Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/26

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Four new PAWs
From: Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 20:45:46 -0700
References: <d1fd4dcd045390459e7d302ba9c6ae92.Russiancamera-user@prod.shaw.ca> <p05111009bb47b332e1c1@[192.168.123.49]>

Karen Nakamura showed:
>>>Four new PAWs<<<

Hi Karen some comments for what they're worth. :-) And only because you
asked for them. :-)

> 1) "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"
> http://photoethnography.com/gallery/paw2003/index09.html
> (Leica M7, C-Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5)<<<

1: OLD GUY.  I'd have used a wider aperture to soften down the distracting
background and get rid of as much clutter as possible, at least soften it
with the wider aperture of a longer lens if available. Like get back from
him and use the longer lens to help blow out the back ground.

Plus the wild possibility of a lower angle if you're not already sitting on
the ground.

The lemonade picture has several distracting elements. One, the gal's head
lower right side big distraction or if you saw it happen, re-shoot it as a
second exposure  immediately if you were taken with the scene.

We all make this mistake at some time in our careers, that is; our words
describe a much better picture than we are looking at. We all do it at some
time or other or we describe what was supposed to be there and yet it isn't
on paper.  But in our minds eye we still hold the image we saw but didn't
shoot it exactly as we thought we saw it.

Your words putting the lemonade stand and mortuary together sound
interesting, but the quality of the picture isn't as good due to the
clutter.. gals head, not quite the right angle for both principles to come
together in a cohesive photograph.  Pole sticking out to the left. These
little things could be eliminated with one quick eye ball scan of the scene
for the junk and eliminate it before tripping the shutter by changing to a
slightly different angle..

Sorry I call them as I see it and try to give constructive words for
improvement at the same time.

> 2) Kelley Farm, MN - Still Lifes
> http://photoethnography.com/gallery/paw2003/index10.html
> (Leica M7; Canon 35mm f/2.0, C-Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5)

1: You didn't hold the camera straight by lining up the right and left sides
within the viewfinder with the frame of the window which inturn illustrates
bad camera handling no matter how wonderful the jug is and would have been
with this small correction.

2: Basket: Toooo bad! :-(
As there's so much potential here if you had bent your knees and got down
for a better angle and tightened the cropping to eliminate the background
right side junk.

Which I'm sure you must have seen in the viewfinder. No? Not to forget the
highlighted wash board behind the basket which distracts completely from the
image. Another item to have been eliminated by bending your knees for a
lower angle.

And the tilted down angle because you didn't bend your knees... "are you
getting the message about bending ones knees?" ;-) It can make such a
difference in the mili--seconds it takes to drop down, compose and shoot
making for a much better picture.

 The tilt down angle of the wall behind the basket would be eliminated by
bending your knees! :-) As small an action as this is, it makes a tremendous
difference for a successful photograph or not.

As many list members will attest this is one thing I've hammered at them in
the past only to help improve their picture taking, so please don't take my
comments as a personal affront!

I suppose this is enough for the moment, however I trust you'll take this as
suggestions for improvement in future picture taking. And if you have any
questions or challenges please come back online or private. :-)
ted




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Replies: Reply from Karen Nakamura <mail@gpsy.com> (Re: [Leica] Four new PAWs)
In reply to: Message from Karen Nakamura <mail@gpsy.com> ([Leica] Four new PAWs)