Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/03/22

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Subject: [Leica] Capa
From: tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)
Date: Wed Mar 22 11:58:50 2006
References: <C046D16E.E3F1%bdcolen@comcast.net>

B. D. Colen offered:
Subject: Re: [Leica] Capa


> As did Capa...
> "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough."<<<

When I worked for a large daily newspaper many years ago the city editor was 
also the photo editor you learned very quickly what " being close enough" is 
all about. :-)

When we filed our "prints" to his desk, if they weren't cropped tight and 
filling the frame with the main subject of the story he made them "close" 
very quickly!

He had a huge pair of scissors and cut/cropped the main part of the picture 
so when it ran in the paper the "subject was a lot closer than you shot it!" 
We soon learned all about "getting closer not only from his cutting of the 
pictures but also from his "cutting remarks" that today he would be fired 
for mental harassment!

However, he made our photography more dramatic just from fear of his 
cutting/editing terminology method.

In turn photographers working for the paper at the time became far better 
shooters by getting closer and "filling the frame!"

The bottom line is, if you fill the frame with the main aspect of the 
picture, being closer, you'll find your photography improving. And apart 
from stepping off a pier or cliff, always take one step closer in 99.99999% 
of the time and you'll immediately improve the situation you're 
photographing. Obviously with common sense.

ted 


In reply to: Message from bdcolen at comcast.net (B. D. Colen) ([Leica] Capa)