[Leica] Getting used to the M6, an image.

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Gerald Homeyer showed:
Subject: [Leica] Getting used to the M6, an image.


> An image for critique.  One of my first while getting used to shooting 
> with the M6.
>
> http://www.pbase.com/shadowell/image/48736048<<<

Hello Gerald,
You'll find comments of all kinds once you open the door for critique, good, 
bad or ugly! Never take them personally but from people who've in many cases 
probably have more experience as photographer's than you've probably been 
born. ;-) Then again we've been fooled on guessing at an age in the past. 
:-)

I took a look at your portfolio and here's a couple of comments:

"Reading with a view: "
Right off this is my kind of picture in-relation to the light, I'm usually 
doing this kind of thing while killing time in airports waiting to change 
planes.

But one thing to always keep in mind  ... "your knees are meant to bend!" 
My approach to this scene would've been a shot a long the lines as yours, 
then dropping down for a low angle which would've strengthened the effect 
and subject. And also eliminated some of the outside background clutter..

Given I said that, there maybe comments from others they like the background 
because it adds to the effect. OK that's fine and that's why you shoot more 
than one frame as long as you are motivated and see something useful as a 
picture.  I've always shoot the obvious... in other words the first thing 
you see that started the motivation to shoot. As in,  "jeeeeeesh look at 
that, click!"

Then quickly look again for another angle as long as it makes for a worth 
while picture possibility. More times than not it'll be the "first 
motivation is the picture of choice." But always look!

"A new camera."
Again this looks like you saw her with the camera, stood there at your full 
height and made an exposure in a quick re-action to the scene. OK no problem 
as that was your first re-action. Then a lower angle would've strengthened 
and added to separating her somewhat from the background. And probably given 
a greater importance to the camera rather than having it almost blend into 
her shirt being the same colour.

Then I'd have waited for.... "she put camera to eye for the first look." And 
I'd move quickly slightly to "your left" still at the lower angle as this 
would change the light effect from what you have here as " plain straight on 
body flat light angle."

You probably could get around to about a 45 degree's angle to her body and 
shoot from there. If at all possible it looks like your left would be best 
move because of the light.

"Midway Swiss Fest '05:"
First re-action to this shot? You didn't fill the frame by leaving all that 
dead space in the foreground to the left of the frame.  One of the first 
mistakes people make with a wide angle lens, not that a 35mm is a really 
wide angle, but wider than a 50mm nevertheless and prone to beginners seeing 
the picture with wide angle eyes and not using the full frame as you've done 
here.

The foreground in many cases is a major item of the scene and should be used 
rather than left as an empty space. For example, may I suggest you look at 
some of LUG member "GeeBee's " photography as we know him onlist, as he's a 
master at making use of foregrounds that absolutely makes the picture 
marvellous!

It's a way of learning to see and it comes from experience and being shown 
how it makes or breaks a photograph. Remember it's only a little piece of 
35mm film so it's always best to use absolutely every bit of it as the 
picture without having to make major blow-ups to correct what you didn't use 
in the original exposure.

OK that's it for now at least it's a start.

Finally I'd like to add the guiding rule of my over 50 years as a working 
photojournalist.

"LIGHT - EYES - ACTION!"  The light is always the most important, period! 
After that everything else falls into line to make a good picture. Last but 
not least... Always try to shoot from the shadow side where it's possible.

Quickest way to see what I mean about shadow side? Find a book on 
photography under portrait lighting and look for "Rembrandt lighting."  Or 
in a library or book store see if they have one of my books, "Doctor's Work 
or Women in Medicine."   Lot's of examples in both.

I hope this helps.

ted