Re: [Leica] Color print portrait film

["Joseph Codispoti" <joecodi@thegrid.net>]

Hi Bill,
There are times when Leica can take a rest. If you want to make your
assignment less awkward, do use the EOS with the zoom lens instead.  You
will be able to keep the tripod in place and adjust for the difference in
body or head sizes by merely zooming instead of hopping around with tripod
in hand.

Use a low contrast film such as Kodak VPS (rated at ISO 100 instead of 160)
or Gold emulsion.

Soft, diffused light is ideal. Make sure the background is darker than the
foreground with no bright patches of sun light.
Take an incident light reading or meter a gray card with the EOS.
Open 1/2 stop for darker people, one stop for darkest ones.

Good luck,
Joe Codispoti






- -----Original Message-----
From: Bill Bain <BBain@IMNET.com>
To: leica-users-digest@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
<leica-users-digest@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Date: Tuesday, June 02, 1998 8:35 AM
Subject: [Leica] Color print portrait film


>I have been drafted into doing my daughter's soccer team portraits (the
>commercial photographer that was hired did a less than adequate job (no,
>he did not use a Leica!)).  Each girl will have an individual portrait
>and then the obligatory group picture.  These will be done just prior to
>their end-of-season party at our pool.  I'm thinking, since my yard has
>some nice areas with a variety of shade, that my M-3 with my 90mm
>Elmarit on a tripod and perhaps my Vivitar 285 set on 1/16 power would
>be a reasonable set-up for the individual potraits.  While a lot of
>folks would say use a 90mm Summicron to have more variety in DOF, I've
>got to dance with what brung me.  I think the soft lighting of open
>shade would be quite pleasing and the electronic flash could provide a
>mild 'catch-light' in their eyes and open up any shadows just a little
>bit.  I usually use the flash with a bounce diffuser to avoid the "deer
>in the headlights" look.  Just to be on the safe side I will have my
>Canon EOS with a 28-105 zoom available as a backup and for the group
>picture.
>
>Questions:
>
>Any film recommendations?  Since I do expect these to be enlarged, fine
>grain would be nice.  Color print film would be preferred since I can
>get the portrait proofs back during the party, but to use any sort of
>fill flash with an M3, it'll have to be pretty slow.  If I can't use
>electronic flash, I'll try to use some sort of reflector and bounce some
>light  into the faces.  I will have the opportunity to shoot a test roll
>using my daughter as the model and refine exposure, fill ratios,
>etc.before having to do it "for real."
>
>Any thoughts on the setup in general?  I don't usually do portrait work
>at all, but I've been "drafted" to make the best of a truly fubared
>situation (would you take portraits of 10 year old girls in bright
>noonday sun?  They look like old women squinting and the harsh light
>does nothing to capture the paradox of both the softness of them as
>little girls and their toughness as competitors).  I think the photog's
>goals was to get it done as quickly as possible
>
>Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
>