M8 and the "Wild Beasts of Botswana"

[Jamie Roberts]

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I love matrix metering on my DSLRs, especially when time is short. I do appreciate having the option to turn it off and use center-weighted or spot metering. But even with those options, I almost always use matrix metering. I feel that I know almost exactly what it will do.

 

 

Ok, I added the bold. And I see your point, but that's my point. What I need from my cameras and their metering is:

 

(I feel that) I know (almost) exactly what it will do

 

A subtle difference, but an important one.

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[zlatkob]

Hi Jamie,

 

I'm very comfortable with the DSLR evaluating the whole scene using matrix metering -- I feel that this mirrors the way that I think about a scene. Spot metering is certainly very accurate -- you always get 18% -- but in order to use it you always have to make a judgment about what exactly should be at 18%. The judgment about whether some part of a scene should be at 18%, or exactly how much it should deviate from 18%, is always subjective and thus subject to error. No?

 

I grew up with Ansel Adams' books and, if I have time to study a scene, I have a pretty good idea of where to place something on the zone system scale. However, I feel that I generally don't have the luxury of time to do that. Matrix metering gets me really close really fast. The M8's center-weighted metering is good enough, but I wouldn't object to matrix metering.

[Jamie Roberts]

Hi Jamie,

 

I'm very comfortable with the DSLR evaluating the whole scene using matrix metering -- I feel that this mirrors the way that I think about a scene. Spot metering is certainly very accurate -- you always get 18% -- but in order to use it you always have to make a judgment about what exactly should be at 18%. The judgment about whether some part of a scene should be at 18%, or exactly how much it should deviate from 18%, is always subjective and thus subject to error. No?

 

{snipped}.

 

Actually, no--it's not very subject to error

 

The way I use the reflective meter is to point it at the brightest part of the scene where I want to maintain detail and then manually overexpose by a measured amount (which doesn't vary--but might camera to camera, so I'm reluctant to say exactly how much that bit is for anyone else )

 

Suffice to say I checked the compensation against my external meters and my output workflow.

 

Anyway, that's it--that simple and easy-to-judge technique place "whites" (or "brights") (non-speculars) very close to the 240/240/240 RGB range when all is said and done, and that's where I want them

 

Of course there are times when I have to tweak--particularly when the lightest thing I want to meter is very dark, but in a given scene, when I don't have a lot of time, then I can just shoot. As long as the overall light hasn't changed I don't need to adjust exposure again.

 

I agree it's hard for most people to figure out 18% gray. But it's really not that hard to figure out the brightest thing in the scene where you want detail (brightest part of your subject) in a print.

 

FWIW--I also feel better if I miss a shot due to my own error, and not the auto meter's

[zlatkob]

I appreciate your reply. It's interesting how we all work differently. It would take me a good deal of practice to learn to work your way. I think that I would be very distracted and frustrated until I got the hang of it. I just don't think about the brightest thing where I want detail; that's too far removed to my way of thinking. Instead, I think about the overall brightness of the scene and how far I want it to deviate from middle gray. It's usually a very quick judgment. I also check the histogram now and then.

[Guest malland]

After recently spending a fortnight in Botswana I have now completed a set of pictures of the Wild Beast of Botswana. Of the 110 photographs in this series 95 were taken with the D300 and the wonderful 70-200/f2.8-VR lens and the remaining 15 (mainly landscapes) were taken with the Leica M8.

 

The idea behind the Wild Beast of Botswana series is to depict the harshness and the stress, on both predators and prey, of the environment in which these animals live, including human encroachment, poaching and hunting in some areas, prolonged seasonal drought, and interaction with cattle and ranchers. For this purpose I prefer expressive B&W prints to color prints and am concerned primarily with the how best to express the essence of the animal and the feeling of place rather than "accuracy" of a color photograph or the "exactness" of the tones of a B&W one.

 

You can see a flickr slide show of this series, all processed using Aperture and Silver Efex, by clicking here.

My original Botswana series was all in black and white not only because I wanted the pictures to be expressive but also because most of the them were made in harsh light. After seeing the photo-essay in the M9 brochure, most of which was shot in harsh Cuban light, I have now processed 90 of the shots of the Wild Beasts of Botswana in color using Aperture and Color Efex and, for a few, Viveza as well.

 

A slide show of the color series can be seen by clicking here. As usual, some of the shots work better in color while other shots are better in black and white. I've tried to keep the color from being over-saturated for photographs made in strong harsh light, although a few taken in the softer light approaching sundown are much more saturated. Here are three of the M8.2 shots in color:

 

 

 

Deception Valley, Botswana | M8.2 | ISO 160 | Summicron-28

 

 

 

Deception Valley, Botswana | M8.2 | ISO 160 | Summicron-28

 

 

 

Selinda, Botswana | M8.2 | ISO 160 | Summicron-28

 

 

 

—Mitch/Potomac, MD

Bangkok Hysteria©: Book Project

[tollie]

Mitch,

 

These are wonderful photographs. A great eye and indeed a "decisive moment". Not to disagree with the photographer yet it my eye they do evoke a timelessness... rather than a recent moment. The BW treatment, vignetting, grain effects and so-forth surly contribute. These are not Nat Geo magazine type photographs... rather they reflect your sensibility.

 

Are you going to collect them in book form?

[Guest malland]

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Todd thanks for the kind words. No, no plans for a book project with the Botswana pictures at this stage.

 

But tell me, did you look at the color series as well as the black and white series and, if so, which is your preference?

 

—Mitch/Potomac, MD

Bangkok Hysteria©: Book Project

[michali]

Mitch- I've just come across your thread, I missed it back in May when originally posted.

 

I don't necessarily agree with all your views on the technological modifications you would like to see on the M8, that's another discussion; however staying on the main topic, you've captured some great images from Botswana well done! I agree with Jaap not easy to do in B&W.

 

I spend 6 months every year in Africa doing wildlife photography, a great deal of it with the the M8 & M8.2, and a variety of lenses including Visoflex. I love the challenge that this poses over simply: point, auto everything and shoot.

 

Overall I prefer your B&W images. Having said that your colour photograph of Selinda is spectacular to say the least, and really captures the essence of the place. I say this, as it is an area I know intimately, owned and run by very good friends of mine, Dereck & Beverly Joubert. In fact I'm heading off to Selinda in mid-November for a while.

Nicely done Mitch.

[Guest malland]

Thanks, Mike!

 

My wife and I met Dereck and Beverly and had a long dinner conversation with them at Jack's Camp, where they were with a crew filming the migrations. Fantastic people. We saw a few weeks ago their photo exhibition on lions and leopards at the National Geographic.

 

The Visoflex: I took one some years ago to the Galapagos with my M6 and 135/f4 and 400/6.8 lenses, which I still have, but it was a bit of a challenge as you say. Many years ago we lived in Uganda for two years went camping all over East Africa, just pitching a small tent anywhere which is now too dangerous. At the time I had a Leica IIIc and the longest lens was a 135mm, which at times was frustrating.

 

Last month I got the Nikkor 200-400mm/f4-VR for my D300 that I plan to use when we go to Africa next April. We're trying to decide where to go and have been thinking about Luangwa Valley. Perhaps I can contact you by e-mail and pick your brain a bit.

 

My own preference is also B&W and the Botswana pictures were somewhat inspired by Nicolas Bruant's book Wild Beasts.

 

 

—Mitch/Potomac, MD

Bangkok Hysteria©: Book Project

[michali]

Mitch- I've sent you a message.

[Ted Lemon]

Mitch - nice shots - have a look at this guys work, went to his latest exhibition in London yesterday - astounding images. Nick Brandt : Photography

[jaapv]

Thanks for that link - very inspiring!

[Guest malland]

Mitch - nice shots - have a look at this guys work, went to his latest exhibition in London yesterday - astounding images. Nick Brandt : Photography

Ted, thanks. I have his latest book, A Shadow Falls. His approach, including the sepia tones of the book, is very different — I would call it a type of "formalism" — from what I've tried to do, which is, basically, to use the same type of handheld shooting that I've been doing for street photography in Bangkok in order achieve intimacy and immediacy. I originally wrote the following about the series:

 

The idea behind the Wild Beast of Botswana series is to depict the harshness and the stress, on both predators and prey, of the environment in which these animals live, including human encroachment, poaching and hunting in some areas, prolonged seasonal drought, and interaction with cattle and ranchers. For this purpose I prefer expressive B&W prints to color prints and am concerned primarily with the how best to express the essence of the animal and the feeling of place rather than "accuracy" of a color photograph or the "exactness" of the tones of a B&W one.

 

Please don't get me wrong, Nick Brandt's work is impressive but my preference is the style of Nick Bruant in his book Wild Beasts, and for my own pictures I prefer this type of greater "looseness" and fluidity, I still prefer the B&W version of the series but like some of the color shots as well.

 

—Mitch/Potomac, MD

Bangkok Hysteria©: Book Project

[MikeMyers]

I'm not sure how "typical" I am, but if Leica offered options such as matrix metering and a "sensor cleaning" function, I'd certainly want them.

 

I like the comparison to the Morgan. I'd love to own one of those too (or a MG TD or TF) but I certainly wouldn't mind if the electronics, brakes, and other features were brought up to what's available on modern cars.

 

As to the Leica, I enjoy working with the M8, but I'd simply enjoy it a bit more if it had some of those new features. It would obviously be a good idea for them to copy Nikon, and allow the user to select the type of metering. That way everyone is satisfied. Since I'm dreaming, I'd also like to see the camera have Nikon's computerized flash control system.

 

None of these "modern features" would take away from what a Leica is. I used to use my M2 and M3 cameras with an old meter, but that's all there was back then.

 

 

 

 

Back to your photos - really enjoyable to see!!!! I go to Thailand and India quite often, but I've never yet been to Africa.