Re: [Leica] Landscapes with M Cameras (long)

[Michael Volow <mvolo@acpub.duke.edu>]

How about someone inventing a "swing grad filter" like the swing 
polarizer. How to do it would take some thinking. When you swing it back 
to the lense the dense edge would be upside down.

On Sun, 22 Nov 1998, 
Khoffberg wrote:

> Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 14:42:10 -0800
> From: Khoffberg <khoffberg@email.msn.com>
> To: 'LUG' <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> Subject: [Leica] Landscapes with M Cameras (long)
> 
> 
> I am forever beholden to Mr. Bower for having
> awakened me to the feasibility of using the Leica M for all-round scenic
> photography.  His "Lens, Light and Landscape" is a fine book IMHO.
> 
> Regards,
> Nigel
> 
> I would second Nigel's comment.  I've never met Mr. Bower so I barely know
> wherewith I speak but here goes.  I didn't care enough to actually count,
> but after reading this post I went back and reviewed the book with some
> care.  I would estimate that something in the neighborhood of 50 to 60% of
> the images were actually made with an M camera, the rest were done with an R
> or Hasselblad.  I was especially interested in how Mr. Bower dealt with
> skies, in particular where there would likely be a significant EV range
> between the sky and the rest of what was in the picture.
> 
> Again, I'll continue to caveat by saying I've never me the man so I only
> know what I think I see.  It is my sense that the pictures that posed
> significant challenges due to EV range were not taken with an M camera.
> When they were, the sky was generally blown out or largely framed out of the
> picture.  Where neither one of those was the case, the apparent EV range
> appeared well within range of the film he was using.  For example, there are
> several images that appear to be shot with the sun well past 45 degrees from
> the horizontal with the attendant flat light.
> 
> Given all this, it seems reasonable to assume he was using, or certainly
> could have been using, and ND Grad when shooting under challenging
> conditions (EV).  In saying this, I'm simply deducing backwards from the
> fact that the images where this appears to be true were shot with a reflex
> camera which would support the use of this type of filtration.
> 
> This cuts to a point that has plagued me for about a year now.  Assume for a
> moment that you're going to shoot landscapes during those "magic hours."  My
> experience is that those are precisely the times when you're going to have a
> significant range of exposure values.  If you plan on framing the sky into
> your picture to any great extent, it seems like you have to use ND Grad
> filters.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I've attempted to use
> grads with an M camera.  I've tried a great many times.  As you would
> expect, it's a total crap shoot.
> 
> Thus my question.  How do the rest of you deal with these types of shooting
> conditions with your M cameras?  Do you just frame out the sky in order to
> avoid the huge EV range?  Do you take a shot with an ND Grad?  Do you go for
> the intimate scenics when the EV range is too great?  Do you stay away from
> transparency film under these conditions?
> 
> Appreciate any thoughts you might share.
> 
> Kevin Hoffberg
> 
> 
> 

Michael Volow (mvolo@acpub.duke.edu)
Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC
919 286 0411 Ext 6933