15mm Suiper Wide Helliar: How many of you shoot from the hip :No Viewfinder use?

eleskin

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How many of you do street photography with this lens and shoot at the hip, or any other position without looking through the viewfinder?
This is open to anyone who uses this lens, on any camera (Voigtlander, M8,M6,etc,,,,). I am finding this method to be very addictive in that I am realizing what my brain is used to seeing through the viewfinder may not be my true instinct, and may not create the most interesting results. One thing though. I am amazed as to how accurate my framing and compolsition are with this method, and how natural the photos look. I have been taking photos since the 1980's, and am a professional with a MFA degree from Pratt Institute. I remember what my prof there (Phiil Perkis) used to say. He said "at some point, you will not have to look through the camera, only hold it just below your eye and take the shot. You will not even think about it" and "look at what you are photographing, and turn around and snap, what is in back of you may be more interesting than what you are looking at".

When we get older, we get set in our ways, and sometimes the camera prevents us from seeing what we really want. This 15mm Super Wide Heliar if used like what I have described, Is really a breath of really fresh air to me. I will post some PICS later today when my memory card fills up.
 
I do that a lot. and I love it. I did it with the 21mm while in barcelona too. I even do it with 35 and 50mm and I totlly agree about the possibility of nicely framing a shot without even looking, as long as you know what you're doing.

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Yes, I do that as well with my CV 15mm. My M8 behaves as a point and shoot camera. I don't need to focus and I don't need to frame it so carefully. I just set it at 1 or 2m on the distance scale, any f stop I want, and start shooting from the hip. It is great fun. I am beginning to do the same (but with more care) with the 24mm CV.
 
Yup! Yes indeed! I usually shoot the 15 that way, sometimes holding the camera off to the side, other times high up over my head. I have framelines for all the lenses I use etched in my brain at this point. I know what'll be in the frame. I can operated the Bessa L one handed with either hand and usually get a decently sharp 1/4 second exposure.

The focus stays set at one meter.

A few years ago I discovered that I could turn the camera so it includes me in the frame. That's been a lot of fun!

http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com
 
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