On Mon, 2005-06-27 at 15:22, Shel Belinkoff wrote: > I wasn't going to comment on the photos, but since a discussion of sorts > has opened up around them maybe I can add a thought or two. One of the > biggest problems I see when using long lenses is that the photographer > loses contact - or never even establishes contact - with the people s/he's > photographing. I don't mean that you have to become intimate with the > subjects, although getting close enough to establish some intimacy, even > for only a portion of a moment, can only improve one's photographs. By > being physically closer the photographer is better able to "feel" the > scene, to see small details that may enhance a photograph, and to get a > greater sense of what's taking place between subjects (if there's more than > one in a scene) or the subject and his/her environment.
Yes but don't you think that when people feel the presence of a photographer they immediately change the way they behave? > Being a sniper (I like that term) distances the photographer to the extent > that there's nothing personal about the photos, and, for the most part, > places the photographer so far out of the photographic environment that > there's often more of a voyeuristic feel or sense to the photos than > anything really meaningful. If you're trying to tell a story with your > camera, which is what I think good photography - certainly good "people" > and portrait photography - is all about, you've got to be close enough to > understand the story yourself, and maybe even close enough that your > subjects can share that story with you. > > What Capa said years ago holds true today: "If your photos aren't good > enough, you're not close enough." > > Shel > > > > [Original Message] > > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <pentax-discuss@pdml.net> > > Date: 6/27/2005 6:23:56 AM > > Subject: Long lenses-- was Street Dancers > > > > In a message dated 6/27/2005 7:15:16 A.M. Central Daylight Time, > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > On 6/26/05, David Volkert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > I don't normally do street photography (at least I think this can be > > > considered street photography but the lens is a bit on the large side > > > and it was an event) but the opportunity presented itself today. > > > > > > http://flickr.com/photos/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/21768115/ > > > *Ist D, Sigma 135-400mm @ 135mm, F/9.5, and 1/500th > > > > Yesterday in my comments about the Porto shots, I mentioned that using a > > longer lens tends to get us into a sniper mood when we take to the > streets. > > > > Now, I am definitely not an expert in Street Photography, and lots of > what > > passes for that "genre" I do not get, but before you dismiss the concept, > maybe > > you should look at the problems of using a long lens on the streets have > > caused in this "nearly there" shot. > > > > First of all, the horizon is tilted more than 2 degrees. When working > with > > a long lens, it is hard to make framing judgements, as the very act of > > holding the glass steady is a triumph. > > > > The next problem I see is that relying on the autofocus on the two > dancers > > has lost the focus on the foreground boy, (an important element, IMHO) > and the > > compression brings the folks walking in the near background right up to > the > > dancers. > > > > In the case of the smiling woman, this isn't too much of a problem, but > the > > tall guy in the black shirt, the guy with his back to us, and the woman > on the > > right verge become distracting elements (Ditto, the red fringe in right > > frame.) These elements would be no problem at all if we were shooting > with, say > > a 50mm from lots closer. > > > > Long lenses have their place, certainly they do. Football games, air > shows, > > birding, Olympics, auto racing, volcano eruptions, good looking > bikinied > > women with big burley boyfriends; these are all places I would use a > lens > > longer than 90 mm. > > > > > > Regards, > > Sonny > > http://www.sonc.com > > Natchitoches, Louisiana > > Oldest continuous settlement in La Louisiane > > galit, libert, crawfish > > > > >
