Leica "Magic Moments II"

[denishr]

I'm depressed....

Just like a friend of mine a few days ago, when he told me about this exhibition in Zagreb.

I mean, after seeing those prints, it's like the best you can do is to sell your gear and take on gardening or something 🙁

Anyway, it's not really often that I get a chance to see *real* B&W prints, let alone the prints of the masters...
It was all like "oooooh....." "aaaaaahhh...." "look at this one!....." and so on.

It's one thing to look at reproductions in books, but seeing those famous photos *for real* is something entirely different...

I took my M2 with me and took a couple of shots - maybe I'll post one or two when I get to developing and scanning them.
After seeing the exhibition and handling my M2 for a (short 🙂) while, there was some serious talk between two of my friends who went with me - about getting a Leica themselves 😉

We all agreed that you can't really beat good Leitz glass. One of my friends who went with me to the show is a semi-pro, has a Hassy and all kinds of other gear - and even he begun thinking about it!
I've shown them some of my latest prints, and it was generally agreed that, yes, the Leitz stuff is *very* expensive, but it sure does deliver!

So, do I sell everything and take on gardening, or what? I mean, I don't think I'll ever do something even remotely close to the photos I've seen yesterday....

Depressing... Realizing your own limitations.

Denis

 

[Peter]

The question is, do we really need to do something exceptionally well to enjoy it? Is the end more important than the means?

 

[taffer]

Denis, I've had the same feeling sometimes and Peter has the key, enjoy, have fun and share it 🙂

If it makes you happy, then it's good for you bro' ! 😀

 

[denishr]

Well, my question above wasn't really serious.
I mean, if anyone would take away my camera or told me that I am not to meddle in photography any more , I'd be *SERIOUSLY* depressed, to say the least!!!
But, still... The great photos and great masters are an inspiration.
I guess that as long as you are not consciously trying to imitate or "copy" others (thinking that you'll achieve greatness yourself by being as close as possible), you're OK - provided you're enjoying yourself.
Given the amount of photos that I produce per year, I KNOW that I can't even come close to any of them, apart from a lucky shot or two.
But, that doesn't stop me, anyway.
I guess I'm still trying to find my "vision" - and I must admit that looking at great photos is a lot more inspiring in this regard than discussing gear 🙂

It's just that I have to get a shock like this every once in a while to realize that it's not about the gear, but the vision. Well, now that I have some serious gear, that is 🙂
So, I have to constantly remind myself to "look at the world through the viewfinder" - i.e. see potential photos around me all the time.

 

[rover]

The question is, do we really need to do something exceptionally well to enjoy it? Is the end more important than the means?

I think this explains what is in my gallery very well.

 

[RML]

In the face of adversity the men are seperated from the boys. Are you a boy?! 🙂

Don't let those socalled pro's get to you. Your biggest advatage is that you can do whatever you want. No need to work for a customer, no time or budget pressures, no desperate need to come up with the goods, etc. You should feel so lucky. 🙂

 

[peter_n]

So, I have to constantly remind myself to "look at the world through the viewfinder" - i.e. see potential photos around me all the time.

Absolutely denishr, that is the key. And I think the end is more important than the means, and you don't need Leica glass to take a great picture either...

Many people are perfectly happy with technically good photos that are fairly unremarkable in visual terms, and why not? Some aspire to producing visually arresting compositions and that is a great goal too. If you're in that category, think about HCB.

HCB worked incredibly hard and took many millions of photographs, most of which none of us will ever see. The comparative few that we see are of course, brilliant. HCB happened to be a Leica user, but the key was his visual sensibility that enabled him to anticipate the events that might unfold in front of him, get in a position to take advantage, then compose and shoot. The Leica was an advantage because he could see context outside the frameline in the viewfinder. (Let's face it, no-one talks too much about the sharpness of HCB's pictures do they?) As you point out, it's about the vision, and I believe you can train yourself to have a seeing eye.

But we needn't go to an exhibition. I'm very impressed by some of the pictures I have seen on this forum. Escape by graksi is one of the best pictures I have seen anywhere. It's stunning. I agree with you that you learn enormously by viewing such masterpieces, and not get depressed but be inspired, as you have been. So let's go out and shoot! 🙂

 

[Oldprof]

Fine printmaking is an art and skill that goes beyond taking fine photographs. You might be surprised how wonderful some of your pictures would look if they were enlarged, printed, and matted by a master. Most amateur photographers simply don't go to the trouble of building up a portfolio of exhibition quality prints. But they might have stored away negatives and transparencies that could produce a stunning exhibition if the time and effort were invested.

 

[Doug]

Denis, that is a good lesson to learn I think. We can try to express our own vision of things in our own way, at our own ability. Undeterred by the achievements of others!

But it sure doesn't hurt to "copy" something we admire just to learn the techniques involved. After all, in learning oil painting, for instance, students study the brushstrokes of the masters by trying to duplicate them.

 

[back alley]

denis, you sound like i felt when i wrote my 'ramble' post awhile back.

if we were to give serious thought to it i believe most of us would put our cameras down for good.
really, haven't all the great photos already been taken, at least most of them?
but we have a need to create all on our own even if it's been done before.

i have few, if any, great photos. but i have a few that many people like. for now that's enough for me.

joe

 

[FrankS]

I hate to rain on the Leica parade, but I believe that I read that it was HCB who used Contax Zeiss lenses modified to fit on his Leica!

 

[hoppinghippos]

There are professional photographers and there are professional printers, what you saw on display has passed thru 2 professionals' hands. It wasn't only the vision of the photographer that went into the image but the vision of the printer as well, so take heart! It's like building a house, on one hand there's the architect who designs the whole thing on paper, but there's also the builder who really builds the whole house brick by brick. At the end of it all, you say nice house, great design and well built! So here it's great vision and well printed!