Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/11/23

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] #399
From: r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard S. Taylor)
Date: Wed Nov 23 19:38:32 2005
References: <001701c5f000$c499b0c0$63e44d51@desktop> <p06230906bfaa4262d39a@[10.0.1.2]> <00b301c5f05a$eeb21be0$7b284354@desktop>

Graham - You're right, of course:  Wow! first, analysis later.  You 
echo something my son, who is a writer, says about writing.  All the 
techniques have to become intuitive if you're going to write (or as 
you say) photograph well.

Many thanks.

Regards,

Dick
Boston MA


>From: "Richard S. Taylor" <r.s.taylor@comcast.net>
>
>Subject: Re: [Leica] #399
>
>
>>  Graham - I don't often comment on your posts because, well, frankly,
>>  I tend to be struck dumb by your landscape photos, they are so
>>  enjoyable.  This one opens up the possibility of comment though.
>>  It's a picture my eye wants to stay with and roam through.
>>
>>  As I said in an earlier post, I've been rereading a set of notes
>>  about composition and am struck by how often the photos I like the
>>  most contain, and use effectively, multiple geometric compositional
>>  elements.
>>
>>  [Boy, don't I sound pedantic.  Maybe it's just a phase.  This is
>>  rediscovery for me.  :-)]
>>
>>  Leaving the tonality aside for the moment, which is very nice, I'm
>>  struck by the diagonals in decreasing angles of the tree branch, the
>>  line of clouds,  and the line of trees in the distance.  Also, the
>>  wet spot at the bottom of the frame forms a triangle pointing into
>>  the picture.   The fact that the cloud diagonal passes through the
>>  far cluster of trees on its way to the lower right corner of the
>>  picture adds a further element.  The dark line of bushes at the
>>  bottom is yet both another line and one that seems needed to "ground"
>>  the picture.  (I tried cropping it off and the picture goes a bit
>>  dead, at least for me, without it.)
>>
>>  There's so much for the eye to do.  It's no wonder we want to linger.
>>
>>  I'd like to ask you the same question I asked earlier.  Are you
>>  consciously aware of these elements as you shoot or is it all second
>>  nature now?
>>
>>  Thanks.
>>
>>
>>  >Leica M6 : 21mm Elmarit : orange filter : Kodak T400 CN
>>  >
>>   http://www.geebeephoto.com/2005/05399.htm
>>  >
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>-------------
>
>Hi Richard,
>
>I did not consciously consider all of the factors that you mention. When I
>take a shot I usually have the luxury of time. Time to consider and alter
>viewpoint (within limits), time to change lenses and have another look with
>different perspective, time to tilt and pan the camera left and right, time
>to take a good look around the viewfinder. When the scene in the viewfinder
>looks good to me I press the shutter. That's it.
>
>It is entirely possible, probable even, that the process of examining the
>geometry, alignment of elements within the shot etc are happening without me
>knowing and what looks good to me is the end result of me unconsciously
>taking account of those things. I just stick to basic rules of composition,
>I'm not pushing back any boundaries or pioneering any new techniques  .
>
>I imagine when you first looked at the shot in question that your decision
>as to whether you liked it was an instant decision without you necessarily
>knowing why and that your decision pre-empted any analysis as to why you
>liked it. Same process as me taking the shot :-)
>
>Thanks for looking and your thoughtful comments.
>
>--Graham
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


-- 
Regards,

Dick

In reply to: Message from geebee at geebeephoto.com (GeeBee) ([Leica] #399)
Message from r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard S. Taylor) ([Leica] #399)
Message from geebee at geebeephoto.com (GeeBee) ([Leica] #399)