cheers, frank
"The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it is true." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
From: Shel Belinkoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: PDML <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: My first photography lessons Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2003 18:37:00 -0800
In the early summer of 1968 I purchased a Spotmatic with a 50mm 1.4 Super Takumar lens. Upon purchasing the camera I went out and started taking pictures, not knowing at all what I was doing. I'd just point, line up the meter, shoot, and move on.
Soon after I joined a photography coop, and amongst the group was a guy named Ray Belcher. Ray was a real photographer. He worked at a lab in North Beach. His small format camera was 8x10, and he was rarely seen without it. He was the only "fl�neur" photographer I knew who worked with a view or field camera. He'd wander around San Francisco and, in the course of a day, bring back two, or perhaps four, photographs, while the rest of us were burning 35mm film at a rapid clip. Ray knew what he was doing when it came to photography, and we were all impressed by his dedication and skill. I'll never forget the first time I saw one of his 8x10 B&W negatives. I was impressed.
One day Ray looked at my negs and noted that my exposure was pretty bad. Inconsistent. He suggested I pay attention to the light, not the exposure meter, and showed me how to use a meter to make a reading off the palm of my hand and then open up a stop. He told me that a light meter was no substitute for understanding the light, understanding its nuances and subtleties. At the time I had no idea what he was describing, but I took his advice and just did what he said.
The next time I went out searching for photos, I took a reading off the palm of my hand and noted what it was. Then, crossing to the side of the street in shadow, I repeated the process. I then shot four rolls of Tri-X, never using the meter, but rather, using the previous readings made off the palm of my hand, like Ray instructed. And with each exposure I paid attention to the light. Had it changed? How had it changed? What should I do about it? Ray made me see the light, literally, and get to know it.
The negatives were processed that evening, and when they were dry I looked them over carefully. I was stunned by their consistency. I marveled at the detail in their shadows. I was overjoyed at being able to see eyes instead of black holes.
And so began my introduction to photography.
The next day I received my second lesson in photography. I showed Ray the great negatives, expecting a compliment or a kind word, but all he said was "Overexposed by a stop." This was my introduction to the vagaries of light meters, and my second lesson in understanding how light worked against form and substance. Ray showed me how to adjust the light readings on that Spottie, and later he showed me how to read a negative, determine over and under exposure, and ultimately how to use those exposure "errors" in my favor ... when to intentionally over expose, when to cut back on exposure.
And so, in the course of a week, and three or four brief meetings with Ray, a solid foundation for moving ahead with photography was laid. Why did I think of Ray today? I was about to photograph a building, and the ME Super was set to automatic, and as I was about to press the shutter release the realization quickly came to me that, to capture the scene as I saw it it, in that light, at that precise time of day from that spot, I had to discount the meter reading, and "over expose" by a stop and a half. Over exposure was the correct exposure.
Tomorrow I'm going to start teaching a friend about exposure. I'm going to start by teaching her that it's the light that's all important, not the meter readings. I'm going to show her the range of light in a scene, and how she can use that to help find the correct exposure. And then I'm going to remove the batteries from her camera.
Thanks, Ray, wherever you may be these days.
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