Alex Webb shooting in Korea

malland said:
Hhhmm, there is no "V.4." marking on the v4 lens, nor have I ever seen any version indication on any Leica lens.

On the video camera on top on his M9, I was wondering what that was.

—Mitch/Chiang Mai
Tristes Tropiques [Direct download link for 46 MB PDF file]
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I just meant that I thought that the wording "Leitz Lens Made in Canada" was unique to that version. Someone on the RFF had said so in a post awhile back.
Yeah, I think that was one of those GoPro cameras.
 
Pablito said:
IMO, Webb is the least interesting thing in these videos...
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That's a very facile thing to say, considering that in these two videos Webb is communicating at a superficial level, through an interpreter, with some of the subjects in the markets. I have seen interviews with him in which he certainly is an interesting person — and his photography is very interesting.

—Mitch/Chiang Mai
Tristes Tropiques [Direct download link for 46 MB PDF file]
 
Watched both the videos and found the information about Korea and its people more fascinating than Webbs photography. Based on the shots shown I thought they were pretty poor. Maybe he has better work elsewhere but this failed to impress me. That said, he's a professional and makes money from it, so what am I doing wrong?

Paul
 
The thing in the hot shoe looks like an auxiliary finder, and could be anything from 21 to 35, although I am not sure there's a black SBLOO. I didn't notice him use it once. Light meter for incident reading, fair enough given the difficult variations in light in that market. Very patient, establishes rapport. Sees something in the most unpromising of settings. That shot they featured with the silhouetted figure centre, the embrace on the right, and the red on the left: that's a killer.
 
most superstar amateurs who use sunny 16 must be surprised that a master uses a light meter, almost constantly... not even the camera meter
 
I don't know why he needed the meter. It was cloudy bright. And IMHO an incident reading should be taken at the subject with dome facing toward camera position. But maybe with digital he changes his ISO so often that it's easier to just take a reading than do a mental computation. Whatever makes him happy. I like my Pentax Digital spot -- now THAT'S a meter!
 
NY_Dan said:
I don't know why he needed the meter. It was cloudy bright. And IMHO an incident reading should be taken at the subject with dome facing toward camera position. But maybe with digital he changes his ISO so often that it's easier to just take a reading than do a mental computation. Whatever makes him happy. I like my Pentax Digital spot -- now THAT'S a meter!
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awesome dude, you know what you're talking about
 
malland said:
On the video camera on top on his M9, I was wondering what that was.

—Mitch/Chiang Mai
Tristes Tropiques [Direct download link for 46 MB PDF file]
Click to expand...

It looks like a GoPro. There are a few POV videos from photographers who mount it on their hotshoe and recording video while they shoot. Eric Kim had one, if I recall and I just saw video from a sports photographer who had one mounted on his over the course of a season (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raGH-TlkLU4). It can give you an interesting perspective on how a photograph is made
 
Always interesting and inspiring for me to see another photographer work. However, while several times during the video I wished it was me going around with my camera there, I barely thought "I wish that shot was mine". These videos have the same effect on me as studying the contact sheets of highly reputed photographers: they prove that the memorable shot is a rarity for big names too, and the only way to have a few great shots a year is to take many thousands.
 
the blatant fact here is that the dude shooting the video footage of these documentaries is the real visual star of this series

the video totally out stages even the best photographers. videographer's framing, angles and closeness to the subject is perfect

btw, south korean films are some of the most innovative and visually interesting compared to anything from hollywood, so the true smarts here is using famous photographers from the west symbolically in order to get camera-tourists from the west to come to south korea
 
My second photo studio from 1983 to 1984 was at 2 West 32nd St in NYC. It was right before it became "Korea town." I frequently visit the Korean dumpling and other stuff restaurant at the same address -- street level. The food is very good. And the Korean people I've met are intelligent and friendly. So, like many others I viewed the footage of Alex Webb and tried to see if it was someplace I'd like to visit. I don't know about the market. The cattle auction looked more interesting. For me, I think I'd want to go to a crowded urban area for photos. People have brought up Moriyama. I like the videos of him in Shinjuku, which he classically refers to as a stadium of sin -- for me this looks like a more fertile photography destination than the market Webb visited. I will say, Webb is good with resolving very complex compositions -- the one with the orange traffic cones was for me, brilliant. As for films -- Hollywood runs the gamut -- blockbusters which from cinematographer perspective appreciate less, to Coen Brothers , indies, and many others, especially 30-60's that are some of the best ever.
 
so it is safe to use a vivitar 283 on the M9?

great videos btw, enjoyed watching both and will watch the ones with DAH afterwards
 
I enjoyed the videos very much even though I thought they could've been better in terms of content and discussion with Alex Webb. Still, I enjoyed seeing how Webb, one of my favorite photographers, goes about shooting and some of the things he had to say. As for the quality of the photos, that is just the nature of the type of photography he does. If folks were expecting to see lots of amazing photos or even one amazing photo, they are underestimating the amount of effort, persistence, and chance involved in getting the types of photos Webb is famous for.
 
I was able to watch all the episodes of this series, but I was particularly surprised with Alex Webb's episodes (Ep 03 and 04).


Why did Alex Webb had to carry that bulky backpack and an over-sized vest when all he had to use were two Leica Ms? What was in his backpack and in his vest pockets?

I also found Alex's philosophizing and comments about photography laughable, more so because he did not even get a single image which was any good or interesting, in fact he should have used a 28mm in the market and those tight alleyways, and even a 24 or 21 indoors but then again his the 35mm warrior of photography's past.

I highly recommend this series, there are 20 episodes and in my opinion the best ones are with Chris Steele Perkins.
 
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