[Leica] re: Exposure and Development

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Robert Meier in effect asked:
Subject: Re: [Leica] re: Exposure and Development


> So what you are saying is that you shot at the film maker's recommended 
> exposure index (except when pushing the film), and developed it at the 
> developer maker's recommended time and temperature, for your whole career, 
> and never saw any need to vary either one?   And you always used an 
> average exposure reading without taking specific shadow or highlight 
> readings?
>
> That is certainly keeping it simple.<<<<

Robert honest, you can't get it any simpler than that! I was, am and have 
always been a photographer, a picture taker of things and whatever is 
happening. A technician worrying about or wondering how and why developers & 
exposures did whatever? It never interested me. It's exactly the same as 
digital! The only problem with digital? It's a damn sight more complicated 
with all the numbers and whatever.  :-)

Although I'm finding the more I do my own thing, by my own way and not get 
embroiled in all the fanciful digi talk, gizmos and numbers I do a fairly 
good shoot and the prints look very fine.

People actually pay a very nice fee for the finished prints! Hey what more 
can you ask for! :-) So my simpliciity must be working. :-)

Actually I do on most occasions get a damn fine 13X19 print  from a Digilux 
2 and my ever present 20D Leicanon! With of course a variation of Leica R 
glass which is becoming a pain in the ass because I have to remember to 
focus after becoming hooked on Canon auto-focus glass. ;-)

There isn't anything like KISS, in photography nor with a beautiful woman! 
:-) Life is good when you keep things simple and uncomplicated without a 
bunch of bloody numbers, exposures, shadows, and other stuff!

Yeah I know I should know all this techie stuff to be a good photographer. 
:-)

But you know what? The less you know, the less you worry, the less you feel 
bad because you don't know it.................... But you sure as hell have 
a wonderful time taking pictures and travelling the world on assignments and 
having a great time doing the most marvellous "job" one can have! And better 
still........ be paid for doing it! :-) And better better still? The end 
product looks smashing! :-)

>>And you always used an average exposure reading without taking specific 
>>shadow or highlight readings?<,

Hell all I ever did was hold up the little white ball on the meter in the 
same light as the subject, look at the meter, set camera and shoot! 
SURPRISE!!! And it always looked beautiful and I was always assigned again 
to shoot a new assignment in some other incredible location! :-)  KISS baby, 
that's the secret of the game! :-)

Then when I got into Leica R cameras I just set the camera for whatever film 
it was, pick the aperture and let the camera to do what the hell I paid 
for... pick the right shutter speed.

Take a look at my last book, "Women in Medicine. A celebration of Their 
Work."

It's all tri-x rated at ASA 800 with Leica M7's, 3 of them with different 
lenses set on aperture priority, the camera selected the shutter speed and I 
went click! :-)

See how easy it is even when you shoot 500 rolls of film and never lose a 
frame using   camera set at "A."  Hey some of you guys make it all so damn 
complicated I could never understand why you ever bothered with being 
photographers. :-)

Me? It's always been fun and enjoyment! To hell with all the details! 
Because it's the simple picture moment that counts anyway!!

So there you go eh? ;-)

And you thought I'd give you some big technical meaningless answer! :-)

ted