The decisive moment with the Leica M3

[bob338]

that watermark looks ridiculous, i don't even see the picture because of it. no one is going to steal your picture and make a profit from it, i can guarantee it.

bob

The first thing i do when I ever get a new camera/lens is shot some photo's around the house to get to know my gear before I go out in the field. This approach has led me to a familiarity with equipment that shortens my learning curve. So when I got my lecai M3 and my Noctilux 50 1.0 about a month later my family and friends are fair game.

When I think of desivve moment I also think in terms of plane of focus and the moment i release the shutter when Im at a moment of stillness. For one reason or another my hands tremble and Im only able to maintain very brief time in which the camera is still enough to take advantage using slower shutter speeds.


This picture of my Son and a display in a mall is a good example of me shooting at a moment of stillness between my tremors.
Taken with a M3 and a noctilux at 1/60 at f1.0



this shot was taken with a M6 and a 21 Super Angulon

 

[JoeV]

Nice images by the OP.

As for the watermark, check out Magnum Photo's method of watermarking; they use five (yes, five) watermarks on each image, but they're transparent and don't detract too badly from the the gist of the image itself.

/Joe/

 

[kknox]

Hi Greg, great shots glad to see you put the M3 to good use. It will not be your last M camera. you are hooked.

 

[raid]

Water marks are plain ugly and distracting. Please consider posting images at RFF without such water marks.

Thanks.

 

[johannielscom]

Nice images by the OP.

As for the watermark, check out Magnum Photo's method of watermarking; they use five (yes, five) watermarks on each image, but they're transparent and don't detract too badly from the the gist of the image itself.

/Joe/

The exact reason I never look at Magnum shots.

 

[Spider67]

There is something in your second photograph it's touching but it would be more so if there was more of a personal battachment between you and the subjects. You may have seen countless photographs that inspired you (as have I) but in many cases we don't know the back story meaning how close the photographer was to the subject . The pic looks as if it' taken out of a whole series of pictures showing the way these to people spend their time together. And somehow your pic looks as if it's torn right out of the middle.

 

[Instantclassic]

http://www.fotosidan.se/gallery/viewlarge.htm?ID=1361600&target=_blank

I do hope NikkorAIS abides to the RFF unwritten praxis...

 

[Keith]

This is why the SLR is superior IMO. As you take the shot the mirror flips up obscuring your view and you are left wondering if you did actually take a photograph at all.

Ah ... but then you get to develop your film and look nervously through your contact sheet or proof scan to confirm that you are actually a photographer's arse and no HCB after all.

Those damned rangefinders remove all that excitement and anticipation ... a bit like getting all your Xmas presents unwrapped ... where's the fun in that?

 

[Jaans]

I am firmly starting to believe that this whole thread is a carefully orchestrated joke by the OP as there hasn't been one reply on his part to the constant references by other members on the use of the watermark.

Instead there are vague allusions to that holy of holies catch phrase for all street photographers around the world - yes, the 'decisive moment'. This phrase has almost become like a secret password that rapidly elevates ones status in a photog conversation among any ready listeners.

Also, moving from a Canon Powershot to a Leica M3 with Noctilux - this would have to epitomise the most rapid of transitions from a soft core photog to hardcore Leicaphile. It would almost be possible to garner the role of president in the local district photography club with such a figurative metamorphosis.

Furthermore, whispering the decisive moment phrase and placing it in the same context or proximity of your own posted photograph is guaranteed to generate heated debate and places one in the perilious nether region of a youtube, cum HCB/Magnum photography forum groupie. This action is vaguely reminiscent of those comments left by flickr members who describe HCB's man jumping the puddle photograph as 'sick' and 'an excellent shot'.

Unfortunately the difference being that most members here have heard that 'decisive moment' expression a thousand times before, hence the audacity to enforce the decisive moment with blue watermarks on us is brazen to say the least. So, this thread has all of the vague hallmarks of either a joke or the OP is testing our intellect to see if we will rise above the flickr masses with our respective comments.

Just got me wondering, when will the OP capture the suggested RFF decisive moment and erase that Matisse splash of blue from his sepia toned photograph?

I'm not sure how that cat feels being propelled to the realm of gods up there in the heavens mixing it with HCB and all of his decisive moment converts, but I for one am starting to feel damn giddy from this whole exercise.

 

[inzite]

imo the watermark on ur images are really distracting cuz its just really ugly (from an artistic visual pleasing point of view) almost feels like u just write that text over the photo in ms paint. watermarking an image is fine if u do it nicely.

 

[smiling gecko]

distracting beyond words

distracting beyond words

yup, the "banner" watermark is visually jarring and distracting and overwhelming.

i cannot really "see" your images for the "smoke screen" of text. 🙁

i'm delighted you are so happy with your m3 kit. having the "right camera" can really fire up the creative juices...😀

however, i did capture some "decisive moments" at different times with anything from a canon pellix, canon rt, oly xa or any nikon or canon or___ with the proverbial "soft release button".

ultimately, the capture of the "decisive moment" is the result of the anticipation and awareness (and sometimes, pure dumb luck) of the photographer. 🙂

i think your image of the disabled man (or woman) is an intrusion on their privacy. the "privacy" issue has been beat to the ground here and elsewhere...and most jurisdictions hold the right to reasonable privacy ends when one steps out of their home. so, i guess we are all fair game away from hearth and home. 😱

with that said, i think a more conservative definition should apply to disabled individuals for simple compassionate reasons. as it is, your one image feels intrusive and opportunistic. if you were to create a photo essay of related images (with consent of that person's family) it would have some significance as part of a story. i have to remind myself, there are some photographic opportunities that are better left as images recorded in my consciousness and not on film.

oh, yeah...welcome aboard. 🙂

breathe, relax and enjoy. pax et bonum.

happy trails,
kenneth

 

[TennesseJones]

The Original thread and it's continuation is simply satire. Cats and sheep and tremors!
Like a Borat infiltration, but for the german camera enthusiast community...

 

[smiling gecko]

aarrgghhhh!!

aarrgghhhh!!

aarrgghhhh!!

mebbe so...hook, line and sinker. 😱

breathe, relax and enjoy....anyway!!

happy trails,
keneth

 

[bene]

Well spoken.My view is Pictures with artistic merit is ok if not it is just voyeurism.
Especially long lens shots of pretty people (without consent) converted to BW so it looks "arty". But I'm still doing it sometimes =p

 

[Nikkor AIS]

Taken with M3 and Noctilux on XP2 1/60 F 1.0

Again thanks for all the reponses. Im not sure about the rest of you, I laughed so hard on several of the reponses that I nearly spit coffee all over my key board. Again, sorry about the water mark, Im in the process of changing it to somthing less offensive to the eye. In the last two days Iv shot nearly a dozen rollds of film for personal work and will be posting several new images in this thread. Thanks to all those that welcomed me to this forum and I hope to make some meanfull contribuions in the near future.


Gregory

 

[Spleenrippa]

I think the joke is on us. Enough already.

Yeah, stop feeding the troll.

 

[matt335]

think i'd rather be out walking with my camera

 

[coelacanth]

Assuming Greg isn't just trolling:

From what he's written earlier, maybe he is not good at computer/image editing and such so his family member is editing the photo and watermark for him. You don't have to be technically minded to contribute to the forum.

That said, after all these comments and advice against this plain crazy (excuse me) watermarking, just posting more and more photos with the same watermark is rather insulting to the RFF members. Greg, don't know if you have realized this or not, but this watermark is really really really bad. Saying you are gonna change the watermark while posting these images won't help. I hope you are not a troll. No one here is laughing at you or making fun of you. Most people here are sincerely concerning that you are ruining your own work by your the watermarks and action (of just keep posting images with WM) and trying to give you advice.

If you are not trolling, I really think you should stop posting images until you figure out a way to fix watermark.

And if you are trolling, well, I'm just sorry then.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Good photos but that watermark is almost an insult to us

What parallel universe is this?

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

This is why the SLR is superior IMO. As you take the shot the mirror flips up obscuring your view and you are left wondering if you did actually take a photograph at all.

LOL.


Even more when there's a photographer taking a well-known Nikkor 55mm f/1.2 lens and passing it off as a "Leica" only to prove to the world that the Emperor has no clothes. The irony of it all is that only a few can see that the Emperor is in fact a Duchess. 😉