A Developing Idea XI

Herself told me on the phone that my scanner has arrived, so I can get it when I'm home next week. I'll be at least a week catching up on the backlog of films I've got developed, hanging up as negs, and no doubt collecting the ubiquitous Libyan dust the while... And then I can go out and really start taking photos. I was out tonight with the camera, and asked two old lads if I could take their photo. One of them looked pleased, the other said no. Which was disappointing: most Libyans love getting their photos taken.

This takes us to the crux of the whole business. Taking photos of strangers in the street is what I'm aspiring to. And as I nursed my feelings of embarrassment and rejection after this old timer's finger-shaking "la", I realised that I'm going to have to put on an extra skin, thick like a diving suit; a street-photographer's skin.

I should also have a light meter waiting at home. I read this Flickr thread with interest just now (apologies if you can't read it - I don't know if that group's threads are public - but you could join and have a shufty), and downloaded the paper light meter here. I particularly liked what Life on Film said about shooting with and old fully manual rangefinder sans meter.

Comments

  1. DonMon Jun 02, 01:56:00 am BST

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  2. DonMon Jun 02, 01:57:00 am BST

    I've been struggling/learning shooting w/o a light meter using the sunny 16 method.

    The problem I am facing is that I have to many variables figuring into the sunny 16 formula.

    I am shooting an old Contaflex that I don't fully understand plus some new film and throw in autos moving at a high rate of speed ...

    I'm thinking of breaking down and getting a light meter, I think I also need a manual for the Contaflex.

    ReplyDelete

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