Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/12/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Ted As always, thank you for constructive and thoughtful answer that we have come to know and love from you. I hope I am not being too sycophantic when I say that your years of experience are one of the greater things about the LUG - even if it involves a plug for the great book, of which I am already a very proud owner ;>) I agree 100% with your comments about use of the light and it is very rare indeed that I resort to use of a flash for most of my work, but Salgado seems to be able to find light and control it where there would appear to be no light at all. I am thinking as I write about a shot inside a building with light streaming through a window. The building is a ruin in Bosnia/Kosavo and the only light is obviously through the shelled out windows, and yet the detail outside the windows is held perfectly and yet the interior glows with light. The exposure difference between the two must be enormous and you would anticipate either a burnt out window (no pun intended) or a darker interior at the very least, but the whole picture glows with light! To return, I appreciate the 'reading of the light' is what it is all about, and I immodestly think I am not too bad at it. Salgado reads it in a way that makes most of us look like infants with our first reading book. Gerry www.gwpics.com >From: Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> >Reply-To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us >To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us >Subject: Re: [Leica] Salgado and light >Date: Sat, 08 Dec 2001 16:33:33 -0800 > >Gerry Walden wrote: > >I have just finished watching the not great Salgado/Berger programme on >TV > > and, as always, was amazed at Salgados use of light, particularly contre > > jour, and the luminosity of his work. My understanding is that he does >not > > use a flash so how does he control his highlight ot shadow ratio so > > successfully?<<< > >Hi Gerry, >The truth is, he doesn't! He sees and shoots by light motivation and >doesn't >think about how to make the light work, it's by instinct of how the scene >or >situation is illuminated. > >If you feel the light, then one just concentrates on the subject and the >light falls where it may. When I shoot, the only light reaction I have >first >is......"am I on the shadow side?" And is the light working for me? Once >I've established that, then all else is forgotten about light as I know >it's >working for me. > >Or in the case of my book, "This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William >Osler" which is all available existing light while shooting the medical >profession at work in almost every conceivable light condition, I never >used >a flash. I merely reacted to the situation before me and made the best use >of the light that was at hand. And it never occurred to me that I should >use >flash. > >I could see the scene, therefore why not shoot it. I realize that sounds >terribly simple, but it's the truth, as I've always believed if you can see >it you can shoot it! As long as you understand how the light is >illuminating >the subject and that it's working in your favour. > >Salgado does basically the same thing. One only needs to look through "This >is Our Work" to learn about using light that we see everyday and to use it >to make interestingly lit photographs, people or otherwise. > >The most important thing to know is, light isn't just the intensity for >making exposure, but more importantly how it enhances the situation we wish >to photograph. Once one starts to pay more attention to how the light is >working for them, than it's intensity to make an exposure, the sooner their >photography will improve. > >It's quite simple indeed, if one remembers, apart from putting film in the >camera, the most important thing to help make great pictures, OK >interesting >pictures, is to understand light! You finally get that right and you are >away to the races of great picture taking. ;-) >ted > >Ted Grant Photography Limited >www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant > >-- >To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html