Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/02/01

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: Winter in GA
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 15:17:16 -0500

Well, Ted, now that I've succeed in insulting yet another member of this
group....

There's nothing wrong with wanting to learn the basics. But I would contend
that while the work displayed may be what was popular in the hinterlands in
the 40s 50s and into the 60s does not make it "basic," and it certainly does
not make it good. Karsh was shooting at the same, and I would suggest that
if someone want to learn something about the "basics" of posed, formal,
portrait photography they would be much better off spending some time in the
library studying some of his work than they would looking that the Zeltsman
stuff. The Zeltsman approach seems to produce photographs of stuffed, posed,
dead people colored in ways which nature never intended. The fact that
zillions of "portrait photographers" made lots of money peddling this stuff
doesn't mean a thing - lots of convenience store owners make lots of money
selling passport photos of people - that doesn't make them portrait
photographers. Hell, it doesn't even make them photographers.

Sorry, but we sure disagree on this one.

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 Ted Bayer
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 3:09 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Winter in GA



I guess I am going to have to tie in here a little -- with no argument
with BD or anyone else.  Just my .02 cents for what it's worth.

Read the heading -- The Zeltsman Approach to Formal Classic
Portraiture -- speaks directly to what you are going to get from this
set of lessons.  Formal and Classic.

The gentleman who wrote this series is from the my era - the 40s, 50s,
60s, and he is displaying a fine example of portraiture from that era.
In the 50s I worked in a studio doing this kind of work.  We retouched
and colored all the portraits by hand.  Let me say in passing that many
fine, award-winning photographers of that day made one hell of a lot of
money from this type of work.  And today, with some modifications,  many
still do.

Now, what's wrong with a young man wanting to learn the basics of
posing, lighting, etc.  He asked about portraits.  That's what this is
about.  Once he learns the basic, then he can alter what he is doing and
produce whatever he wants.

That's it.

Ted in Olalla

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 11:13 AM
Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: Winter in GA


> Posed? Noooooooo. That couple with the boots and whips always sits
around
> that way with a saddle at their feet. And the little girl with the
dog?
> Think her arm is wired around that beast? ;-)
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Douglas
Lee
> Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 1:47 PM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: Winter in GA
>
>
> Well, to each his/her own. However, I must say I found
> it amusing that after you page through all the
> obviously posed portraits the photographer points out
> that the portraits do not have that "manipulated pose"
> look. Even to my challenged "eye" they are posed...
>
> Cafe mocha anyone?
>
> -Doug Lee
>
>
> --- "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > Eric, my friend. Hang your head in shame. Go lock
> > yourself in your room for
> > six hours. Go to bed without supper. How could you
> > possibly, ever, point
> > anyone to this site. This is THE UGIEST, MOST
> > HORRIFYING, REVOLTING crap
> > that ever crept into the front window of a 9th rate
> > "portrait studio"/Kodak
> > store in the smallest of small town America. :-( :-(
> >
> > Give me a Holga shot taken by a blindman on acid
> > over this crap!!!
> >
> > 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 Eric
> > Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 10:50 AM
> > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> > Subject: [Leica] Re: Winter in GA
> >
> >
> > David:
> >
> > >The third and fourth, I am looking for some advice
> > for simple portraits.
> >
> > http://www.zuga.net/freelessons/JZCH1.shtml
> >
> >
> > Eric
> > --
> > To unsubscribe, see
> > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
> >
> > --
> > To unsubscribe, see
> http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
>
>
> __________________________________________________
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Replies: Reply from "Robert G. Stevens" <robsteve@hfx.andara.com> (Re: [Leica] Wedding photography)