pat_dunsworth

I think that one of the great teachers of "thinking in B&W" was Ansel

Adams. Though he specialized in landscapes and worked with large

format, his theories on the zone system are based on the assumption

that you are working in and thinking in B&W. The zone system allows

one to bend light (photographically speaking) and create images that

follow your "visualization".

 

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He also separated the process into an understanding of camera,

negative and print, because each of these elements had an impact on

the final outcome (the image as viewed by others).

 

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Whenever I view his work, I'm impressed with his ability to subtely

manipulate something as straightforward as a landscape and make that

image unique. As much as we all may want to be a mirror of reality,

his images have a power and emotion that say much more to me than a

mere reproduction of what the eye sees.

 

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One of his most influential books was "Yosemite and the Range of

Light." The name says it all. Understanding and controlling that

range, from bright white reflections to "velvet" black and all the

grays in between, give the photographer much more power in

influencing the viewer.

 

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Cheers, Pat .

There are two issues that other forum members may want to respond

to. One is the issue of the use of your photos. If they will be

used for publication, then 35mm. will be fine. If they are to be

used for marketting brochures, then medium format may be necessary.

 

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Item two is interior versus exterior. Most exterior work is done

with available light on a tripod. Medium format with bellows or 35

mm. with PC lens work well there. As mentioned earlier, perspective

control can be done with any lens by keeping it level. The most

challenging area IMHO is interior photography with artificial

lighting. I think that this really separates the pros from the

amateurs. Wide-angle lenses work well here, but if you don't know

how to balance light, you're shooting in the dark. There are books

dedicated to interior lighting and most equipment that can be

rented. Any suggestions?

 

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Cheers, Pat.

Wil, maybe you should ask your wife if she would like to use the

camera upon occation and, if so, if she would prefer an M6ttl or M7.

Then she could be a part of the decision-making process. Ah...true

love!

 

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Cheers, Pat.

Can anyone shed light on whether the 3200 shot at 1600 should

be "pulled" (under-processed) or processed normal, thus

overdeveloping? I had the impression that it shoiuld be processed

normal, thereby gibing you a more dense neg with more shadow detail.

Am I on the right track?

 

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Cheers, Pat.

The M4-2 was the first Leica RF with a hot-shoe. Cheers, Pat.

Allison: Does this mean that we'e going to be seeing Mike Dixon in a

two-piece? Yikes! A "talent" catagory would probably be

appropriate. My nominee would be Appleby. Cheers, Pat.

John, I could think of a few things about how to make your photo more

technically balanced, and maybe you can use some of the previous

responces to improve it on Photoshop, but the spirit of the image is

beautiful and intimate. I can see any of us on that carousel, going

round and round, changing lenses, hooking up the flash, etc., seeing

every possible variation of light and composition, but never quite

capturing what seems to be a peaceful moment for a child. You

succeeded in choosing an image that captures the movement, light and

serendipity of the moment. It's a keeper. Cheers, Pat.

I have an L-408 and use it quite a bit. it comes with a neck strap.

I attached a gray card to the end of the strap and cut the card so

that it was just large enough to cover the field of the 5 degree spot

when held at arms length. The card is only about 3" x 4" so it fits

inside the meter pouch.

Don't underestimate the flash meter function, either. If you buy a

new flash and want to test it with your camera on manual (like an M6

or older), have a subject hold the meter programmed for flash and set

the meter at 1/50th sec (you'll probably have to live with a 1/60th

setting). When you shoot the flash toward the subject, the meter

will record your prefered f-stop for that distance. The more you use

it, the more you'll understand about exposure control. Cheers, Pat.

I think that Vikram has the best perspective. When I pick up the

camera, it isn't always for the same purpose. Sometimes it's for

personal therapy, the zen of photography. At other times it's

business, and you have failed if you haven't satisfied the customer.

Sometimes it's education, like teaching yourself how to estimate

exposure or dodge a print. It seems a little childish to assume that

one of these avenues is more valid than another. Art, and perhaps

alot of photograhy (and all great fiction) is a lie used to express a

truth. It's a fabricated object and the manipulation of a moment in

time. A photograph will always have a different meaning for the

photographer and for the viewer. But that's the best part. The best

songwriting or poetry is ambiguous and invites reinterpretation. To

paraphrase what an angler once said, "a bad day taking photos is

better than a good day at work." Cheers, Pat.

Todd, here's another sighting that I never saw on Nemeth's list.

In "Harry and the Hendersons", which is an Abominable Snowman

comedy, Bigfoot is adopted by a family and pursued by Don Ameche.

In the final scene, when they are all friends, Ameche takes a group

photo with an M3. My favorite "cameras as jewelry" scene is

in "Apocolypse Now". When Martin Sheen and crew arrive at a camp

deep in Viet Nam, they are greeted by a deranged photographer (Dennis

Hopper) with a Bunch of beat-up Nikons around his neck. He is so off-

the-wall and the cameras look so knarly that it just makes you want

to run out and buy an F2.

Cheers, Pat.

Todd, here's another sighting that I never saw on Nemeth's list.

In "Harry and the Hendersons", which is an Abominable Snowman

comedy, Bigfoot is adopted by a family and pursued by Don Ameche.

In the final scene, when they are all friends, Ameche takes a group

photo with an M3. My favorite "cameras as jewelry" scene is

in "Apocolypse Now". When Martin Sheen and crew arrive at a camp

deep in Viet Nam, they are greeted by a deranged photographer (Dennis

Hopper) with a Bunch of beat-up Nikons around his neck. He is so off-

the-wall and the cameras look so knarly that it just makes you want

to run out and buy an F2. Cheers, Pat.

I suppose that the worst-case scenario is that when you stand before

St. Peter at the pearly gates (assuming that's your destination)

he'll confiscate your M6. You'd then have to ask yourself, "am I in

Heaven or Hell?" Cheers, Pat.

I started freelance photography at about the same time that my

fathers eyesight began to fail. He was the person who fostered my

interest in photography in the first place, and I built my collection

of user Nikon equipment based on the fact that all of his gear was

also Nikon. One day a large package came in the mail and after

tearing off the wrapping immediately recognized his old aluminum

camera case. A note from my dad wxplained that he could no longer

focus the cameras, so he'd rather see them go to good use. It was

like opening a treasure chest, with an F-TB photomic, an FE-2and

great prime lenses. The smallest thing in the box was a camera that

I had never seen him use: a Rollei-35. The Nikon gear has come and

gone, bodies and lenses have been upgaded (although the FE-2 is still

going strong) and my love for manual mechanical cameras grew into an

interest in Leica, but the one item that is always in the bottom of

my briefcase is that Rollei-35. I call it my "point-and-think".

Brooks, B+W makes a 6-filter pouch which folds into thirds ; part. #

B6. Their website is schneiderkreuznach.com. Cheers, Pat.

I've been using a LowePro Omni-sport, which has waist-belt, shoulder

strap, handle, top door for one-camera access, face door for inside

access. It could hold all your stuff plus meter and flash. It's a

little big for a fanny-pack and a little small for a shoulder bag,

which is just right for me because I use a 135 and 90 mm along with

the 35 mounted on the body. I like the top access door for just

removing the camera when needed. Good luck with your search.

Cheers, Pat.

The website is www.falsten.com/ccmain.htm

Jean-Pierre: You may be looking for "Classic Camera" magazine, a

quarterly published in Milan. Go to

<http://www.falsten.com/ccmain.htm> The magazine is distributed in

the US by Zoom; P.O. box 1270, New York, NY 10157-2078. It's printed

in both English and Italian in each issue and has great articles on

not only Leica, but all the 20th century classics from Hasselblad to

Zeiss. Cheers, Pat.

In responce to Williamn, go to www.santana.com/carlos Cheers, Pat.

Refering to Sait's comment about the relevance of the HCB/Zeiss

thread: I remember reading a letter written to "Camera Shopper"

magazine a few years ago from a man who was with the foreign press

corps with HCB during portions of WW2. I believe his name was Mr.

Smalls. He recalled that HCB prefered the Leica cameras but that the

Leitz lenses of that era were too slow and too soft. He therefore

had a Zeiss 50/1.5 Opton adapted to fit his Leica screw-mount.

Mr. Smalls also recalled that the most common greeting among the

European press corps was "Cheers". I have often wondered if others

on this forum had heard this story, too, since "Cheers" is such a

common parting comment here. Anyway, it was a cute story because Mr.

Smalls provided an intimate look into a period of photo history that

has been often eulogized and romanticized. Cheers, Pat.

Back in the mid-50s, when Miles Davis was the hottest ticket in the

Jazz world, and Duke Ellington was considered a has-been, Davis said

that every musician in the world ought to "get together in the same

place at the same time, get down on their knees and thank Duke". I'd

say that the same could be said for HCB. His handful of classic

street shots have had an overwhelming impact on how photographers

view everyday scenes. It's amazing how far you can see when you're

standing on the shoulders of a giant.

I was fascinated by a poll taken a couple of years ago by one of the

Photo magazines. They asked the pros to vote on their favorite 35mm

camera. The top ten included the M3, M6, a couple of Nikons, a

couple of Canons, etc. The number one favorite camera was the OM-1.

I'm considering purchasing a 135/2.8-M telephoto lens with goggles. It's in beautiful condition, but the rangefinder doesn't focus accurately at infinity. Can this be adjusted or should I pass on the lens?

Wow, those acronym sites are great. All this time I thought HCB

refered to "Henri Cartier Bresson" but now i realize it really

means "Holy Cow, Batman"! TTFN, Pat.

What a shame that youth is wasted on the young. 53 in March.

I thought that the "Reverse Panda" was a new dive by the Olympic

Diving team of the People's Rebublic of China. If the "Leica GMBH"

and strap rings were considered tatoos and piercings, that would make

our Leicas pretty radical, dude!