Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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 http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html