Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/12/04

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Nice Story (was sneak thief)
From: Paul Schiemer <pschiemer@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Dec 1998 21:10:39 -0500

<<I asked him if I could take his portrait. By now he was comfortable
enough for me to get into 45cm distance - minimum for the TC-1.

I snapped. Unfortunately he was posed, so no spontanaeity, but a nice
record nevertheless of an interesting (visually and in terms of Life
Wisdom) old guy.>>

Yah shure, first frame was posed- but I ALWAYS rip a second, third, and
sometimes fourth frame right in sequence.
I almost always toss the first frame because of that very reason, the
posed look, fake smile, and best look they can muster.
It's the unarmed looks in the subsequent frames that really sing.

Remember, film is the cheapest part of the camera.
Can't hurt to expend a few extra frames.

Oh yeah, one other little thing I do... sometimes;  the first frame is
taken with the camera up to my eye. Click, wind, drop the camera just a
hair, look over the top, then trip the shutter again.  They are totally
off guard.
If it's working, and they flash that 'real' smile, then snap a few more
frames quickly, still looking over the top.  If it gets animated, put
the camera back up to your eye and frame again.  [Yes, I've chopped a
few heads in the learning phase!]

(oh yeah, great story!)