[Leica] was eyeliner, now shooting through it

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

R. Clayton McKee offered:
Subject: Re: [Leica] was eyeliner, now shooting through it

>>> Like Grampa Ted says, "holy ____! Look at That!" and if you didn't
> get the camera click somewhere between the "look" and the "That!" you
> might as well go buy a beer to cry into, because the party's over.
>
> That's what the whole "decisive moment" thing IS.  It's a trained,
> quasi-instinctive response to situations - why pj's don't like lens
> caps or "auto power off" cameras (and why on the whole pjs chimp a
> lot less than civilians).  You're in the moment, something happens,
> you shoot it. No thought allowed.  SImple as that.<<

G'day Clayton,
Right on brother! :-)
It's "see-click!" One doesn't waste time fiddling around setting dials, 
filters, lens caps off, or heaven forbid... "Opening the damn useless camera 
case, then  turn on the camera, take a light meter reading, set camera then 
look back to?????  "Oh where did that scene go?" NADA!!

It's just keeping everything ready to go, "see-click!" No, one does not have 
to be a professional to do this, it's merely being ready with the right mind 
set of why you have a camera.  It's at the ready! See-click. It's a simple 
thing to learn and to do, just keep your eyes and mind alert!

It drives me crazy when I see people walking around with a fine camera in a 
case with the strap slung across their chest and shoulder like a bandolier 
of bullets. An airplane could crash right in front of them, that by the time 
the camera is de-slung and ready to go the clean-up crew are just about 
finished.

If a person carrying a camera, particularly every member of this crew who 
claim to be a photographer of some sort or other carrying a camera it should 
be automatic the minute you pick it up about to go out the door, it is ready 
to use, loaded and an exposure for a basic exposure of light is set.

I live in a known earthquake zone on the west coast of North America, 
Vancouver Island, Canada to be exact. And if the "BIG ONE " hits I sure as 
heck want to have a camera in hand or certainly within grasp! Certainly 
after....

The experience a couple of years ago in a hurry to leave the house to 
appease she who must be obeyed who was in a hurry ...... I didn't take a 
camera.:-( Hey we're only going to the grocery store eh? What can happen?

What happened? I'm standing in a huge grocery store and an earthquake 
occurred, not major, enough to feel it through the floor and lamps swinging.

I wont tell you what I said, I can assure you it wasn't polite! :-(

You only need a moment as a photographer to have a couple of incidents of 
this kind to imprint in your mind.... "Never leave home with out it!!!"

I dare say if you do not have it with you, all kinds of very interesting 
photo moments will occur and you'll just be ticked off with yourself. Have 
it and the world will be quiet, still and calm with nothing happening to 
visually excite a church mouse. That doesn't matter because the day 
something drops right at your feet you will be ready.

Think about this incident and you'll never leave home without a camera.

Chicago International airport, a guy sitting in the bar..... with camera.... 
looked out the window to see a DC10 passenger plane in the process of 
rolling over upside down ... his camera came up and he started shooting just 
before the plane crashed killing everyone on board.

His first offer from one of the local TV stations for first look was..... 
"$50,000.00  Just to look at what he had. They did and his stuff was all 
anyone had taken! The network continued to act as his agent selling the 
rights to show and publish. The end result was.... the guy with "HIS CAMERA 
at the ready"  need not ever work in his life again from the income derived 
because .... never leave home without it! :-)

Make it a habit no matter where you go, after a while if you do not have it 
on your body you will feel naked and there is something missing. True.

ted