Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/01/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Amen, B. On 20-jan-2006, at 5:27, Norm Aubin wrote: > Hi Nathan, > > Thanks for asking. I'm torn on this issue, and I must say up front > that I > am not a purist of any stripe. I do love where the digital > darkroom has > taken us, and I do appreciate digital capture - I hope Leica > succeeds before > they fade away. You're also right, a good photograph is a good > photograph, > and if this was a photograph mail list instead of a Leica Users > mail list > there would be no issue (in my mind) at all. I don't dispute your > underlying assumption as to causality, but it strikes me that your > rationale > for Off Topic discussions is saying that since Leica isn't up to > what we > want, lets ignore Leica and mold this into some other interesting > topic. > > By way of background - I photograph in 35mm, 6x6 & 4x5, I like them > all, > horse for courses, and love photography as an end unto itself. It's > ultimately about the image. That's why I have learned to do platinum > printing, daguerreotype, and now digital to compliment the analog > processes. > My passion is architectural and landscape work - rocks and ferns as > Ted puts > it. Someday soon I will retire from the aerospace industry, quit > making > weapons, and start making more art. > > I use the 35mm Leica M cameras; the lenses are arguably the finest > in the > world, and the camera is such a wonderful tool to use in the > field. Given > the quality of the lenses, the films that can be used, the scanning > that can > be done and the prints that can be made, I'm getting hard pressed > to justify > my Rollei SL66 or my 4x5 much any more. I also know that I haven't > mastered > the use of this chosen set of photographic equipment, nor of this > art form. > > I am extremely interested in the work being done by folks like > Graham, using > a rangefinder camera, because it shows me more of what is possible > with this > camera system, as does the discussions about developers and papers, > scanning > and printing. Likewise, folks have tried using Leica lenses on > Canon bodies > (the most practical option for Leica Digital), and in doing so they > give > valuable insight as to how these lenses perform in this new and > evolving > technology. This is very informative, and I appreciate their > willingness to > share. It also gives us hope that when Leica goes full-blown > digital they > will still set the high water mark for equipment performance. > > I am a beginner at this, even after 25 years of making photographs > - I am > still a beginner at this. There are seriously accomplished artists > here who > have much to show and share, and who I learn from every time they > show their > work. Ted and Tina are the Patriarch and Matriarch in terms of > skills and > sharing with instruction, although there are many more unsung > masters here > as well. I try and learn from each thing they share, and strive to > make my > photographs better, while using my Leica equipment. > > I have very few images submitted, because as I see the work here, I > feel > that I have to strive even harder before I am comfortable > presenting it. I > am inspired though, and that to me is the value - the exemplar > method is > still the best. When I have something to contribute, and time to > do so, I > try to, because I want to make better images using Leica equipment, > and > because I value the feed-back from those who look and comment. > > While there are many social conversations as well, as there should > be among > friends, there are also serious moments when several of our own are in > crisis, as Katrina showed us. These are valuable discussions; they > are the > sharing of like minded people who, while drawn together for other > reasons > (Leica cameras), are concerned and involved as people. > > When or if I ever decide that there is some other tool set that is > more > appropriate to that end, I will go find a like minded group of > people and > join in the discussions with them about that equipment and images > made with > that equipment (actually, I do in the large format area). For now > I just > keep gleaning useful and interesting information about using Leica > cameras > to make great photographs. I would like to be prolific enough, or > better > yet, good enough, to offer more dialog and examples myself, and > someday that > may happen. For now I try and do what I can, and say thank you to > those who > have things to share, and most of all - to those who have things to > share > relative to using Leica equipment to make photographs. I hope > someday to > have as much to offer to others. > > Best of light, > Norm > > > >> Message: 3 >> Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 22:56:40 +0100 >> From: Nathan Wajsman <nathan.wajsman@planet.nl> >> Subject: Re: [Leica] re: fins and treadmills >> To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org> >> Message-ID: <43D00B18.6000006@planet.nl> >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed >> >> Hi Norm, >> >> A good photograph is a good photograph, and a poor photograph >> is a poor photograph, regardless of the equipment. Yes, all >> of us came to this list because we have an attachment to >> Leica, but the reason why other brands have intruded on both >> the discussion and the imagery posted is simply that Leica >> has not produced any significant innovations in the past few >> years, except the DMR--and there has been a fair amount of >> discussion of that. >> >> As for Leica images being of special interest because they >> are Leica images, how would you regard a photograph shot with >> a Canon body and a Leica lens? >> >> Nathan > > -- > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.14.21/235 - Release Date: > 1/19/2006 > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information