[Leica] Work in progress

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Feli showed and said:
Subject: [Leica] Work in progress


> Still shooting for this project on downtown Los Angeles, but I gathered up 
> what I have
> so far and put it in one place. I think I'm going to need a lot more and 
> different kind of
> material, but you got to start somewhere...
> > http://www.elanphotos.com/ElanFotos/archive/downtown_1/index.htm<<,

Feli mon ami,
This is an interesting project to work but without question, and I know you 
know this already......... man it's time consuming big time! :-( And if you 
are not absolutely down in your heart sure and dedicated that you are going 
to see this through to a complete project, maybe 3-4-5 years... or more. I'd 
stop before you feel you've thrown away too much time.

The shooting will be an enormous chore something like doing 12-14 hour days 
and longer day after day, week after week just to find the cream pictures 
that'll leave viewers gasping at the fantastic moments you captured. Why? 
Well this type of book or project has been done in the past, so there's a 
kind of height you have to beat to make it super successful. "Super 
successful?" Yep why not? Nobody remembers who's second place and the bar 
has been set.

So you have to attack this project like your life depends on it, otherwise 
you'll end up with a bunch of "street snaps" the likes any other could do. 
And like I said, no one remembers a second place finisher.

I mean some days you can go out and have a million dollars worth of 
possibles in a short time.

The next day, for whatever reason, a longer time and greater effort begets 
one or two frames out of dozens and dozens shot. It's always a crap shoot 
and if anything can shut it done before it really gets started, it's 
becoming discouraged over the time spent and small picture returns.

The hardest part is... you cannot do this for a few hours, forget it for a 
week and return when you have another couple of hours to spare. It'll kill 
you from frustration!

In the build-up of cultural images before 1967 in preparation for Canada's 
Centennial Year celebration I shot documentaries for the National Film Board 
of Canada across the country. Ethnic groups, cities, villages and industry 
of every type. Amazing projects to work on to say the least.   One of these 
was two months in Vancouver shooting 12-18 hour days in Chinatown 
consecutively every day, rain, shine, whatever. Some days can be so 
rewarding and others so depressing you just want to quit and get a bread 
route.

Trust me, you have taken on a great project and with time I don't doubt 
it'll be successful. But be "TIME" prepared mon ami as it can be the killer 
of the project.   Good luck with it and I look forward to the completed 
shoot. Whatever amount of time it takes.

ted