[Leica] First 15 mm Pix

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Richard S. Taylor said and showed:
>>Subject: [Leica] First 15 mm Pix

Hi Dick,
for a first run shooting with the 15mm. As far as I'm concerned one of the 
most exciting and interesting lenses to work with once one gets past the 
usual "wide look" without a solid composition look.

And that's the success of using the 15mm lens, how to make super wide 
photographs and still make interesting photographs. It's the lens I used for 
some of the most successful travel photography work over the years.

You have to learn to see wide while filling the frame creatively for the 
picture to work. It's not an easy lens to use well, but once you get the 
hang of it, if your competition doesn't have one or similar width you'll 
blow them out of the water time and time again.

Here's a short critique on each. Are you ready? ;-)

>I got a 15 mm Heliar from Stephen Gandy a couple of weeks ago. This is the 
>first time I used a really wide lens.  It's been a gas.  The strange 
>perspective is fun to play with.  I was about 5 feet from the tree in the 
>first photo.<<<<<

> http://gallery.leica-users.org/BOSTON/3_02A_0075_web<<<
Obviously you've got the right idea of filling the frame well. One of the 
biggest mistakes photographers make when first using this lens is.... not 
filling the frame. Yep they have a wide angle view but it's so loosey-goosie 
one can fire 15 howitzer shells through the frame and not hit a thing.

In your case you've done extremely well in using all the frame space & 
balanced well with other picture parts.

> http://gallery.leica-users.org/BOSTON/2_00_0042_web
Well filled and balanced frame, nicely composed. I particularly like the use 
of the tree branches making sure there wasn't any throw away space. The 
small flair upper left side is a danger we all live with using a wide lens 
as this. Sometimes it can be no big deal, live with it, or it can completely 
spoil it! It's one thing we must always keep a sharp eye for when shooting 
on an angle toward the sun.

> http://gallery.leica-users.org/BOSTON/2_07_0049_web
My first impression was.. "bend the knees slightly" Yeah I know that get's 
tougher with each passing day. However, with some light exercise it can be 
made easier than you could ever imagine and you don't have to leave the 
house. :-)

Stand with arms at your side then squat down ever so slightly only a wee 
bit, or to a point where you still feel comfortable in the legs and knees, 
then return to full standing position, how do the knees and legs feel? Try 
to get 5, that's all. Even if you only get a couple it's OK it's a start.

Next morning do 5 again, when you feel 5 is a piece of cake, squat lower and 
continue doing that until your knuckles can touch the floor and you can 
return to a full standing position.  I must point out though it isn't 
necessary to get that far because most of the time it's only a slight bend.

Trust me it takes time, but this little effort can make the difference 
between a successful photograph because you bent your knees and one that's a 
yawner because you couldn't.

I do 20 full squats from a standing position and return to standing with a 
10 pound weight in each hand. ;-) Three mornings a week, ;-) not bad for an 
old guy. ;-) However, I can bend my knees and or sit on the floor of the gym 
shooting a basketball game for a half and return to standing on my own.;-)

> http://gallery.leica-users.org/BOSTON/2_23A_0065_web
OK so it didn't quite work and I see others have suggested a tripod (pain in 
the ass) unless you were going to make some income for the extra effort of 
carrying it. Besides the shot isn't worth the extra effort. Having said that 
because this is a learning routine with the lens I suppose the tripod might 
not have been a bad idea. ;-)

But this is also a knee bending shot then you'd have got rid of the blank 
sky area at top and had the tele-viewer in the frame.

Bottom line really?

If you come across this scene again and unless you've got a beautiful beach 
bunny with you to look like she's using the machine..pass on the whole damn 
thing! ;-) it's one of those that looks kind of interesting but unless 
there's something dramatic to make it work, forget it. Beach bunny is 
best.;-)

> http://gallery.leica-users.org/BOSTON/3_16A_0089_web
I think generally my comments on the first frame...._0075    pretty well 
fill the bill here also.

> http://gallery.leica-users.org/BOSTON/3_33A_0106_web
 This shot almost spoils all the others!! :-( No matter how one wants to cut 
it my advice is..............  use the delete button. Yeah I can see what 
you got suckered by, the sun, clouds etc and the birds on the wires. But the 
15mm isn't the lens for the birds because with it yer probably 400mm 
short!;-)

Other than the above I'd say for a first time you did a damn fine shoot and 
we can expect to see many more with even greater success as you get the full 
feel of this magical lens.

Quite frankly for the cost & it's quality it's one of the all time excellent 
buys for use on a Leica.

ted