Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/08/31
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]As some of you know, I do an occasional pro shoot. I have been following a jazz band for the past year or more, a local pick-up group of some abilities (they DID play Duketown this year, and were invited back for 2000). Almost all of the work I've done has been personal: every couple of months, the leader needs a publicity shot, and I give him one. My pay is low, but is improved, dramatically, by getting to listen to a nice mix of jazz styles. (The band's leader, incidentally, is a retired IT&T optical engineer with a PhD, who used to routinely deal with Leitz and Zeiss and the like. He has an interesting spin on the apparent inability of European and Oriental companies to penetrate the American lock on high-quality CCD technology.) Occasionally, one of the band members needs a picture for his or her personal use, and I generally provide such. I had a call several weeks ago from a guitarist needing a color shot for a CD cover. Well, I dug through my "well-indexed" back file (piled up in my kitchen) and found a roll which I hoped would be perfect for Vince's needs. Last October, I got artsy-craftsy one night, an affliction which haunts us all, and did a colour roll with bounce flash. That is, I got normal light on top of the subject, and coloured stage lights below. The guitarist in quest leans over his instrument while strumming away, so I had some rather dramatic exposures of him -- red on one side, white on the other. I thought, in my '60's mode, "hey, boy, this MIGHT make a really fine CD cover!" Vince loved the shots. Unfortunately, he has since signed an endorsement contract with Heritage Guitars, and was using some other brand that night. Argh! He has turned the shots over to his printer to see if they can edit around the offending non-PC guitar. If not, he wants a reshoot. I'll NEVER recreate the effect! Argh! The shots were done on an M6 with a Metz CL45-4 flash and a 2.8/90 (current) Elmarit. Ah, well. Creativity can be a curse. Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!