[Leica] IMG: Shadow shot

[pklein at threshinc.com (Peter Klein)]

Thanks to everyone who commented:  Jim, George, Bob.  And Ted, you're 
absolutely right.  It's funny how when shots like this are about to 
happen, I get this sense of what the shot will be, and it's just a 
matter of letting instinct take over and pressing the button at the 
right instant.  It's almost like I'm hitching a ride on the same force 
that is arranging the picture, and somehow it moves my shutter finger to 
the trigger point just as the picture elements reach their proper places.

I've had my eye on this basketball court for years.  It's in a school 
playground where we often walk with our dog.  That wonderful diagonal 
shadow forms in late afternoon when the sun is low (when there is a 
sun--this is Seattle, after all!). I've seen the shadow many times, and 
occasionally shot it, but never got anything special.  This time, two 
guys were shooting hoops, and I actually had taken another picture from 
much closer.  Nothing special.  Then when we were walking away, I turned 
to see this picture about to form. I just racked out the zoom out to 
maximum *fast* and shot as the guy jumped.

The thinking happened *after* I shot:  "Aw, crap, I was too far away, 
did I have the exposure set right, blah blah blah." But by then the 
picture was already in the camera.  :-)

--Peter

I wrote:
>> > 'Twas the afternoon before Christmas.  The low angle-sun bathed a local
>> > playground, and this moment presented itself.
>> > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/album170/PC242945ShadowShootBW-w.jpg.html
>> >
>> > E-510, 40-150 f/3.5-4.5 at 150mm (300mm equivalent), quite extensively
>> > cropped, I was quite far away.<<<<
>>     
Ted wrote:
> Hi Peter,
> Man what a great photographer reaction to the action moment! WOW!
> Very nice indeed!
>
> This is the type of moment if the photographer about to take the picture 
> starts to think instead of reacting  ....... the moment is gone and merely 
> burned in the brain to haunt for days simply becasue you know what you 
> missed thinking about it!
>
> "You can't think and bat! .... Yogi Berra!
> "We've come this far don't spoil it by thinking!" Clint Eastwood!
> "See, shoot!"  ted grant  :-) 
>
> We as humans, as soon as we start to think about shooting action moments 
> and 
> picture taking. We should immediately stop thinking and just do it by 
> instinctive reaction!
> If I may offer, if you look at the new tedgrantphoto.com  site you'll see 
> a 
> few photographs that if I thought about them..... the moment would've been 
> lost.  :-) 
> It's simple KISS... SEE-SHOOT!
>
> Once again Peter a wonderful reaction photo! Good on you. You didn't think 
> about it did you?  ;-) 
>
> cheers,
> ted
>