[Leica] Hail Mary

[jhnichols at bellsouth.net (Jim Nichols)]

Way to go, Frank!

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Frank Filippone" <red735i@earthlink.net>
To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 7:41 PM
Subject: [Leica] Hail Mary


>I don't photograph weddings.  So my buddy asks me to take some candids, in
> addition to the official wedding photographer.  I say OK.
> I know the official pro, no problems there.  I will do whatever it is I
> wish.  As I am not "responsible" for anything, I feel the pressure is low.
>
> So the day arrives, we go to the wedding with the M6TTL and a 15, 75, and 
> 35
> ASPH Lux.  Plenty of film, 3 spare batteries.
>
> I like to be prepared, so I turn on the camera, and get ready to take some
> pre-wedding shots.  No meter indicators.  Meter battery must be dead.  Put
> in Battery #2.  Ditto.  Battery #3.  Ditto.  Last battery: Ditto.  Nada.
> Wait some glimmers of an intermittent problem.  Sometimes the meter works,
> sometimes it does not activate.  Opening and closing the wind lever ( the
> on/off indicator for the M6 meter) sometimes works.  Pushing down on the
> speed dial sometimes works.  15 minutes to Zero Hour.  What to do?  Freak?
>
> Not me......
>
> I got the meter to work sometimes, so I knew that if I set up the camera 
> to
> start, I could get off some desired shots.
> Outside, 4 PM, nice light, open sky or shadowed people, all is well. 
> .....
> no quick lighting changes.
> That night, during the reception, I took some more.,  The meter is working
> maybe 20% of the time, but that was sufficient.
>
> My buddy had asked to take some shots of him and his new wife as he played 
> a
> surprise solo performance on his guitar.  I was a bit leery.  Inside, low
> light, bad lighting, one possible shot at this.....But he really wanted me
> to shoot this scene, without flash.
>
> Time comes. It is 9PM, it is DARK!.  Lighting in the room is lousy at 
> best.
> I get on my knees, between the 2 pros ( Canon and Nikon DSLR with 
> requisite
> flash), tell them to step in front of me as needed to get what they are 
> paid
> to do....
> The meter works for like 20 seconds.  I metered the scene.... then some
> dufus turns off the rest of the lights......   It is not nice.  Now I have
> no meter and basically no light.
>
> Hail Mary time.
>
> F1.4 at 1/8 of a second, Fuji ASA800 print film........
>
> A full roll, all well exposed.  Most without movement.
>
> I did it.  He loves the shots.
>
> Sherry got the camera 6 days later, fixed it ( bad meter switch......), 
> and
> I have my baby back.
>
> No more weddings... too stressful.
>
>
> Frank Filippone
> red735i@earthlink.net
>
>
>
>
>
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