paul hofman - south africa

Hey Kevin. I feel like a bit of an Ass. You are 100% on the button. First thought however was this forum..I guess that says something about my confidence in getting solid information from this forum. Thanks a stack for the lesson. Lionel, thank you for your input as well. Have a great day. Regards

Paul

Hi Folks.

Please could someone assist me with the URL for a website that has user manuals for the older generation

cameras, the Yashica 124G in particular. I have good knowledge of how the camera works but, if it is around I would

like to have the original

manufacturers spec on hand.

I would appreciate any relevant input on the matter.

Thank you.

Paul

Hi Mark

Thanks for that very local input. Good to read your response and relate it to home linguistics. "Lekker" is just a word that says so much in so few letters. Please will you send me your deatils, to paul@paulhofman.co.za

Are you related to Sean Wilson in Cape Town by any chance. Yes, I knopw it is like one of thise questions, "So you are from South Africa, do you know...."

Regards

Hi Gene

Thanks. I thought I would approach those who are not influenced by profit but rather, passion and attributable knowledge. I will check out E-Bay, but as I said, pricing there can be a bit misleading.

Regards

Hi There. Please would someone provide me with some information on a Ziess Ikon

as oer picture attached. I came across this in a antique furniture store in my

home town in Cape Town South Africa.

The camera is in good condition, as are all the attachments, operation manuals

and casings. The package came complete with leather bag and tripod of equal or

similar date.

Please would you suggest a value to this package in dollars, I can then convert

to local currency.

Your feedback will be appreciated.

Kind regards

Paul Hofman<div></div>

Clean up the typos and don't do a damn thing more! This is real and it's from the heart. Being a biker,'I can understand your viewpoint, being human I can empathise with your pain and sense of loss. Being a photographer, I can appreciate your techinque. All round I like the way you have layered the relevant images, it makes me want to look deeper and understand each component.

I am sorry for your loss.

Paul

Hi Coleen

I am taking it that your 55mm is a non CPU lens.

Question 1:- Select Menu> Shooting Menu> Non CPU Lens Data> Focul Length 50-180mm. Then, select Maximum Apeture> F2.8 or relevant setting per your lens.

This will then allow you to use your lens and meter through the camera. I would however still suggest that you meter independantly on a hand held for certainty.

Question 2:- Generally a wider lens would present you with the ability to shoot for more depth of field. As you are shooting close up, you would want your your image full frame and focus to be sharp all round, I would sugget the 60mm micro 1:2.8D as it is a great lens. However, IMHO the 105mm Micro 1.2.8D is probably better for tight crops (close ups) and is incredibly sharp all round. I assume that you would be shooting minimum F8 and Preferably F22 for max clarity on the image. They are both F2.8 lenses so technically you shouldn't have dramatic changes in how the light affects your image other than in dealing with a wider focul plane.

Again IMHO, if you are after an amazing lens for macro/micro photography then, save a little bit longer and buy the PC Micro 85mm 1.2.8 D with Tilt and Shift action. (attached image shot with the latter. Sorry not flowers but it will give you the idea.)

My suggestion to you is to go down to your local supplier/camera shop and do a little trial on site. They may even allow you take take their demo lens(s) for a day to test under shooting conditions.

I hope this helps you.

Regards

Paul<div></div>

Allison,

I fully agree with the issues Thomas has set out in his response. Be confident. stand your ground and do your thing. People around you in general will accept you doing this. It is when you "shoot and run" that they become suspicious of you.

You have nothing to hide. Some people may approach you and ask what you are doing. Tell them.

You will get used to this and after a little while, it won't be an issue for you. I do believe that mostly the issues are in our minds, not theirs. I do a lot of "commercial street" photography for one of the image banks in South Africa and I don't come across many objections. I will sometimes ask if I can take a shot if I want to create a look, but in principle, I don't ask permission because it alters the image that I set out to capture. That being a natural, in the moment interaction between, people, space and time.

I also carry my commercial business card and a Media card. On the ocassion that I have been approached, I use these to show them that I am bona fide in what I am doing. I have even got some commercial jobs as a result. So IMHO, it may help you in building your confidence or staking your position to have a card made with all your deatils on it and be ready to dish it out if you have to.

Get out there and have fun.

Regards

Paul

Hi All

Came into this debate at the tail end. Apologies, PC reformat and all.

The image posted here I would say is one of a number that were taken to try and convey the emotions of a very tragic and in all probability senseless act of violence. Let me say at this time that I live in a country were semseless violence is the order of the day. 21000 murders last year, countless rapes and child abuse. Our newspapers / visual media are full of it.

I saw an image (posted below) taken at the time of the funeral and I would not rate either as the shot of a life time but I will say that the image below evoked some deep thoughts and feeling for the Amish Community and in particular the young girls family. The emotion on the older ladies face, the sweet oblivion on that of the toddler and for me the half hidden (sorry, quite hidden) person, says the most. "We as on lookers will only ever know a fraction of the whole story and we are only capable of dealing or feeling a part of the grief".

I think that if we want to talk about shots of a life time, get hold of the photojournal, World Press Awards or Reuters. Another book you may want to consider for a photograph of a lifetime or I will say some photographs of a lifetime, is The Bang Bang Club by Greg Marinovich. This books deals with the photojournalistic activity of four South African photographers who documented the conflict around and leading up to the abolition of Aparthied (sepratist laws) in our country. One image that will haunt me forever taken by Greg Marinovich was that of a man doused in petrol and set alight. As he is in the throws of death he is being hacked and mutilated by an angry mob from a rival ethnic grouping. There is also the photograph that Kevin Carter took of a starving child in Africa (Sudan or Ethiopia). Kevin was one of the Bang Bang club and committed suicide a year or so after taking the award winning photograph.

IMHO, and I agree with the person earlier, we all take images that we consider to be once in a lifetime shots, but the shots that are truly the best, don't need a script to make us feel the content.

Lastly, thank you for the post, it was a very interesting thread.

Regards

Paul

Credit for Image:- Source:- Sunday Times Newspaper, South Africa, October 8, 2006. Photographer:- Tim Shaffer/Reuters.<div></div>

Yip, definately the folk on the ends in my experience (17-35mm Sigma / 18-200mm Nikon at 18mm.) that get the distortion. The people in the middle are fine. One trick that I have learnt is to shoot further away and leave a fair space between the subjects and the edge of the frame. You can then crop it back in photoshop.

Good luck.

Why don't you ask the photographer to help you understand his process. I see he is listed on PN.

Regards

I am interested in how these titles are "cliche, trite and unimaginative". I think that titling an image is a personal thing and centres around what that image means to the photographer when he/she captured it.

We the viewer, have the right to decide what that image means to us and a title, whilst it may be "heavy", is an integral part of the image. It also helps you to understand what the photographer saw in the image they were capturing.

Personally, I don't believe that we have the right to tell a photographer "to think of better titles or don't title". That is tantamount to saying "shoot better images or don't shoot". It is important to remember that photography is subjective, not objective.

Have a happy day.

Regards

Michael

You need to develop a workflow process that suits you. Here is an example.

1. Load all your images onto your computer. Create a folder with suitable subject title. 2. Edit the images down to the ones that you really like. (you need to be ruthless. i.e. keep the ones that you really love, lose the rest). 3. Leave the images alone for a day, just work them through in your mind. Edit this batch again. 4. By now you should have what you consider to be the best of the bunch. Could be 1, could be 100. 5. Work them to the point where you are happy that they are what you wanted them to be. 6. Burn them to CD as a backup. 7. Delete the folder from the computer.

A portfolio can consist of as many photogrpahs as it takes to convey a message about your photography to those who are viewing it. If you are multi dimentional in your photography, you would have images in your portfolio that depicted that. Say a couple of Street, a number of portraits, food, interiors,landscapes etc etc.

A portfolio can take the form of prints, set in a leather bound or similar substance "book" that hods cellophane sleeves that you can slip your printed images into. And of course slip them out of once the are no longer part of your "A" grade work.

You could also have a website set up where you display your work. Less expensive than a collection of "8x10" prints.

The decision as to which way to go is yours and it will be the one that makes your life the easiest. Archiving your CD's or prints needs to be done in a systematic manner. This so that you can find your work easily if you need to refer to it or prepare a set of prints.

Personally, I have my portfolio of prints in leather bound portfolio. (to show around) A website www.paulhofman.co.za (to refer people to) and I have a CD for each shoot.

Another thing, you may also need to caption your images. i.e. in the metadata, capture information that is relevant to the image. Place taken, any critical information about the image, copyright statements etc. in Photoshop. File>File Info.

The example above sets out a digital workflow. I follow a similar process for my film photography once I have scanned it. The negatives are then put into sleeves dated, captioned with relevant data and filed in a ring binder file.

In conclusion. It is a process and everyone will have a different approach. Find one that suits you and makes your life easy. Most basic photography books will deal with aspect in one way or another.

Regards

I think Marc Friedemann nailed your problem about ten posts ago. Read up on your focusing options and how they impact on your image.

Regards

Hi Scott

Repositioning your lights is one option. The other is to get hold of an anti reflective spray. I use one made by Kenair. Spray it on at about 30cm away and coat the surface. Once you are finnised wipe it off.

Hope you solve your problem.

Regards

I would go with Garry on this one. Bounce it off the cieling. This will fill in behind and still allow you to make use of the natural light coming in the window. I would put a sunlight filter on a tripod (use holding arm or clamp), this will thow back some warm light and should provide for some definition / highlight in the hair. Or depending on the persons position, some light on the face.

Oh yeah, you could also experiment with a white polyboard or reflector positioned below them out of camera view to throw some light under the chin/eyes.

Have fun and happy shooting.

Regards

Scott

You may wish to consider buying or making a "shooting table". This is made from perspex (white / translucent) or a firm but flexible polyplastic. The white roll may work fine for some items. I shoot a lot of product for my clients. My objective with regard to lighting is to try and get a wholistic soft lighting effect on the product. I often light from below and side and then fill in with a polyboard or silver bounce (cake boards for smaller areas).

A large piece of white card will also work for smaller items, just bend it so that it has a curved effect.

Regards

Apologies... Typing a bit above my station. "the Linogrand" to read Winogrand. Won't do that again, promise.

Regards

IMO, Street Photography is a voyeristic practice. The kind of "see and not be seen by" photography. I personally do not want my subjects to be concious of my presence. I believe that it alters the state of the individuals or individual and thereby brings an unwanted third dimension to my shot, Posing, Pretence, Concious Participation. (Sorry, it's a complex third dimension). Most times I snap and move. If someone notices me I lift or drop the lens away from them. If they ask me what I am doing, I tell them. No BS, just plain "I am photographing you because you interested me." Note the past tense.

With flash, you are compromising your annonimity and thereby the, IMO, the purpose of what you are trying to achieve. Good, interesting, well executed images of random people, in random spaces, doing random things.

I would also tend to draw a difference between Street and Situational photography. Street - unconcious. No sanction Situational - concious but busy with their process ala the Linogrand and the Rodeo. They were aware of his presence and he had their sanction.

It is once again a subjective thing and perhaps one of interpretation.

Regards