Re: [Leica] Leica Books

[Johnny Deadman <john@pinkheadedbug.com>]

I think that's all pretty sound advice, actually. I'd give them a meter for
a week and make them make notes of exposures, then I'd take it away from
them. I find myself shooting without a meter a LOT these days and haven't
noticed the slightest difference from my metered shots. On chrome I probably
would.

You could steal all my lenses except the 35/1.4 and I wouldn't cry.

The other thing that I would suggest (and I wish someone had done this to
me) is that they shoot one really good shot with a bigger camera. Nothing
gets you face to face with the nuts and bolts of photography than having to
expose a sheet of film, focus by moving the lens back and forth on the
track, remember to do things in the right sequence etc etc. Then tray
develop the negative!! Then contact print it!! Not only does this lay bare
all the mechanics of photography, it also gets you in touch with the maximum
possible achievable quality. After that you have something to judge the rest
of your efforts by. And it is a good corrective (the reason I've been doing
it) to spooling through film thoughtlessly.

on 5/11/00 12:56 pm, Walter S Delesandri at walt@jove.acs.unt.edu wrote:

> I have told students for years, and been universally ignored,
> that they should use a 35mm camera and a 50mm lens.  Period.
> When they ask "what should I buy", I tell them that when they
> need something else, they WON'T have to ask...If they have
> to ask what they "need", they dont' "need" anything.
> 
> I also believe that they should have NO meter for the first
> course or two...Not a TTL meter, not ANY meter...that they
> should master the ability to expose B&W, at least, in common
> shooting conditions, without a meter.
> 
> Funny story:....I had a faculty friend a number of years back.
> Arrogant would not describe...it'd be an insult to arrogant
> people....this dimwit told a story of how he went on a trip
> out west photographing with Fuji RDP (100 ISO chrome).  Because
> of his meter failing him, he trashed ALL his shots, by FOUR
> stops.   Bear in mind, he was photographing in broad daylight,
> with a tripod, and was off FOUR stops?.....But he was teaching
> photography to your children.
> 
> A camera, a lens (35 or 50 who cares?) lots of CHEAP film and
> lots of CHEAP paper....after a coupla years, they'll either
> be photogaphers, or not.  The "nots" need to find something
> else to do.  After they are good with B&W, they should NEXT
> shoot slow transparency film (100 asa or less)...AND they
> should look critically at color, at the same time....and learn
> to filter/correct/predict it....this will be a natural extension
> and refinement of their B&W skills, NOT a replacement for them.

- -- 
Johnny Deadman

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com