Daily Inspiration #383 by Luiz Paulo Furia

December 31, 2012 Daily Inspiration 39

Hi Steve.

I’d like to really thank you. Your site is one of my daily inspirations. Through your site I could find friendly reviews of the best photo system I know so far — Leica M. Through your site I could meet the also friendly and regardful Ken Hansen. He’d made my day when he offered my future summilux 50 and M9-P. If I may I’d like to share my main daily inspiration at the pictures below. Please see my site when you could get some time — I’m image retoucher: www.furia.com.br

Sorry my harsh english, I’m from Brazil.

Best,

Luiz Paulo

 

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39 Comments

  5. Luiz I have a quick technical question re RF focusing. In the last shot your daughter is focused to one side whilst having the flower/leaf put in her hair. Was this created from cropping or did you compoase the photo like this in camera. If so what technique do you apply when using a the centred focusing area to get focus on one side?

    Sorry to you (and any one else) if this a silly question, but curious to understand it a bit better.

    Thanks!

    • It’s a 50mm f1.4 (wide aperture) lens, so only the distance which is focused on will be sharp.

      Focus on the face, with the face in the centre of the viewfinder, then move the camera to the left. The face stays in focus, but other elements appear at the left side of the viewfinder and picture. They’re out-of-focus because they’re at a different distance: further away.

      This wasn’t shot with an autofocus camera; it’s manual focus. Squeezing the shutter button to take the picture doesn’t make the lens re-focus. You get what you want to focus on in the centre of the finder, adjust the lens into focus, then point the camera wherever you want, and the face – at whatever distance you focused on – remains in focus, while whatever’s at a different distance melts away into out-of-focus blur. That’s what the f1.4 aperture provides; a blurred background.

      • Thanks David. Thats great to know. I have not shot with a RF extensively (only tried one late last year) and if making the move as I will sometime this year good to learn a few things now! All makes sense.

        I guess you’d just have to watch changing angles and your distance to avoid missing focus.

        I have acquired the first half of the equation as much christmas present….a second hand 50mm summilux ASPH. It’s sitting, waiting patiently for the other half!

    • Hi Andy.

      I didn’t crop the picture you’ve mentioned and rarely I do. David explanation above is quite right. I’d add that rf focus is somehow hard while shooting moving objects at least until you get used to — you have to recompose quick in order to nail your subject.

  6. Luiz

    I am going to disagree with some of the comments above, at least for the fourth image in your series. I think this image would have better presented in color. As presented, the tonality of the dog matches the bushes so closely that the dog is lost in the background. Which is a shame since to me it looks like the two are together a lot. So if the dog is lost in the background part of the story is lost as well.

    PaulB

    • I agree, but only on the fourth image, where the dog was camouflaged with the background.

      Great job, Luiz. I try to get similar results by warming the white balance on monochrome shots.

    • Hi Paul.

      I agree with you. The little dog has evaporated and you’re right the two are very close. The little one is a problem while shooting — always too dark. Thanks for your kind advice.

      • Luiz

        You are welcome. Photographing kids and dogs is always a challenge, they usually don’t cooperate for very long. Which means no matter how much pre-planning you have done before the session you need to rely on having some luck for things to come together.

        Assuming you dog is mostly black, or a mix of darker grays. For this image try adding some green or yellow filtration into your post processing. This should lighten the similar tones in the plants making the dog stand out more; you are fortunate that you used digital for this image since with film the filter would need to be on the lens.

        PaulB

        PS. Enjoy making photos of your daughter while she will still let you. This time does not last long enough.

  7. Awesome pictures. Stunning clarity and sharpness. I hope you used your Leica gear to shoot those pictures.

  9. Hi Steve.

    Thanks for posting this past email. To be honest, I was surprised with the post as originally it was just a sincere “thanks” that I sent to you several months ago. However whether it can be a daily inspiration I’m truly happy — but as time runs I would say some pictures probably would be replaced.

    Either way I hope that “be the last of the year” could bring me lucky. 🙂

    Happy 2013!

  10. Wonderful B&W pics. Powerful combination of blur, sharpness and IQ.
    Damn you Leica and your out of reach M9 with Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH! LOL

  13. Like everyone else, I am struck by the power and beauty of your photographs.
    Your child is lovely and you successfully bring forth her beauty.
    What you have done is far more than just to the credit of the camera.

  18. Luis very nice. I have seen previous photos before and each time they grab my attention. You have a special little girl there.

    Composition wise I like 1 and 3 the best.

    One of my new year resolutions is move towards using a RF system. Apart from the CCD qualities of the M9 I am keen to challenge myself. These photos certainly inspire me more to do so.

    • Hi Andy.

      Thanks for your kind words. Hope you can move to the RF system. I’d say the RF system is a powerful tool as it forces the user to antecipate its pictures which improves the final results, imo.

  19. These photos just plain have me jazzed. They are great. I’m looking even more forward to the M-E I’ve just ordered. Can’t afford a Summilux but can’t wait to see how my 35mm Summicron does.

  22. Well HELLOW… 🙂 B/W images that dot look like so b/w…:) somehow they feel more old school to me which i liiiiiiiiiike a lot , (curse you LEICA why are you so good….and expensive!!! 🙂 and BTW the kid is beautiful an d shot were masterfully 😉 taken, GOOOOD , LIKE 🙂 😀 😉 😛

    • You can make these photographs with any modern camera. It’s not Leica that made them, a good photographer (and professional image editor) made them.

      • The title says “daily inspiration” and it shows. Great set, especially number 1 and number 6. I did not notice the dog in number 4 at first.

      • somehow agree but im a fan of DOF which is much better in FF sensors , so its not that Unexpected that i like LEICAs FF sensor Cameras But then again i can get a FF camera with Half the price of a Leica right?… the point is i used to shoot with old film cameras and i like the feel and look of them (though it been 5-6 dont know maybe more… years that i dont shoot with any camera) , So retro is my deal , which is exactly LEICA!!!??? and thats just about the camera , the lenses..whole another story , but yeah a good photographer can do it almost 70% of it with any camera , and about that image Editing thing , i actually dont like it i like those pics in a natural way not PP ed ………………and BTW am i gonna cry LEICA ?…….NAAAAAAA , ill stick to recent goodies like Nikon D600 for FF and sony NEX-6 for all rounder 😉 😀 😛 :)……………………….THANKS ROSA

      • Yes and no…..if a camera doesn’t engage you enough to want to take photos then you won’t get the same outcomes in terms of photos… in Luiz case he loves his Leica and loves photography with this. Technically speaking you are correct but there’s more to it than that…imo!

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