I wish that I could explain composition like this. Listen close to what he is saying.
Joel Meyerowitz - What you put in the frame.
Black and White Viewing Filter
Back in the day you were a real photography geek if you had a B&W viewing filter. What it does is simulate a scene as if it were taken with black and white film. It is not just a neutral density filter. The filter alters the contrast so that you can visualize the scene in B&W. They come in gray and a yellow, similar to a K2 black and white filter. Today with digital you can just take a photo and have the preview simulate B&W. The purpose of the filter is to train your eye to better visualize a scene and determine what will work at what will not work. You could shoot everything and delete later but this filter helps you grow as an artist. Do you have to use this filter? You certainly do not but it is worth a try to see if it helps.
Viewing Filter
Leica M6 Grip
This is the grip for the Leica M6. It is part #14405. It adds a nice finger hold without adding much to the size or the weight of the camera. A small chrome key folds out on the bottom of the grip for attachment to the camera. It folds back flat for use. I purchased mine new for about $100 and thought that it was a bargain at the time. It really has a nice firm feel when attached to the camera and the baseplate can still be removed with the grip attached. If you like to carry the camera with the strap around your wrist the Leica grip gives you a little more feeling of security.
Leica M3 1959
Leica advertisement from 1959
Leica M3
Leica M3 1958
Advertisement in Modern Photography October 1958.
Leica M3
Great Ralph Gibson interview
To get you ready for his show at Leica Gallery Los Angeles.
Although he started his career apprenticing with photographic icons Dorothea Lange and Robert Frank, Ralph Gibson ultimately chose to make his mark by taking pictures of simple things. In 1970 he self-published his first book The Somnambulist and founded Lustrum Press. He has since published numerous books and has exhibited in the world's leading galleries and museums. Recognized the world over, Mr. Gibson says he would still be taking pictures whether he had an audience or not.
Xrite Color IQ Test
How well do you really know color. Studies have shown that up to 10% of men are color blind. But even if you have normal recognition of colors doesn’t mean you see a color shift in your photos or know how to correct this shift. Knowing that cyan is the opposite of red has no correlation on the ability to correctly identify a cyan shift in a photo.
Most photographers that I have run into over the years feel that they have a natural ability to recognize color. They feel the ability comes with being a photographer. Back when I was in school for photography one of the assignments was to produce a color print of a test subject photographed under controlled lighting. A grey card and flesh tone dummy was part of the set-up. Once a perfect print was produced a ring around of various colors was then produced and mounted on foam board. Perfect print, then 3 cyan, 6 cyan, 9 cyan, 3 red, 6 red 9 red, out to 30 units change. This was done for all of the colors. Cyan, red, green, magenta, blue yellow. Twice a week we had tests where we were given prints and had to record our answer on the color correction need to correct the color. The prints started at a value of 20 units off and progressed to prints that were 2 units off. Some prints also had multiple colors such as magenta blue. The whole class took the tests until we all received a perfect score. I have shown the ring around poster to lots of photographers and most were unable to correctly identify the correct color. I find that we have gotten better since the profession has gone digital but I feel it is mostly the auto button in photoshop and lightroom.
Xrite Photo has done a real service to the industry with their easy to use and high quality calibration products. I recommend that everybody have one of their color products. To get correctly color balanced photos you have to have a properly calibrated monitor. Their is no reason to spend thousands on cameras and lenses and not spend at least a couple hundred on Xrite products. Using a calibrated monitor and calibrating your camera with a Color Checker Passport can save you so much time and money that they are wise investments. To say I just shoot gray cards and can see color shifts just doesn’t fly, color can be tricky to see sometimes, just let the device do the work for you.
Instead of reading camera reviews spend some time on the basics of color. Clients are getting more demanding everyday. Get your system calibrated. Now you will notice that color shift in the shadows. Your flesh tones in your portraits will look better. Xrite has a great tool at their website called The Color IQ test. Go take the test. It only takes a few minutes. Then go pick-up one of their products and you will have one less thing to worry about.
Xrite Color IQ test
Note: I have no affiliation with Xrite Photo. I just have really strong feelings about color.
Ralph Gibson at Leica Gallery Los Angeles
Legendary Leica photographer Ralph Gibson will be the next photographer that will have his work presented at the Leica Gallery, Los Angeles. I have been a big fan of Mr. Gibson's work for about 30 years now and I highly recommend attending the showing of his work with the latest Leica Monochrom camera. He has been using Leica cameras for 50 years. I definitely plan on attending and hope I get to say a word or two to this fabulous artist.
Ralph Gibson Nude,Lamp
Ralph Gibson
MONO
__________
Saturday, September, 13th - Sunday, October 25th
Artist Talk,
Book Signing and Artist Reception
Sunday, September 28th 2 -5pm*
The Leica Gallery Los Angeles presents for the first time in the United States photographer Ralph Gibson's newest body of work MONO shot exclusively with the M Monochrom Camera. This very elegant new exhibition of 50 black and white digital prints focuses on structures, elegant shapes and lines. He will also be signing his new book MONO at the gallery along with giving a talk on his artwork on Sunday, September 28, 2014.
Ralph Gibson's new book "MONO," which features images taken with the Leica M Monochrom, was released on December 11, 2013 at the Leica Store Lisse. His accompanied body of work was taken with the Monochrom Camera by Leica to commemorate the launch of the "Ralph Gibson" signature edition MONO camera this past year. It was produced in partnership with Leica Camera and gallerist Duncan Meeder of the Netherlands.
"The images in this book are made with an eye to the idea that with the MONO, it is possible to photograph everything."
Ralph Gibson was born in Los Angeles and first studied photography in the US Navy and at the San Francisco Art Institute. He started assisting famed photographers Dorothea Lange and then with Robert Frank, one of his greatest influences. He is well known for his love of the book arts and producing photo books. To date he has produced over 40 monographs. Ralph was hired by Bottega Veneta to photograph supermodels in Milan, Italy for their Fall 2013 ad campaign.
His other publications include Passé Imparfait, Nudes, Quartet, State of the Axe, Diptych and Ex Libris just to name a few. Ralph Gibson photographs are held in a very large number of public collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MOMA, LACMA, the J.P. Getty Museum, SF MOMA, The Museum Fine Arts Boston, High Museum, Atlanta, Dallas Museum of Art, TX, Israel Museum, Tel Aviv and dozens more collections in Paris, Tokyo, London and throughout the world. This year, Gibson is exhibiting in museum shows in both Korea and Italy, and has recently exhibited at Leica Gallery in Solms, Germany and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and Gallery 916, Tokyo, Japan.
Photokina Rumor: Leica T
I expect another lens to be announced but not shipping at Photokina this month. Look for a 50mm equilivant of the Leica M 50mm APO for the Leica T. Leica is working on a lens for the Leica T that will be equal to the 50mm APO lens. Equal in sharpness and color rendition. It will not be cheap but no one would expect such a lens to have a bargain price. Oh, and they are working for a maximum aperture of 1.0.
Leica T
Leca M6 little drum player
This little girl was great.
Leica M6 and 50mm 2.0
This image was taken during the opening of Nisei week in Los Angeles. She played her heart out and stole the show. Another example of one camera, one lens. You know the type of photo that you want to come back with it is just a matter of finding the correct composition. Leica M6 with the Winder M.