The Leica course
Posted by: Mick P on 25 June 2003
Chaps
I have just spent the last two days attending a course, at Leica HQ in Milton Keynes, on how to use a M6.
This was a damn good course and I now reckon I have gone from being pretty useless to fairly good. If any of you own a M6, I seriously recommend this course to you.
One of the intersting discussions was on 35mm v digital.
Evidently the feeling within the trade (not just Leica) is that 35mm and digital will co-exist beside each other for many years to come.
The feeling is that customers will continue to buy a decent 35mm SLR and expect it to last for 8/10 years. The digitals are only expected to have a useful life of 4 years but will continue to be outdated or replaced by another model after 8 or 9 months. So most of use will own and use 2 cameras.
Not only is digital improving but 35mm film is also getting better, so it really is a two horse race.
Also the M7 (M6 with auto exposure) is selling well and the new MP (lovely name) which is pure mechanical is also exceeding expectations, so the market in top end range finders is doing well.
I found the course excellent and I was amazed at what I have learned.
I even went out and photographed rusty bits of metal.
I am genuinely pleased that I own a M6 and I suggest you all go out and buy one.
Regards
Mick...now wanting to retire to do more photography.
Posted on: 26 June 2003 by Derek Wright
quote:
Everyone who owns a camera should read this
Last week I booked a 2 hour slot at the Ansel Adams Archive at the Center for Creative Photography in ASU in Tucson, we were able to select 6 folios to look at of aproximately 60 prints in all from a selection of about 30000 prints.
We then had two hours to look at them, enjoy them, discuss them with the archive guy (who had worked with Ansel Adams) etc - a most enjoyable experience.
If you are passing thru Tucson it is a very worthwhile experience.
Also on the same trip we visited the Andrew Smiths Gallery in Santa Fe where they had a several original AAs on view starting at about $18000 (which helped to put a price on what we saw at the AA Archive)
Derek
<<Have you checked your PTs today>>
Posted on: 26 June 2003 by Derek Wright
Mark - re your proof viewing process.
I have at a couple of friends/relations weddings taken along my laptop and printer along with my toy digital camera and produced mounted A4 prints of the "happy couple" for the guests to sign during the reception.
Tends to impress the happy couple and a few of the non technologically aware guests - however it tends not to impress the pro....
a case of crap immediately is more impressive than perfection in a weeks time <g>
Derek
<<Have you checked your PTs today>>
Posted on: 26 June 2003 by matthewr
"Shouldn't a known fault be covered by the manufacturer?"
Yes but not if you bought it secondhand. The original owner should have taken it back and would have got a brand new one free. Instead he had some kind of bodge repair done and sold it on and it started to fall apart in my possession.
This is all partly supposition. I was talking about it to a dealer in St James' (Robert Kaplan) who is very knowledgeable and has great mint s/h stock but is incredibly expensive.
"Take the Nikon. It's smart to have a back-up and you might need to use TTL flash, something Nikon's pretty good at"
Flash is the obvious point although I suspect I will only be taking pictures during the day and getting drunk in the evening.
ejt said "assuming your brother is going to have a professional to cover the wedding, I suggest that you just relax and enjoy the event"
I have done "social reportage" type photographs of two weddings (one family one friends) and now get asked to do the same by other people. I seem to have made a rod for my own back and have three to do this Summer. To be honest though taking pictures is more enjoyable than strained conversations with obscure relatives I've not seen for 10 years.
There will be someone doing the formal pictures.
"I'm not sure about the new Tri-X but the old one, when developed in Rodinal, was pleasantly grainy"
IIRC New Tri-X is to al lintents and purposes identical but works better in a wider range of chemistrys including the new TMAX ones that most labs use for kodak films
Matthew
Posted on: 26 June 2003 by Roy T
Matthew,
That rather good b&w photograph you posted yeaterday was it taken inside Leadenhall Market in the City of London by any chance?
Roy
Posted on: 26 June 2003 by matthewr
Roy -- Its some arcade of Old Bond St. Mayfair. There are quite a few of them around there (Burlington Arcade next to the Royal Acadmey for example) and the ones in the city are very similar so probabyl contemporary.
Matthew
Posted on: 26 June 2003 by Ian Hughes
Mick,
I know of Brian Bower's work well. The courses to which I alluded, are run at these residential centres.
Most of the guest photographers are as well known in their fields as Brian is in his. The advantage being that you can listen to the lectures in the morning, go out and put into practise in the afternoon, have supper and develop the film and see the results in the evening ready to critique and learn.
Web sites enclosed if you're interested
http://www.duckspool.com/http://www.inversnaidphoto.com/Just a thought
Posted on: 07 February 2004 by rohit
thismay be of interest to some of you.
Posted on: 07 February 2004 by Martin D
Derek
FYI I emailed the gallery re:
Ansel Adams
Moonrise over Hernandez, NM
October 31, 1941
16 x 20"
It was printed by AA himself in the 70's and it was $40,000 - incredible.
Martin
Posted on: 08 February 2004 by Derek Wright
Martin - if you get a chance to visit Santa Fe - make sure you get to Andrew Smith's gallery a great experience
I have bought two prints from AS but not by Ansel Adams but by Jody Forster who worked with/for AA. I have the second print and fourth print in the JF display at the AS web site, Shiprock and Monument Valley. Both are very impressive. If I get back to Santa Fe I would like to buy the first print in the display of the Superstition Mountains -
Browsing through the prints is a great experience.
Derek
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