Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I've been trying to follow up on this sooner. Sorry for the delay. I offer the following as a way to use direct flash. The responses to use of direct flash didn't surprise me. For the first 12 or so years I was involved seriously with photography I had very strong feelings that direct on camera flash had very limited uses. My 35mm equipment consisted of two M2's, 35mm Summicron, 90mm Summicron and a 65mm Elmar & a 200mm Tlyt with a visoflex III. Almost everything was shot available light. Two things happened that changed my opinion about flash usage and particularly on camera direct flash. The first was the development of the auto thyristor flash. The second was a series of Ansel Adams Workshops I was involved in during the mid 70's. These events supplemented the graduate photo program I was completing at Arizona State University and gave me a new creative tool. I purchased a 21mm f:4 Super Angulon in 1974 and put it on one of the M2's with a Spiratone thyristor flash. With the flash attached the 21mm viewfinder is not available. It sounds very basic. This has proven to be the ultimate point and shoot! For the past 24 years I have used this same camera with 100 asa B&W film and have produced some of the most surprising images. Most of the photographs are of spontaneous action under dim to dark conditions. A situation that would be impossible to capture with available light. The viewfinder isn't needed because if you used one the action could be affected by the presence of a shooting posture. Or, the action (decisive moment) would be past by the time the camera reached your eye. Another benefit is that the camera position doesn't have to be at the eyes position. This makes a very fluid response possible. The approximately 90 degree angle of view conforms nicely to what your eyes can see. It takes practice but it is amazing how accurate you can get. The shutter speed can vary from 1/50 sec. down to 1/8 sec. depending on how much ambient light is available. I seem to use 1/15 sec. the most. The distance involved can range from 1 foot to approximately 8 feet. I prefer to shoot close to the subject. Surprisingly you can shoot in this manner and much of the time people are oblivious to what you are doing. If they do catch on your interaction can develop into more image possibilities. The flash itself should be close to the lens. Mine is about 4". This combined with the wide angle lens eliminates most of the distracting shadows. Properly applied this can give results that will freeze the action and have a quality that will make the fact that flash was used irrelevant. One further point that I should mention is that of the exhibition work shot in this manner only 3-4 images have cropping on one dimension. The balance are full frame prints. This is not to say that you can see the final framing while shooting. It is just that the fluidness allows you at times to capture a complete image. You never really know what you have until the film is processed. Just a thought that 21mm Leica shooters may find interesting. Neil ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com