Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/17

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Subject: Re: [Leica] I am probably crazy, but...
From: "Ted Bayer" <tedbayer@harbornet.com>
Date: Sun, 17 Mar 2002 22:48:50 -0800
References: <000001c1cd2a$aeeb6ef0$62119d42@Jeffery> <000d01c1cdf0$b1910180$94a6fea9@3zlwb> <53785913.1016371036@cambric.reid.org> <002901c1ce07$470530e0$94a6fea9@3zlwb>

Doug - 180 kids plus the teachers?  Man, you have great ambitions,
expectations and, well, I guess you have whatever it takes.

Getting that group on a 35mm frame is a real challenge, especially if
anyone wants to see a face. At least that is my opinion.  If I had been
taking that group when I had my equipment, it would have been with an
4X5 view box, at least, that's for sure.

I know you want to do this for them: you feel the pressure of the group,
your kids, your wife.  But there are limits.

Anyway, you have had a lot of good advice.  Now here is one more
thought.

Perhaps it is because I am one of the older people in the group, and I
have raised four kids, and seven grandchildren, and have had more than
my share of requests to do pictures for them.  In most cases, I have
done what I could.  But in some, I have learned to say, "No".

In any case where I did not feel competent, or did not have the
equipment to do the work properly, I learned to say so -- "I would love
to do this for you, but honestly,  I don't feel that I am up to it, and
I don't have the equipment to do the job properly for you.  I am sorry."

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you all the best.

Ted in Olalla

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Lee" <drlee9@earthlink.net>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Sunday, March 17, 2002 2:53 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] I am probably crazy, but...


> Brian,
>
> Thank you very much. I shall endeavor to follow your advice. BTW, 180
kids
> plus teachers!
>
> When you recommend shooting 2 rolls, how many exposures are you
assuming?
>
> Do you think I can use my M6? Or would a motorized F100 with remote
cable
> release be better?
>
> Thanks again.
>
> Doug
>
> Douglas Richard Lee
> Cinnaminson, NJ
> 609-304-5827
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian Reid" <reid@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> Sent: Sunday, March 17, 2002 4:17 PM
> Subject: Re: [Leica] I am probably crazy, but...
>
>
> > I've done many hundreds of school class pictures. I've always used a
35mm
> lens, a good lens hood, a high tripod, and a stepladder. 35mm film is
> adequate. I will confess to never having used a Leica for this; I use
> motorized Canon EOS or T90. Here's my procedure:
> >
> > 1. Find out how many people you will have to shoot at once. Plan the
> number of rows and the number of people in each row. Allow 24 inches
of
> width for each adult, 21 for each teenager, and 18 for children under
12.
> Use as few rows as possible. For a class of 30 people I would use 2
rows;
> for a class of 100 people I would use 4 or 5 rows. Go to the place
where the
> pictures will be taken and put colored flags at the 4 corners of the
area
> that the people will stand in. Set up your camera on its tripod as you
will
> be taking the picture and make sure you have plenty of leeway at the
edges
> of the picture. You don't want to have to move the camera back when
the kids
> show up. If you can get 4 kids
> > to help you get set up, have one stand at each flag to help you
frame your
> shot. Rehearse this well in advance of the day of the shoot, and on
shoot
> day, set up your gear well in advance of the arrival of the children.
> >
> > 2. Shoot the finest-grain film you can find. High resolution is your
> friend. No one will be moving very fast.  No one will judge this
picture for
> its composition (they will blame the children for bad composition) but
> people will be impressed by sharpness and resolution and proper focus
and
> lack of camera vibration.
> >
> > 3. Enlist the help of teachers, preferably including a gym teacher,
to
> pose the children. School children know how to take orders from their
> teachers, but are not good at taking orders from photographers. The
most
> difficult part of taking school group pictures is getting the students
to
> stand still. Make the teachers do this; they are good at it. Just
stand
> there and watch while the teachers line up the students, then have the
lead
> teacher tell you when they are ready. When it is time to push the
shutter,
> move as many teachers as possible to be near you. The students will
look at
> their teachers, not at the camea.
> >
> > 4. Remember to focus. Remember to set your exposure. Remember to
bracket.
> Shoot two rolls of film, not because you need to, but because this
will give
> you two chances to get it right. Everyone over the age of 8
understands the
> concept of "changing to a new roll of film" and will be willing to sit
still
> while you do it.
> >
> > 5. I use a black cloth over my head and camera when I shoot school
> pictures, and I use a flash. Both are stage props. The flash doesn't
have
> enough power to light anything; its purpose is to let the students
know that
> I have just taken a picture. The black cloth is to make the whole
thing look
> professional and mysterious. I run the flash on 1/16 power so I don't
have
> to wait for it to recycle.
> >
> > --
> > To unsubscribe, see
http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
>
> --
> To unsubscribe, see
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>

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In reply to: Message from "Jeffery L. Smith" <jsmith45@bellsouth.net> (RE: [Leica] irc Leica Chat)
Message from "Doug Lee" <drlee9@earthlink.net> ([Leica] I am probably crazy, but...)
Message from Brian Reid <reid@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> (Re: [Leica] I am probably crazy, but...)
Message from "Doug Lee" <drlee9@earthlink.net> (Re: [Leica] I am probably crazy, but...)