Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/05/25

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] RE: first posts images
From: hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (G Hopkinson)
Date: Thu May 25 17:24:35 2006


  Thanks for you comments on my first posts Jim, Don and Greg
http://gallery.leica-users.org/analog-images

The "border guard" boy with dog is entirely available light, obviously, and
was shot with nearly wide open CZ 1.4 85 on Contax N1. Now that gear is a
subject for a whole discussion that probably belongs in a CUG.

The "mina" shot of the girl is also available light (and not much of it)
It was taken with current Elmarit M 90 (bless you, eBay). Jim's notes
regarding the glasses and focus are entirely accurate. The challenge, of
course is managing the pose vs light direction in a grab shot. The glasses
are very much an integral part of that young miss's personality. And no
doubt I would have focussed on the glasses rims, being the nearest
distinguishable edges for focus patch. Part of the charm and challenge of
using the M6 with the 90 for me is the small area within the 90 viewing
frame. I've just had the lens a couple of weeks. Fortunately the subject is
proving patient and so more efforts to come in that direction.

The farm house in fact is an old scan of a very old Fujichrome (~20yrs). The
optics would have been a Nikkor, when they were made of metal and glass and
you turned the focus with your fingers. Must dig out the original
(transparency)and rescan in the light of new knowledge/scanner. I posted it
for variety as a quick selection from my very chaotic My Pictures.
The location is in fact in a very arid but scenic region of South Australia.
It was (polarised) late afternoon light but I rather suspect that it got
"Velvia'd" as part of early PS efforts. The air there though, is startlingly
clear.
Re 11x14 field camera, Yikes! I'm romantically and impractically lusting
after an Ebony RW45 currently. What M user doesn't harbour secret ambitions
to attempt to emulate some portion of the venerated Ansel Adams' work?


Obligatory OT content:
The children are my own and my treasure. Not surprisingly they account for a
large proportion of my exposed film.
The border terrier is not so much our pet as my wife's third child. He very
much has the run of our home and hearts.

Regarding consumable indulgences/necessities, I'm noticing some trends
amongst the posts.
The crawfish is a current standout. They are commonly called yabbies in my
neck of the woods.
More importantly, I'm detecting a predilection for fine single malt, in the
form of Lagavulin, huge peaty monster akin to Laphroig as I recall.
 
Hoppy:
The photo of the boy is nice, the soft lighting helps a lot.
The reflections on the eyeglasses of the girl don't help, next time ask 
the subject to turn her head to different angles until they're gone, or 
at least mostly gone.  Also, it looks like you focused on the rims, next 
time try focusing on the closest eye itself.
The adandoned farmhouse is a nice composition... the type of subject 
which I like to shoot with my 11x14 field camera.
Jim

Hoppy,
I assume that the two children are your children(grandchildren)  It is a
long tradition that our children sneak into the images that we post so thank
you.  More pictures please.
Don
don.dory@gmail.com

Abandoned farmhouse (didn't Oz was that green) and the boy with pup stand
out from the group.
Regards,
Greg