Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/02/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Okay, I agree entirely that these shots all look heinous, but what exactly TECHNICALLY makes them look so cheesy? If these were goth chicks of today instead of middle Americans of the 60's and 70's, and if they were shot in B&W, and they were more relaxed rather than posed, would we still feel this way? My point is, is the LIGHTING good? I'm trying to get better at formal lighting as well and I'm wondering if lighting is causing any of the justified distaste for these shots. Or is it just hair, clothes, retouched color and forced smiles that are doing it? I'm trying to learn here. Here's the link we're talking about: http://www.zuga.net/freelessons/JZCH1.shtml Craig > > The images looked pretty much like stock Olin Mills (is that his name?) or > K-Mart portraits. I have always wondered why people have pictures taken of > themselves looking like that, but it is almost an American ritual. My guess > is that, if you looked at the top of the credenza in the office of most > people working for IBM or the FBI, the family portraits would look like that. > > It's not art, but it sure seems to have a home in the USA. > > At 03:17 PM 2/1/02 -0500, you wrote: >> 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 - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html