[Leica] Technical detail--why?

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)]

Nathan Wajsman OFFERED:
Subject: [Leica] Technical detail--why?


> Someone, I think Cedric, commented on Jean-Michel's pictures today, asking 
> for technical details. That got me thinking--back when I first took up 
> photography in 1985, I religiously noted lens, exposure etc. in a 
> notebook. I still have that notebook. The only thing is, the I have never 
> actually used the information noted therein. Nowadays, I do not care about 
> the technical details, indeed, when I post my weekly pictures, I don't 
> even mention the equipment used. What's the point? Either the photo is 
> good or it isn't. Whether I used my 4x5 or my iPhone should not influence 
> the viewer's evaluation.
>
> Technical details are useless at best, and harmful at worst.<<<<<<<

Hi Nathan,
Keeping details as I have heard many many photogs do over the years. I have 
always asked.... "why do you do that?" The usual reply is great if one is a 
techie instead of a photographer first.  "Just in case I need it to take a 
similar picture."  Or, "so I will know what lens or film I used." As though 
they're going to shoot the same scene same place 5 years later.

The logical time anything technical needs to be "remembered" is there is a 
specific action seen in the photograph." Blurred background in a foot race 
or race cars and one wants to illustrate the high speed.... Whether you 
write it down or not doesn't matter as all you need to know is to use a slow 
shutter speed  and pan camera as fast as the cars or athletes are moving.

It's called.... "Shooting swishy-pans" And I've done that since my first 
Summer Olympics in Mexico 1968? Sure makes high school kids in a race look 
like they're going 100 miles an hour.

Like you, in my very early days I asked a photographer about keeping records 
as it appeared every frame he shot he wrote it into a "little black book" 
full of numbers, lens size, film, ASA rating etc etec. So I thought, "Gee if 
he's doing that I better do it as it must be very important because he 
writes it down after every picture taken."

Bought a little black book, dated the page, location, camera (Leica of 
course,) lens, aperture and shutter speed. ) As I closed the book after an 
entry a super neat stock-car crash had begun to happen! In the confusion of 
writing down the stupid information I missed a particularly amazing crash of 
two cars rolling over and over!

I bent down, picked up the little black book and threw it as far as I could 
into the race track infield and never ever ever made any notes again! But 
the techies love it!  In reality it's nothing but an incredible waste of 
time for real photographers who take pictures to capture incredible content 
moments!

I DON'T CARE WHO THE HELL THE PHOTOG IS, THERE IS ONLY ONE THING YOU NEED TO 
DO !

and that is shoot succesful, interesting and on occaision.......  mind 
blowing photographs.

WHAT LENS? HELL TELL ANYONE ASKING, ANY OLD NUMBER AS IT WONT MAKE ANY 
DIFFERENCE SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WONT OWN, NOR RUSH OUT AND POP $3 or $4 
THOUSAND FOR THE LENS IN ANY EVENT.

And even if they did the chancs are they'd be so busy making notes they'd 
miss the shot with their new $4k shining new lens.

But then what doesn't turn my heart into a racing vehicle of excitment 
having written it in the little black book. Turns the techie into a fireball 
of wisdom because they have it written down for the next occaision 25 years 
from now when they need the information.

cheers,
Dr. ted :-)















>
> Cheers,
> Nathan
>
> Nathan Wajsman
> Alicante, Spain
> http://www.frozenlight.eu
> http://www.greatpix.eu
> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
> Blog: http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/
>
> YNWA
>
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