[Leica] IMGs: Candids from long ago

[oliverbryk at comcast.net (Oliver Bryk)]

Dr. Ted wrote:
"Hi Oliver,

You have some very interesting "Paris looking subjects!" Do you think you
look at and react to your photo moments of today in the same fashion you did
27 years ago? Or are you more astute at seeing / clicking almost
simultaneous today than then?  

When we come across a bunch of slides or negatives from long ago I'm always
interested in looking at the images to see how I was reacting to subjects
30-40-50 years ago or more. :-) Unfortunately I can't do that any longer as
my 60 years of snapping 280,000 edited images out of however many thousands
were actually exposed on assignments, are now in the National Archives of
Canada's National Photo Collection. Before they were sent off, during a
quiet time I'd venture into an old shoot just to see how I was relating then
to light on subjects, composition and was I aware of shooting from the
shadow side as I'm these days? 

Even more interesting is finding a frame or two that was never selected for
printing, with today's reaction being  "what the heck were you looking at
you never selected that! You idiot?" :-) Trust me you don't have to go very
far back to have that kind of reaction during any re-edit! :-) 

But really old stuff and you find something? It's like finding a diamond in
the rubbish! :-) It leaves some kind of inside silent comment to yourself,
"Damn, I didn't do too bad way back then!" Followed with an unseen inside
smile and a touch of self appreciation. :-) But you can't blurt that out for
two reasons, one it would make you look stupid on the first edit. Second it
might be taken you were kind of bragging! :-( And one doesn't do that! 

So are you better today compared to 27 years ago? :-)

Dr. ted :-) 

Ted, thank you for your astute and thought provoking comments. I must admit
that I'm not better today than I was 27 years ago because I've become slower
to execute, for example in following focus. But just as you say, in viewing
pictures from long ago sometimes I pat myself on the back when no one is
looking ;-)

Scanning these candids made me nostalgic for a time when the interaction in
public places between a photographer and an attractive woman was almost like
a dance. I distinctly remember the almost instantaneous reaction; not a
contrived pose but perhaps an intuitively advantageous position and posture
(as in  http://tinyurl.com/mxqv6g , for example). Ten years or so later,
after the French passed a privacy law, I frequently encountered wagging
fingers and "non, non" from older persons.

Thanks for looking, Oliver



Mark wrote:
"Amazing what we could do with ASA 25 or 64 when on glass that really needed
to be stopped down.
Some real classics here."

Thanks, Mark!

Douglas wrote:
"Excellent, like a time machine. Speaking of machines I particularly like
the 
one of the Honda with the rather elegant woman.  Those French know how to 
tailor a pair of jeans...."

Thanks for commenting, Doug. Looking back at that scene - in my eyes a woman
with a motorcycle - I remember distinctly that while ostensibly checking her
makeup in the Honda's rear view mirror she kept glancing at me and adjusting
her pose just so; she was obviously aware of her assets. And the next frame
shows that she made sure that I had noticed them.

Oliver