[Leica] Ted and his twinky flash......

["BIRKEY, DUANE" <dbirkey@hcjb.org.ec>]

Ted Grant wrote:
****
When you use an M6, which is the ultimate of available natural light
picture taking machines in the first place, then require flash, fill or
otherwise, to take your pictures speaks of the lack of the photographer's
ability to see light and make it work for him or her.

If one considers Leica is synonymous with available existing light and 
the
work of HCB, Capa and others, why in heavans name would one need the 
twinky
flash to make a picture?  If you really know anything about light, as
"light is the life of the picture," one should know how to make the light
motivating them in the first place work and not require twinky flash to
supposedly make it look right.
****

Ah Ted....

What about Gene Smith.... and a fair number of his his pictures that used 
off camera flash to supplement available lighting.  The trick is to use 
flash in such a way that it is neither obvious nor detracts from the 
image.  My favorite trick is to bring a studio light and a medium sized 
softbox and I've got another "window" of light I can position anywhere I 
want.......  balance that with the natural light coming in and nobody 
besides the subject knows it is lit.   But.... this technique doesn't 
require a TTL sensor in a camera.  

I will agree that mounting a flash in the hot shoe of your M-6 will kill 
the lighting of virtually any subject.  But carefully lighting subjects 
requires a lot of skill and is often necessary in many situations where 
the natural lighting is absolutely awful.  Available lighting is easy, 
any moron can buy a roll of 3200 and take pictures without a flash.  Few 
people have the skill to light things so they appear to be naturally lit. 
  

The worst part Ted..... is that you made me hungry for a twinky and I've 
got to wait until Feb of 99 before I can eat one. 

Duane Birkey

HCJB World Radio
Quito Ecuador