Contrition and complaint

[hyatt_lee]

First off, I want to apologize to those who found two of my previous posts offensive, or at the very least, aggressive. As one poster noted, I was probably bringing my work with me to the forum, which may have been uncalled for. And I got a bit pretentious.

 

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I had taken the advice of many here. I borrowed a camera before I laid out the cash and took pics and was blown away by the detail, a good roll and perhaps beginners luck.

 

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I just got back two contact sheets and I have noticed how spoiled I have goten over the years by all the bells and whistles of modern SLRs. I have many overexposed and underexposed photos and quite a few (at wide aperatures) where the focus isn't right on.

 

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Of course, all of these can be attributed to my lack of attention. In other words, the camera is very unforgiving. That said, I love it! The two pics on each roll that were passable (not great) feature exquisite detail and an unbelievable range of contrasts in B&W.

 

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This machine will tame me and bring me back to what it's all about. I'm overjoyed and humbled. But the new M6 will not kick me, I'm tenacious.

 

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I want to thank all of you for your contributions. At this point, the outlay doesn't bother me a bit. There was a comment on one thread earlier that suggested those of us posting who may be bringing the "quality" of the forum down probably haven't shot a roll of film in a year. I don't know if some of that was pointed at me, perhaps, perhaps not.

 

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I can assure you that I take it everywhere I go and I don't stop pressing the shutter.

 

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I think it would be a bit ridiculous to buy such a thing and set it on the shelf. Why buy a Porche (or Ferrari, if you like) if you are not going to drive?

 

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One of my problems is I live in a foreign country, meaning that anyone can spot me a mile away, so many of my subjects end up being too far away with a 50mm. If I am inconspicuous enough, by the time I get the focus, ap and shutter speed set accurately, I have been discovered. Any tips on this?

 

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Thanks again,

[stephen_w.]

wrt street shooting candids:

 

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scale focus, preset meter, pretend your doing something else, raise

the camera and shoot.

 

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or, aim at something other than the subject, then swing the camera

and shoot.

 

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it helps to use 35mm or wider, and to see outside the frame lines -

for which leica has little competition.

[chris_chen4]

What "foreign country" do you live in? I'm not in a predominantly

Chinese/Asian part of the U.S., so I guess I'm in pretty much the same

physical predicament you're in. Nevertheless, I think being

"inconspicuous" depends not just on your physical appearance or

ethnicity, but also on your personality, attitude, body language, etc.

It may be impossible for you to be literally inconspicuous,

especially w/a 50mm lens, but successful street photography (& I

assume that's what you're writing about) doesn't require that your

subjects be completely unaware of your existence, only that your

presence doesn't overwhelm & distract them from whatever they're

doing. Sneaking around & trying too hard to be inconspicuous usually

makes someone *more* conspicuous. There are no easy answers,

particularly since no one knows your shooting style better than you,

but legwork always helps. A cop once told me that there were only 3

things he needed to know to do his job right: (1) who the people are

on his beat; (2) what they do; & (3) when they do them. IMHO, knowing

those 3 things are also invaluable for street photography.

 

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As to your technical question, if the light doesn't change too much,

you should @ least be able to set your aperture & shutter speed ahead

of time, & focusing quickly will come w/practice (you can also rely on

the greater DoF of smaller apertures to zone focus).

 

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"One of my problems is I live in a foreign country, meaning that

anyone can spot me a mile away, so many of my subjects end up being

too far away with a 50mm. If I am inconspicuous enough, by the time I

get the focus, ap and shutter speed set accurately, I have been

discovered. Any tips on this?"

[preston_merchant]

You could also talk to people, get to know them, then take their

picture. Why spy?

[wgpinc]

Chris,

Ben Hogan said 'the more I practice, the luckier I get'. Ken Keset

said 'walk small and ooze' if you don't want to attract attention.

I've been taking pictures for quite a few years, on the street a

lot. The better your technique is, the better your street pictures

will be. The street is funny. People key on you if you are staring

or looking and acting unusual. Some days I have it more together

than other days. It's an attitude, a relaxed confidence that blends

in to the landscape. Some days I get self conscious and attract

attention. Other days I can use my M or ever my R camera with

finesse. I have been threatened on the street before, but that is

very unusual. Scary but unusual. The other day on Market Street in

SF where I work I took a picture of two young women - at my age a lot

of women look young. As I was walking away one of them yelled at

me 'hey you took my picture! you have to pay to take my picture!'.

I turned around and smiled and waved to her and she smiled back.

When I took her picture I was about 5 feet from her with 35

summicron. Sometimes I blow an exposure or a focus but I remember a

famous photographer who said something like if you're going to take

the risk of taking the picture you might as well take enough time to

get the exposure and focus right. Long winded but I mean to say that

you have to work within your ability and stretch yourself to get

better. If you are going to take pictures on the street you have to

make up your mind that you are going to 'take pictures' on the street

and get over the fears and shyness all of us wrestle with much of the

time. If you cannot there is still a world of things to take

pictures of. Good luck.

[jim_lennon1]

"One of my problems is I live in a foreign country, meaning that anyone

can spot me a mile away...."

 

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Maybe there is another way of thinking about your situation. Rather

than thinking....Hyatt is in a "foreign" country....Maybe you could

think...Hyatt is a "foreigner," a guest of a people and a culture that

intrigues him so much that he wants to take repectful, representative

pictures to show his friends and family when he returns home.

 

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If you adopt the later way of thinking, you can openly and honestly

take pictures in full view of everyone.

[chi_huang]

Hi Hyatt,

 

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Be conscious about personal space and sensitive to people's feeling.

If you can feel people getting defensive you are probably too close.

Either switch to longer lens or walk away. Don't be trapped by

preconceptions.

 

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Have you visited any night market yet? Almost all major city got

some place like that. You can really get close to people in such

crowded place. Night market is also a great place to try available

light with fast Leica lens.

 

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I grow up in Taiwan so its good to hear from home :-)

 

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Chi

[john_elder1]

If you are doing it right, subjects don't have time to get defensive.

[todd frederick]

Hyatt,

 

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Almost anyone with a good computerized SLR and a good eye for

composition can get a fine displayable image with very little effort.

 

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That's why I use such cameras for my 35mm weddings. I owe it to my

clients to be consistent, to be involved with them and NOT constantly

messing with my equipment. My equipment for these jobs must work "on

their own." The computerized SLR is a very safe and reliable piece

of BUSINESS equipment.

 

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I also use many vintage cameras. I use Kodak Tourist and Monitor

folding cameras, old Mamiya 6 folders, Rolleicords, and such, where I

not only have to guesstimate the exposure but the distance as well,

in many cases.

 

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In fact, I make a game of it: I try to guess both the exposure and

the distance accurately. In truth, this "game" is very useful. It

will make you a better photographer.

 

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When I use my "new," old Leica IIIC, I make a practice of estimating

the exposure on the basis of my perception of the ambient light and

from my experience in using light meters, and not using a meter at

all. It is truly amazine how accurate one can get without a light

meter with practice.

 

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The key here was stated above...don't give up...practice! Use lots

of film and evaluate your results and be very hard on yourself! If

you keep practicing, you WILL get it.

 

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I remember seeing, and hearing, the famous Spanish falmenco

guitarist, Carlos Montoya in the 1970s. My most profound impression

of his music and technique was that he and his guitar were as though

they were One Being...his guitar was an extention of his body...they

were ONE entity.

 

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I think this is the way of photography...practice so much that you

and your camera become One Being...where you don't have to think

about what you're doing with the equipment at all.

 

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I recall a description, in a magazine, of a man observing Henri

Cartier-Bresson working a park in the 1990s. Bresson was dressed in

a long trench coat, wearing a flat sports cap, looking very

inconspicuous. He had his hands cupped around his Leica at his

waist, Pre-Focused, beneath his coat, and walked up to some people,

raised his camera, did not focus or look through the finder, took the

shot, and wandered off, as silently as he appeared. His subjects had

no idea their photo was taken. That is the "Way Of Photography."

 

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But...all of this comes from extensive practice.

 

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Do NOT evaluate your success or failure on the basis of ONE roll!

[reinier_de_vlaam]

After a year of Leica R4s I still have sometimes pictures wasted

because I forgot to change from M to A or vice versa, or in my

excitement didn't focus well enough, or didn't measure the light

correctly, or didn't check if the camera really got hold of the film,

or (once, with my minolta x-700) simply forgot to load the camera

with film (hey...I can make 32 shots on a 24 film). If I could only

print all the great shots I have in mind but not on film :-).

 

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It will not change, you will on a regular basis do things wrong

 

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Reinier