Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/07/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Certainly not too long or boring: Its great to hear the crystalization of thoughts. When Helen I were to go to Europe 2 months ago, I agonized (as usual) about what to take, but this time it was not because of the wealth of images I expected to find, but rather the paucity. I ruled out colour: Europe I decided is grey and dull :-) and I knew that I would have trouble taking people: after all, they all look like me, overweight poorly dressed westerners. Here in Australia, you can walk the streets of most cities and towns and never see anyone outside a car (plenty of them), unless its an "event". I'm sure visitors from Asia wonder if anyone lives here at all. I expected Europe to be the same. I was right: most of the people images are of people just walking to another indoor appointment. Little if anything (other than street theatre and tourism) happens on the streets. So what would I take. Well we tend to focus on things we don't have at home, and therefore, in Europe that means "old" man made things. So I have taken lots of buildings, bridges, statues, art works etc. The only real "living" images are of Graffiti. Slowly the images are coming together and I will present some here when I finally begin scanning (I don't want to scan before printing for fear of scratches and dust). I have tried to take something of the people and the place, but I find it harder in "western" environments, where it all seems so "ordinary", but there is beauty in the detail, and that's what I spent the 4 weeks looking for. Enough ranting, back to work Cheers Jim Christie writes: > Filix Lspez de Maturana wrote: > >>> I am hoping to stimulate a bit more discussion on this topic: why do >>> you take the images, what do you do with them, how big do you print, >>> how do you print, why do you print etc > > I have been following this thread for a number of days now and find the > answers very interesting and I finally challenged myself to put my own > thoughts in writing. Here they are: > > I enjoy the challenge and experience of trying to make a picture that > pleases me. To please me, I want the picture to have beauty and balance. I > take mostly landscapes and I love blue skies and puffy clouds and colorful > foregrounds. I also like taking flower pictures that show the beauty and > grace of them (I just wish mine were as good as SonnyC's). I strive to > create a picture that I think would merit hanging on my wall or maybe even > being displayed in a magazine or winning a contest. (I've not tried for a > magazine yet, but I have won contests.) I also like to go on photography > workshops and trips, with my buddies from Reed's Camera in Walnut Creek. In > fact, we are going on a Leica/Germany tour in September and I am really > looking forward to this. I also enjoy vacation and family and friend > pictures at gatherings of all types. I take these for my own record of the > trip or event and then get a real kick out of my family and friends seeing > them and wanting copies. I also like to give my photographs (all types) as > gifts. My family and friends really seem to appreciate them. > > I have used an Epson printer for a number of years and currently use the > new > R1800. I'm very pleased with the service and quality of the machine. I'm > still trying to perfect the color calibration between my monitor and the > output - I'm very close, but not yet 100% exact (if that is possible). I > print for various reasons. If I'm working on a project, I usually print > 8x10 > to put in a portfolio. If it is a vacation or family event, I usually > create > an 8x10 contact sheet and put 8 to 12 pictures on a sheet and then build a > portfolio of pictures and other material from the event. If the print (from > any source) is for hanging, I usually print 11x14. > > Hope this wasn't too long or boring, but it helped me to put my thoughts in > order. - Jim Christie > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information Alastair Firkin www.afirkin.com www.familyofman2.com