Re: [Leica] Re: Hi from a Newbie!

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@islandnet.com>]

David wrote:

>Funny you should mention this. This simple bit of wisdom continually
>escapes me. My photographs are way to cluttered. I don't do a good job of
>"knowing" my subject. I don't do a good job of "isolating" my subject.

Hi David,

If you're using an M6, automatically set the shutter speed to 1/1000 or
depending on the intensity of the light, to the hihest shutter speed, then
go from there to adjust the aperture for a correct exposure. If you run out
of lens speed then slow the shutter speed down for the correct exposure.

The wider the aperture the more you can make the backgrounds go out of
focus, therefore eliminating distracting clutter or certainly softening
them.

It also helps to be closer to your subject, if that's practical, as being
closer also means your point of focus is closer therefore background even
further out of focus.

This method can make your main subject pop off the page or the screen, in
colour it's very nice when the background becomes a complete mush of
ethereal colours and your subject leaps off the screen Leica sharp.

>Sometimes I think we make photography sound too complex.>>>

That's one of the biggest failing for so many photographers, they read to
much technical stuff and figure they have to know all this stuff, instead
of shooting by feel. I mean this in the sense the photographer understands
the technical handling of his camera for correct exposure etc.  And the
actual picture taking takes place by what motivates him to make an exposure.

They see something that turns them on, they are motivated and instead of
putting the camera to their eye and shooting, they start analysing the
scene or trying to previsualize...by the time they get that figured out the
very thing that motivated them in the first place has been lost, because
they were doing all this BS thinking about it.

Motivated? camera to eye.....click......picture taken, move on to the next!
If you're motivated shoot as quickly as possible and be ready to shoot
again if the situation improves.

KISS! Keep it simple stupid!  Many great moments are lost because the
photographer started thinking all the theory stuff. Light changes,  mood
lost.

>After looking at countless photographs and thinking, "these would be much
>better without all the distracting background", I go out and shoot
>everything at f8 just because I can and still maintain adequate shutter
>speeds. I should opened up to f2.8 or f4 more, and move in closer to (and
>further isolate) main subjects.>>>>>>

Hey right on! You know the right stuff! It's not difficult, think wide
apertures high shutter speeds and you're away to the races.

>Rather than say that I need to stop down to improve lens performance, I
>should concentrate more on using the widest possible aperture. After all,
>isn't yet another basic that Leica lenses actually excel at wide apertures?>>

Leica glass is beautiful wide open. Regardless what test benchers may tell
you, but not many of us shoot test benches! :)

See you know this stuff, all you have to do is practice what you know. Set
a goal for yourself to shoot at least one roll with the lens wide open
wherever possible and still maintain correct exposure.

This is a "test" I give myself with every new lens.  I shoot a roll with
the lens set wide open at subjects as close as the lens will focus and at
infinity with a bunch of distances in between. This allows you to see the
effects the lens will give without doing it on a paying assignment.

It's through doing this, that I learned the value of shooting with the
widest aperture and the highest shutter speed, it's simple and can be a
very effective tool in many situations.

By the same token. And I always have to qualify this or someone will come
back with the no depth of field wide open and "I like sharp from my nose to
the moon"

Well yes of course there are times when the smallest apertures are
necessary. But the kind of photography I enjoy, I'm usually workng where
the widest aperture possible is f 1.0 if I still want to continue hand held
shooting.

I hope this helps.

ted






Ted Grant
This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler.
http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant