Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/06/15

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Subject: RE: [Leica] This week's PAW from Jim Shulman
From: Jeffery Smith <jls@runbox.com>
Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 20:34:15 -0500
References: <5.1.0.14.0.20020615192220.00b3b638@pop.runbox.com>

Jim,

As I recall, you got a good shot of the conductor with his cheeks puffed 
out a few months ago. You are able to get relatively closer that I might be 
able to finesse. I have a 90 Hexanon [gasp!] and a 135 Elmarit [whew!] that 
I can attach to my M3. I know one of the French Horn players who would make 
a great PAW because he has a huge moustache and rather bushy hair 
(http://www.lpomusic.com/musician/pink.htm). I'm going to take a gamble and 
email the conductor(!) and ask him for permission. He may be a humble 
enough guy to actually approve it. I'll try to drop the name Leica as well 
(he's German).

Jeffery Smith

At 08:39 PM 6/15/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>Jeffery,
>
>It helps to have a senior orchestra board position, and to use concert shots
>(blown up to 20x30--and shot with the "soft" Elmarit 135 on Fuji 800 wide
>open) for orchestra publicity.  They have no problems when I haul in my
>Leicas.
>
>If you're not an orchestra board member, do what a friend of mine used to
>do:  hide the camera, shoot anyway, and keep a sacrificial roll of film if
>they ask to confiscate your exposures.  Hand over the blank roll (an usher
>only needs to show s(he) confiscated A roll of film), put your camera away,
>and develop the pictures later.
>
>There are two reasons why orchestras are skittish about photography during
>concerts: 1) the COMMERCIAL use of photos taken at a concert (typically in
>violation of union and soloist contracts) and, even more important 2) the
>LIKELIHOOD that some nitwit will use a FLASH point 'n shoot during the
>concert and distract the performers.  Typically it's the person in the
>second balcony who thinks they'll get a useable picture of the soprano on
>stage with a $35 camera, rather than a thoughtful amateur or pro.  The
>Reading Symphony tried to delineate between flash and non-flash pictures,
>but the audience could not.
>
>During regular season concerts I shoot with the Elmarit and a Summicron 90
>from my left side box, which is exactly 34 feet to the podium, and 31 feet
>to the soloist spot (or pianist bench).  I get excellent results at f2.8 and
>1/250 with Fuji 800 speed color film.  What I CAN'T get, though, is BOTH
>conductor AND soloist in focus with the Elmarit wide open.  One gets
>sacrificed for the other.
>
>My M3 with this combination give me a telephoto shot without the mirror
>noise of a reflex, so I can shoot away even during the quietest passages
>without distrubing my neighbors or interfering with the conductor's
>reference sound recording.
>
>Jim
>
>PS.  In the case of this week's PAW I was sitting in the CENTER of the FIRST
>row.
>PPS.  To see the orchestra's web use of some of the concert photos, try
>www.readingsymphony.org/concertmaster.htm
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Jeffery
>Smith
>Sent: Saturday, June 15, 2002 8:24 PM
>To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>Subject: Re: [Leica] This week's PAW from Jim Shulman
>
>
>Jim,
>
>They allow photographing of concerts up there? Our orchestra doesn't allow
>cameras or tape recorders. I tried to get permission to shoot a dress
>rehearsal (no flash, quiet camera, I promise). They wouldn't even
>acknowledge the request. When I asked the choir director (who teaches at
>the same college where I work), he said that the request would have to go
>before a vote of the orchestra. No thanks. I didn't want the shot that
>badly.
>
>Jeffery Smith
>
>At 10:14 PM 6/14/2002 -0400, you wrote:
> >Off to the Reading symphony hall for the introduction of the new
> >Concertmaster, Chrisopher Lee.  For those not up on things orchestral, the
> >concertmaster is the first of the first violins.  He/she is the one who
> >comes out just before the conductor and strikes the A for orchestra tuning.
> >He/she also plays all the violin solos in orchestral repertoire.  It's sort
> >of the liason position between the conductor and the general orchestral
> >players.
> >
> >It was a big deal for Reading, since Chris is their first new concertmaster
> >in 26 years. He played several selections with piano, and answered
>questions
> >from the audience.
> >
> >Lighting was almost non-existent, but I was able to squeeze a few shots
>with
> >Ilford XP2 and my trusty Elamrit 135/2.8 wide open at 1/60:
> >http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=812385&size=lg
> >
> >Jim Shulman
> >Bryn Mawr, PA
> >
> >--
> >To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
>
>
>--
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>
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In reply to: Message from Jeffery Smith <jls@runbox.com> (Re: [Leica] This week's PAW from Jim Shulman)