Re: [Leica] Continued catch-up: Nathan's PAW 1 and 2 now up also

[Martin Howard <mvhoward@mac.com>]

Nathan Wajsman wrote:

> The first alternate is a shot where I make deliberate use of the 21mm 
> lens distortion. I noticed this decorative manhole cover on Strøget, 
> Copenhagen's main pedestrian street, and the pattern of tiles jutting 
> out from it. Thinking it would look good in a wide angle view, I 
> positioned myself and fired off a few shots. The one I liked best is:
> http://www.wajsman.com/2003_1alt1.jpg
> (M6HM, 21mm Voigtlander, Delta 100)
>
> It was cold, really cold, and I noticed the pigeons huddling on 
> manhole covers to get some warmth:
> http://www.wajsman.com/2003_1alt2.jpg
> (same tech data as alt 1)

You need to bend your knees when shooting wide angle lenses and the 
main object of
interest is on the ground.  Crouching down would have produced better 
photographs.  I recognize this because it's a sin I commit too often 
myself: being lazy and not engaging the brain, but just pointing the 
camera and going "click".

That said, I love the guy in the first picture "walking out of the 
light", right smack in the middle of the frame.  He's in light clothes, 
walking in light, compared to the three others who are in dark clothes, 
walking in dark areas (true of almost all the others in the 
photograph).  In some ways, this guy steals the picture: once you 
notice him, you forget all about the manhole cover.

> The last alternate is from Brøndby Strand, the suburb to the south of 
> Copenhagen where my father lives. Looking down from his balcony there 
> is a long, wide promenade. I have often photographed it but never 
> successfully. This winter image, with the naked trees and a man 
> walking his dog, comes closest:
> http://www.wajsman.com/2003_1alt4.jpg
> (M6HM, 90mm Apo Summicron, Delta 100)

This one is close, so close, but it misses the target.  It has great 
potential, but the trees are just... wrong.  They're cut off, there is 
half a lamp-post at the bottom.  I'm not quite sure what the remedy is: 
a wider angle lens (75mm, 50mm) might have captured more of the trees 
(so that they didn't look so chopped off), but then the focal interest 
(man & dog) would probably be too small.  Perhaps leaving the trees out 
of it altogether -- but then, the question is, is the photograph strong 
enough?

The cross created by the footmarks in the snow, along with the man and 
dog might be sufficient to make it a strong photograph -- try cropping 
it in P-shop and playing with it... see what you come up with.

Also, the perspective is a bit compressed, a bit odd.  My best guess is 
that shooting it at and angle, so that the man-dog line was at along a 
diagonal, would work best.  Trees would get more space and careful 
framing would (hopefully) avoid chopping them up into firewood.  I 
understand that you shot this from a balcony and that you had limited 
ability to move sideways.  Perhaps you should talk to the neighbours 
and shoot from a different balcony...? ;)

M.

- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html