[Leica] Tina's softness/sharpness/focus issue - might be solved, in part

Fri Mar 20 14:40:29 PDT 2015

As to my general crowd as being the LUG, Tina,  I'm suggesting that the Lug
has a wide range of expertise on the whole photography thing.  Really what
seems to be shared is a love of cameras above all. Not even German cameras
and not even Leicas.  Not the worse thing in the world but its not like a
group of serious photo students or photo enthusiasts. Not that it should
be.. Its a whole range of approaches, values.
Someone just suggested an hour ago that tweaking our images in any way is
questionable. That's what we're up against here.
DID YOU SHOP THAT PICTURE!?!?!

No they should be untouched by human hands.
By the way yesterday you were mentioning being upset when people say
things...
I always look up their prints right off the bat it takes me less than a
minute.. By prints I mean jpegs.
If I am impressed by their images then I care about what they write about
mine. If I can't find any images I most certainly don't care what they say
about mine. Unless its nice then I'm happy and I thank them.
If I see their images which are not so great or committed then again I'm not
caring so much what they say about my work or me. This is the biggest slice
of the pie right here. Indifferent work. No craft. Zero commitment. And the
ones with the most criticism and advice.
With me it all starts with the work.
And nowadays we don't have to ask our new friends to fish out their prints
out of the trunk of their car and hope they didn't leave them in the back of
their garage..  We can search engine them pretty well in seconds and see
what they had for breakfast the morning before in living color 3D
smell-or-ama.

In photography talking the talk equals walking the walk.
Photography is the only endeavor that by owning a crummy camera you are an
expert and can walk up to a Pro and ask them with great moral indignation
where their lens cap is.
No other line of interest has that. In any other thing you do you have to do
it fairly regularly and with a real focus to claim a self righteousness in
it.

In general I don't ask a person directions on the street corner unless I
search engine them first. You can end up in New Jersey.

On 3/20/15 11:59 AM, "Tina Manley" <tmanley at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks, Mark.  That's why I'm asking for content editing help and not
> technical, at least that's what I'm trying to ask for.  And asking the LUG
> is not like asking a general crowd.  I thought.  As for the B&W vs color, I
> am prejudiced toward B&W and sometimes need someone to point out why I
> should use color instead. I know that's a weakness of mine.
> 
> Tina
> 
> On Fri, Mar 20, 2015 at 11:36 AM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> Tina, post them but don't ask for technical advice. Like if its too dark or
>> too light or really anything like that.
>> I don't ask tech advice and I don't get that much.
>> I get "nice pic, Mark" and that's fine with me. And:
>> " reminds me of the taste of wild hickory nuts". Which starts my day of
>> just
>> fine.
>> When an established photographer shows somebody a picture I think it
>> assumed
>> they like it feel its a strong image and want to share it with you. See if
>> you also think so or maybe its leaving you a bit flat. Not contrast flat
>> but
>> emotionally.
>> Having someone tell a seasoned photog if they think it should be cropped
>> more or less or lighter or darker is a bit presumptuous. Unless they asked
>> them too!
>> In 50 years of showing people prints I can recall that happening to me once
>> it was a few years ago and a few months later they put the guy in the
>> looney
>> bin. True story. And coincidence.
>> Even when a novice photog shows me a print I'm reluctant to give that kind
>> of advice unless I'm sure its what they're asking me for.
>> I say "what kind of criticism are you asking for"
>> To which they invariably say "I don't know"
>> After which I give examples which are multiple choice.
>> And they still don't know. They're all very shy.
>> I just say if I'm responding to the image strongly or not. "this one I like
>> less than the others" is what I say to a god awful image..
>> I'll say" did you make that one with a bit more contrast if so I'd love to
>> see it!?" Or
>> Is this when the camera went of accidently while it was hanging around your
>> neck? Is what I say when I'm being serious.
>> I think its unusual and uncommon for a seasoned photog to ask technical
>> advice from a general crowd. I'd advise against it. Its asking for trouble
>> With a capital T which rhymes with P and stands for Plus X!
>> 
>> I'd strongly advise not putting up black and white vs. color comparisons.
>> These are decisions we need to make for ourselves and remind me of my very
>> early academic classes in photography. And most classes are academic or
>> should be.
>> That's my opinion and I'm sticking with it.
>> 
>> 
>> On 3/20/15 10:19 AM, "Frank Filippone" <red735i at verizon.net> wrote:
>> 
>>> Certainly NOT my intent.  I enjoy looking at travel pictures... Yours,
>>> especially, but also Nathan's and Jay's, to name just 2.  I mentioned the
>>> issue with the colors, only because I felt there was something amiss
>> with what
>>> I thought the public at large would have seen.  Now that I understand the
>>> point of showing the particular pictures for content and comsposition, I
>>> understand that my comment was out of place.
>>> 
>>> I apologize for interfering with your image flow.
>>> 
>>> Please do not stop posting: Viewing them is my way of going with you,
>>> vicariously, to many parts of the world I will never see.
>>> 
>>> Frank Filippone
>>> Red735i at verizon.net
>>> 
>>> But now it doesn't look like dawn which was the whole point to me.
>>> 
>>> I have fallen into the trap, again, of trying to adjust my photos to
>> please
>>> everyone.  I will never get through 16,000 edits at this rate.  Right
>> now, all
>>> I am doing is going through the photos as quickly as I can and selecting
>> those
>>> which might merit more detailed work later. I hit Auto in LR to get in
>> the
>>> ballpark.  LR adjustments are non-destructive and I can go back to the
>>> untouched photo at any time.  I post the ones I am considering and hope
>> for
>>> comments on the content and/or composition.  Anything to do with white
>>> balance, exposure, lifting shadows, suppressing highlights, contrast,
>>> spotting, sharpening can and will be done much later, after I have
>> finished
>>> all of the editing.
>>> 
>>> Maybe I should just post the photos straight from LR with no adjustments
>> at
>>> all?  Or maybe I should just not post them at all.  It's too
>> discouraging and
>>> demoralizing.
>>> 
>>> Thank you,
>>> 
>>> Tina
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> Mark William Rabiner
>> Photographer
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
> 
> 

-- 
Mark William Rabiner
Photographer
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/