Re: [Leica] Erwin, photographic technique

[Bill Satterfield <cwsat@cyberhighway.net>]

You ought to see Sam Abel's book,  Stay This Moment. I understand these were taken
on a tripod with a cable release and many were taken with a Leica. You can use
these two tools, along with good film and processing to produce images as good as
MF cameras

Walter S Delesandri wrote:

> Very well put, Bob.....and I too, use the 35mm camera as a "little 4x5",
> at times....but if my MAIN subject interests were both readily approachable
> and static, I'd opt for at least a MF neg...but I'd still not leave home
> without my Ms.....:) :) :)
> Walt
>
> On Mon, 2 Oct 2000 12:23:06 -0500 Bob Stack <ticino@earthlink.net>
> wrote:
> > Hi Tina, Ted, Guy, Martin, Walter, Doug, et.al.
> > On the sound advice of a Lugger of long standing, I have enjoyed reading the
> > LUG for several months before venturing a comment or two.  For background, I
> > use an M-6 with 21, 35, 50 and 90mm lenses, and an R-8 with,24, 50, 100 APO
> > Macro and 180 APO lenses.  I use B&W film almost exclusively (sad about APX
> > 25) and do all my own printing in a wet darkroom.  And, I am a zone system
> > disciple.
> > One of the great attractions to me of Leica is the wonderful versatility of
> > the system.  If I want to be unobtrusive, the M is often the best solution,
> > ala Ted, Tina, etc.  If I want to photograph wildlife that can kill me if I
> > get as close as Johnny does with people in his Human Traffic photos, there
> > is the R ala Doug.  Both systems adapt beautifully to zone system work, or
> > to any other method you might choose to employ.
> > I have also found that on many occasions that the only way to capture a
> > particular image was to treat my Leica 35mm as a small 4x5, and that certain
> > images could not be readily captured in large format.  Example;  an
> > electrified train emerging out of white-out snow and fog conditions.  The
> > image required a tripod for the exact composition I wanted, slow speed film
> > and N+2 development to acheive acceptabe grain and contrast for printing,
> > and a 35mm camera to take multiple exposures to position the fast moving
> > train exactly where I wanted it within the complex of electric line towers.
> > I have used both the M and the R in ways similar to this, depending on how I
> > wanted the final print to feel.
> >
> > While I find the Leica system to be highly versitle, I have seen in this
> > thread is a bit of dogma creeping that suggests the system can be only be
> > used successfully in a only a few, restricted ways. Some paraphrased
> > examples: "the M is only for hand held photography"; "if you are using a
> > tripod, you might as well be photographing with a 4x5, or at least 2 1/4";
> > "photographers who use the zone system lose the impact of the image while
> > they fiddle with their techniques"; to pick just a few.  I can see many
> > different ways to successfully use these cameras, and would hope we would
> > encourage the exploration of may different approaches and techniques that
> > can help expand the usefullness of the Leica system to the widest range
> > possible.
> >
> > Sorry for the longish reply, but Sheakspear I ain't.
> > Bob Stack
> >