Re: [Leica] strobe vs. natural light

[Donal Philby <donalphilby@earthlink.net>]

I know this is a little late, but just catching up on email.

Tina Manley wrote:
 
> So far all the talk has been about what the "twinkie" does to the light
> (which is bad enough).  What about how it affects the people in the
> photograph?  If you use a flash to photograph people, you might as well
> announce,  "Here I am!  Look at me!"  You destroy any mood and any hope of
> getting natural, unposed shots.  I love my M6 and Noctilux because people
> forget that I am there taking photographs and just go on with their lives.
> A flash would be a constant reminder that they are being recorded on film.
> I understand that artificial lights are necessary and effective for many
> types of photography, but not for what the M6 excells in - natural,
> unposed, documentary slices of life. I have a Metz for my R8 but I have no
> use for the TTL on an M6.

Tina,

With some amount of experience behind me, I must say I disagree.  I have
actually set up studio strobes to shoot a scene and had people
completely forget me.  Did that a while ago at the Golden Door spa at a
class teaching creativity and self knowledge.  After class was over
several people asked if I was shooting during the entire session.  I
was, and the strobes were going off the whole time.  But, like the
squirrel that lives next to the freeway, if it isn't a danger, you
forget about it.   You can aclimate people to strobes, especially if you
are no danger or threat.  Yes, it is nicer without strobe needs, but it
is doable.   I often shoot people in meeting for brochures and stock. 
If for a company, I usually find a topic for discussion that is
important for them. They will get started self consciously, seeing the
flash, etc., but usually in only a few minutes they get so absorbed it
what they are doing, relating to each other, that often when I finishing
shooting I just stop and start packing up and often 5 or 10 minutes will
pass of me packing and they haven't even noticed the lack of flash or
anything.  But you have to shoot a lot to get them to forget things.  

donal
- -- 
Donal Philby
San Diego
http://www.donalphilby.com