Re: [Leica] Don't be shy (was wedding newbie)

[Carl Socolow <csocolow@microserve.net>]

Ted Grant wrote:
> 
> That's the realm of the commercial photographers, paid to set things in
> place. Many wouldn't trade a photjournalist a moments time because we do
> things in  "real world time" and don't create the false front of a well
> laid out studio. Many commercial guys wouldn't touch a photojournalists
> assignment simply because they wouldn't have "any control nor could they
> inject there personalities to the scene."
> 

- -- 
Ted and Alan

As someone who earns his living doing commercial photography the
particular pleasure I enjoy when using my Leicas is that the subject
matter is for me, not for clients. I get to relinquish all control over
my subject matter and instead of directing it I become sensitive to and
aligned with its rhythms. It's this loss of control that brings back my
joy and love of photography instead of it just being a job. And that is
why my Leicas are loaded with only my film instead of "job" film.

As for injecting personality or style and being unobtrusive, the whole
act of picking up a camera, drawing upon a life's worth of experiences,
knowing when to release the shutter and all the other myriad technical
and esthetic decisions that accompany that moment, that is when I inject
personality or style. These qualities are the "helpful nudge" that I
draw upon when I make a photograph. And additionally, these same
judgements and decisions are also what I draw upon when I accept or
reject that photograph in editing.

Finally, for my commercial work, even when I do manifest some sort of
control or influence my subjects and clients are unaware of it. That,
too, is part of the psychology of this whole business. At the risk of
offending some members of the LUG I find that people who are schooled in
photography have great technical skills but often lack the people skills
that help bring a good photograph to the level of a great photograph.
The same goes for having a knowledge or sense of content that reaches
the heart instead of knowing how to perfectly expose a negative. Selah!

Carl Socolow

Sometimes the wrong thing is exactly the thing you should do.