Toledo Medieval Fest, June 2014

These images from Toledo (some sections and one of the June Medieval Festivals) are brought to you by:

My Leica M4-2,
My Konica Hexanon 35mm f2
My Leica Summicron 90mm f2 
My film stock Kodak BW400CN ISO 400

But enough with the technical babble.  Here's the goods!

This is the surviving mosque in Toledo, now a museum. 

View of Toledo, from a street that goes down to the Puerta Bisagra (Bisagra gate). 

The arches under which one walks to exit the city through the Bisagra gate.  This one leads to a small courtyard in which there's a statue of Alfonso VI (I believe). 

This very jovial man serves up churros and chocolate in the Kiosko Katalino, right outside the walled city, across from Puerta de Bisagra. 

Festival Medieval, in the beautiful park right across from the Puerta Bisagra. 

Band of musicians performing during the "Festival Medieval." 

This lady was not only the juggler and stilt-walker but also their gymnast/entertainer. 

The banners all over the place.  I thought they offered a nice abstract... and at the same time expressed very well the spirit of the celebration. 

Artisan/vendor at work. In fact, I bought a nice piece of jewelry from him... using a credit card!

So, these are memories of a town to which I'll return in the summer of 2016 (and I intend to make it happen), when I take another group of students to Toledo, with my university.  This time, I know what to expect, and not only will I take my Leica with again, but will probably pack my Summicron 50mm, just to see what happens.  In the meanwhile, I'll go back to my routine, but will return to look at these images (and others that I'll post later), and hope that you get interested in going there too. 

So long!

Leica M4-P

Even though it can be considered just another variation of the M4 model (along with the M4-2), the M4-P precedes the M6 (second metered Leica) by just a few years.  It was issued in 1980, and its appeal came from the fact that it included the framelines for a 28mm lens.  Previous bodies didn't have this feature, and photographers had to use external viewfinders in order to compose and frame photographs when using this particular focal length.

I bought one copy off the auction site for an incredibly affordable price because the seller erred on the side of sincerity, and the camera didn't sound too appealing to those not willing to compromise.  When it came, I was surprised at how well taken care it was.  Shortly afterwards I got another 28mm lens (mentioned below), and set out to shoot away.  Here are some results.

Corner of Wabash and Wells Streets, Chicago.  Lines... all over...

Corner of more lines, down Washington St (right past Wells).

Lamps inside the Chicago Lyric Opera. 

Then, we have these ones:

Aprés l'opera...

Shadows and bicycles in campus.

The Kishwaukee tree. 

I am fully aware that these are not breathtaking views, but they were all done with my M4-P and an Ultron 28mm f2.  I think these two are made for each other... even though very recently I split them.  Why?  I have a star-of-the-show Elmarit 28mm f2.8 eternally attached to one of my M6TTL bodies (which haven't seen much action ever since I got my unmetered ones), so it went to the M4-P.  I haven't exposed any film with this combination, but we'll find a way soon.  In the meanwhile, all for the sake of sharing images here instead of using any social media, have a ball looking at these ones and stay put.  I may have some surprise around the corner. 

A wider perspective

Sometimes it's easy to forget things... like other lenses.  So, this post is meant to remember them.  In this case, a nice, wide and fast lens I happen to have: a Voigtländer Ultron 28mm f2.  I had it with me on February 2014, when I went to Chicago and made these images with my Leica M4-2 and this lens. 

The first image is "The Zebra Zone."  A man crossing the street on Wabash Avenue, followed by "Under the L" (also in Wabash).  Then comes "The Downward Spiral," a photograph inside the Chicago Cultural Center, of the staircase near their main exhibition hall.  At the end, "Benches Horizon," a man sitting in the row of benches close to the walkway that goes from Millennium Park to the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Is there a substantial difference between a 28 and a 35?  I tend to shoot with the latter, it simply comes natural to me.  About 10 years ago I acquired a 28mm Elmarit, and used it occasionally when I went on trips, but never quite bonded with it.  When I got this one (which I really didn't need, but wanted a companion for an M4-P I purchased some time ago), I decided to challenge myself and "learn" to see the world through a wider perspective.  I think I managed to succeed... but only because I learned to get closer.  That's the odd quality of this focal length: at the same time you can get closer to your subjects, it still gives a lot of foreground and perspective.  In short, a "wider" closeness...  Strange?  Sure, it is, but you'll have to allow it this time. 

To think I was wearing a heavy coat when I took these photographs...

Coming soon, photos made with my M4-P.  And also coming soon: the arrival of a new Leica M4, and the return of the prodigal Leica M2, this time in black paint.  Of course, what really matters is the photographs one can make with tools like this one (taken by the seller of the camera):

See you soon!