Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/05/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]on 18/5/00 5:14 pm, Bmceowen@aol.com at Bmceowen@aol.com wrote: > > In a message dated 5/18/00 9:04:55 AM, deadman@jukebox.demon.co.uk writes: > >> Bob, check out my HUMAN TRAFFIC site and you'll see I'm sometimes doing >> just >> that. Or shooting at 1/1000 and f/1.4 to do grab shots with limited depth >> of >> field... very neat when it works, and looks nothing like the standard f/11 >> street stuff you're used to seeing. > > I looked at your site but didn't notice many images that obviously looked > like they were shot at f 1.4. Most had a reasonable amount of depth of field. > The images that I saw that took advantage of limited depth of field looked > like they might have been shot with something longer (but maybe not) -- the > pic of the black gal leaning against the railing comes to mind. It could have > been a 35mm, though. That was a 50. I focused that one, but I had to be quick. > > I have to confess I really don't get "street shooting." Without suggesting > anything about your images -- I liked some of the reportage stuff quite a bit > (more than the true "street" stuff, in fact) -- but GENERALLY, I find most > so-called "street photography" to be utter crap. A lot of it looks like what > I get when my elbow bumps the shutter of a camera hanging off my shoulder. > Most of what I see I would never print, much less publish. (Again, I'm not > talking about YOUR images). Even the best of it has a real snap shot feel to > it so I've never understood the discussion of photo techique in relation to > "street shooting." Well, like I always say, street shooting is like jazz. The first time I listened to Charlie Parker it sounded like a mess and I didn't get it at all. You don't 'get it' that's fine, but that doesn't make it 'crap' (as the 250+ subscribers to the streetphoto list tends to indicate). Moreover, good street photography is both technically and emotionally extremely challenging. That's perhaps why a lot of it (and I include many images on my own site) is not so great. Maybe another reason you don't like it because it's what HCB called 'anti-graphic' photography. Who knows? It's HARD, man. You'll never know how hard until you try it. And if you don't like it I guess you'll never try it. Oh well. - -- Johnny Deadman photos: http://www.pinkheadedbug.com music: http://www.jukebox.demon.co.uk