Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Carl Socolow wrote: >When I worked daily news I had a boss who had worked for S.I. Newhouse >Sr. at the Newark Ledger. One of his favorite stories was when they were >covering an event that Margaret Bourke-White was assigned by LIFE to >photograph. She came in with her assistants and they lit the place with >lots of flashbulbs rigged everywhere. My boss and several of the other >local photographers just put their speed graphics on tripods, opened the >shutter on bulb when Ms. Bourke-White was ready to make her exposure and >of course scooped her cause they were on daily deadlines and she wasn't.>>>>> Hi Carl, Along similar lines: using flash on camera of another photographer. While shooting a political rally, which I had assumed (one should never assume anything!) :) I "assumed" the TV guys would have the location lit. Thus making it a piece of cake for me doing my usual what you see for light is what you use. "SURPRISE!" it wasn't lit! Talk about available darkness, this place was "available black of night!" And no 3200 to pump to 6400 and even with a trusty Noctilux at hand, I was dead. Fellow news photographer with big strobe flash on camera was blasting away recklessly, of course do I carry a flash? very rarely! :( I say to him, "Could I use your flash for a few frames?" "Sure." But it wouldn't fit on my M6. New idea! "OK here's the plan. When I count three you trip your strobe on three. I'll set shutter speed on the M6 to 1/4 second,trip shutter on three. Ergo, your flash will light the scene recorded on mu film! He scratched head and couldn't figure out how that would work, he not being an available light photographer and seen the results when a number of photographers at a news event using strobes and me working at 1/15th or 1/30th and having any number of flash images on my frames due to the slow shutter speeds. "OK, 1-2-3, Flash! Shutter "click" after the flash! Damn! try it again. 1-2-3 click! Flash! after the camera! Damn try it again! 1-2-3....click--flash right on the mark! Exposure when film processed? Perfect timing. Unfortunately it just looked like a plain old flash picture, but it saved my butt! :) Eric and his band picture and dear old Margaret Bourke-White with flash bulbs makes for interesting picture taking. A situation I've wanted to try at an evening Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics or similar event, is a time exposure as Eric did, just as the athletes or performers come into the stadium. That's the point the twinkie flashes of all those folks with P&S cameras are blinking away like crazy. it's quite an amazing sight. It can be done at the opening of a night football game or any evening event held in a major sized stadium or arena. It sure would be quite an interesting effect. I haven't done it in the past because I'm usually doing the super long lens thing. Besides at international Games events you are not allowed to use tripods! So there's the suggestion for the day and all you lugittes now have an idea to try sometime during this year. Have fun.:) ted Ted Grant This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler. http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant