[Leica] 80 Summilux R (was 'Am I being stupid? (R content)')

[jhnichols at lighttube.net (Jim Nichols)]

Thanks for the advice, Ted.  I can only speak from my experience with family 
members, and from comments from my late father-in-law, who had a small 
studio where he shot 5x7 negatives in B&W, and retouched the negatives with 
very sharp pencils.  He knew how to get return business from his female 
customers, which was to make them look good.  ;-)

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <tedgrant at shaw.ca>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 12:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] 80 Summilux R (was 'Am I being stupid? (R content)')


> Jim Nicchols offered:
>>"Mark,
>>
>>It sounds like you don't shoot many portraits of women, else you would 
>>also
>>add that the portrait lens cannot be razor sharp in all details.  This is
>>why older lenses find favor with those who specialize in this 
>>market.<<<<<<,
>
> And Mark in rebuttal offered:
>>>>I shot mainly women and after a while diffused none of them and had no 
>>>>"old"
>> glass to use on them.
>> I just image Googled Karsh (who did photography quite a few women), and
>> Penn, and Avedon and the gals were just as sharp as the guys. Karsh's 
>> shot of
> < George Bernard Shaw seems a bit soft maybe from what I can
>>see.<<<<<<<<
>
> It didn't make any difference to Karsh... it was sharp, male or female or 
> into file 13 which eventually went to the scrap heap.As much as my 
> comments about Karsh may have some folks wonder how I can, It's simply 
> because his brother Malak and Karsh were friends of mine for a number of 
> years. Malak and myself were assigned to work on the same subject in 
> photographing the tourist beauties of Canada several times over the years. 
> He in one part of the country, I in another. With great sessions upon 
> returning comparing each others photography.
>
> I was a guest in both of Karsh's Ottawa studios, the old original on 
> Spark's Street and the new one in the Chateau! Assigned  to shoot a series 
> on his new wife in their home in the suburbs of Ottawa shortly after they 
> were married. KARSH without question demanded of the society editor he 
> approve any and all pictures before publication. That was before  he knew 
> I was the photographer for the assignment. And in his position he demanded 
> that kind of control from publications and got it.
>
> When I was told this by the editor, I said "forget it, just tell him it's 
> me doing the assignment and no he isn't going to approve any of my 
> pictures as, "I don't have to approve any of his!" Jokingly of course. :-) 
> Editor not knowing we were acquaintances was shocked and near died! I of 
> course was being slightly facetious with a smile. So while I was in the 
> editors office she called and spoke with KARSH. His response?
>
> "Why didn't you tell me Ted Grant was the photographer and we wouldn't be 
> wasting my valuable time now!"
>
> End of KARSH approving any photographs without even seeing them until 
> published! :-)  Estralita didn't have any problem as she knew me through 
> visits and seeing some of my published photos. Wonderful, kind lady to 
> shoot with.
>
> But his pictures were sharp regardless the  old wives tale of  "ladies 
> like soft lenses" not to show their wrinkles! Which to some degree 
> indicate beautiful character! ! :-)
>
> cheers,
> Dr. ted :-)
>
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