Re: [Leica] Leica Users digest V19 #56

["Ted Grant" <tedgrant@home.com>]

Randy wrote:  SNIP.....
>>>>>>.   A true professional is concerned with (and controls) the
> entire image, often picking a lens and aperture setting
> to control the overall effect, including using DOF
> control to "focus" attention on the subject<<<<<<

Hi Randy,
I think it would be interesting if you would explain which discipline of
photography you are talking about, Portrait, news, photojournalism or any of
the other venues.

I never in all my years ever heard of the bokeh thing until it surfaced on
the LUG sometime ago and has been discussed, well some times a bloody fire
storm of nonsense driving one absolutely crazy! :-)

I'd bet a big pile of money that 99.9% of wire service and news
photographers wouldn't know the word, nor would know what it meant unless
they were exposed to it in some kind of photo forum.

As a photojournalist I've used a pile of different glass, but I've never
thought of using one for the OOF effect, but for capturing the subject in
the best of light and content, which of course are the two main things to
any photograph.

Sure the out of focus background has some effect on a photograph providing
one is using the right aperture, focal length, subject to background
distance and others I've missed .

For you to say ">>>>>>"__A true professional__" is concerned with (and
controls) the
> entire image, <<<<< is correct,  but pushing it. However, not to the
extent of switching lenses for some kind of out of focus esthetic effect,
unless he's shooting peeling paint, rocks and ferns and non-breathing
things!

The rest of us are far more concerned with capturing the magical moment of
content and light!

I generally shoot using the widest possible aperture and highest possible
shutter speed whenever I can make them work to give a correct,  or close to,
correct exposure. Yep and backgrounds on many occasions are well out of
focus, but I still never related to it anymore than "being out of focus" as
it should be. For esthetic value?  Never, never, never!

ted
Ted Grant Photography Limited
www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant
- ----- Original Message -----
From: <Heavysteam@aol.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2001 3:21 AM
Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica Users digest V19 #56


> <<But I'm always far more concerned about the "in focus part" and whether
itmakes a good picture to start with! The out of focus is just the fluff>>
>
> I've heard this argument before and never accepted it.
> Unless you blank out the defocused areas of your
> pictures when you print them, they are just as much a
> part of the image as the focused areas> ..Randy