 I bought my first digital Leica back in 2016 in London. I got a good price from it with very few actuations and in perfect cosmetic shape. It is the Leica ME. For those unfamiliar, Leica decided to make a "more affordable" digital camera and created the Leica ME. It is essentially a Leica M9 with a few software changes, a different color paint but still the same Leica quality (both good and bad but that is a story for another time). I knew a bit about the Leica sensor issue, but since (at the time) Leica was replacing the sensor free of charge I did not worry too much. I never needed the sensor changed and after a recent check have seen that mine was built with one of the newer sensors but still CCD. There are some differences between the CCD and CMOS sensor, some positive and some negative but as with most photography related things, it is a subjective discussion. A few years ago I purchased a Leica M10 but cannot seem to allow myself to sell the Leica ME and the reason is that little CCD sensor. It produces a color that I cannot get from another camera. So I carry a heavy, old camera with a horrible back display screen and suffer through slow reaction times and horrible low light performance. All this for a color treatment I cannot seem to replicate.  Couple the Leica ME with a Zeiss Planar 50mm f/2 lens and you have a magical combination. Open it wide open and watch the background detail fall away, and the colors just seem to fall into place.
 Even with the technological advances this camera lacks, it is still a powerful artistic tool. Compared to the film cameras I like to use, this camera has a great deal of technology wizardry. So even today, in 2023 with a Leica M10 available, when color counts I reach for this relic. With 18Mp it has enough for me to enlarge to any size I like, and plenty of detail to salivate over. Just keep it to the lower ISO and you have an amazing tool to use.
0 Comments
 Photo by Joey Nicotra on Unsplash I study masters of photography much as a young person might look at Marvel Super Heroes. Each one individually is amazingly powerful, with their own super power and approach to the world around them. But when two of these super heroes come into contact with one another.....wow! Now you have something resembling legendary!
I have the notes of just one such encounter. This involved Eduard Weston and Alfred Stieglitz. Let me begin by introducing them for those who may now know what these gentlemen were and why they matter to us today... Edward Weston (1886-1958) was a prominent American photographer known for his pioneering work and artistic vision. Born in Highland Park, Illinois, Weston's passion for photography emerged in his teenage years and led him to become one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. He experimented with various genres, including landscapes, portraits, and close-up studies, exploring the essence of his subjects through meticulous compositions and precise lighting. Weston's mastery of form, texture, and abstraction revolutionized the medium, leaving a lasting impact on the art of photography. His work continues to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide. Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) stands as a seminal figure in the history of photography, renowned for his groundbreaking work and profound influence on the medium. Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, Stieglitz developed a passion for photography at an early age. He was instrumental in elevating photography to the status of fine art and played a pivotal role in the recognition of photography as a legitimate artistic form. Stieglitz championed the idea that photography was a means of personal expression, going beyond mere documentation. Through his iconic images, he sought to capture the essence of his subjects and evoke emotional responses. He founded the Photo-Secession movement in 1902, which aimed to promote photography as an art form and encourage creative exploration. Stieglitz also established the influential publication Camera Work, which showcased the work of pioneering photographers. With his masterful use of light, composition, and depth, Stieglitz revolutionized photographic aesthetics. He embraced both pictorialism and modernism, constantly pushing the boundaries of the medium. Stieglitz's legacy is marked by his profound impact on shaping photography as an art, inspiring generations of photographers to embrace its expressive potential and redefine the boundaries of the visual language. So what happens when these two towers of men meet up? The following line described their interaction, according to Edward Weston.... "A maximum of detail with a maximum of simplification" summed up his view of Stieglitz attitude towards photography. But here is where the usually overpowering Stieglitz found his match in the diminutive Weston. You see, Stieglitz would roll over people with his vision of photography and art, he would rip into monologue after monologue rarely letting anyone else speak. And most were happy to hear him speak. Then he would turn to the photographs that the audience brought and would rip them apart. With rare exception he would latch onto a detail, a wrinkle, a tuff of hair and would demand better. For "Nothing must be unconsidered, their must be a complete release". With such blanket statements and hurried speech, no one would challenge and there was his super power. His vision, and his unwillingness to compromise made him THE force of Photography in its first century. I saw photographer after photographer work to appease him, to gain his respect that I assumed it was universal. Then I read Edward Weston's interaction with him where Edward states "In my enthusiasm I do not accept Stieglitz as an infallible master, nor would he want me to." Stieglitz told him "friends made me out a god, when all I asked was to be treated as a human being, then turned on me the I couldn't be all they asked and 291 closed.". But Stieglitz never wanted to be taken as an equal. He wanted to have the final word. His love interests and friendships rose and fell based on their willingness to adore him. But Edward had a super power of his own. Edward knew where he was in his photographic journey..."I took my work to show Stieglitz. He laid it open to attack, and then discarded print after print, prints I loved. Yet I am happy, for I gained in strength, in fact strengthened my own opinion. I was ripe to change, was changing, yes changed, when I went to New York. I had shown my portfolio of photographs all over New York, and had been showered with praise which meant very little to me, for all the time I knew that I was showing my past.". Stieglitz vision and ego were countered by a man who was sure....not sure of where he was as a photographer but very sure of where he was going. He viewed his art in terms of time, and knew that hew as already onto the next phase of growth. So to critique works that represented an old phase of growth was of little value to him. But Stieglitz power was strong enough to influence Edward a little. But for ever more, Edward would comment on other photographers such as Paul Strand and how they were over influenced by Stieglitz. Two Super Heroes faced off, and both changed the other slightly but neither can claim the victory.  Photo by John Moeses Bauan on Unsplash Starting a photo project can be a creative and fulfilling endeavor. Here are some steps to help you get started:
Define Your Idea: Decide on the theme or concept for your photo project. It could be anything that interests you, such as nature, street photography, portraits, or a specific location. Consider that your project might be an exploration into something you do not know well. One, often overlooked recommendation is to consider how you will share your work (see more on this below) as the method of sharing could have significant impact on the ideation process. You might want to consider what you hope to learn from the process. Think about what you want to convey through your project and what message or story you want to tell with your photos. Research and Plan: Once you have a clear idea, do some research to gather inspiration and ideas. Look for other photographers who have done similar projects and study their work. Consider the equipment, settings, and techniques you will need to achieve your vision. Create a plan that outlines the goals, timeline, and logistics of your project, including locations, models (if applicable), and any necessary permits. Gather Your Equipment: Make sure you have the necessary camera gear and accessories for your project. This may include a camera body, lenses, tripod, filters, and lighting equipment. Ensure that your equipment is in good condition and ready to use. Take a moment to consider your safety when executing the project. Will you be on the street with expensive equipment, will you work at heights, what can go wrong that might hurt you or someone else. No project is worth risking your life or someone else's. Scout Locations: If your project involves shooting on location, scout the locations beforehand to familiarize yourself with the environment and find the best angles and compositions. Take note of lighting conditions, weather patterns, and any potential challenges you may encounter. Capture Your Images: Start shooting! Use your creative eye and technical skills to capture the images that align with your project's concept and vision. Experiment with different angles, compositions, and lighting to create visually compelling photos that tell your story. Edit and Curate: Once you have captured a substantial number of images, review and select the best ones for your project. Edit your photos in the darkroom to create a repeatable aesthetic. Toning consistency, development consistency along with obvious paper and display consistency is important to enhance their visual impact. Consider the sequence and flow of the images to create a cohesive story or visual narrative. To quote William Faulkner "Kill your darlings". This is the hardest part...an image can be perfect but it might not fit well with your project....kill it. The photo might have been very difficult to capture but does not represent the best you could do....kill it. Share Your Work: After completing your photo project, share your work with others. This can be done through exhibitions, galleries, online platforms, or social media. If you are looking at a film photography project, then the tangible feel of a print might be important to you. If so, consider how you will share this. I have had some great success with a thin box to hold the images so long as you are consistent with the boarder of the image. It is a nice way to show the images, unbound but still held together so they won't become lost. Reflect and Learn: Reflect on your experience and what you have learned throughout the process. Evaluate the success of your project based on your original goals and feedback from others. Use this knowledge to further refine your skills and plan future photo projects. Remember, starting a photo project requires creativity, passion, and dedication. Embrace the process, be open to experimentation, and enjoy the journey as you bring your vision to life through your photographs.  Shooting film is fun. Yes photography is fun but the gear is fun and with film, it adds another dimension for fun...several actually! If you want to change the "look" or "feel" of your photography you can change your camera, lens or apply some filters on your digital images. Essentially with digital, the look and feel is dictated in post processing. With film you have another dimension or two.
With film, you can change your camera, lens and you can post process differently to add some feel. But you can also use different film and different developers. This gives you a great deal of nuanced control of the final product. So with all this going for it, why do people recommend sticking to a single film stock? Well here is what I have found in my ten year journey with film (not including my childhood before digital came to be the norm). Understanding how a film will perform and being able to predict how a film will perform are two different things. It is like renting a car, you know that if you push the accelerator the car will accelerate in the direction that the wheels are pointing. But how fast, with what delay and power is completely unknown to you until you start driving it. Then, after 10-20 minutes you become accustomed to the "feel" of the car and can drive it in a predictable way. With film it is the same thing....except that it takes a bit longer than 20 minutes....it takes about 20 rolls or more. And the reason is that you need to play with it until you are familiar with it. If you take the film and only shoot at box speed, always develop the same way and never shoot at night then you will not learn anything from your 20 rolls. You need to take a few rolls to shoot at box speed, then push it one, two and three stops. Then you need to pull it one, two and three stops....you need to shoot it at night, you need to make mistakes and learn what you can do to walk them back. After your 20 rolls of well tested film stock, developed in the same developer you begin to have a feel for it. You know what to watch out for and when to push the development time just a little to get you that extra pop in contrast. Once this is under your belt, you have one less thing to worry about. Now you can focus on getting to learn that new camera you just bought...or try out that home made coffee developer you have been hearing about.... But whatever you do, have fun and don't take your results so seriously. If you are not making a living out of photography, and you enjoyed taking the picture then that is half the fun. Even if the results are not what you intended!  This image that I captured on a Digital Leica M9 taught me a great deal about art. At the time I was living in Surry England and a few minutes drive from my home was the Windsor Great Park. For a photographer, having such an amazing place a stone's throw from my front door was paradise. I loved living in England...hated the taxes but loved the place. Back to my image....I went to Windsor Great Park one grey day (most days are indeed grey there) and managed to work my way to some ancient Roman ruins, originally from Libya that were gifted to England and ended up being placed in this park. While looking for a new angle it began to rain. As you can see in the picture below, there is a tunnel at one end of the ruins where I ducked into, so as to avoid the rain. Then I waiting with a group of like minded, rain avoiding, people. You can see in the image above the soaked ground that surrounded us. Then I saw this lady walking with a bright red umbrella and I was amazed at what an amazing image it could make. I grabbed my camera and began shooting. The problem was that it was not perfect. You see the umbrella, while a wonderful red color, had some propaganda on it in bright white letters. The lady was not alone, she had her son with her. So the moody picture that could have been was ruined by media print and with an even number of subjects. I quickly got home, and used Photoshop to create the image that I really wanted to have taken. I wanted color, I wanted the lady to be alone and I needed all that white lettering removed from the umbrella. So I manufactured the shot below. It is a composite of two images that I took, I removed the kid, I removed the lettering and voila I had the image I had pictured in my mind....I had ART!  I hated the image. Each time I looked at it I saw my Photoshop skills. I remembered the frustration that I felt that day as the world would not give me what I wanted. I spent a great deal of time thinking of this image. I then realized that the image was far too perfect and became a poor imitation of the scene. As with most creative pursuits, we assume that we are traveling a unique journey but we are not. What we have learned has been learned and taught be others before us. We can learn allot by lifting our heads and asking the questions that bother us. Had I done this I would have learned allot more, allot faster. But I had to pursue my own journey and it was only years later, that I heard of Wabi-sabi. Wikipedia: In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi (侘寂) is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of appreciating beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" in nature. It is prevalent in many forms of Japanese art. Since this shot, I have tried to limit my intervention in the image. I add contrast, I darken and lighten as needed, and will crop an image to improve composition. I don't have a list of hard rules but have instead taken a moment, before editing, to ask why. And take the time to see the image for the beauty that is there. Below is an interesting example. The first image is the one I wanted to capture. You can see where the bike rider is, this is the first shot in the series. I cropped out some action that was happening on the right of the man with an umbrella.  This is the image I wanted to have. The man is looking straight at me, he is separated from the bike rider, and no one else is on the street. He is caught in mid stride as he walks towards me. The classic house int he background, wet pavement and confident gait of a young man is what I wanted to capture. Below is taken a second later without cropping...  Clearly he is no longer alone, his gait is now changed, the bike rider is farther along. There is a story in either image. My search for what I wanted to capture is in the first. In the second I captured what was there.
The understanding I have thus far come to is the following. Edit as little as possible. Find the beauty that is there instead of manufacturing your own. The world is an amazing place all you need to do is see it.  Just uploaded a quick and dirty review of the Analyser Pro. This is a wonderful little exposure computer for the modern darkroom. It is built like a tank and saves me headache and paper! Give it a read and let me know what you think!
If you want to see it go to the top of the menus and select "Darkroom Lessons" and select Analyser Pro (English spelling). Or click HERE.  Photography projects used to be a bit intimidating. I always imaged a four year odyssey to be able to complete it. Something massive with a vitally important message....something only true artists should attempt. But in the middle of the Pandemic, I took a virtual class that taught me that a project can be done in a month, week or even a day. I was asked to make on and was given just 24 hours to do so. My project, a day in my life during quarantine. Looking back on it I am so grateful to have done it. It is one of the only photographic depictions of what my family and I went through. We all have our stories, ours is much better than most but we still struggled in our own way. There are 24 images to this project but I only selected a few to show here. The three lessons that I took away from this project....
  This vacation was a long time in coming. Not just because it was the first airplane travel vacation since 2019 but because we had long talked about taking the kids to New York but wanted to wait until we were living back in the US. Why travel to get to know the US when you are living in Asia? Or the Middle East? Or Europe? The plan was a simple one. Spend seven days visiting the typical tourist locations throughout NYC. Don't overdue it. Just be sure we are seeing interesting things everyday. Enjoy wonderful food and forget that you are blowing a hole in your budget and enjoy. The photography plan was a bit more complicated in that I wanted to take both digital and film photographs of the place. As any reader of my website knows, I have plenty of cameras, in fact it is a bit of an obsession with me. So the selection process of what cameras to take it complicated....it has more to do with what I want to photography than anything else. I tried to look up the experiences of other photographers looking to take film photographs of NYC but found no useful sources. So I decided to write up a quick lessons learned section for those who come after me. As people say, this is my experience and your mileage may vary... Cameras: I wanted to try a bit of street photography and who wouldn't. It is NYC and screams to be photographed in all its charm. I opted for my Leica M10 for digital shots and so I went with a Leica M6 for film. The kept the lenses I was forced to carry to a minimum. I also wanted some larger frame photographs of a few of the sites...something I could print big in the darkroom. I opted for my Hasselblad 500 CM. The Rolleiflex needs some CLA work done....it works well but why risk it. Being that I selected Leica equipment I automatically limited my lens length as all I have is 15mm, 28mm, 35mm and 50mm (my 90mm is showing its age with the new film of today). So how was this? I ended up doing just fine with this. There was only two occasions I was left wishing for a longer lens...not worth carrying for just two shots. But, and this is a big but, you must be happy with the wider shots of the city skyline (see top photograph). I also took a film point and shoot, something I could carry around at night with a small flash to catch some candid moments with the family at dinner. I never took it out of the bag! My iPhone did a great job and handled the night shots wonderfully. In fact, this is the first trip where my iPhone carried a bit of the photography load. Film: I kept it simple and stuck with HP5. Not just that, but I made a decision to shoot it at the same Exposure Index (EI). I kept it at box 400 EI this was as I develop I can do them all at the same time. I took both 35mm and 120 HP5 to keep everything consistent. Now that I am back I am thrilled I did. There were a few occasions I would have liked to push the film a bit but this was only a handful of pictures and I did not want to lose the chance to continue photographing as I exited the darker buildings. This did leave me with only digital in some spots, such as subway shots. If this is important for you to capture on film, I suggest dedicating a morning to running around the subway lines with a film camera set at 1600 or 3200 EI. Tripod: I took a small desk top one from Manfrotto but never used it. Most places won't allow you to shoot with a tripod anyway. Bag: I purchased a messenger type bag from (Retrospective 30) from ThinkTank. This was small enough for me to carry into all the museums and big enough for me to carry all my gear. If you have not looked at there bags have a gander....their quality is amazing! Shot List: I always make a shot list but this time I kept it simple. Normally I walk into a vacation with 10-15 shots I want to take. For NYC I wanted to be flexible and relaxed so I picked the following:
Lessons Learned:
In short, NYC is film photographers paradise. I will share some of the film photographs once processed and printed. Go out and enjoy!!!!
If a picture says 1000 words, several pictures can say much, much more. Photographs that follow a theme, sometimes called a series, have always impressed me but they do present a new challenge. Here is a series I made after a trip to a railroad museum. All were shot on a Rolleiflex f2.8 on HP5 film over two rolls.
I opted for an odd number of pictures, and selected some that would hint at the subject without being too obvious. I have a wonderful picture of the train engine, but for a theme to tell its story, you can't have a single image that tells 90% of the story. The first picture, I call 555 due to the car number that was painted, and bled down the side of the car. The composition was the trick for this show as I wanted both wheels and still include the 555 in the image. The fact that neither numbers or wheels are in the center of the image helps balance out the composition. In the Darkroom I opted for Ilford Fiber Based paper and a medium selenium toning after and archival wash (the same process for all three). It was temperature dried for about 85% and then air dried for the remainder. Finally dry mounted and framed. It is a powerful image of industrialization and its capitulation to time. As we move to the digital age, the massive machines that pulled us into the modern age are now left to rot in the shade of the new vehicles of modernization. The second image is of the connection between two railcars, I loved the heavy iron, the deep blacks and the power that the image shows. Almost as if the rail cars are holding on to each other for this, their final journey into oblivion. Perhaps too obvious of a personification! The third and final is of the bogies (the wheels of a train are called bogies). Here I loved the silver reflection of the light and the deep black of the iron. All of this broken up by the white paint. Still, in the middle of its final trip to oblivion, the trains are still magnificent. The texture of these images is massive and there is almost a 3D effect of them which is a testament to the lens quality of the Rolleiflex. The images are printed on 8x10 giving it a nice mix of size and intimacy with the viewer.  Of all my purchases in cameras, lenses, darkroom equipment and film, nothing brings me the joy of a great photography book. I have collected well over 70 books, some are good, others are absolutely mesmerizing. One of my favorite pastimes is getting up early on a Sunday morning, making a hot cup of coffee and sitting back to look over one of the books in my collection.
For a few dollars you get untold hours of enjoyment, you are transported to amazing places and meet some of the most interesting people. But most importantly, I cannot lift a great photography book and not feel inspired to pick up my camera and make something. Several years ago, I discovered the work of Lartigue and bought a few of his books. Henri Lartigue was a master photographer, but unlike most of the photographers that inspire me, Lartigue was an amateur and was only discovered late in life, thanks largely to Richard Avedon. After reading the book, "Lartigue The Boy and the Belle Époque" by Louise Baring (Thames & Hudson), I developed a deeper interest in his work and began hunting some more of his books. I was eager to try to get one of his first published books which came out in 1970 and is one of the few written by him, in his own contemporary (at least for the 1970's) words. The book is titled "Diary of a Century Jacques Henri Lartigue" and you see some of his favorite works. The problem was that I could not find this book for anything less than USD 300. This surprised me as it is not a really sought after book but it got me looking at all photography books and I began to notice the prices of them have skyrocketed of late. When I began looking at books I recently purchased, what used to go for USD 50 or 70 is now twice that. The older the books the higher the price, almost irrespective of their quality or condition. After much searching I found a copy of my Diary book for USD 100 and purchased it right away. The condition was better than I had thought so I am thrilled with the purchase but saddened that my ability to acquire more books has been so reduced. What I can tell you is that there are still good bargains to be had, but you need to search much more than just a few months ago. When you find one, look at the seller's other items as there are some hidden treasures out there...just really hard to find. |
AuthorPatrick...confirmed film & digital photography addict. Archives
January 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed
