Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/05/17

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Ancient Ceremonies
From: "M.E.Berube - GoodPhotos" <meb@goodphotos.com>
Date: Wed, 17 May 2000 21:57:54 -0400

At 03:04 PM 5/17/00 -0700, Brian Reid wrote:
> > One of the symbolic purposes of weddings, especially church weddings,
> > is that they are cultural links to the past and future. It's not just
> > that someone is getting married, it's that they are getting married
> > using an ancient ceremony that their ancestors used, and that their
> > desendants will use. It's part of the link to their cultural identity.

Wonderfully stated Brian. Being able to be a part of that for folks is one 
of the reasons that I now enjoy shooting weddings. It CAN be an honourable 
a/vocation if approached ethically. My goal is clients who are happy that 
I've recorded their day is inobtrusively as possible. (Hence my Leica 
purchases of late to get more quiet and less flash dependent.) If I happen 
to get something "artistic" so much the better, but they are more concerned 
that they look ok and have a record of everyone/thing that popped into 
their lives on that day. Some of them ask for really corny cliched shots. 
It's their $100/hr. I comply happily. I have a real job for food, clothing 
and shelter and can therefore be picky in who's weddings that I choose to 
shoot. I seek clients who want nothing more from me than that and we all 
like it this way. I save my 'art' for 'scape shooting where I'm in total 
control within environmental bounds.

This: http://www.goodphotos.com/confarreatio.htm is probably the most fun 
that I've had shooting a wedding in a LONG time. This being a Roman Pagan 
Ceremony that hasn't seen use in nearly 2000 years and never on this 
continent, was a good diversion from the typical Baptist gig that I usually 
do and it exemplifies the "ancient ceremony that their ancestors used" that 
you spoke of.

I didn't really 'pose' any of these shots. (I usually pose some as 
requested.) The electricity failed 10 minutes prior to the ceremony and the 
entire event was held by candle light. I WAS planning to shoot available 
light (with an FL filter), but when the lights went out, I needed a smaller 
aperture to max DOF so I could scale focus the 28/1:1.9 (Vivitar S1 MD) in 
the dark so I ended up using the 285HV for all but the few shots that I 
could take with my (Back On Topic!) CL/40Summicron wide open. (This was 
just before I bought my "red dot" M5.)

Carpe Lumen,
Michael E. Berube
http://www.goodphotos.com

Replies: Reply from Guy Bennett <guybnt@idt.net> (Re: [Leica] Re: Ancient Ceremonies)
Reply from "Henning J. Wulff" <henningw@archiphoto.com> (Re: [Leica] Re: Ancient Ceremonies)