Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/12/30

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Not a PAW... the shiney shoe shot
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2003 10:52:07 -0500

Thanks...But think about this...Cropped as you suggest, it doesn't
really strike me as  enigmatic - it's a shot of a bunch of guys in
formal dress lined up. Visually interesting perhaps, but not enigmatic.
But with the odd-man-out aspect, it becomes enigmatic...Who is the guy
on the left? Why isn't he standing close to the other guys? Has he had a
falling out with them? Is he a loner? Is he just a doofus who doesn't
realize he's supposed to close up the gap? 

Just another way of looking at the image...

On another front...it's not a question of pleasing the client...because
believe it or not, that's not how I pick the images; it's a matter of
telling a story, of documenting the day. And the fact that the 'kid' was
'one of the guys,' but quite obviously wasn't, was part of the story.

B. D.
- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Jack
McLain
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 10:21 AM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Not a PAW... the shiney shoe shot


I thought about this image a bit more after I sent off the last message.
I think this discussion is an interesting illustration of the difference
between documentary photography (which is what you are doing here) and
purely artistic photography for which the image is a stand alone without
any context of the event or background information required.  (This make
sense? Am I being clear?).  I can see that your clients who you wish to
please would prefer the version you showed, but as a gallery print the
strong compositional crop might be better. It would be enigmatic and
more interesting visually (to my eye anyway).

Regardless.... nice set of shots.

cheers
Jack McLain
Tucson, AZ
http://jackmclain-photography.dotcommunity.net

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 7:48 AM
Subject: RE: [Leica] Not a PAW...


> Thanks, Jack - It does indeed...As to the shoes...I thought about the 
> crop you suggest...in fact I have another image with all the feet 
> lined up...But I wanted the one set of feet out of line...in part it 
> is one of those 'you have to know the background' shots, which I 
> normally curse about...the out-of-sync shoes belong to the apx 
> 12-year-old (charming) nephew of the bride, who was one of the 
> groomsmen - the rest are all the grooms adult former college 
> roommates...so the kid was 'one of the guys,' but as the photo will 
> show those for whom it is intended, he wasn't.
>
> Best
>
> B. D.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Jack 
> McLain
> Sent: Monday, December 29, 2003 9:19 PM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Not a PAW...
>
>
> I agree... the shoe shot is far and away my favorite.  I normally do 
> not like to crop (rather do it with the camera) but I think this shot 
> might benefit by removing the far left figure.  I think this might 
> make this a tighter, more graphic image. The line of disembodied feet 
> in a diagonal partitioning of the frame might be nice.
>
> My second favorite is the wedding photog shooting the bride and the 
> father (I assume father).  It illustrates the humorless, artificial 
> business of weddings.
>
> Nice work
> cheers
>
> Jack McLain
> Tucson, AZ
> http://jackmclain-photography.dotcommunity.net
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ted Grant" <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> Sent: Monday, December 29, 2003 6:46 PM
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Not a PAW...
>
>
> > B. D. Colen showed:
> > > But new images...
> > > From a shoot of the 24 hours before a wedding through the 
> > > ceremony....I still have many more images to work on, but here's a

> > > group of initial picks... 
> > > http://www.leica-gallery.net/bdcolen/folder-6029.html<<<
> >
> > B.D.,
> > Some damn fine photography! My favourite?  The shoes of the men 
> > attendees! Just a first class photograph, but more important is to 
> > have seen it in
> the
> > first place!!! Most people including pro wedding shooters wouldn't 
> > see
>
> > it and if they did would pass it by because they don't have a 
> > motivational
> eyes
> > and weddings are all about brides!!
> >
> > I mean at a wedding who looks at the feet of the guys? It's always 
> > the
>
> > beauty of the bride everyone has the hots for to do pictures and 
> > what do
> you
> > do?  See the shiny shoes!!! A beauty! FOM 2 material for sure! You 
> > may
>
> > not hear worth a damn but you "shur got sharp photo eyes!" ;-)
> >
> > ted
> >
> >
> > --
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>
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Replies: Reply from "Jack McLain" <jmclainaz@comcast.net> (Re: [Leica] Not a PAW... the shiney shoe shot)