Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/03/30

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Subject: [Leica] My PAW Wk13
From: philippe.orlent at pandora.be (Philippe Orlent)
Date: Thu Mar 30 00:21:30 2006
References: <000901c653c0$e69887e0$0201a8c0@MADS>

Mads,

Sorry, but this is a real and unmerged image. What you see was there  
as it was, whatever feeling that might evoke.
I removed the mast on this shot though: http://www.fullflavor.be/ 
photography/HMSWM/slides/HMSWM2.html
because it bothered the image. Some buildings in the background were  
removed, too.

About the WM: I wrongly (but with a certain logic) assumed that it  
was an abbreviation of HMS Westminster, as the frigat is called. The  
helicopter is a Merlin indeed. I read it replaced the Sea King, a  
helicopter still flying in our own army.
A shot from somebody else: www.havengore.com/HMSWestminster.jpg. The  
pole is there. Maybe it is removed pre take-off?

Now about the merging thing: you make it sound as if I'm tampering.
I have repeatedly stated that I postprocess my images in PS, because  
I consider myself more as a 'maker' than as a 'taker'.
This can involve changing color, contrast, taking things out,  
changing or adding grain, dodging and buring, moving things  
slightly, ... On some very rare occasions it means adding things that  
were not there. And if I do the latter, I always mention it.
Long threads have been written about this methodology/my and others  
standpoint: a minority on this list is pro.
As I walk around and visualise things while shooting, I very often  
decide to modify an image in PS because I think it will make it more  
as what I see in my head. I call it 'boosting an image'.
More even, sometimes I just construct images photographically. And I  
do not have a problem with that, not considering myself a reporter.
Does that make me a great photographer?
I don't know, and honestly, I don't really mind. I just want to make  
images that have a certain stopping power with people, and I love to  
use the camera as the tool to make them.
Do I need a Leica for that? Since it's a great tool, I think so, yes.  
But it is not the only camera that I use. As I also mention when  
posting.

Finally, about truth in photography: since its early beginnings, this  
is an ongoing theme in this discipline. One can even wonder if truth  
really exists. But that is another story.

I hope this clears some things out.

Also: a big thank you to everybody that commented on this image.  
Sometimes you try to tell a story without too many words, and it is a  
real pleasure to see that some saw in it what I had in mind.

Philippe



Op 30-mrt-06, om 08:12 heeft Mads Christensen het volgende geschreven:

> Sorry for being a bit late but I am on the LUG digest only.
>
>
>
> I have two comments:
>
>
>
> 1) WM = A helicopter named Merlin, manufactured by Agusta Westland
> Helicopters Ltd., Yeovil, England.
>
>
>
> 2) I am absolutely sure that there are no masts w/o the Royal Navy  
> flag that
> close to the helicopter pad on a navy vessel - as seen on HMSWM2.
>
>
>
> ..so I am afraid that Philippe has been merging images - again.
>
>
>
>
>
> Best regards
>
>
>
> Mads
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>


Replies: Reply from douglas.sharp at gmx.de (Douglas Sharp) ([Leica] My PAW Wk13)
Reply from walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson) ([Leica] My PAW Wk13)
In reply to: Message from mads.christensen at gmx.net (Mads Christensen) ([Leica] My PAW Wk13)