Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/01/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Thanks, Skip. Oddly enough, I also shot a bunch of Tri-X and processed it in XTOL. I'll post some shots in a couple days from this batch. Answers to your questions: I went to the Philippines to oversee the construction of a new chapel on the family plantation, and to do some planning and review work on the conversion of the farm to aquaculture. We currently have 5 test ponds of around 7k sq metres each working now, producing prawns. We are planning to create another 50 or so ponds and add Austrailian crawfish. No, I don't worry about the Leicas over there. You just follow the normal rules for traveling abroad. Walk with visible purpose, be careful in crowds, carry your bag in front of you, latched with an arm over it...that sort of thing. But on this last trip, I spent most of my time in rural areas, which are much, much safer. Cebu is pretty mellow in general. I one of those Domke F-803 satchels made out of khaki canvas, so it doesn't really look like camera gear. Money, credit cards, etc., are all in an Eagle Creek pouch attached to my belt and stuck down my pants. The pictures of the children were candids, taken just before they either ran away, or broke out laughing. You have to work at getting that serious look out of them! I generally just approach and start shooting with preset exposure settings. Some run for thier lives, the older ones like to ham it up for the camera. At that point, I'll try to say a few things in thier dialect to loosen them up, then pick up the camera and shoot once in a while I'm talking to them. Knowing a few words in the local language is really helpful, as always. Many of the older people (my father's generation) still speak Castillian Spanish, which they learned in school. That makes it easy for me since I speak a bit of Spanish. But the children can be skittish, so the "minimal presence" of an M6 is helpful. I typically ask permission of elderly people out of respect for them. This is as simple as brandishing my camera and gesturing in thier direction with a nice smile. Often, they will nod or give you some indication that you can approach. The Philippines are a great place to photograph. The people are extremely warm and friendly. Many times, you will be photographing a group of people only to have another group start calling you to come and photograph them as well! It's unfortunate that the Philippines are so often overlooked by tourists. A people photographer's paradise! - --Jim Laurel - -----Original Message----- From: Skip Williams [mailto:skipwilliams@pobox.com] Sent: Monday, January 03, 2000 2:24 PM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Cc: Jim Laurel Subject: Re: [Leica] Tmax bashing Based on these images, I don't want to hear anybody disparage Tmax-100. THESE ARE GREAT! Jim, Some questions: What were you doing in the Phillipines? Did you worry about carrying about the most expensive 1-body, 3-lens outfit you could buy in such a place? Were these candids? or did you ask to take the pictures? Skip At 1/3/00 01:34 PM -0800, you wrote: >Hello Leica friends, >I've really enjoyed the film/developer discussion we've had on the LUG the >past few days. However, it leaves the impression that Tmax film and >developer are generally poor products, and that's just not the case. > >Rather than argue about it in email, I'd like to show some pictures. Check >out the following shots, taken in November on my recent trip to Cebu in the >Philippine Islands: > >http://content.communities.msn.com/isapi/fetch.dll?action=get_album&ID_Comm u >nity=Leicausers&ID_Topic=21 > >The first 5 images were shot on Tmax 100, processed using Tmax developer, >fixed with Tfix at 75 degrees. The resulting negatives were scanned with a >Nikon LS-1000 film scanner using default settings. > >Just for comparison, the last shot "Brother and Sister" was shot on Negrapan >100 (a Spanish film), then processed with home-mixed D23. > >Please let me know what you think. > >Cheers, >--Jim Laurel - ----------------------------------------------- Skip Williams Westfield, NJ skipwilliams@pobox.com - -----------------------------------------------