Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/15

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Subject: Re: [Leica] was:Wedding photography. now:B&W photography
From: Andre Jean Quintal <megamax@abacom.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 02:12:45 -0500

At 15:26 -0800 15/02/99, Ted Grant wrote:
> [ ... ]
> "When you photograph people in colour, you photograph their clothes! But
> when you photograph people in black and white; You photograph their souls!"
> ted

Gee-Ohh-Dee: talk about enthusiasm!

I have to admit: you do make some sure points
and I DO appreciate the dramatic potential
of black & white photography.
If the people are paying for it with their
hard-earned money: that's reason enough right there.

But then, I'm so demanding and nit-picking
where shooting and lab work are concerned:

	- warm VS cold prints
	- ultimate resolution (acutance especially)
	- gray scale extension and contrast level selection
	- non bleached out highlights
	- media specific visual texture content
	- ultra-fine VS deliberate coarse grain
	- deep, saturated foundation blacks
	- on camera filtering or special film types
	- photo style and conceptual finesse.

I'll have to grant you a suspended judgment "review"
and reconsider black and white in light of
your obviously experience based weighty arguments.

Perhaps is it that I need to be exposed to more
Leica originated black & white work to rekindle
my original appreciation for it all, assuming such a level of
proficiency is delivered up-front as to evoke
an awed sort of photographic drama and graphic impact,
above and beyond slice-of-life or concept photo
related qualities.

Yet, personally, I can't avoid thinking:
Would I be a painter, would I readily give up color?

Also, it's more than likely that what I demand out of
black & white would almost call for mandatory
ISO 100 (and below) film emulsions and a very
out-of-the-ordinary lab technician (and equipment),
...except for Type 2875 and the newer 3200 emulsions,
and that "annoying" Noctilux and general
Leica specific useable full aperture / extreme low light potential
(which DOES skew the decks in an altogether different
way -- even for color photography ... ) and opens up
a whole previously unaccessible level of the photo domain
and frees imaging potential we'd never dare
to dream of with non Leica optics (unless one is
into a personal soft edge, soft focus photo style).

Imagine what it'll be when Leica releases those
idealized f/1.2 35mm Leica-R and new ultra high resolution
75mm (my preferred focals, 80%+ of the time)... Time !

You sure know how to make a point, Ted.

Best regards,

Andre Jean Quintal
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

   "Only when it's dark enough
    can you see the stars."

	Martin Luther King jr