Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/11/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Carl, Thanks so much for the valuable insight. I appreciate your thoughtful critique very much. Tom - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carl Pultz" <cpultz@earthlink.net> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 11:49 PM Subject: Re. [Leica] PAWs - Shameless family snapshots OR Serious Portraits > Tom, > > That is a lovely family you have, and you have made better than the average > family snaps to represent them. Steven looks a bit unsure of things, but > shows character, and Claire and Margaret are both pictured very well. Margo > has the soft eyes of a contentedly at home with the pack sort of beast. > They are all comfortable before your lens rather than oppressed and > intimidated. > > The tonal qualities of the shots are very good on my monitor. There's a > great glow and sparkle to #2 in lighting that could as easily turned out > harsh. 1 and 3 are not as distinguished in that regard, but the way you > have dealt with the less interesting light is good anyway. > > What each of these shots lack is a degree of compositional refinement. I > think you are a bit too close in #2 - Margaret's head is too centered, I > want to see more of the paper or the maybe the way she places her feet or > crosses her legs - and Steven's expression calls for a high POV, a looming > above that would make that hint of fright more understandable, more dramatic. > > There are other solutions and other circumstances, but with more attention > to formalities of composition (not formulas!), your shots would be very > fine. You have the exposure technique down and certainly great subject matter. > > Someone, writing in defense of family photos, pointed out that many renown > photographers used their families and friends for subjects. Provocatively, > Steichen and Weston. Calahan's wife and baby appears in some of his seminal > images. There's a lot to be learned in their work. Eggleston, that master > of the off beat who I revere, when people are present, seems to have > pictured mostly the people in his life, often in the most ordinary, prosaic > ways, yet there is a magic. > > Pictures needn't be shocking or archly weird or contrived to justify family > shots as artistic works. Capturing character and depth might come most > naturally with one's closest companions. Why not? > > Anyway, I mean to say you can be on your way to making fine things. > > Carl > > -- > 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