Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/03/11

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Super wide use
From: Guy Bennett <gbennett@lainet.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 11:05:18 -0800
References: <01C0AA43.EE7A5820.jem.kime@cwcom.net>

>> Look for strong foregrounds which lead back to something worth revealing. I
>> felt happy with this shot of this performer, Elevi. Shots which worked less
>> well (during this shoot) had less happening close to the camera, though it
>> can all depend on what effect you're seeking, drama or naturalness.
>> I took some fine interiors which look completely normal, if no-one's in the
>> picture (or at least if they're situated centrally) they can just look
>> really spacious and natural.
>>
>> Taken with a 15mm Pentax Takumar on a Leicaflex SL2.
>>
>> http://members.tripod.co.uk/JemK/widelevi.jpg


Jem,

This is a wonderful shot! It makes great use of the distorsion powers of
the superwide lens.

This is what I was trying to say the other day with my hymn to the 24 - the
potential distorsion is a boon, not a hindrance. You just need to find
situations that call for that type of manipulation, and then explore them
with a wide an angle as you've got. The wider you go, the more you can make
the space "speak." The trick, for me, is to find situations in which this
"makes" the shot, situations which, had I used a 28 or 35, would otherwise
have appeared too normal.

And I'm not saying that ultrawide *has to* mean widely distorted. It's also
a great challenge to find images with an u.w. that *don't* look like they
were taken with one. I seem to recall a picture by B.D. - a woman sitting
in a café, looking through the glass front window. It was taken with the 21
but didn't look ultra wide.

Guy

In reply to: Message from Jem Kime <jem.kime@cwcom.net> ([Leica] Super wide use)