[Leica] ICU images...

[drodgers at casefarms.com (David Rodgers)]

Ted,

Everything you say is right on. However, I have a different perspective
on Steve's first photo. For me having the person on the left out of
focus placed the emphasis on the woman on the right. It makes her the
dominant subject. And that's where my attention went first. I noticed
that she was going through a thought process, trying to figure something
out. To me the person on the left was supporting object. He was
providing feedback just like what the woman was obviously looking at.
Whether that was a chart, monitor, or some other type of information
feedback isn't apparent. So the photograph was about the woman and her
quest to find an answer, or a solution to a problem; something with
which I empathized. 

If the person on the left had been in focus it would have been more
about the two of them. It would have been about a discussion between two
people (or maybe more people since it looks the the oof person might be
looking at someone behind the woman rather than at her). Instead it's
about the one person. 

I'm not saying it would have been better or worse for me if both had
been in focus. It just would have been different. Whether or not Steve
intended it the way it came out, or whether he was handcuffed by the
Noct's dof , I don't know. But it worked for me. 

daveR    

-----Original Message-----
From: Ted Grant [mailto:tedgrant@shaw.ca] 
Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2006 8:18 PM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] ICU images...

Steve Barbour showed:
Subject: ICU images...

Hi Steve,
> teaching in the ICU...
> > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/barbour/paul+maggie.jpg.html

As you well know that Noctilux can be a killer beautiful creating and
capturing piece of glass. Unfortunately the super shallow depth of field
can
be a killer in reverse! :-) And that's what I feel kills the potential
this
picture had.

I find the out of focus person a visual disturbance rather than a bonus
of
two people communicating as the picture illustrates. If he were a stop
or
two sharper you'd probably have made it.

You have the three main elements of making a good picture....
LIGHT-EYES-ACTION! The light is fine, available, no problem. The action,
hands, right on the mark making a point! Unfortunately the out of focus
eyes
and facial expression of the person at the back kills the whole scene.
:-(
:-(

Too bad, it's simply a missed moment due to technicalities. :-( These
can be
corrected in the future in similar situations. Chalk it up to a
"LEARNING
EXPERIENCE!":-(

Look the bottom line in all of this?..... you saw the right moment and
that's far more important than a screwed-up technical thing. Because
that
illustrates  ....... "you are seeing the right moments!" Besides it's
far
more important to have the talent to see motivating moments.  Simply
because
you wont make the same techie errors in the future due to the mistake
you
made here.

Being able to see interesting motivating moments is a basic inherent
instinct, you either have it or you don't! Yep some of that can be
learned
through teaching, working with people who have it and it's picked-up or
learned through osmosis!

You can feel bad all you want, forget it! The truth is the next time you
run
into this type of depth situation you wont make the same mistake again!
:-)
There is good that can come from a screw-up, heck who's so perfect he
hasn't
ever made a photo error! ;-)

The second picture? Jeeeeeeesh you've produced much much better.:-(  I
find
the child kind of buried under all the stuff. I'm also influenced by the
better images of situations of this nature you've posted earlier. This
isn't
completely bad, it's just not a gold ring winning shot!

ted