RE: [Leica] Living with a D!X, picking pockets with an M

[BOB KRAMER <BobKramer@COOPERCARRY.com>]

Hey, that's really cool!  People should post more often if they have
actually seen the greats of M photography in action!  I love it!

NYC is a fascinating place for street shooting.  I have only been there
twice for an afternoon each, and one trip I wasted on that damn October
camera equipment show.  But the other time I was immediately struck by how
no one was willing to take the time to harass you for taking pictures.  It
was great!  For a while I did just what you described... stayed in one spot
with my camera to my face and fired away at all the fish in that huge
barrel.  If only people were so accommodating everywhere.

I think the only general rule there is, is that there are no general rules.
;-)

BTW, if you are interested, the Winogrand video was a PBS Bill Moyer show,
and I think it was called The Photographers Eye, or something like that.
You can probably borrow it from your local library which is what I did (or
buy it from PBS for $50 or so).

BK

- -----Original Message-----
From: pmjensen [mailto:pmjensen@concentric.net]
Subject: [Leica] Living with a D!X, picking pockets with an M


I am very happy to be corrected, not that it changes my experience, but 
because it's neat to discuss actual M-camera use. Just for the record, 
I'm a Nikon and M user so, while I don't discount anyone else's 
experience(!), I do, myself, have the opportunity to see it from both 
sides. Although, probably obviously, I don't use these cameras 
interchangeably - despite what I've posted, I DO use the M6s for close, 
quiet work. (But still, I'm never unobtrusive.)

While I wasn't responding to (or commenting on) street photography use, 
it's funny that BK mentions Garry Winogrand, as an example:
>Go rent or borrow the PBS video where Winogrand is
>shown shooting in the street with an M camera.  He will be walking along,
>and all of a sudden he quickly raises - almost jerks - the camera to his
>eyes, fires, and lowers the camera back down in one motion.
While I haven't seen the video (and would really like to), I did have a 
chance to watch Winogrand work one afternoon. He stood in the sun near a 
street corner in the middle of the sidewalk with the large 5th Avenue 
crowds going by and the Mwhatever (with Leicavit or winder, I forget) in 
front of his face while he just banged away. No stealth whatsoever. Then 
he moved to another corner. And yes, I know enough of his work to realize 
that much of it was done exactly as you describe. Different horses for 
different courses, maybe. I watched William Klein work one day, briefly, 
with a couple of Leica Rs, not far from the Winogrand episode. 
Interestingly, he (similarly) stood on a street corner with his back to 
the street and just banged away. I don't remember any motor but it 
clearly was VERY wide angle because the crowds were right on him, 
practically pushing him back into the street. Both of these guys were 
burning ALOT of film. And yes, I realize that these anecdotes prove 
nothing as a general rule, just thought I'd share them (two superb 
photographers with Leicas, eh?).

I most certainly agree that the M is a >>non-threatening little camera<<, 
I just still suspect that the perceived threat is coming as much or more 
from the photographer as it is from the camera. I realize from everyone's 
response that I'm somewhat alone in that assessment (an assessment which 
I feel strongly about), and I find that interesting enough to 
(re)question my working habits. It's entirely possible that I'M the 
threat (not a joke), and that gets back to cultural norms: New Yorker 
working in West Hicktown, California.
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