Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/09/29

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Subject: [Leica] Flash NATHAN---ALAN!
From: tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2012 14:17:27 -0700
References: <1757826406.537624.1348677386257.JavaMail.root@mail12.pantherlink.uwm.edu> <F364F62F-B606-4028-AFFA-7FC6B94AB8E2@frozenlight.eu>

Nathan Wajsman OFFERED:
Subject: Re: [Leica] Flash


> Of course you are right, Alan, as your two pictures amply demonstrate. I
> am just too lazy to learn to use flash properly, so I prefer to take an
> extremist available-light attitude ;-)<<<<<<<

Hi Nathan,
Well in my early days as a news photographer we used a flash bulb on nearly
everything we shot. Simply because... "THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS!" :-(

I hated carrying the damn bulbs.

Finally we switched to modern MULTIBLITZ power pack carried on the shoulder 
strobe
units. Damn they were heavy! And the flashing continued without the bulbs.

But Alan Magayne-Roshak showed::

>On Sep 26, 2012, at 6:36 PM, Alan Magayne-Roshak wrote:
==================================================================================================
>> (I've been busy, and haven't been keeping up with the LUG)
>>
>> I would modify this to On-camera flash is the tool of the devil.   ;~)
>>
>> Check out these two using flash(bulbs) to simulate existing light.
>>
>> One FP bulb was in the floor lamp:
>> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/Portraits/Self-Ports/19750610_MR_BW_4.jpg.html>
>>
>> One FP bulb bounced off the wall:
>> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/Portraits/Self-Ports/19750610_MR_BW_14.jpg.html>>>

Hi Alan,
Beautiful!!!!!!!

As much as I hated using flash that nearly always create the "blast in the 
"EYES" look! We gave "bouncing the flash a try, but that took a bit of time 
to learn exposure and directions. Better than blast in the face. Hey that 
was the way it was and nobody complained.. It was the times.

But as we learned more about lighting and the big power pack strobes became 
available, we gradually learned bouncing the light off all kinds of surfaces 
to create better "lighting effects." Studio guys and gals were always ahead 
of us news photogs as they had the control and studios to work in.

Gradually some of us began, "If you can see it? "YOU CAN SHOOT IT!" 
Obviously that didn't always work. BUT? It became our/my way of shooting and 
for some of us to this day we continue to shoot our subjects in the same 
fashion. OBVIOUSLY NOT FOR EVERYONE!  :-( As I can honestly attest to 
blowing a frame or more at times pushing my luck .... "IF YOU CAN SEE IT?' 
OOPS! Damn! It didn't work even at super souping the film to save my butt! 
:-) Oh well no one is perfect all the time! :-) :-)

But I still hate flash! :-) Particularly when its not bounced!

Your examples are just beautiful, the work of a first class craftsman!

cheers,
Dr. ted :-) 



In reply to: Message from amr3 at uwm.edu (Alan Magayne-Roshak) ([Leica] Flash)
Message from photo at frozenlight.eu (Nathan Wajsman) ([Leica] Flash)