Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/10/06

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

Subject: [Leica] Flash on Rangefinders (was Re: Another M9 question)
From: leicaslacker at gmail.com (kyle cassidy on the LUG)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2010 10:24:26 -0400
References: <3B0F25B6-4DF7-486F-9DD9-830D2BE5C9C6@gmail.com> <C8D14E3D.48EE%mark@rabinergroup.com> <AANLkTimJs8Y24y8uPaPh8DbowtgT2qWqS2DA=gdVG=Vz@mail.gmail.com>

>As for Nan Goldin:  "Goldin's work is most often presented in the form of a
>slideshow <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slideshow>, and has been shown at
>film festivals; her most famous being a 45 minute show in which 800 pictures
>are displayed. The

if you look at that slide show though, which you can see here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-BqIx5DHgg

the first 40 images at least are all lit with a flash -- & this one of the 
great documentary photography projects of the last 50 years. 
Just because she sometimes takes fuzzy photos in available light doesn't 
mean she won't use a flash when she thinks the situation calls for it.

Mary Ellen Mark is also not afraid to put a flash on her Leica -- many of 
the photos in Falkland Road are lit with flash:

http://www.maryellenmark.com/frames/falkland.html

And a good many of her iconic images of Mother Theresa:

http://www.maryellenmark.com/frames/mteresa.html

It seems weird to say that rangefinders weren't meant for flash -- they have 
a hot shoe, the new ones have TTL. 
There are world famous Leica-using documentary photographers who have a 
flash in their camera bag, and it has batteries in it.
It's just another skill set to learn and use when appropriate.

I forget who said (i'm paraphrasing) "if you have a flash available, then 
that's part of your available light".

On Oct 6, 2010, at 7:17 AM, Tina Manley wrote:

> But Diane Arbus' and Weegee's subjects are all very aware that they are
> being photographed and are looking straight into the camera.  Fine for what
> they were doing but not what I want at all.
> 
> As for Nan Goldin:  "Goldin's work is most often presented in the form of a
> slideshow <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slideshow>, and has been shown at
> film festivals; her most famous being a 45 minute show in which 800 
> pictures
> are displayed. The main themes of her early pictures are love, gender,
> domesticity, and sexuality; these frames are usually shot with available
> light <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Available_light>. She has 
> affectionately
> documented women looking in mirrors, girls in bathrooms and barrooms, drag
> queens, sexual acts, and the culture of obsession and dependency. The 
> images
> are viewed like a private journal made public."
> 
> and a quote from her:
> 
> "Actually, I take blurred pictures, because I take pictures no matter what
> the light is. If I want to take a picture, I do not care if there is light
> or no light. If I want to take a picture, I take it no matter what.
> Sometimes I use very low shutter speed and they come out blurred, but it 
> was
> never an intention like David Armstrong started to do what we call, he and
> I, "Fuzzy-wuzzy landscapes." He looked at the back of my pictures and
> studied them. He started to take pictures like them without people in them.
> They are just out of focus landscapes. He actually did it, intentionally
> threw the camera out of focus. I have never done it in my life. I take
> pictures like in here when there is no sun or light that I think all my
> pictures are going to be out of focus. Even Valerie and Bruno and whatever 
> I
> take, because there is not enough light, and so I use a very low shutter
> speed. It used to be because I was drunk, but now I am not. The drugs
> influenced all my life. Both good and bad. I heard about an artist in
> Poland, Witkacy, who wrote down on his paintings all the drugs he was on.
> Depending how many drugs he took, that is how much he charged for the
> portrait. I saw his portrait at the National Museum, a kind of German
> expressionism, and I loved it."
> 
> Tina
> 
> On Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 9:50 PM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> 
> wrote:
> 
>> And as far as the use of flash goes in general my brain goes immediately 
>> to
>> Dianne Arbus who flashed the hell out of everybody all the time and nobody
>> complained.
>> And don't even start me with Weegee.
>> 
>> Not all the flash users were dolts. Some were very respected and were very
>> smart, funny and nice.
>> 
>> --------------------
>> Mark William Rabiner
>> Photography
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/
>> mark at rabinergroup.com
>> 
>> 
>>> From: Kyle Cassidy <leicaslacker at gmail.com>
>>> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>>> Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2010 20:28:11 -0400
>>> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Another M9 question
>>> 
>>> Nan Golden shot with a Leica and a flash all the time (as far as I know
>> she
>>> still does). There's a photo of her in the Portfolio biography with an M6
>> and
>>> a Leica flash with what looks like a lumiquest bounce card.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Oct 5, 2010, at 8:13 PM, Mark Rabiner wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Try getting on to flickr and trying to find m pix shot with flash.
>>>> I bet its difficult to impossible. Even with hundreds to pic from.
>>>> You don't really need flash with full frame DSLR's. Let along a
>> Rangefinder
>>>> M.
>>>> You've got pie in the sky ISO's now.
>>>> 
>>>> --------------------
>>>> Mark William Rabiner
>>>> Photography
>>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/
>>>> mark at rabinergroup.com
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
>> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Tina Manley, ASMP
> www.tinamanley.com
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information



Replies: Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Flash on Rangefinders (was Re: Another M9 question))
Reply from richard at imagecraft.com (Richard Man) ([Leica] Flash on Rangefinders (was Re: Another M9 question))
Reply from images at comporium.net (Tina Manley) ([Leica] Flash on Rangefinders (was Re: Another M9 question))
In reply to: Message from leicaslacker at gmail.com (kyle cassidy on the lug) ([Leica] Another M9 question)
Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Another M9 question)
Message from images at comporium.net (Tina Manley) ([Leica] Another M9 question)