excelle=
nt
quality image due to excellent quality optics. See it at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw06.jpg
Aircraft: Dassault Falcon 2000
Location: Enroute to Philadelphia
Leica M6, 28 Elmarit, 1/30@2.8, Ektachrome 200
Print size in the Museum: 24"x36"
My second favorite shot in the exhibit. Despite the sun sliver, VERY dark=
. Hand
held, at 1/30th wide open, probably at least a stop underexposed. I shot
standing over these folks as they reviewed plans. Unusual perspective of
aircraft passengers. This is what commonly goes on during flights aboard
bizjets, much to the media's disappointment. See it at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw13.jpg
Aircraft: Beechcraft King Air 350
Location: Marshall, Texas
Leica R8, 180 Apo Summicron, 1/200@2.0, Ektachrome E200
Print size in the Museum: 24"x36"
A grab shot taken just for fun with the 180 again, wide open. I focused o=
n the
air stair door, which resulted in the nose of the aircraft being "out."
Undistinguished. See it at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/sw01.jpg
Some random thoughts:
Editors are king. The Smithsonian's folks chose 18 shots from about 3,000=
I
took. Those chosen were not always my first choice. Oh, well.
I got the assignment for two reasons; one, my employer was the corporate
sponsor for the exhibit (Hey, it's a tough world. If you see an opening, =
you
take it. And life is good!) and two, I was uniquely qualified, both from =
an
aviation and photography standpoint (RIT, class of 82, Flying and B/CA ma=
gazine
staffer, yada yada yada). A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I'm a little concerned about the viability of Kodachrome 64 and 200 given=
the
performance of Ektachrome E100S and E200, both of which seem to surpass
Kodachrome in several areas. Aside from their archival advantage, these t=
wo
Kodachromes seem dated in their technology vis-=E0-vis these other films,
specifically in the area of grain structure. The new Kodachrome 100, whic=
h I'm
guessing will be launched at Photokina, should restore Kodachrome to its
historical leadership position. BTW, the performance of both Professional
Kodachrome and Kodak's Kodachrome processing, used by me over the past si=
x
months, was unreliable.
The optical performance of Leica glass commonly exceeds the abilities of =
film
to record it. We need to have a serious discussion regarding the ability =
of
Leica glass to cut an image that film isn't able to record. Erwin's sugge=
stion
that we only use sub-100 ISO film is not without foundation. Use faster a=
nd you
might as well be shooting with another brand. Consequently, there needs t=
o be a
reevaluation of the EVIDENT film/lens characteristics and performance in
enlargements below, at a minimum, 8x10 in size. I believe that they are r=
arely
meaningful. Above that size, and increasing with the enlargement, EVERYTH=
ING
matters. But when I read people testing lenses using little prints, I smi=
le. At
that size, really, mox nix.
Perhaps more importantly, the potential of Leica equipment exceeds the
abilities of most users, me included. But the equipment is designed for
thinking photographers, and that's not ment as snobbery or elitism. It ju=
st
captures an philosophy of engagement which forces decisions by forcing th=
ose
operating the camera to think. I truly believe that this makes Leicas har=
der to
use than other brands and results in better photos.
I am convinced of the optical supremacy of Leica glass, albeit with excep=
tions
(they're not ALL the absolute reference standard for their specific focal
lengths). Specifically, the current M lens line contains THE optical refe=
rence
standards in their respective focal lengths (this is not an idle comment)=
, with
possible exceptions for the 50/1.4, 50/1 and 50/2.8, all of which have so=
me
competition, both within the R line and elsewhere. M lens optical perform=
ance
mildly exceeds R lens optical performance, according to all that I've rea=
d
(which is a lot). How meaningful those advantages are, in "small" prints =
for
instance, ordinarily is overwhelmed by other factors in the photographic
process.
The quality or nature of ambient light has an obvious, powerful effect on
photographs and can easily negate or at least ameliorate the (high, in Le=
ica's
case) quality of a lens. Poor lighting conditions (hazy, gray, dark, over=
cast,
flat, rainy, post-dusk, etc.) cannot be compensated for by even the best =
of
lenses. These poor lighting conditions can "dumb down" the performance of=
any
lens, masking its optical potential. Be advised, and don't be disappointe=
d by
photographs taken on ruddy days.
I struggled with the Museum regarding whether the final prints were to be
produced digitally or optically. I demanded tests, so six interned/optica=
lly
produced 1'x6' slivers of the slides were produced. I was not pleased wit=
h
them. I noticed edge falloff when there shouldn't be any, color fringing =
and
exaggerated grain. I "requested" digital proofs of the same images. When =
placed
side by side they digital proofs were less grainy, smoother and less hars=
h,
sharper and just cleaner, visually. We then "went" with digital prints.
The drum scans of the transparencies are the weakest link in the digital =
print
enlargement process, in my view. Drum scans are considered the highest qu=
ality
method to scan slides and are commonly used today in the printing process=
. My
concern has to do with a comparison of the projected originals and compar=
ing
their resolution, contrast, grain, etc.., with the same-size digital outp=
ut of
the Durst Lambda 130 digital imager. The Lambda is not the weak link in t=
he
system -- it prints whatever quality electronic files you give it. But th=
e
quality of the scan, squeezing every possible advantage out of that
transparency, is what's important, similar to the importance of quality i=
n an
interneg. With hindsight, I do not think my scans were as good as they co=
uld
have been. I have always felt that the final digital prints made from my
original slides were slightly soft compared to the projected originals. W=
e are
taught to accept this. Prints made from slides will never match the proje=
cted
originals, particular those projected using Leica projectors :-), but tha=
t's
the way it is, right?
Autofocus IS important and acutely so for "sports," defined liberally as =
taking
pictures of moving subjects with longish lenses. Leica may be able to ret=
ain
optical supremacy in a pure sense but cannot hold a practical advantage a=
gainst
the ultrasonic focusing motors in Canon and Nikon lenses. Old news: there=
goes
the sports market. Oh, well. Leica's gotta find new niches.
Individual lens assessments:
24/2.8 M ASPH -- Wonderful optically. Small, physically, if you don't mou=
nt the
hood. The black plastic Leica 24mm finder, permanently attached to one of=
my
M6s, is fine and I've had no sturdiness problems with it, but it is sligh=
tly
cumbersome to use so I often don't, and thus tend to shy away from using =
the
24. Lens is sharp with lots of DOF, albeit unique to this focal length, n=
ot to
Leica.
28/2.8 M -- Excellent and a natural match to the M6. Excellent wide open.=
Shots
I've taken directly into the sun show no ghosts or aberrations of any kin=
d.
Incredible. Didn't expect to like this lens (too common a focal length) b=
ut
really do. Bought on a lark but used constantly.
35/1.4 M ASPH -- Excellent and probably the lens of choice if you can hav=
e only
one M lens. It's fun to shoot wide open with impunity and without fear,
assuming you can focus your camera.
50/2 M -- Excellent. Mine is German with the same optics as the current v=
ersion
but with the tab focusing knob and a snap-on metal hood. Bought from Don
Chatterton, who gave me a deal. I have been surprised by my affection for=
this
lens and the pictures it produces.
75/1.4 M -- Erwin swears by it (that's good). Largish, which doesn't matt=
er
much to me. Interesting lens I'm still learning to use. Beautiful to look=
into
and to see the 10 aperture blades close. Bought ("stolen!") used (on
consignment) in mint condition from a California dealer for $1495.
100/2.8 R APO -- Everybody's reference standard. Why say more? Well, coul=
d be a
little faster, but that's why I'll buy the 90/2 APO M if it ever gets her=
e.
Which gets me thinking...it's ten years old this year, and wouldn't a 100=
/2 Apo
Macro Summicron R (focusing to 1:1) be nice? Look down into this lens and=
you
will see a multi-tiered black baffle to block reflections. Way cool and v=
ery
effective.
180/2 R APO -- Probably my favorite lens. Just phenomenal. Glorious. Buil=
t like
a tank. Huge. Consistently elicits astonishment from passerbys -- They be=
lieve
I must be a professional or something. Optically spectacular. Have shot d=
ozens
of pictures in various situations wide open and continue to be amazed by =
the
chromes. And if they're not spectacular, it's my fault, not the lens's.
Environmental close-up portraits are part of the reason; at five feet, if=
you
focus on the someone's face using f2, the depth of field is less than hal=
f an
inch and you can still count the veins in their eyes, or see where their
contact lenses start and stop.
M6 -- Way cool. No complaints. I'll buy an M6HM soon. Additionally, would=
like
to see an M7 w/electronic shutter, aperture priority automation and sever=
al
metering modes. They'd sell a zillion of them to go with the existing len=
s and
camera family.
R8 -- A deceptively fine camera and easily and wrongly underrated in
comparison/competition with the F5 or EOS cameras. Both the sophisticatio=
n and
simplicity of the R8 are nifty. I have an F5, like it and use it, but it'=
s
different than the R8, and I don't think it is better in non-sports
applications. (The F5's motor is completely, totally, better, however, wi=
th the
Leica's winder representing the state-of-the-art -- in 1980.) Leica, Inc.=
's
capabilities, limits and corporate culture have caused them to give us a =
camera
emphasizing the basics, with an edge.
The R8 winder/motor delays are embarrassing.
Leica USA -- Mostly high marks. Supportive, even though they've never hea=
rd of
me from Adam. They lent me a 400/2.8 which I used to shoot a Learjet down=
in
Texas for the exhibit's commemorative poster (not viewable online). The l=
ens is
awesome, beautiful, had a bit of pincushion distortion (how can this be?).
I'd be happy to mail the poster to any Luggers who email me their snail m=
ail
address. (This offer is made only to those who have managed to read this =
far in
what probably, at this point, is the Lug's longest single post.)
Finally, the largest photo in the exhibit. Its finished size is 20x40 fee=
t.
There are two actual aircraft in the exhibit, one hung from the ceiling a=
nd one
parked on the ground. The one on the ground (a Cessna Citation 500) neede=
d a
background, and I thought that the ramp in front of an open hangar would =
convey
the right reality feel. We scouted about 30 airports, took photos of five=
and
settled (happily) on Smyrna, Tennessee as the place to shoot.
Flew down from Washington, DC, with a Deardorff 8x10 and Schneider Apo-Sy=
mmar
360/6.8 lens, all rented from Lens & Repro in New York. Eight sheets of V=
elvia
and my Bogen tripod, Luna Pro SBC and Leica 35 stuff (for fun/backup) com=
pleted
the equipment list. The plan was to shoot late in the day so that the su=
n
would light the hangar, which has a western exposure. The weather coopera=
ted,
sort of -- winds on the ramp gusted to 30 knots that day. What we did to =
steady
the camera was set it up inside a Step-Van -- which we then wedged a fork=
lift
up against on the downward side. A gas truck tried to act as a wind block=
on
the upwind side. When I shot the pictures, I would hold the cable release=
in
one hand and gently touch the side of the truck wall with the other, feel=
ing
for motion, and click accordingly.
Incident exposure worked out to 1/4 at about f36, although with clouds co=
ming
in and out the exposure was a little different for every shot. With the s=
un
setting, we had about a 20-minute window before the light became too oran=
ge --
this after six hours to set up the shot. Setup involved placing three air=
craft
in the hangar and one on the ramp in front of the hangar. The Smyrna Fire
Department watered down the runway for us (thanks, guys!). The very top (=
sky)
and bottom (ramp) would be cropped out of the 8x10 so were not a concern.=
And
then we were done.
The film was processed by Chrome in Washington, DC, which scratched two o=
f the
eight transparencies, but didn't charge me for them. Nice, eh? The winnin=
g
transparency was FedEx'd to The Color Place in Dallas where it was drum s=
canned
(at less than max resolution -- apparently their computer couldn't hold t=
he
multi-gig file required by max resolution) and then imaged using a Durst =
Lambda
printer in 20 4x10 foot sections, which were mounted, UV laminated, shipp=
ed to
Washington, and installed over three days to make a 20x40. The Color Plac=
e did
an excellent job. Seams are nearly invisible. Resolution and color both a=
re in
the excellent category. The APO/Velvia combination is pretty potent. A
miniature version of theshot is online at:
http://www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL104/bwings/bwmural.html
Of the all the variables I've identified that go into every photograph
(aperture (DOF/bokeh), camera movement, camera performance, enlarger/proj=
ecting
lens
performance (optical), film processing, film performance, focus, image
manipulation, taking lens performance (optical), lighting quality illumin=
ating
subject
(amount/direction/contrast/etc.), lighting quality illuminating final ima=
ge
(amount/direction/contrast/etc.), perspective (lens choice/length), print
developing
print quality, print paper, shutter speed, subject movement, subject choi=
ce,
etc, Leica is responsible for only a few. All are up to us to select, and
master if we choose, and there stands an evergreen challenge.
When you are next in Washington, visit the Air & Space Museum and email m=
e with
your comments (dalmy@mindspring.com).
We are very lucky to be able to use this magnificent equipment and practi=
ce
this wonderful art.
Best regards,
David W. Almy
Annapolis, Maryland