Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/12/17

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Winogrand/blind shooting
From: "Hans Pahlen" <hans@komvux.skola.mark.se>
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 20:16:19 +0100

>Quite frankly, to hell with this shooting blindly stuff! If you don't have
>the balls to put the camera to your eye and shoot, "learn how!"

I fully agree with Ted! It takes some guts to raise the camera to the eye,
frame and focus, but you will get better pictures. Sometimes the object will
notice you, and you will get eye-contact, a thing that almost always will
make it an even better image anyway.
I have often wondered why I am so satisfied with my 50 mm pictures. Well, I
think it is because it forces me to frame and focus, i.e. to do things
right! Shots "from the hip" with 35 mm relying on DOF have never been
successful for me. But it took me some years to "get the balls", and I still
miss them sometimes when travelling in other countries, but on these
occasions my wife will kick me in the back to get things done (She is a
journalist, and like Ted, she is not afraid of people).

About the Abrahamson winder: Yes, I am a left-eye photographer. Sofar, I
have used to focus with my left eye, then moved to the right eye, in order
to be able to do some fast winding for a series of pictures.
I have just ordered a winder from Tom, and I am looking forward to use it. I
dont know if it has been said on this list, but the official electrical
Leica winder is no longer produced. I heard about it from the factory two
months ago. Never mind, I prefer Tom A:s Leicavit type winder.
/Hans