xenotar28 Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 When Les Gediman took this photo he had no idea of its future significance. In 1959 life in Western Society was what it was. I purposely chose an ironic title, bound to amuse some, and anger others, but also to remind us that all things eventually change. This photo is part of Lester's upcoming website. Any delays with its implementation are solely my fault. Les is a patient and gracious man who fully understands my personal situation, but knows the job will be done right. The photo was taken with a Leica IIF and a 50mm Summitar on Agfa IFF film, developen in 2 bath Beutler's formula.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thanz Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 excellent photo, nice work on both parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miguel tuna Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Very, very nice photo, it reminds me of Alentejo, a portuguese land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandeha Lynch Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 A very apt title! I look forward to seeing the site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack_lo_..._t_o Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 You could make a little short story based on this picture. Totally charming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_f._stein Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Once again the vintage lens produces superb tonalities and those Agfa films were outstanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_fromm1 Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 David Stein wrote "Once again the vintage lens produces superb tonalities and those Agfa films were outstanding." Come on, David, normal lenses have hardly improved since the turn of the 20th century. I've been shooting recently with some pre-WWI lenses, Aldis Uno and B&L Tessar IIb, to be exact, and they're quite respectable. Since those lenses were made, there have been great advances in lens design and manufacture. We now have lenses that can be used at larger apertures. We now have wide angle lenses with better coverage. We finally have reasonably good telephoto lenses. And let's not forget zoom lenses. It isn't clear whether Les' Summitar is a pre-WWII uncoated or a post-WWII coated lens. If post-war, it is fully modern 7 element double Gauss type lens and shouldn't be referred to as vintage. I don't understand how you can evaluate a print or negative's quality by looking at a small .jpg of it on your monitor. To me, all of the pictures posted here look pretty poor. One can evaluate composition with them, but not image quality. This is not a criticism of the actual prints or negatives, since I can't see them. This is a criticism of small .jpgs. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene m Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Wonderful photograph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivek iyer Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Fabulous, Les! Thanks, George! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesged Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 David, The Summitar bought in Copenhagen in 1955 was coated, but just back from Leitz (Wetzlar?) factory were it had been completely refurbished. I have no record of the serial number, so it's moot whether it was an un-coated pre-WW2 lens before it went to the factory. The body was brand new IIfRD. I don't think it had a ST, but the IIIf a got later was RDST. In any case all the photos I took with Leicas were with coated lenses and sunshades. The Summitar had the goofy collapsible barndoor sunhade. I loved that lens and have it on my top wish list. Thanks for all the compliments. That shot was one of the first rolls I took in Florence one Sunday near the home of my boss, Maurizio Piattelli, near Arcetri where Galileo was held in house arrest in his villa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack_lo_..._t_o Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Was it around the same time Les? Sorry I couldn't stop myself :-)> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_capodiferro Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 I love that photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tito sobrinho Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 The clarity is fabulous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john falkenstine Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 House arrest in Italy? Is that real punishment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 There's a touch of the emperor's new clothes about a couple of these replies. Yes it's a nice photo apart from the tree growing out of the seated guy's head, but let's not get carried away about tonalities and clarity. It's a 72 dpi monitor image, strained through the jpeg algorithm. It could have been taken with almost anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xenotar28 Posted August 8, 2005 Author Share Posted August 8, 2005 Brian, There was no tree there when the man went to sleep. Imagine his surprise when he wakes up and runs a comb through his new hair. A decisive moment must be taken or lost, warts and all. The woman straightened up seconds later. As for tonalities, clarity, etc, strained at 72dpI, I am sure all of us would prefer our postings to look like 11X14 on a gallery wall, with soft classical music playing in the background. In Lester's photo, what's important is the overall feel of he photograph, and the irony contained within, by contemporary standards :-)> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xenotar28 Posted August 8, 2005 Author Share Posted August 8, 2005 Sorry: The spell checker was out to lunch There was no tree there when the man went to sleep. Imagine his surprise when he wakes up and runs a comb through his new hair. A decisive moment must be taken or lost, warts and all. The woman straightened up seconds later. As for tonalities, clarity, etc, strained at 72dpI, I am sure all of us would prefer our postings to look like 11X14's on a gallery wall, with soft classical music playing in the background. In Lester's photo, what's important is the overall feel of his photograph, and the irony contained within, by contemporary standards :-)> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack_lo_..._t_o Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 Is there any viewer of this picture born after 1785 who would get the impression that a tree is growing out of the guy's head? I mean it isn't even a classic case of that tired and mostly meaningless old cavil, in that there is some land between the bottom of the tree and the gentleman's cap! Humans have been looking at photographs of all sorts for a century and a half now, and can read what's in them. I know I'm getting overwound here, but between that and the "running-water-means-use-slow-shutter-speed" chestnut-well I don't know which one bugs me more but... Time for my chamomile tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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