Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/06/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hey, Dan, what's with this "tip" crap? This is the Leica Equipment Ownership Boasting Rights List - we don't do no steeeeeenkin' tippin' here....that comes far to close to discussing Fotografee......;-) B. D. > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Dan Post > Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2000 12:51 PM > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > Subject: Re: [Leica] Techniques Please? > > > Rick- > "I feel your pain!", but seriously (and now for something entirely > different....) I would impart a couple of tips that work for me. > > One- I am a large intimidating guy, and I have found that I have success > about talking to a child, and not DOWN to them. I avoid tha baby > talk crap. > Now, I get a few incredulous looks from toddlers- it's like they are > thinking- "You talkin' t' ME?" > > As a psych student, I came to realize that children can > understand far more > than they can say in return; young children before the age of two > have vocal > tracts similar to chimps. This allows them to breathe while they > suckle, but > it makes it hard to produce intelligible sounds, hence their > babbling! They > ARE talking, but it just isn't coming out! I don't get impatient > with them, > and if you spend a bit of time with the occasional recalcitrant child, you > can usually get through! > > Sport team monster shots! I did it one summer. HORRORS! These were a small > team of T-ballers, and eventually, I found that a promise of a trip to > Pizza-Hut after the shoot rendered them more pliable! Of course, if you're > shoot a large team, this might not be cost effective! > > The occasional 'difficult' number? short of a cattle-prod, I > can't help you, > but sometimes a little man-to-man talk can help; afterall, this sort of > child is probably in need of attention. I would suggest that you 'recruit' > this guy to 'help' make sure everybody is in a straight line, then assign > him the 'pivot' duty- let him hold the team flag, a bat, ball or something > and let him know that you are using him to focus on, and that he's helping > you make the team look good. > > Too much psychology? - perhaps, but children are just like us... > or maybe we > are like children! We have our 'needs', we are loath to share our toys > (Leicas? On topic!), and we sometimes, as my mother used to put it- "show > our asses" to get a little attention (Gee- does that sound like a > LUGGER?). > I think if you really like kids, then you will be able to deal with them, > and get those mum-pleasers easily! Good luck, and best of light to you! > > Dan ( Colonial Upstart Pontificator) Post > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Rick Dykstra <rdandcb@cybermac.com.au> > To: leica-users <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> > Sent: Saturday, June 03, 2000 8:22 PM > Subject: [Leica] Techniques Please? > > > > Hi LUG folks > > > > There's bound to be a lots of handy techniques out there, worth sharing. > > > > I'd welcome your thoughts on the following. It might help to append the > > title with the appropriate subheading. Thanks. > > > > Smiling? Your job is to take 'mum friendly' portraits of a few hundred > > children in a day. Most are natural smilers. Others haven't got a > > clue. How do you get a nice, natural smile from the children in the > > latter category? After the camera clicks on a half decent smile, the > > subject hops of the chair and cracks a beauty! Using M6 and 90 AA. > > > > Sportsground Terrorist Gangs? Another part of your job (you accepted > > the mission!) is to take team shots, often of the under 9, 10 and 11 > > teams (hence the subtitle). How do you get their cooperation for the > > three to five minutes it takes to line 'em up and take three > > crowd-pleasing shots? You must also control the coach, manager and 20 > > odd parents (assistants!). Using R8, 50' cron and remote release. > > > > Difficult Individuals? There's one child in a hundred (usually a boy > > but not always) who's intent on being a problem. A real standout; the > > only troublesome one in a team that's otherwise OK. How do you deal > > with this little bundle of joy, for the portrait and then for the team > > shot? Others are generally within ear-shot, although you could always > > get real close and whisper! > > > > I am developing some techniques of my own, but I'd appreciate your > > suggestions, even those that I'd only be able to use in 'wishful > > thinking' mode. > > > > Regards > > > > Rick (just a little shell-shocked most Saturday evenings) Dykstra > > > >