Heart or the mind?

[fahim mohammed]

Here is my quandry. recently I was asked as a close friend of an asian family to be an unofficial and
' behind the scenes ' photog at a wedding. I went for small and film...result unmitigated disaster!! mind you the family loved some of the pics and a lot of reprints were ordered for a few. This btw is free work!

I promised never again.

I have been asked, once again, on the same family's recommendation to travel abroad and be a ' behind the scenes ' photog once again. This time from the girl's side. My wife insists I should do it. I want to travel and would love to photog their rituals. The saturated, vibrant colors. The henna ceremonies, the
surreptious eye contacts...photog heaven. But...

this time my mind says go digital and forget the M8 and go with the D700. The heart. and these are matters of the heart as I am no wedding photog!, says film and discreet. I do want to travel foremost, and not be a wedding photog, but...

Please advise me with your logic.

Thank you.

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Here is my quandry. recently I was asked as a close friend of an asian family to be an unofficial and
' behind the scenes ' photog at a wedding. I went for small and film...result unmitigated disaster!! mind you the family loved some of the pics and a lot of reprints were ordered for a few. This btw is free work!

I promised never again.

I have been asked, once again, on the same family's recommendation to travel abroad and be a ' behind the scenes ' photog once again. This time from the girl's side. My wife insists I should do it. I want to travel and would love to photog their rituals. The saturated, vibrant colors. The henna ceremonies, the
surreptious eye contacts...photog heaven. But...

this time my mind says go digital and forget the M8 and go with the D700. The heart. and these are matters of the heart as I am no wedding photog!, says film and discreet. I do want to travel foremost, and not be a wedding photog, but...

Please advise me with your logic.

Thank you.

Hi Fahim,

A matter of heart vs mind cannot be reasoned by logic. I have one single advice. When in doubt, go with your heart. You can always use reason afterwords to justify that it was the logical choice to make.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Fahim,

As the "behind the scenes photographer", you have no direct moral responsibility to produce the magical "documentation" of the perfect bliss and match of this couple. That is only a mirage created mostly for the brides mother. You however have the opportunity of sampling real magic without the hinderance of such responsibility. Now the Nikon D700 is perhaps the camera of the year. It has amazing focus and dynamic range. The only camera that might be better suited for weddings is the latest Fuji DSLE with 14 steps of Dynamic range.

I have no doubt you will ace this. Not even a chance you wont!

Asher

 

[fahim mohammed]

Cem, I hear you, and then my professional training in risk management takes over. Maybe the heart in
this instance is a little unsharp..it is stented!

Asher, you sir give me to much credit. flattered but I do remember the mess I made last time. You correctly have identified the diminished responsibility that I have on this occasion And then there are the
numerous possibilities awaiting me...the D700 seems to be a logical choice here.

I have till end of Nov. to make up my mind.

Thank you both.

 

[nicolas claris]

Hi fahim
Why don't you bring both? then you would use one or the otehr depending of your feeling at each particular moment…

 

[fahim mohammed]

But then again, some things become a part of you...no?

i would miss a good friend.

 

[nicolas claris]

hmmm
nice nature morte. I'd like the bokeh to be more creamy…
as an oppostion to the high contrast and sharpness of the foreground…

 

[fahim mohammed]

Nicolas, germans were never known for subtlety! my endoscopist is german trained and refuses to give
a mild anesthetic prior to a procedure so as not to mask any reactions. he is the dept. head. go figure.

for smoothness i visit france!

hmmm
nice nature morte. I'd like the bokeh to be more creamy…
as an oppostion to the high contrast and sharpness of the foreground…

 

[Mike Shimwell]

Fahim,

Heart. You know that you will miss a few, but you wil come up with some lovely things as well. The Nikon will get everyhting correct, but will look like the official photographs. Now, I wouldn't shoot a wedding as the official using film, but I would be very unlikely to turn up as an unoffical or second using the dslr. Apart from anything else, the film rf is easier to carry...

Funnily enough I tried an M6 the other day as I happened on the last great secondhand camera shop in Manchester and the shutter nearly sold it to me on the spot! The viewfinder wasn't my Ikon's, but with a (very) old summicron 50 it was a lovely quiet thing.

Still, a man only needs so many 35mm rfs.

Mike

 

[Mike Shimwell]

Actually, it reminds me of a picture I took of my youngest brother and his new firstborn. Shot indoors on fuji reala with my ikon and 50 C-sonnar wide open, so not that sharp. He now has an 15 by 10 B&W converted print on his wall that is (if I say so myself) lovely. Just a moment during a conversation at his house..

Mike

 

[fahim mohammed]

I hear you Mike. Talking about Manchester and M6, here are a few with the M7 and 160vc and xp2.
maybe you recognise these places...

As you say how many rfs can a person have?

take care.