I still frequently indulge in street photography, but not with OM or E-thingy
gear, which attracts too much attention when it's held up to the photographer's
face and obviously aimed and fired at folks. I do it with ancient, 1950's MF
gear: a Graflex XLRF*, 58mm f/5.6 Rodenstock Grandagon lens, and a 6x9cm roll
film back, loaded with, depending on my mood and the weather, Tri-X or Provia
400, the rig hanging casually around my neck, the very, very quiet leaf shutter
being tripped surreptitiously via cable release.
The lower POV gives a more natural perspective to people, like shooting
architecture from straight-on instead of from ground level, so their heads
aren't twice the size of their feet, and it eliminates distracting background
bits, like the faces of people a few feet behind the ones I'm really interested
in. The 58mm lens gives a FOV about equal to a 24mm lens on a 35mm camera, so
framing doesn't have to be precise, and I still get an image on film bigger'n
you'll get with a 50mm on a 35.
And I don't get hassled by anybody. Maybe someday I'll reveal the secret and
post some pix. I've never bothered before because, since there's nothing Oly
involved, it's way, way OT.
Walt
*In the left hand:
http://www.tope.nl/tope_show_entry.php?event=1&pic=58
--
"Anything more than 500 yards from
the car just isn't photogenic." --
Edward Weston
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: ScottGee1 <scottgee1@xxxxxxxxx>
>
> Indeed, Fear is an infectious and ugly disease. The extremists all
> have it and use it to justify their paranoia. And whatever you do, do
> NOT try to quell their fear. All you will get is a litany of
> reasons/excuses designed to prove you wrong and reinforce their
> behavior.
>
> It has affected my public photography to the point that I rarely make
> pix of someone I don't know, no matter how interesting the image might
> be. Asking permission usually spoils the moment.
>
> Again, I find myself wondering if HC-B and the other great street
> photographers could still ply their trade. Would the parents of the
> boy carrying the wine bottles hunt Henri down and accuse him of being
> a potential child molester?
>
> Sadly, Christos, the darkness is already creeping in.
>
> On 8/18/06, Christos Stavrou <christos.stavrou@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > I was taking some pictures earlier on in front of a University here in
> > England.. There were couple of bikes parked near there.. a water
> > pool.. and few reflections contrasting the wet pavement..
> >
> > My thoughts were travelling around questions of dark tonalities, when
> > suddenly a authoritative figure moved agressively in front me, pushing
> > to my face a pale white illuminated card with a name, a stamp and the
> > word 'Security' in badly printed fonts.
> >
> > -Can I ask you what are you doing? he said furiously and then demanded
> > that I should identify myself, as well as the reason of taking
> > pictures and couple of other personal questions.. I'm not sure, maybe
> > he asked what time I wake up in the morning too...
> >
> > It's amazing how many irrelevant vague nonsense he piled up to me..
> > About security, health and safety, directives, private property,
> > permissions of filming, their almost-police status(!), that maybe his
> > face was on the photo, that there are so many communities here and
> > they have to treat everyone equally (what? so their paranoia is
> > justified in the name of equality now!??).. Add of course, the usual
> > self-convincing bullshit and mucho psychological techniques, often
> > used by ex-military people who have been relegated to private security
> > business, so that they can fantasise some importance for their tragic
> > existance...
> >
> > Because I don't want to be harassed when I'm taking pictures, and
> > because I don't want to end up taking pictures of lonely landscapes
> > and my room only.. could someone here offer some insights on the issue
> > and/or indicate where I can learn more about our rights and duties as
> > photographers? I have a feeling though that dark days are coming...
> >
> > C.S.
>
==============================================
List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
|