Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/02/11

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Subject: [Leica] RE: Ansel did bracket..... sort of.
From: "BIRKEY, DUANE" <dbirkey@hcjb.org.ec>
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 16:44:21 -0500

>That may be the reason behind Ansel Adam's great skill.  He carried 
his
>immense LF camera and made only a very small number of exposures.  If 
he
>blew it, he would have to carry everything and did it all over again.  
Now
>that's what I call good reason for getting it right the first time.  
It's
>like comparing a sniper and a man behind a machine gun.   The 35mm AF
>motor-driven camera is like a machine gun.

>Dan K.

Ansel Adams made a habit of taking at least two negatives of 
everything. He would process one negative first and determine if he 
should change the developement for the second.  He also commonly shot 
the same image with a filter and one without or with a different 
filter.  He used Polaroid 4x5 Instant film at times to see the 
composition and tonality.  Ansel also took a lot of images that none of 
us has ever seen.......  

Secondly, I have never see anyone shoot an entire wedding or cover an 
event with a view camera.

Thirdly, if your purpose is to kill one person, a single shot rifle 
should do fine.  If you want to kill a number of people quickly..... a 
machine gun will do the job better.  But shooting a machine gone in an 
empty room isn't going to kill anyone, you still need enough skill to 
pick out a target and aim correctly.    

I enjoy using 4x5 for B&W scenics and landscapes, it's relaxing in a 
masochistic kind of way.  But I can produce a lot more great images 
quickly with motors and zooms or a M6 and several lenses.  In the case 
of photographing events, you don't have any time to waste and you can't 
come back tomorow or next week to get a shot.  You still have to get it 
right the first time but when your done, you have several rolls of 
images to choose from and that makes the client happier than just one 
or two.  I would prefer to have several images to choose from as well.

Duane Birkey
HCJB World Radio
Quito Ecuador