Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/04/21

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Mike's Ten Books(2)
From: "Harrison McClary" <hmcclary@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 07:58:52 +0000

Alan Hull wrote:

> I repeat my opinion that when a photographer throws the background out of
> focus to emphasis the main subject he is guilty of LAZY technique.  A
> photographer that cares about the final image will search for diagonals and
> lines and light and shade and many other devices to get his message across.
>  To simply point the camera and rack the lens is LAZY.

It also depends what kind of photography you are doing. If you want 
something with impact that reads quickly in print a longer lens and 
out of focus background helps greatly.  If you are shooting 
landscapes and want everything and god to be sharp and full of detail 
get a large format camera and shot at high aperture.  

Just because YOU like totally sharp images does not mean everyone 
does and to state your way is the only way is rather  immature IMHO.  
I am far from lazy as a photographer and I often use the ability of 
my fast lenses to throw the background out of focus to emphasis the 
subject of my photo.  

The person making the photo is who determines and if he decides to 
shoot at 1.4,2 or whatever and have a very narrow field of focus, 
then that is his decision and what he should.  If the photographer 
thinks it is best to have the entire scene sharp, well that is his 
business also.
Harrison McClary
http://people.delphi.com/hmphoto