Re: Subject: [Leica] Re: stinkin MF long

[Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>]

TSL wrote:
> 
> From: Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>
> Subject: [Leica] Re: stinkin MF
> 
> At 10:45 AM 7/11/99 -0700, you wrote:
> >
> >If the viewing distance is on the close side maybe your should lean
> >toward your "stinkin" 40 when shooting the originals!
> >Mark Rabiner
> >Isn't the viewing distance the length of the lens times the magnifaction
> >of the print?
> >
> 
> <I guess I could use barbed wire around each print to "force" the proper
> viewing distance... :-) The "viewing" public is not educated in such
> intellectual things. No 40 yet. Couple of weeks to go. I don't want to
> "lean" too far. Might fall off the edge.>
> 
> So if they are not educated, why not just use Photoshop - they'll never
> know.  Because if you have to explain why they look so good you'll get 'ohh
> that's why' response.  Well the general public - are they so much more
> educated on film size?  In any case, they will still be settled when you
> tell them it's a larger neg, chrome, but if you tell them it's a 35mm like
> the one's they use, they will truly be impressed especially when you tell
> them ohh..it was just a snapshot.  Yes, I refer to my M pics as a snapshot -
> no tripods, no long ordeal just a snap and then you get it back and it's
> more than a snap.

I'm not talking about getting the public involved with the nuts and
bolts of the making of the picture Jim!
I'm just saying if they were in a situation where they were cramped into
standing just a couple of feet from your murals because of the size of
the room then the murals would look better to the viewer if shot with a
wider angle lens.
On size
Airports are filled with huge murals from 35mm Negs and they could be
from handheld low light highspeed whatever as long as it works with the
space. I do relate with your wanting to use a Medium format for a mural
job I think I would lean in that direction myself. As for the Public,
let them eat cake!
Photography is frustrating because effective results on a large scale
can sometimes be done by idiots with luck.
Decor stuff is a whole ball of wax which sometimes relies on the
teamwork of  interior design specialists acting  like art directors with
the photographer. Details like the actual finish of the print can make
or break the final effect. Lots of ink jet stuff going on and all kinds
of evolving technologies which I am only vaguely aware of. Fujix?
Regular photographic processes like Ciba, Fuji and Kodak C prints are
dwindling in that context. I'm still very fond of a C print done on a
large scale. I still have 3 leftover wasted sheets of 30 by 40 in a
yellow Kodak box. Would love to do Ciba's like you are doing some day
with those great reds and awesome gloss though but our rental lab here
has switched to Fuji for thier type R and I would have to say I'm verk
OK with it.
All photographers get to work big sometimes I think it is important.
I remember a well known ceramics teacher David Hershey I had at Wash U
said 
"OK that's great now make something 5 times bigger!"
Mark Rabiner