Re: [Leica] Street shooting

[Ruralmopics@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/21/99 12:57:26 PM, anthony@atkielski.com writes:

<<Maybe I take too long to shoot.  By the time I'm satisfied with composition,
focus, and exposure, the subject is usually looking my way, or somebody has
noticed me.  At least this has been the case with the Nikon.  I take even 
longer
to figure things out with the Leica (since it is all manual), but people seem 
to
notice a lot less, for some reason.  I consider that a Good Thing.  Indeed, on
several occasions lately I've loitered around the same spot, Leica in hand, 
for
like an hour or so, and nobody even noticed. 
>>

If some guy was hanging around me for an hour without introducing himself I'd 
be tempted to call the cops! (or at least go have a "talk" with him). . . . :)

As for your "by the time I'm satisfied with the compostion" comment. I guess 
I fall into the "pre-visualization" camp of photography. I look at a scene or 
situation and envision a 24mm picture or a 180mm picture and then get into 
position to make it. I work the situation for a while looking for different 
gestures and different expressions. If I see a moment or action that I 
missed, I wait for it to happen again. The whole process takes minutes, not 
hours. 

Once satisfied I put on a different lens or go stand in a different spot and 
watch some more, or I go spend a few minutes shooting the breeze with the 
subject just so they don't totally feel like they're in a fishbowl -- ask 
them some questions, get them to open up a bit. Maybe I'll go shoot someone 
else for a while and come back to the original subject a bit later. 

bob mceowen