[Leica] Family Photos

[cochranpr at mac.com (David Cochran)]

Hello Richard.

I looked at your photos with great interest. One reason being how we 
resolve the issues of low lighting in houses, restaurants, etc with 
400ASA film. The second, getting to know these people.
Your photos show the "struggle" to get the exposure right. In my  
experience with one hour photo labs I find that the technician always 
goes for having everything in the "light". Sometimes is frustrating 
because I may want to have highlights with deep shadows and the guy 
gives me a gray piece of paper with a lot of grain.

I feel all your pictures can benefit from bringing down the grays and 
deepening the blacks. The highs are going to stick so don't be too 
afraid to bring the rest down.

On the second part, I find the older man sitting perpendicular to the 
camera, this one http://gallery.leica-users.org/NYC/3_07_0043_web
to be the one with more naturality and the one that makes me ask who is 
this man. His other picture with his hand on his cheek, i would have 
asked him to switch to the other hand and cheeck so I could see the 
smile.
Of the younger couple, it is interesting how the girl is pulling away 
from the huge guy :-).
I bet you have a bunch of prints with gray and grain that you don't 
want to show from that shoot but, hey, you have 2 or 3 that are worth 
your while.

peace

David
On Jan 9, 2006, at 5:26 PM, Richard S. Taylor wrote:

> Holidays (and photographers taking pictures during holidays) bring out 
> a variety of moods and reactions to the photographer.  These are all 
> of my brother and his family and were taken during my Christmas visit.
>
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/NYC/3_07_0043_web
>
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/NYC/4_26A_0128_crop_web
>
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/NYC/4_12A_0114_alt_crop_web
>
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/NYC/1_18A_009_web
>
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/NYC/4_31A_0133_web
>
> The light required f2.0 at 1/8th to 1/15 on ISO 400 film so I had lots 
> of perfectly exposed blurs in the group (though not here). Didn't 
> always find the shadow side, either.  Next time I'll go for ISO 1600 
> or 3200 film and try to move around more though that's not always so 
> easy in the midst of a family gathering.
>
> Comments encouraged, of course.  Thanks.
> -- 
> Regards,
>
> Dick
> Boston MA
>
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