Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/11/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>>>> Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2000 09:32:42 -0700 From: Tristan Tom <tt@tristan.net> Subject: [Leica] How to get comfortable with my Leica? Message-ID: <p05010403b639bbb0aea9@[10.5.13.32]> References: I am still trying to figure out how to get comfortable with using/carrying my new M6 TTL. On several occasions, in an effort to do more street photography, I have carried it along on outings with friends, only to discover that during the course of the day, I did not even take the camera out of the camera bag. Either I didn't feel I saw any photo opportunities, or I felt like I would be too conspicuous with a nice expensive camera on the streets. I'm not really at the point of being comfortable been seen taking pictures. I guess I'm shy and even afraid to take pictures of people in the street... - - -- T r i s t a n T o m - <http://tristan.net/> <<<<< Tristan, maybe the problem is not so much the camera as what you want to be doing with it. I say this because I think this "street photography" thing is vastly over-rated. But even so, the impotant thing, IMO, is to have a photographic project or subject you're working on. Then it takes over. I used to wander about looking for things to take pictures of and soon found that it was a futile endeavour. Now I only ever take pictures as part of a project of some kind I'm interested in. I don't believe - in my case, anyway, other people may well be different - that pictures just pop up in front of you, I think you have to have a powerful interest that motivates you to look at or for a particular kind of thing. Even Friedlander, for instance, one of the kings of street photography, was always working on a particular theme, such as his own shadow, car mirror reflections, etc. One advantage of this is that when people ask you why you're photographig them doing somthing, you can say, well I'm really interested in photographing half-empty beer glasses, which is what I was snapping in this case, or whatever your theme might be. Then they'll just think you're a loony rather than a threat. But in any case, you'll have a reason to be taking the picture. Just a thought. Rob.