RE: [lens] RE: [Leica] shot not possible with digital

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

Better a potted palm than a "photo dork." And Ted, you are the
prototypical potted palm!:-) 

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Ted Grant
Sent: Saturday, October 25, 2003 11:14 AM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [lens] RE: [Leica] shot not possible with digital


B. D. Colen offered:
> I think the bottom line here is:
> Act like a photo dork and people will react to you as a photo dork, no

> matter what camera you use; act like someone who knows what they are 
> doing, and who respects the people and situation in which you are 
> doing it, and people will ignore you - which is the highest form of 
> respect for a working photographer - and let you get your work done. 
> ;-)<<<<

Hi B.D.,
This is so true, no brains nor social graces, just another one of those
dumb ass photographers crashing about like a rhino in a bakery. I've
seen it on and off over the years so often with "dork photographers" who
have absolutely no concept of how to move about, attend an event and be
silent and invisible while standing in the middle of an official group
of a dozen people.

Or shooting in an OR when later the surgeon or nurses compliment with,
"Gee I never gave you second thought after the first few minutes, it was
like you
weren't there!"   And you say to yourself, " alright they'll have me
back!"
:-)

I have a shoot coming up in a couple weeks doing a series on the staff
of a restaurant during a Friday and Saturday evening serving dinner
guests..... absolutely nothing posed! ..... Absolutely "no flash!"
Period!!!! Nada, don't even think about it! Don't ask why you can't use
it cause that'll only point out how stupid the questioner is considering
it's a restaurant of class and they do not want any distraction or
annoyance of their guests.

Put yourself in the guest's position, who's going to pop a couple
hundred dollars for dinner and you're going to be a happy diner with
some klutz photographer flashing all evening when you've brought a gal
for a romantic dinner, hopefully leading her on for more romance later,
if you get lucky. And here's some dumb ass shooter blowing your evening
by flashing all over he place?

So you get the idea.... no flash!

I already know the lighting....... "one step brighter than a black hole
in a wall!" You know that moody stuff candles on tables, soft overhead
lights... trust me this will be difficult due to the light, or lack
there of. However with a couple of M7's a 35 mm f 1.2 and the Noctilux
at f 1.0 with Neopan 1600 exposed at 3200 it'll be a piece o cake. ;-)
Oh yeah and some hand held 1/15 and 1/8th second exposure speeds with
the lenses wide open will help also. ;-) And the film souped in XT0L!

Wear dark clothing then you blend in, move slowly, position myself in
one spot then wait for the "action to happen near by"  Then when I
decide to move do so slowly without distraction and know exactly where
I'm moving to and the position I'm aiming for. Then I'm not out there
fumbling about wondering where I'm going. I'll have roughly 5 hours each
evening to shoot without ticking anyone off.  Dark clothes, black M7's,
3200 film, hey how can I go wrong? ;-)

Look like I'm supposed to be there, make little eye contact with patrons
as that makes you visible to them and you are an invisible object with
the least amount of moving distraction. Focus quickly, shoot quickly and
don't get into conversation with anyone! Period!

Be early in place before they open then you are part of the fixture as
guests arrive.

You'll notice I haven't mentioned anything about using digital.........
Not on your life because doing my film thing I do the shoot with
reasonable confidence it'll work due to experience. Digital at the
moment will have to wait for another day or night. :-) ted



















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