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

Fri Mar 20 18:21:20 PDT 2015

You are very wise, Mark.  I appreciate your wisdom.

Tina

On Fri, Mar 20, 2015 at 5:40 PM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:

> 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/
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>

-- 
Tina Manley
www.tinamanley.com
tina-manley.artistwebsites.com
http://www.alamy.com/stock-photography/3B49552F-90A0-4D0A-A11D-2175C937AA91/Tina+Manley.html