Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/07/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]InfinityDT@aol.com wrote: > > > A really big proportion of people who started in 35mm photography as > hobbyists in the 60's or early 70's still feel the most comfortable with a > 50. For a lot of us it was our only lens for a good while, until we could > afford another one, which was most likely a 135. To this day, if I could > have only one lens, period, I'd have to choose a 50 (or its equivalent in > another format), for no other reason than I've got more experience making it > "make do" than any other focal length. > > DT I've mentioned this story before but when I used to do daily news photography I worked with guys who had grown up using Speed Graphics. For them, they had one good chance at making the photo; a second sheet of film was often a luxury. Of course lens changes were next to impossible. This brought to them a discipline which they instilled in me. Namely, that you could do just about anything with a 50mm lens on a 35mm camera. If you wanted a tight shot move in closer; a wide shot, move back. Any sort of mechanized or automatic film advance was scoffed at and considered a luxury. Timing, awareness, subject knowledge, discipline and interaction were the qualities they continually emphasized. So, too, were lighting and a sense of narrative or story telling. It was the best education I could ever have for this profession. - -- Carl Socolow http://members.tripod.com/SocPhoto/