Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/05/03

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Great exposures & sharpness don't......
From: Andrew Schroter <schroter@optonline.net>
Date: Fri, 03 May 2002 20:21:24 -0400
References: <ECC6F7B330A26C40B652962C47DEA258183E21@ASC02.asc.upenn.edu> <004901c1f194$89c92840$633f4d18@gv.shawcable.net>

I've seen comments like this before from people I've taken portraits of
using the 100mm APO.  Somewhere in the past I've read that the softer 90mm
lenses result in better portraits.  I think the 100mm APO is great for
floral close-ups, though.
AGS
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Ted Grant" <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2002 12:48 AM
Subject: [Leica] Great exposures & sharpness don't......


> Hi Guys,
> Sometimes you shoot a frame or two and you know you've captured the
sharpest
> properly exposed, lighting great picture & it's going to be a beauty!
Then.
> :-(
>
> Then you make an 11X14 print and you can count the eyelashes of this
female
> surgeon, the tonal range of the print is perfect, the Leica glass 100mm f
> 2.8 macro lens used in an available light operating room setting, lens has
> cut an image into film you might cut your fingers if not careful.
>
> You stand looking at all these photographic technical niceties and most of
> all the great looking "only Leica Lens sharpness crispness, pure magic
> technically speaking photograph." So what.
>
> Then you look at it and for all that wonderful technical stuff that some
> folks rave on about, the great mm per line and squigglies to make any
Leica
> carrying member wet their pants over the Leica sharpness look! And what do
> you have?
>
> You don't have to look very hard to realize you have a perfectly technical
> everything picture that the techno freaks would drool all over while
peeing
> their pants! And?
>
> You just shrug your shoulders, " Oh well so big deal!" Throw it down on
the
> out pile. Why?  There isn't any "LIFE IN THE PICTURE!  :-(
>
> It's like one of those absolutely technical crisp everything metered to
> death salon magic dead photographs that we are lead to believe, is the
> ultimate Leica image on film and print!
>
> All the initial excitement is lost because the damn thing is way too
perfect
> without any feeling of  heart or emotion. Technically great, but hell
> there's an awful lot more to great pictures than being in zone 88, sharp
and
> perfect tonality.
>
> Sorry folks I don't know where the hell I'm going with this as it's sort
of
> letting it all hang out frustration! On the one hand I have this wonderful
> sharp / crisp Leica glass cut photograph and unfortunately it just sits
> there and does nothing!
>
> So you see sometimes it doesn't matter if you use a Leica on a tripod, the
> slowest film on earth developed in the finest grain developer and the
> techies are all excited at the look and what the expensive lens has cut in
> film. But if there isn't any life to it what the hell have you got but a
> very leica sharp picture.  Big deal! :-(
>
> good night!
> ted
>
> Ted Grant Photography Limited
> www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant
>
>
> --
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In reply to: Message from Kyle Cassidy <KCassidy@asc.upenn.edu> ([Leica] good news about the lug scholarship ....)
Message from Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> ([Leica] Great exposures & sharpness don't......)