RE: [Leica] Techniques Please?

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

Hey, Dan, what's with this "tip" crap? This is the Leica Equipment Ownership
Boasting Rights List - we don't do no steeeeeenkin' tippin' here....that
comes far to close to discussing Fotografee......;-)
B. D.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Dan Post
> Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2000 12:51 PM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Techniques Please?
>
>
> Rick-
> "I feel your pain!", but seriously (and now for something entirely
> different....) I would impart a couple of tips that work for me.
>
> One- I am a large intimidating guy, and I have found that I have success
> about talking to a child, and not DOWN to them. I avoid tha baby
> talk crap.
> Now, I get a few incredulous looks from toddlers- it's like they are
> thinking- "You talkin' t' ME?"
>
> As a psych student, I came to realize that children can
> understand far more
> than they can say in return; young children before the age of two
> have vocal
> tracts similar to chimps. This allows them to breathe while they
> suckle, but
> it makes it hard to produce intelligible sounds, hence their
> babbling! They
> ARE talking, but it just isn't coming out! I don't get impatient
> with them,
> and if you spend a bit of time with the occasional recalcitrant child, you
> can usually get through!
>
> Sport team monster shots! I did it one summer. HORRORS! These were a small
> team of T-ballers, and eventually, I found that a promise of a trip to
> Pizza-Hut after the shoot rendered them more pliable! Of course, if you're
> shoot a large team, this might not be cost effective!
>
> The occasional 'difficult' number? short of a cattle-prod, I
> can't help you,
> but sometimes a little man-to-man talk can help; afterall, this sort of
> child is probably in need of attention. I would suggest that you 'recruit'
> this guy to 'help' make sure everybody is in a straight line, then assign
> him the 'pivot' duty- let him hold the team flag, a bat, ball or something
> and let him know that you are using him to focus on, and that he's helping
> you make the team look good.
>
> Too much psychology? - perhaps, but children are just like us...
> or maybe we
> are like children! We have our 'needs', we are loath to share our toys
> (Leicas? On topic!), and we sometimes, as my mother used to put it- "show
> our asses" to get a little attention (Gee- does that sound like a
> LUGGER?).
> I think if you really like kids, then you will be able to deal with them,
> and get those mum-pleasers easily! Good luck, and best of light to you!
>
> Dan ( Colonial Upstart Pontificator) Post
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Rick Dykstra <rdandcb@cybermac.com.au>
> To: leica-users <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> Sent: Saturday, June 03, 2000 8:22 PM
> Subject: [Leica] Techniques Please?
>
>
> > Hi LUG folks
> >
> > There's bound to be a lots of handy techniques out there, worth sharing.
> >
> > I'd welcome your thoughts on the following.  It might help to append the
> > title with the appropriate subheading.  Thanks.
> >
> > Smiling? Your job is to take 'mum friendly' portraits of a few hundred
> > children in a day.  Most are natural smilers.  Others haven't got a
> > clue.  How do you get a nice, natural smile from the children in the
> > latter category?  After the camera clicks on a half decent smile, the
> > subject hops of the chair and cracks a beauty!  Using M6 and 90 AA.
> >
> > Sportsground Terrorist Gangs?  Another part of your job (you accepted
> > the mission!) is to take team shots, often of the under 9, 10 and 11
> > teams (hence the subtitle).  How do you get their cooperation for the
> > three to five minutes it takes to line 'em up and take three
> > crowd-pleasing shots?  You must also control the coach, manager and 20
> > odd parents (assistants!).  Using R8, 50' cron and remote release.
> >
> > Difficult Individuals?   There's one child in a hundred (usually a boy
> > but not always) who's intent on being a problem.  A real standout; the
> > only troublesome one in a team that's otherwise OK.  How do you deal
> > with this little bundle of joy, for the portrait and then for the team
> > shot?  Others are generally within ear-shot, although you could always
> > get real close and whisper!
> >
> > I am developing some techniques of my own, but I'd appreciate your
> > suggestions, even those that I'd only be able to use in 'wishful
> > thinking' mode.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Rick (just a little shell-shocked most Saturday evenings) Dykstra
> >
>
>