[Trask]

Thinking back on some of Avedon's pictures, I feel that wasn't always the case. Some are obviously in the 5 - 7 ft range. I don't have an example on hand at the moment, when I get to one, I'll give an example, see if anyone agrees.

Yes, Avedon frequently photographed with a Rolleiflex on a tripod, set up quite close to the subject. Prefocused, almost pre-framed. Avedon could speak with the subject, elicit responses, etc. even as he shot (with a cable release) and advanced the film without the subject being fully aware that the photo had been taken. You can see this, IIRC, on the American Masters show re: Avedon. (I'll confess that I can't quite figure out if he was using a Tele-Rolleiflex, or at times a regular Rollei with a close-up set. I'd tend to think the former is more likely.)

Here are examples: