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

[Mark Rabiner]

I'd like to point out that this is not Tina's quirky photo mannerisms she's
talking about here. Its basic pro photo 101 - Its called "covering it",
"coverage" and "working it" and its the way professional photography has
been done since roll film  was invented and maybe before.
The new idea now we see on the internet of  "overshooting" a term which
never existed before the internet it has nothing to do with digital is one
of many internet photo memes which has come about not by pro photographers
but by photo enthusiasts on chat groups and blogs. And these enthusiasts
want everything to be quick, easy and painless so they can go on to their
next eBay win transition..

We were told from the get go that "film is cheap". The difference between a
pro and you is  you shoot a pic of the nice peeling paint fire hydrant we
shoot a roll. You shoot a roll we shoot a pro pack (ten or twenty rolls in
cellophane). We never buy a roll of film from the camera store. We buy a pro
pack. Cellophane is the name of the game.

Seeing and hearing from a seasoned photographer like Tina is such a threat
to these guys. So they give her advise. "Tina have you considered shooting
less pictures?" it  cloyingly insulting to Tina's professionalism to have
these dilatants camera traders give her advice on how she should handle her
photography.
The reason why Tina's body of work is so solid is not because she went click
click and walked on to the next thing. But she stayed and worked it. Covered
it from every angle and for an extended amount of time. She cared enough to
get it right and make sure the shot she was bringing home was as solid as
possible.
The decisive moment comes when you are home or at your studio pouring over
your take on your computer screen and you find that shot. And you give it
five starts. And a rosette.




On 3/21/15 8:57 AM, "Tina Manley" <tmanley at gmail.com> wrote:

> Yes, that is true, Nathan; however, when I was using film I would carry 300
> rolls of film for a week in Honduras or Guatemala.  I didn't always use all
> 300 but, since there is no way to buy film in the remote villages of
> Central America, my worst nightmare was to be staying with a family and run
> out of film.  I never ran out but sometimes I did use all 300 rolls because
> I was there and would probably never have the opportunity to photograph
> that family in that village again.  That's 10,800 photos per week - more
> than I am averaging now with digital.  Those I also had to develop, mount
> and file.  Now, as I scan all of those film photos, I am glad I took so
> many and sometimes even wish for more with a choice of a slightly different
> exposure or lens.  I don't think I use a machine-gun approach.  Every frame
> is different in some way.  During those years, I was taking photos for
> several different agencies, for myself and for the families - all requiring
> a different focus on the purpose of the photos.
> 
> I will be 70 years old this year and I'm afraid it's too late to change the
> way I work - until I decide to retire (die)
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Tina
> 
> On Sat, Mar 21, 2015 at 1:22 AM, Nathan Wajsman <photo at frozenlight.eu>
> wrote:
> 
>> Hi Tina,
>> 
>> May I ask a heretical question: are you perhaps taking too many photos,
>> just because it is so easy with digital? You mention a figure of 16000 from
>> your Cuba trip, That is more than I take in a year. Now, I realize that I
>> am just an amateur while you are a pro, and I also understand that for your
>> stock business you need some slight variations of each image, but still the
>> number seems excessive. From the way you talk about the editing process, it
>> seems to lead to an intolerable burden afterwards, when editing them.
>> Perhaps a change from this machine-gun approach would be good for your
>> health?
>> 
>> 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/
>> 
>> Cycling: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator
>> 
>> YNWA
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On 21 Mar 2015, at 03:15, Tina Manley <tmanley at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> You are right, Mark.  I need to tweak all of them before I judge them.  I
>>> am 69 years old.  I won't have time.  I'm still scanning, all day every
>>> day, the film from over 40 years of photography.  I just finished
>> scanning
>>> 11,274 slides of Portugal  I'm starting on Spain now, while I continue to
>>> edit the photos from Cuba and Vietnam.
>>> 
>>> Life is entirely too short.
>>> 
>>> Thanks,
>>> 
>>> 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/