Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/12

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Camera Shake
From: Allan Wafkowski <allan@sohogurus.net>
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 18:29:01 -0500

The remedy is obvious to everyone but Leica people: use flash. What! And 
spoil the beautiful Leica blur?

Allan


On Tuesday, March 12, 2002, at 05:30 PM, Alastair Firkin wrote:
>> In trying to photograph my ACTIVE fourteen month old daughter, I'm
>> losing a lot of well-composed pictures with great facial expressions to
>> camera shake.  I think that my daughter's constant movement, which
>> forces me to rush for pictures and prevents the use of a tripod, is a
>> contributing factor.  Trying to get down to her level also seems to
>> increase the problem, but I am able to capture her facial expressions
>> better from down there, I think.  The Leica sling made by Lutz 
>> Konermann
>> would, I believe, allow me to grip my M6 better and improve results, 
>> but
>> he seems to be out of town indefinitely, and I've tired of missing good
>> moments while I wait.  Is there any technique or gadget I could use to
>> improve my photographs?  Thanks in advance for any help you can give 
>> me.
>
> I face this problem with my younger dog, who wiggles wobbles and spins 
> all the time. For me there are a couple of techniques.
>
> 1. I focus at 1m, hold the camera away from my eye, watch the dog not 
> the camera and snap when the moment is right. The camera is held at 
> arms length which seems to steady it
>
> 2. faster film might help, but the flash will "stop" the action. I 
> often use a 3/4 flash (I hate washed out flash images) and expose for 
> the ambient light. Slower film can actually be an advantage here. 
> Sometimes I use really slow film, open the lens, incite the dog and 
> fire the flash my hand.
>
> 3. stand back a little and enlarge the image
>
> 4. Tripods are not really part of the deal, though I will occasionally 
> "ambush" the prey by setting up the camera on a tripod, wait for the 
> critter to reach the allotted "spot" and fire -- I have to say that it 
> did not work too well at the Grand Prix -- I was too fast on the 
> button ;-)
>
> Cheers
> -- Alastair Firkin
>
> http://www.afirkin.com
>
> http://www.familyofman2.com
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