RNC 2008 - pre-opening ceremony protests (all with Leica M8)

Gabriel M.A. · Sep 2, 2008

jan normandale said:
I like this one for the ambiguity of the shot. Is the man a protesting soldier, or is this an official of some sort holding a confiscated sign?

Gabriel, wonderful set you've put up. I'd be interested to see the 15mm if you used it.

He actually was protesting; very quiet (given the context). I couldn't get a clear shot --well, the one that I really wanted-- for he was tightly surrounded a bit by other people.

I haven't processed any of the 15mm Heliar shots; if I find the time, I'll do that today. If I were getting paid for this, I could justify the time I've spent on these so far, but I gotta listen to my real boss, if ya know whattamean! 😉

Thanks, Jan.

Gabriel M.A. · Sep 2, 2008

Rafael said:
There are some really great photographs here Gabriel. As always, I love your use of colour.

Thanks, Marc. A few B&W are coming soon 😱

Gabriel M.A. · Sep 2, 2008

Eric T said:
Gabriel,
Excellent work. I am not in St. Paul but I suspect your photos do a better job of capturing the true mood of events there than all of the news outlets combined.
Well done - you show how a good photographer can make excellent social commentary.
Thank you for sharing!
Eric

Well, thank you very much for that comment. I did notice that my first photos were a bit too "upbeat". I guess the mood was a "nice" one, as far as protests go. I heard that it went downhill for a while later, but then went "back to normal". Obviously, the media is concentrating on only one aspect. Can't overload people's focus off of the two topics being covered 24 hrs with "details" and "information". All drive-thru empty calorie headlines, I'm afraid :angel:

yanidel · Sep 2, 2008

Gabriel M.A. said:
Hi yanidel: yes, I was actually in that area (1/2000 - 1/8000) a lot of the time. I actually had to stop down to f/2.8; in the beginning, a few frames were getting "blown". All at ISO 160.

This is why I don't understand those who say that anything faster than 1/1000 sec. is "a waste". I like to shoot wide open, and stop down only when necessary (too bright and/or really get that DOF spread). Thanks!

damn, you have reactivated my Gas for the M8. This is my main issue with the RD1; the difficulty to blur wide open during a sunny day. At 1/2000 the largest aperture you can use without blowing is F4 to F5.6. So unless you are very close, difficult to have that blur of the background like some of your pictures.
And opposite to a comment above, I think that the DOF/blur capability is essential. It is another tool/dimension for the photographer to express itself by isolating planes. IMO, it reinforces the message/emotions one wants to convey (if any). And your pictures are a good example of that.
I must admit that I am impressed by the IQ; your set is definitely a tribute to the M8 and summicron. Well, I'll still wait for Photokina to see what is coming up...

Gabriel M.A. · Sep 2, 2008

Bob Michaels said:
Unfortunate that you list your location on you information as simply "here". Knowing where you were from would help me comprehend your perspective on the events.

I'm in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul), Minnesota. mah bad

Gabriel M.A. · Sep 2, 2008