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Fun with the Leica M Monochrom

airfrogusmc

Well-known member
You mean when I referenced the name "Norman Rockwell" to the image everyone refers to as "HENRI"? Norman Rockwell" was a quintessential American illustrator for the Saturday evening Post. His illustrations depicted everyday people in typical everyday type situations that we're all seen in and settings that for many was the essence of everyday American life in the 40's, 50's and 60's Typical Americana as some have referred to it. Many times the illustration is a shown as a slight exaggeration of a person or seen that is all too familiar to most of us.

A google or other appropriate search will reveal a lot more.

The image posted here on Getdpi, shows a young girl in puffy dress wearing a equally puffy overcoat and we see her from behind in what appears to the/her everyday curiosity we often see in such situations. It's not only her mannerisms and stance but her clothes as described and I have often seen similar Norman Rockwell illustrations,with similar individuals where their clothes are not only depicted in a similar fashion, but a sort of similar situation. Hope that gives some idea of my reference and it's relationship to the image.

Now onto the Ashwin image I referenced by naming Renoir an obscure little known artist. Maybe some have heard of him.....LOL! :)

Dave (D&A)
Thanks Dave. Your words are very kind and I am humbled and honored to be in the same paragraph with those two artists :eek::eek:.

Speaking of Renoir I just watched a movie his son Jean "The Grand Illusion". Jean was an amazing film maker.
 

D&A

Well-known member
Well, shall I call this "Goose and a Crow" ? :)
Well I'm not sure what you should call it but while we're on the topic of animals, your privious image of the woman starring at the back of her Nikon camera could be entitled "Chimp-ing"....LOL!

Dave (D&A)
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Well I'm not sure what you should call it but while we're on the topic of animals, your privious image of the woman starring at the back of her Nikon camera could be entitled "Chimp-ing"....LOL!

Dave (D&A)
At least some do take their camera out even in freezing weather and make some snaps.

Thank you for your thoughtful suggestion, Dave! :)
 

D&A

Well-known member
Thanks Dave. Your words are very kind and I am humbled and honored to be in the same paragraph with those two artists :eek::eek:.

Speaking of Renoir I just watched a movie his son Jean "The Grand Illusion". Jean was an amazing film maker.
Wow, his son is a film maker? That's quite interesting, I didn't know that but believe I saw that film many years ago. Definitely worth another look. Guess artistic genes do run in a family.

I hope no one minds my expressing my own personal feeling about B&W imagery in general, some of which was derived from earlier training. If relates to the two images I just previously noted but if it's better to post elsewhere, please let me know.

What I find interesting about the B&W medium in general as opposed to color, is B&W is stripped bare of the color element which by it's vary nature can draw a viewer into an image...even though the subject matter may or may not hold interest or is well composed. For example, say a mundane building, brown or gray color building is photographed, it may say nothing and hold little interest.... but the same mundane building in pink may make a terrific photograph, especially if the building is a conservative run of the mill building that no one in a million years expects to see in "pink".

In contrast (no pun intended), although B&W images can often rely on tonality or texture, often times to be a successful image, it's content alone must be strong. It doesn't have color by which we're conditioned to see in everyday things, in order to draw the viewing into the image...so it 's content often has to be especially strong to be successful. Strong doesn't necessarily have to relate to drama or serious, it can be humorous, satirical or simply relate to a scene of everyday life for us to relate to...but it has to be strong in one or more of these categories in order not to loose the viewers interest.

(recent edit)-->Think of the movies in the silent era and the "missing element" and how it relates to B&W imagery. The reason the actors and actresses relied on exaggerated facial expressions and body language, was in order to replace/substitute the missing elements of sound and speech with which we ordinarily connect to in everyday life. If they didn't present these missing elements or did so in a very unconvincing way, that particular silent film probably wouldn't succeed and seen by many as boring. Sort of the same analogy could be applied to B&W imagery. By removing the color element, the focus now is on content and both how strong it is and the way it's presented.

Sometimes I'm bemused by those that simply turn their color images in to B&W or take B&W photo's and think by the very nature of the B&W medium, that it instantly turns the image into an artistic one. In my opinion and to the contrary, it often weakens it, as little or no thought is given as to why on many levels, the image to others might hold little or no interest, other than the color element has been removed. It therefore needs those elements by which I just mentioned to provide it the "lift" of creative content in order for it be a successful B&W to a wider range audience. This explanation is of course an oversimplification. I found both that image of Ashwin's as well as Allen's to strongly hold some of the key elements which make a successful and interesting B&W image...as have other B&W images posted in this monochrom thread.

Dave (D&A)
 
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V

Vivek

Guest
Dave, sometimes a picture is worth more than a few hundred thousand words to illustrate your points. I can not understand most of what you are saying. :eek:
 

D&A

Well-known member
Dave, sometimes a picture is worth more than a few hundred thousand words to illustrate your points. I can not understand most of what you are saying. :eek:
Neither can most people who know me well...LOL!

By the way, after you kindly responded to my post (above) I added a additional paragraph relating B&W imagery to the silent era of films and why without sound, how the actors etc. had to compensate for the missing element.

Dave (D&A)
 

D&A

Well-known member
Well I'm not sure what you should call it but while we're on the topic of animals, your privious image of the woman starring at the back of her Nikon camera could be entitled "Chimp-ing"....LOL!

Dave (D&A)
You know Vivek, after my posting regarding the image of yours of the woman "chimping:...I realized I was so focused on her chimping and your previous image on the animals...that there is even a stronger element in that image. You're right, that woman bundled up and is out taking pictures and braving the cold while the image on her shopping bag seems to be an picture of a lightly clothed woman enjoy what appears to be a warm and possibly sunny environment. Had you noticed this when taking your shot and if so...very cleaver! :clap:

Dave (D&A)
 

airfrogusmc

Well-known member
You know Vivek, after my posting regarding the image of yours of the woman "chimping:...I realized I was so focused on her chimping and your previous image on the animals...that there is even a stronger element in that image. You're right, that woman bundled up and is out taking pictures and braving the cold while the image on her shopping bag seems to be an picture of a lightly clothed woman enjoy what appears to be a warm and possibly sunny environment. Had you noticed this when taking your shot and if so...very cleaver! :clap:

Dave (D&A)
Yes and to me and in my opinion thats what great street work is about. Things like repeating shapes, leading lines, tone and interesting juxtapositions as in this case and when it shows up consistently in someones work as it did in say Bressons work it becomes a way of seeing.
 

Paratom

Well-known member
out of some images I took at the weekend with the MM this one wasnt the sharpest but I like it. MM with 50 Summicron.
 
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xdayv

New member
My first visit at the Leica Store, and the guy told me I can try some of their lenses. Instinctively I asked if they have the 28mm Summicron F2 ASPH.

My first encounter with the 28mm, hopefully not the last! And looking back, it was most likely a big mistake visiting the Leica Store... :D









 

segedi

Member
Thanks Lloyd!

The Monochrom has been a real pleasure to use. After all the initial examples and talk of flat files etc. I find that my photos are 95% to what I want straight out of the camera.
 
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