RE: [Leica] Ted's 15mm

["Mueller, Rob" <rob.mueller@eds.com>]

Ted,
You are really painting a picture of yourself in your posts this weekend; a
one eyed, one shouldered, skivvy wiping famous photographer. :) :) :`)

Rob Mueller
Studies in Black and White
www.studiesinblackandwhite.com 
rob@studiesinblackandwhite.com





- -----Original Message-----
From: Ted Grant [mailto:tedgrant@home.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2000 3:27 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Ted's 15mm


Julian Thomas wrote:
> 
> Hi Ted,
> 
> I've been experimenting with my Voigt. 15mm for street photography, and
I'm
> finding it pretty difficult to take shots that don't have '15mm' screaming
> out loud i.e. the shot becomes as much about the lens as the subject. You
> mentioned in an earlier post that you were enjoying the lens - how do you
> use it without the lens stamping 'extreme w/a' over the shot?
> 

Hi Julian,

Composing in the viewfinder!

If you're trying to shoot people on the street with it or any 15mm, you
are going to have a 
"15mm wonky head look!" It's part of the beast and if you happened to
click open those images posted by John Brownlow in the UK you'll see he
isn't going to be shooting too many frames of people like he does with
his 35mm lens.

Composition is the main factor and if there are people, they aren't
"kissing the lens" ....as in tooooo close or hanging out on the sides.
It appears you've already learned that. I'm not using mine for people in
the general shooting sense, but more for street, as   "street
photography....meaning real time streets and scenics"  simply because of
the totally different look the lens gives.

My results so far, including some B&W from the Grand Canyon a week ago,
are quite special without any weird sense of distortion.  There is the
magical look of depth it creates, but that too is a lesson in seeing one
must acquire from practice.  

Although I probably have an advantage, as I only see with my left eye so
the perspective it creates must enhance how I compose. I owned and used
the 15mm R lens so I was well aware of shooting people and egg shaping
their heads big time, so I knew what to expect.

The shaping distortion is something you can't really get away from with
people, particularly if they are at the sides of the frame and near to
the camera.  As is the case on the street you are going to distort them
everytime in a crowd.

What I suggest?  Continue working with it and deliberately use it where
people are involved until you get the feel for where they can be in the
frame without or the least amount of distortion. It's only in this
manner will you learn the limits of distortion with people.  And you'll
never get rid of it altogether.

Don't know that this helps,  probably just confirms what you've
discovered,  "it ain't goin' to work with people street photography!"  

ted