Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/11/04

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Comments on portraits, please
From: "langhans" <langhans@compwrx.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2002 05:36:17 -0800

Thanks, Chris.  I DO want criticism.  As a teacher, I know that feedback is
important or else students never know how to improve.




1. much too much flash (for MY taste)

I agree, now that I look at it.  It was a real grab shot.  I think I had
just taken the flash from my R4 to the R8 and I forgot to put it back on TTL
mode.


5. wrong part of face in focus (ditto, applies to all other comment too)

I went back and looked at the original.  The full scan looks better, but you
are right.  It is fairly hard to focus with the Sima soft lens with the
f-5.6 ring installed.  The softness increases as one moves further from the
center of the lens.  And since the nose is center, it appears to be
sharpest.  I had never noticed that effect before.

6. background disturbing


7. too much space below face in relation to space above face
8. ditto, and photographed straight on the nose looks unnaturally large

I do see the nose.  I wonder if that is an effect of the Sima, too.  I
thought that with a 100mm I could get away with that, but I guess not.  I'll
have to look at the ones taken with the 90 Leica lens to see if it is a Sima
thing or a focal length thing.

2. too much flash

Wouldn't less flash make the background too washed out?



3. background disturbing


This is one of her favorites.  She really wanted fall color and this one has
the most.  But I just took a closer look at her nose.  This was taken with
the 90/2.8 at a greater distance than #8.  Maybe she has a larger nose than
I think.  I'll have to take a closer look at school on Monday (w/o her
noticing, of course).

4. too much of relevant subject matter out of focus

I will disagree on this one.  On the original eveything about her - face,
sweater, hands... are nice and sharp and the background is out of focus just
fine to separate.  Of course, I have the advantage of looking at a 25MB
scan.

Overall, the pictures are very pleasant, and I liked the way a new
picture came up every 10 seconds on my screen.

The page was made using Photoshop's automated features.  I had never used
them before.  I wish I knew how to change the scripts a bit, though.

Thanks again for your criticism.

Aram







This message is made of 100% recycled electrons.  No new atoms were
destroyed in making it.

Aram Langhans
Science Teacher, Naches High School
101 W. 5th. St / P. O. Box 159
Naches, WA 98937

"Science Rules"

"Science Rules"


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