Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/12/29

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Photos of speakers
From: "John R. Fulton Jr." <JRFjr@compuserve.com>
Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2001 20:52:38 -0600
References: <B85362B0.2B26%abridge@mac.com> <002701c190b5$31a8a220$633f4d18@gv.shawcable.net>

Adam--
The key -- KEY -- to Ted's advice is the 280mm f2.8.
I was going to recommend a 300mm f2.8 but that would be another brand.
My disagreement with Ted is the "hand held" part.
Most speakers are not lit very well and depending on film, light etc 
you can end up shooting 1/60th or (if you're lucky)  1/125th at f2.8. 
Believe me, if you're waiting for the right expression and hand 
motion, you'll be much happier waiting with the camera and boat 
anchor lens on a tripod. That way you can concentrate on the speaker 
and gently squeeze off those great frames. Your photographs will be 
alot sharper, too.
The other solution is to get a more relaxed picture of the speaker 
before or after the speech. Perhaps talking with the some of the 
locals  or hosts or whatever. I recently had to photograph Secretary 
of the Navy Gordon  England. I photographed him before the award 
ceremony  rather than photograph a  horrible plaque presentation 
"grip 'n grin".
Just my two cents worth.
John Fulton
Fort Worth





>
>Hi Adam,
>
>It's a piece of cake actually and as simple as listening to the cadence of
>the speaker's voice and for the moment when they something significant, lift
>their head and look out over the crowd / audience.
>That's shoot time!
>
>If you want dumb ass images of screwed up mouths, closed eyes or one, just
>bang away with reckless abandon and that's what you'll get, a bunch of as
>you explained,  >>I seem incredibly talented at getting transient
>expressions which run from ludicrous to slanderous. <<<<
>
>However, if you listen to the cadence and when they say some heart warming
>phrase, where they pause a moment, look out over the unwashed for their
>reaction to what was said, the face takes on all the expression you'll ever
>need.
>
>Every politician does this all the time while making a speech, padre's
>giving a sermon and all those CEO's and the likes of Corporate presidents,
>to the ladies of the darknight league. The pause will be there and the look
>out over the audience happens as it goes with giving a speech
>
>The more you listen and watch, the easier it becomes. And trust me, from
>experience it works, as I've shot thousands of frames of just what we've
>been talking about. Obviously not all perfect but with a damn good positive
>hit record of some that were blown to 10 feet X 6 feet. :-) Yep hand held
>and using a 280mm 2.8. Piece of cake! ;-)
>
>I trust this helps.
>ted
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In reply to: Message from Adam Bridge <abridge@mac.com> ([Leica] Photos of speakers)
Message from Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> (Re: [Leica] Photos of speakers)