Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/12/15

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Subject: [Leica] NYTimes.com: The Do-It-Yourself Economy
From: r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard Taylor)
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:09:46 -0500
References: <4137125.1260852718415.JavaMail.root@wamui-hunyo.atl.sa.earthlink.net> <FE956233-60E3-47F3-BC1E-B55A84AA09B0@mac.com> <1424.68.165.63.15.1260882150.squirrel@mail.expedient.net>

> As an architect who was trained using ruling pens, the rapidographs
> provide inferior quality to ruling pens and require, comparatively, no
> skill.


Jeez, I was so glad to see the end of them.  My high school drafting class 
required we use them to ink on vellum.  Getting a clean line with no breaks 
or smudges was virtually impossible.  The number of drawings I ruined as I 
attempted to get the last few lines is place is uncountable.  That Senior 
drfating class was a whole year of frustration.  Arghhh!   

I would have sold my soul to the devil to get my hands on a Rapidograph.
  
Regards, 

Dick



On Dec 15, 2009, at 8:02 AM, The Filippini Family- Matt & Blaise wrote:

> It is, of course, all a matter of perspective.
> 
> "Part of this is because the current technology does deliver "decent"
> results with far less skill and effort.
> Drawing a fine line of a specific width with a rapidograph pen
> required skill..."
> 
> As an architect who was trained using ruling pens, the rapidographs
> provide inferior quality to ruling pens and require, comparatively, no
> skill.  For those unfamiliar, ruling pens consist of two bladed points,
> adjustable to any width within their limits, which actually incise the
> paper as they deliver the ink, resulting in a perfect line.  One drop of
> ink is loaded into the pen at a time.  Mastering them to draw a line is
> difficult, and preparing inked building plans with them is quite the
> endeavor.
> 
> Drawing a fine line with a ruling pen requires skill, the rapidograph
> requires (relatively) no skill but provides "decent" results.
> 
> Now, of course, we architects draw next to nothing except quick hand
> sketches.   All else is on the computer.  Potentially perfect lines with
> ease (but people still mess up).
> 
> Matt
> 
>> Also (hopefully) true Doug.
>> And I've already responded how my efforts with the blacksmiths have
>> developed positively.
>> 
>> Yet, I see the trend moving towards "good enough"
>> and away from "we need the best."
>> 
>> The examples in the article: stock photos and footage for a couple
>> dollars, voice overs for ten or thirty dollars.
>> Back in the day - voice overs, photos, and footage meant royalties
>> for the talent for the life the spot.
>> 
>> Part of this is because the current technology does deliver "decent"
>> results with far less skill and effort.
>> Drawing a fine line of a specific width with a rapidograph pen
>> required skill;
>> as did reading light and color temperature meters and actually
>> focusing a camera and knowing the DOF.
>> Auto white point, and auto focus in a decent P&S camera or drawing a
>> line in Illustrator - not so much.
>> 
>> There will always be those who know and care about truly professional
>> results.
>> But I think that they're a smaller group than they once were.
>> Four of my (once major) clients have moved design, copy writing and
>> photography "in house;"
>> where for previous decades that was all ad agency and free lance work.
>> There are also many more people going after the work in every market.
>> 
>> Again - no complaints - just the way it is (or appears to me).
>> 
>> Regards,
>> George Lottermoser
>> george at imagist.com
>> http://www.imagist.com
>> http://www.imagist.com/blog
>> http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist
>> 
>> On Dec 14, 2009, at 10:51 PM, Doug Herr wrote:
>> 
>>> George I believe that in time this will be part of the up side.
>>> Along with teaching in-house skills you can illustrate how much it
>>> work takes to produce top-quality results.  Not all in-house staff
>>> (I bet very few) will be willing to put that much work into the
>>> photos.  You can show them that superior results are possible and
>>> that you can deliver those results.  Some day they will need your
>>> superior photos.
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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Replies: Reply from imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser) ([Leica] NYTimes.com: The Do-It-Yourself Economy)
Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] NYTimes.com: The Do-It-Yourself Economy)
Reply from filippini at theramp.net (The Filippini Family- Matt & Blaise) ([Leica] NYTimes.com: The Do-It-Yourself Economy)
In reply to: Message from wildlightphoto at earthlink.net (Doug Herr) ([Leica] NYTimes.com: The Do-It-Yourself Economy)
Message from imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser) ([Leica] NYTimes.com: The Do-It-Yourself Economy)
Message from filippini at theramp.net (The Filippini Family- Matt & Blaise) ([Leica] NYTimes.com: The Do-It-Yourself Economy)