Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/08/31

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Subject: [Leica] A Pro's Woes: Alas and Alack!
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 12:13:18 -0400

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!