Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/04/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> If you are 1M (39 inches) away from your subject at the film plane, you are > standing in their personal space. If you move to 2 feet away, your lens is > about 18 inches from their face. Isn't that a bit close for portraiture? > This is exactly where all my portraits are taken. Getting inside people's personal space is my method. It's the only way I've found that I can get the intimacy I want: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/freakscene/Rachel/File0846.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/freakscene/Africa+2009/Zimbabwe/img555a.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/freakscene/Portraits/File0585.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/freakscene/MM/S-jr.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/freakscene/MM/L1000811-Edit.jpg.html Note: the new incarnation of the 90 Macro Elmar (with the close focus > attachment) focuses to 0.5M. Technically, there is a solution. > As I said, the Macro Elmar is too slow for my purposes. > Do you need to work closer or have a more cropped image of your subject? > I always work inside 1m. If I want a wider or tighter shot, I change focal length. > Is it possible you are using the wrong focal length to get the image you > desire? ( 75 instead of a 90 or 135?) > No, I've tried this and it doesn't work for me, including a recent dalliance with the Leica 135/3.4, which is stunning glass, but I just didn't get anything I liked with it after working with it for a month or so. > Why don't you crop the desired image from the "negative"? > Because I don't get the shots I like, and which people commission me to take, unless I get in close. > Why is there a "need" to get closer? Please explain... > It's what works for me. I have tried to work with longer lenses further away, but didn't like the look or the results. And none of my subjects has ever said they felt intimidated, except when I tried going completely the other way and did a portrait shoot on the beach near where I work with a 300/2.8 - intimidating, even if I was 5 m away. I guess I am just not very scary. Kids seem to like me. The Monochrom is pretty much the perfect camera for me, and if my 75 Summilux focused accurately under 1 m on that camera it would be my perfect lens. The 75 Summicron is very good, but I like the extra stop and the softness. I'll send my Summilux off and then I ought to be set, providing it can be calibrated to focus accurately enough where I want it to focus. Later, Marty