Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]leo wrote: > Dumb question: how do you fish without bait? Hi Leo, You just don't put any bait on. Fishes might just bite on the hook anyway, and once in a while they do. My son has been thinking about fishing without a hook (it hurts the fish), but hasn't figured out how yet. I have a feeling that when he takes up photography, he might just enjoy shooting without film. :-) Juan wrote: > I love the "volume", and I find surprising because I would have tried > to open the diaphragm to reduce DOF. In both pictures (particularly the > second one), the background is not completely out of focus, but you > still get a lot of separation between it and your son. Was this a lucky > accident or did you aim for this effect? Hello Juan, I wanted the background to be slightly out of focus. I am glad you noticed. For years, I shoot wide-open most of the time, certainly for portraits, to get a very strong background separation. One of the reasons I like Leica with their superb fast lenses, I suppose. I also preferred a tight crop, to single out the subject unequivocally. In the past year or so, I started preferring a wider look to show the subject more in his enviroment. But I was still shooting wide open for the most part. Last year, both B.D. and I were sitting across from Bill Harting and we both took photos of Bill; here's my version, wide open: http://www.phongdoan.com/Photography/BLUG03/crw_5827.htm (sorry I did not have a wider lens). I noticed that B.D.'s version gave a bit more of details of the background, without distracting from the subject, so I have started shooting a bit more closed down, using the middle apertures (f5.6 to f11) more, and focus on a close subject. Had there been an object of graphic interest in the upper right corner in http://www.phongdoan.com/Photography/Walden-2004/040923-xx-bekhangwaldenpond .htm I might have decided to close down the lens more to f16-f22, and also shift the plane of focus a bit further back. It is interesting that about 3 years ago I had four 90mm lenses and one 50mm lens for my Leica; now I have five 50mm lenses and one 90mm lens (though I think I will eventually buy the 90mm Apo Apsh M - had it, sold it ,now miss it). Thank you both, and Jim Hemenway for your comments. And Jim, I will tell Christian about the canned corn. Happy clicking, - Phong