[Leica] Christmas Tree Adjustments

[r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard S. Taylor)]

Ted - Many thanks for your comments.  I was fascinated by these very 
large ornaments hanging in the bare branches of this decidedly 
un-Christmas tree and spent a couple of half hours on two days 
shooting it from different angles and in different light.

I'm clearly going to have to add another mental reminder to my 
rapidly developing list of things to think about when shooting a 
subject that excites me, as this tree did:  "Shoot 100 pictures, not 
10," might be one way to say it, along with the corollary:  "There's 
always another angle to shoot from."  Maybe I could have gotten under 
the tree, too.

I was starting to explore one route that made the balls look a bit 
like a flight of hot air balloons, but had to rush to work and didn't 
get back to it.   The balls unfortunately all looked lost in the 
tangle of branches in the pictures I did take (here's an example: 
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/Christmas-and-First-Snow/PC140011>) 
so I didn't post any of them.

I'll try to go back in the next few days to see if I can do anything 
more with the tree.  This time I'll try to get there when the 
property owner is around to see if I can get "up close and personal" 
with the ornaments instead of having to shoot from the street.  The 
90mm limit on the Digilux 2 won't be a limiting factor that way - 
though as I've all ready learned, I'm not going to get very close 
with that lens.

I am trying to overcome about 50 years of shooting without feedback 
and comments such as those Ted and others have been kind enough to 
give me is enormously appreciated.  It became obvious at the Hyannis 
meeting that I had developed an unthinking list of visual rules 
("Always shoot for symmetry," was one of them) that I needed to 
become aware of and learn to overcome.

I am delighted by Aaron Sandler's suggestion that we all make a 
resolution to comment on pictures that we are not particularly moved 
by.   I will try to do the same, though, I suspect I'm still running 
around with a very adolescent eye.

It's why I'm here.  Let's talk.

Many thanks.


>Richard S. Taylor asked and showed:
>Subject: [Leica] Christmas Tree Adjustments
>
>>After looking at two of the pictures I posted a few days ago a 
>>while longer I wasn't happy with how poorly the ornaments stood out 
>>against the trees.  New versions below.  Do these have more impact? 
>>Are they more interesting?  Comments and suggestions welcome as 
>>always.
>>
>>http://gallery.leica-users.org/Christmas-and-First-Snow/L1000064_adj_web
>>
>>http://gallery.leica-users.org/Christmas-and-First-Snow/L1000065_adj_web
>
>Hi Richard,
>The other day when I looked at these the first frame was clicked off 
>screen without even a blink! It still does that, corrected or not. 
>Why?
>
>Well it appears way too wide a shot with wasted space and all the 
>trees with dead sky. And kind of gives me a "So?" kind of re-action 
>as a picture. And as hard as this maybe, it looks like.. "here I am 
>walking through the park... oh look at that, click!" Exposure made 
>with not a thought.
>
>However at the same time my thought was, before the second tighter 
>picture came on screen, .... "Why didn't he move in tight on the 
>coloured balls and branches?"
>
>And bingo you had!!! :-) Quite possibly you did shoot more than 
>these. Actually possible for a few rolls of film to be burned using 
>ones imagination and bracketing frames for best effect and edit on 
>the light table.
>
>Now in 2 your beginning to make something out of it. I think I'd 
>have moved in tighter on some of the coloured balls with snow on 
>them, certainly as it appears there are picture possibilities in the 
>reflected images in some of the silver or gold ones. Might need a 
>macro for these?
>
>I'd worked it with longer lenses also as this subject is a fertile 
>picture play ground when looking through various lenses, it will 
>beget you some very magical photos. Actually I bet a 200 or 280 
>would make some very interesting moments! :-)
>
>A few thoughts as you requested.
>
>ted
>
>
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-- 
Regards,

Dick
Boston MA