Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/11/16

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Subject: Re: [Leica] How to get comfortable with my Leica?
From: Nicholas Poole <nick.botton@camphill.org.uk>
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2000 00:09:30 +0000
References: <db.c589a61.2745a734@aol.com>

>tt@tristan.net writes:
>
><< I'm not really at the point of being comfortable been seen taking
>  pictures. I guess I'm shy and even afraid to take pictures of people
>  in the street... >>

Tristan,
I still suffer the sameŠ after years!

FWIW, I found the following ruse helpful. People are naturally 
curious and when someone holds a camera at eye level they tend to 
look pretty hard at what you might be going to do, and if it will 
include them. A lens is like a big, menacing eye, and the eye is what 
we watch if we're apprehensive. To deflect their attention, move the 
camera to one side of your eyes and look right past them - no eye 
contact! - as though absorbed in some fascinating scene beyond. Being 
curious, they often turn around to see what you're looking at (and 
wonder what kind of idiot would picture that!), but it works for me. 
Here, the 35mm is just wide enough to include them yet looks as if 
you're pointing it somewhere else (pre-set hyperfocal, etc etc). 
Point is, look at the scene, not through the viewfinder.

Having said all that, I admit my best pictures have been when the 
subject was fully aware of what I was doing, i.e. no subterfuge. 
Mostly a smile is all it takes, but as I said, I don't always have 
the nerve.

I just love those wacky pictures in the M6 manual on how to hold the 
camera unobtrusively!! But low angle pictures are not always what you 
want. If you do, then a right angle finder on the R camera has a lot 
going for it. Bent over, you just seem too absorbed with the camera 
to be interested in what's going on around, but this is not a healthy 
way to walk down a crowded street! (Works fine when seated though.)

Just a few random jottings! Good luck!
Nick

In reply to: Message from Krechtz@aol.com (Re: [Leica] How to get comfortable with my Leica?)