Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/10/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Feli I have a better appreciation for your argument of precise framing and the other details from this last post. You obviously must pay closer attention to these details as you cannot afford wasted space or having a frame not properly laid out, for a film. you do not have the luxury of cropping a frame or two to get it right like the majority of the rest of us. as to the italian blood, I know exactly what you mean, my wife is Italian, and she can be very passionate about making a point. ;-) Gene First off Ted, I'm sorry if I came off a little strong in my initial mail. No, disrespect intended, it's just that sometimes that Italian blood gets a little going and you know what it's like when you feel passionate about something... I see where you are coming from and I think my approach to taking photos has to do with my background in film and theater, where I'm accustomed to having control over the results. At work half of my job is worrying about catching the right moment or performance. The other half is worrying about how the light and technical aspects are supporting that performance. I have noticed that when I shoot stills; even if it's documentary type work, I tend to frame and shoot like it's a movie. As you say, my priority is trying to capture the right moment, but I sometimes think about how I can manipulate the lighting with the exposure, to created a certain mood or look. It's not a long drawn out process, but it does cross my mind. Sometimes I make certain stylistic choices when I start a project. Last year I shot a 1920's style Jazz band, and decided to shoot with vintage lenses, because I wanted a certain look that I couldn't get from the newer glass. (they are on my website in the archive, Janet Klein). Another time I decided to shoot a subject with a certain DOF. I did a short essay on a friend of mine who is an actress, and shot all of it wide open, because it created the right mood for the subject. Looked really nice; this actress rehearsing her part in private, with only her in focus as she was concentrating, and everything around her a blur. So, in addition to trying to capture the right moment, I sometimes think about how I can manipulate the lighting with the exposure or what lens to take along that day, to help created a certain mood or look. It's not a long drawn out process, but it does cross my mind and I try do do it if I have the time. I think (and correct me if I'm wrong) that your approach is probably rooted in your background as a news photographer, where of course you have almost no control over what you are shooting, except for grabbing the right moment and framing it properly. You see the right light and moment, everything clicks and you grab it. If you came back to the paper and told your editor that you missed the shot because the light wasn't right, they probably would have had you carted away in a straight jacket. ;-) Feli -- ------------------------------------------------------------------ feli2@earthlink.net www.elanphotos.com _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information