The Leica M4-2

In the heart of darkness

2011-02-22T18:47:00.009-06:00

I have a problem: I'm bad at puns.

So, what else to choose as the title of this post on night photography but a bad allusion?

Here you go. All these images were made with my black M5 and a Nokton 35mm f1.4 wide open. The B&W set belongs to Chicago, IL, and they were shot in Scala film rated at ISO 200. Not too bad...

The color ones come from Cartagena, Colombia, a beautiful city in the Colombian Caribbean coast, that preserved its colonial architecture and has been a Mecca for South American tourists for some time.

Let's begin with Chicago...

This is from the corner of Washington and Lasalle Streets, just like the one below.

From a purely technical point of view... nothing particular. However, I like the taxi turning here because it seems to add a certain "urban grit" to it.

Patrons at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.

Now, for the "grand finale," Cartagena. BTW, these photographs were made with Fuji C-41 film ISO 200.

Art fair, or art market near Plaza Bolívar.

Street vendor of a particular delicacy called "arepa." I bought one from another vendor and ate it shortly before taking this photograph. This is a block away from the Santa Teresa convent (now hotel).

Young bicyclists running about at past 8 PM.

Now, for the nitty gritty... I sent the Scala film to David Wood at dr5, which seems to be the last place on earth to get Scala developed. This was one of my last rolls... I am truly sorry about it.

Regarding the C-41 stuff, I sent it to Snapfish, a lab currently owned by HP. It's a pity they won't work on chromogenic film, because their color work (and digital prints) are quite satisfactory. And the prices too! BTW, this is not a sales pitch, but an explanation only. Those interested in getting Scala film developed or print film nicely processed should try their luck with these places. In the meanwhile, since Snapfish won't work on Ilford XP2 or Kodak BW400CN, I'm stuck with other places (locally, alas!). However, when it comes to real B&W, I'll soon return to working on my own.

So long and thanks for making it this far!

Using Transparency Film

2011-02-18T19:23:00.006-06:00

Transparency film doesn't scare me. I load it in my camera and shoot it calmly, without any worries... And then, I get my results back. These photographs, made with my legendary M4-2 and Hexanon 35, simply show that slide or transparency film gets the job done as long as the metering is adequate. Look at the detail in the first image...

Farm equipment in a field in Sycamore, IL, fall of 2010. I really like Provia ISO 400 because not only shows all the detail there is, but also can be pushed up to ISO 1600 without a glitch.

The same tractor above, only now, from a distance, showing all its glory.

And now, the human touch: Mr Larsen, baker, on one of the last days of the farmers' market in Sycamore, IL (this one was done with my Summicron 90mm). Not too bad, huh?

Well those were the photos I have been offering for a while. But don't despair, there are more... And I'll be back soon with additional results from the M4-2 and a Nokton 35mm f1.4.

Metering

2011-02-12T11:48:00.005-06:00

Can be a pain... But I've been lucky with it. Here are some samples of relatively "hard" metering.

As the rule goes, with E-6 film, meter on the highlights. With B&W film, meter on the shadows and with color negative film, in the areas in between. Is it really true? The photograph above (a good friend of ours staying at home) was metered on her face... Not the brightest spot in the frame, neither is it the darkest. With very little PP, I think this is a printable copy.

Metering this scene was tricky. I must admit that I didn't think about it at the moment (after all, it's a snowy scene). However, in cases like this, the sky is my criteria.

Now, for the last one, I chose to meter on the visible ceiling. So, I aimed my Sekonic L-208 at the area in question and used that as my measure.

From these experiences, I came to realize that the mantra above is not entirely the best. It's a useful criteria, but when push comes to shove, that is, you're there with your camera and meter in hand, the best thing to do is try to meter for the subject, or the subject area of interest in the frame.

Sure, I had done this in the past, not as often as I'd like, but it only became very obvious when I got my Leica M5 bodies. With these cameras, given their metering design, you are far better off metering on your subject than on anything else. Even the manual says so!

Good that we can apply the same principle of a lot of our work.

Coming soon... using the Leica M5.

Xmasy Winter Photographs

2011-02-01T15:45:00.007-06:00

Some photographs of Chicago, through the eye of my black M5 with a Nokton 35mm f1.4 on Fuji and Kodak ISO 400 color film.

Near the Art Institute of Chicago

German Christmas Market

Streetwise Newspaper vendor, in front of the Art Institute.

There are more to come... while I scan some slides made with my M4-2. After all, that's the camera for which I started this blog.

Of course, I must confess and inform that I am currently expecting delivery of a new family member, pictured below...

Rear view...

Front view...

Of course, the photos are not mine, but rather courtesy of Don Tamarkin, of Tamarkin Camera, who kindly send them to me before sending the actual camera. I don't know when it'll come, but the payment was already sent. Of course, I'm trying to get busy, so I don't fret and get jonesing about it.

Colorful or not? Street shots

2011-01-30T20:14:00.005-06:00

Color and black and white for street shots. Kosher or sacrilege? These are mostly streetscapes, so there may be something to say about their not being "street" but then... Take a look.

Isolation, or poor frozen bike (M5, Nokton 35 f1.4 on Kodak Plus, at f1.4, 1/125.

Corner with light and snow. Same gear as above, and almost identical EV, but on Kodak BW400CN.

Chair-Line by the Water Tower, on Michigan Avenue. Same rig, lens slightly closed (probably at f2.8) and a nice shutterspeed (like 1/250).

Why is it I remember all this? Simply because the M5 requires me to pre-meter, almost as if I had a meterless body, so that in the final adjustment I know what changes I'm making instead of turning madly the shutterspeed dial or the aperture ring.

Any preference? Let me know!

The reason I picked a Leica

2011-01-15T11:29:00.004-06:00

Here they are, some photographs from a trip to Cartagena in August 2003. They turned out to be good enough (and my wife praised them so much) that I decided it was time to get a Leica camera. I earned it. They were all made with my old Canonet G-III QL17 and color slide film (except for the B&W, which are in Scala). See for yourself...

Couple in the Cartagena walls (which circle the city).

The street that follows Plaza Santo Domingo, in 2003. It's changed a little ever since...

I cannot recall the name of this street, but I think it leads to the Plaza Rodríguez de Madrid, in the San Diego neighborhood of Cartagena.

I still have my Canonet. Selling it would be out of the question. It's been resting for a while, without a battery, and I don't know exactly when I'll pick it up again. But it took going to a town that was in the middle of its summer, and it reacted remarkably well to all the abrupt temperature changes I subjected it to. After buying my Leicas I still used it a couple of times... but never later. Probably it's about time to dust it off and take it for a walk.

Next time I may have some recent scans from a nice slide roll used in my M4-2.

What if I had done these with a digital camera?

2011-01-14T20:28:00.009-06:00

I have traveled all over the place with my Leicas. Here's some evidence, mostly produced with my M6TTL bodies and my trustworthy Hexanon or my newfangled Summilux, both 35mm.

In Amsterdam, I managed to capture these three men, not too far from a busy, commercial area. The whispering queen (M6TTL) did its job and they remained unfazed, in an image that strikes me as representative of urban solitude.

The fleamarket near the North Church (I don't dare write the name in Dutch as I cannot recall it well), with lots of vendors offering their wares.

Here, with my 28mm Elmarit and Scala film, I photographed the sign just because it made me chuckle. I don't quite know why... but the "Welcome seafood" made me think of a cook beckoning lobsters and crabs into a kitchen, while hiding behind the back a large stash of pots and pans.

In Dresden, my favorite German town, we arrived one time right before dusk. Walking down the Elba river after crossing the bridge, we were treated to this sight. I can imagine what a digital P&S would have done with this image: "rectify" the colors on the stone walls (!!!), and fix that terrible sky.

Then, there's the issue with the sun in this image below, with the backlit rider, the yellow sky and the dark foreground...

Now, what would have happened to the photograph below? Probably nothing, as digital gizmos are notably efficient at registering night images. I wonder why, actually... It was good that I was using a Leica M6TTL and my Summilux for some of these photographs, and good old Provia ISO 400.

I will return soon, with further images from the M4-2 on slide film.

Camera porn!!

2010-11-28T17:11:00.003-06:00

For lack of anything better... some camera porn!

Around May 2011, I was very curious about the Nikon RF system... so much I went and leaped at the chance of getting a "kit." Here it is: Nikon S2 with a 50mm f1.4 lens. It came with a front cap, hood and a leather case in need or some help (especially the strap). I've used it despite the fact that the rangefinder is not aligned and the horizontal lines do not align. Apparently, it is something as easy as any given DIY trick... but I'm not too mechanically inclined, so it must go to Peter Smith in FL.

Here is our best friend, the Leica M4-2 freshly arrived from service at DAG. Despite the fact that I now have one more fast 35mm lens, the Konica is destined to stay on this body. Not long ago I had a couple of rolls of Provia ISO 400 processed and have not scanned any image thereof... But I must do it soon! I really think this combination is next to perfect, at least for my hands. The smaller Leica Summicron 35mm or even the Summilux would look nice on it, but it would be a pain to use. With the Hexanon there simply are no fumbling moments. This lens design is most natural and comfortable... at least in my hands.

Above, the current "queen" of the roost (that is, the latest acquisition): a Leica M5 in black. It's now outfitted with a Cosina Voigtländer 35mm f1.4 Nokton Classic SC lens, of which I still haven't too many photographs. The viewfinder in this camera is huge. The framelines for the 35mm lens occupy most of it, which makes it an ideal camera for this focal length. Also, the meter is quite proficient and sensitive.

Above, a view of the M5 with an Elmarit 28mm f2.8. The soft-release button visible on the camera had to be removed; somehow, the threads got ruined. I went and bought one (the legitimate one) from Tom... but then had problems with the shutter release button getting suddenly stuck on its way down. This camera has a long-way shutter release, not as sensitive as, say, my M4-2's or my M3's. Unless I ship it back to Sherry or send it to Don, I'll have to learn to live with it...

So, that's all, folks! Back soon with some photographs taken with the M5, from the Sycamore Pumpkin Fest and some Chicago street shots (namely, Kristkindle's Market in Daley Plaza). Until then, happy shooting!

More Chicago Images

2010-10-22T09:17:00.003-05:00

From the same roll... Need to check out my negs. There must be more stuff done with my M4-2. In the meanwhile, these are not too bad. In fact, I like to think of this one below as a bit in the Winogrand style...

A sign of our times: the talking man in the street. In Frank's photographs, they used to be alone in their thoughts. Now they're not... but do they think?

A very urban view of Chicago and it's open spaces: the Cadillac, the parking lot and the sky.

This photograph of an urban space (a parking lot) makes me feel good as a photographer... for no reason whatsoever. I just like it. It's an unfancy Chicago, a working area, almost a place that has a job: to keep the streets free from (car) clutter. Besides, the intense light takes me back to the moment when I took this photograph... and it was a nice day.

Greetings!

Street shots I didn't remember

2010-10-18T20:36:00.008-05:00

Here, some recently "discovered" street shots in Chicago (with a metered Leica body and probably my Elmarit 28mm f2.8), on Agfa APX ISO 400 film.

A lost bicycle ring, still attached to a rack, looking like a distant memory of something that was, and is no longer...
Drummer kids on Michigan Avenue. They animate the streets for the pedestrians, but drive bonkers those who live in the (expensive) condos nearby.

For some reason, the juxtaposition of the bike and the "Vote" sign made me chuckle, probably because I think there's some meaning in their random encounter.

Is there? Is that what street photography is all about? Meaning? Stories that await to be told? The so-called "decisive moment"? Or isn't it just images of the street, records of an era gone by?

You vote, So long... still waiting for that Leica M5 body!

Found negs

2010-10-09T00:37:00.013-05:00

While waiting for my M5, I've decided to do some things or else I'll go nuts (BTW, the lens hood, purchased new from Adorama, came in today).

One of the many things I still have to do (besides sweeping the backyard) is developing some film. As a matter of fact, I did it just a few hours ago, and while I was filing my negs (they are too curled up for scanning), lo and behold! I found some very old negs... made with this very old Leica M4-2.

To be quite honest, I didn't remember NOT having burned anything but commercial film in this one... but it seems I did use some of my film stock (Agfa APX, no less), so here it is...

Frequent sights in campus, people (actually, students) walking about, and bicycles, though not in the abundance one would expect... I think this is a spot near the Founders Library.

Bike parking by Graham Hall, where my German class met in the fall 2008.

Classmates in German 202 at NIU

And yes, indeed, all these images were created with my trustworthy M4-2. Nothing more fitting than uploading them here.

The Obsessive Cycle

2010-10-05T21:45:00.005-05:00

I started this blog as the result of an obsession of sorts... my anxiety about receiving my very first Leica M4-2. I never thought it would lead to any other type of obsession... But it did.

Now, in this very moment, I'm jonesing for a Leica M5 recently purchased on eBay. Wanna see?

Yes, the lens was borrowed from my M4-2, because after looking through the viewfinder I sensed that the best field of view for it is that of the 35mm.

I ended up with this camera on a lark. There was an auction on eBay, I felt like gambling (do it sometimes too often, not always win) and bid. To my surprise, I got the camera, even though I have never been to excited about the M5. Problem? I ended up liking it... A lot... More than expected.

Since the meter was all wonky, I had to send it to Sherry Kräuter's shop, "The Golden Touch," to get it revived (there may be more issues with it, and in any case, she has a reputation as a Leica M5 devotee). Then, I started salivating about another 35mm (I won't leave my M4-2 with a 50mm lens on... it's just against my religion, even though I have a nice Canon 50mm f1.2 in my inventory). I ended up falling for a Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.4 used, which I got not for a song, but still for a decent price (used but not much).

Wanna see what this camera did with a wonky meter?

This is Ben, our older, gentler cat, on a chair of our porche. I used the camera meter for this one, knowing fully well it was overexposing. All in all, Ben was correctly exposed, doing what he does best: rest.

With family at the office (hers, actually). At this point, I chose to "guesspose" and set the camera and lens at 1/60th, f2.8.

The silly thing now is that I simply cannot wait for the camera to return. I've been trying to get myself busy in different ways and forms so as not to THINK about the camera (or the lens, which will be shipped from Canada tomorrow, Wednesday October 6, 2010). In fact, the camera will not come before Sherry contacts me, and that tends to be over the phone. She'll give me the estimate cost of her repair, I'll have to accept it, and then, it may be a wait of three days or three weeks, depending on the work needed.

What a funk... but I got into it all alone by myself. Fortunately, I still have toys to play with! Keep you posted!

Some household we run

2010-06-03T22:47:00.005-05:00

Daily life... with cats.

According to my wife, it's like living in a painting by Jan Steen (Dutch painter from the 17th century).

His paintings were famous because they showed the daily lives of his contemporaries, often with humor. Like this one below, titled "Children Teaching a Cat to Dance"

We're less raucous... we have class... Or rather, Mimi has class, and she rules the roost.

M4-2, Hexanon 35/2, Kodak BW400CN.

How do we compare with the Dutch? Edmund is eating from his bottle, and Mimi from Frances's plate.

More about life later on... hopefully!

Color

2010-02-23T23:27:00.006-06:00

Using color film... can be a problem. No, I don't avoid it. In fact, I like it, but it's a problem dealing with one's exposure mistakes, as they translate into weird tones, strange casts, unexpected renderings of skin color. However, I just keep trying. Here are some samples from last summer.

My wife, on a rare moment of peace now that we have a baby (I compensated the exposure one stop and a half, IIRC, exp. 1/1000 at f4)

Potential undergraduate students touring the NIU campus (exp. 1/1000 at f13 or thereabouts)

Cat in a DeKalb store. I offered a print to the cat's owner... and shall deliver soon (exp. 1/60 at f4, IIRC)

Words and images

2010-02-17T20:12:00.003-06:00

Singer at a Farmers' Market, DeKalb, June 2009 (M4-2, Hexanon 35mm, Kodak BW400CN)

Browsing through accidental photography blogs, I found one common aspect.

Many of them just post images.

This, to me, isn't that appealing. The whole idea of a blog is to communicate. Images, indeed, do say things, but they work (at least, a mon avis) better when paired with words.

However, just for the sake of posting (which has become somehow difficult), I'll see to make images more relevant than prose, instead of aiming at a balance. Let's see if I like it...

Ben on my chair (M4-2, Hexanon 35mm, Kodak BW400CN, with Leica SF-20 flash in auto mode)

Back from repairs... and feeling frisky!

2010-02-06T15:09:00.005-06:00

The M4-2 went to Wisconsin, to get repaired, and receive a new lease on life from Don Goldberg. It's finally back! And of course, I've been using it (with B&W film).

Trees by the NIU library...

Backyard furniture, covered in snow.

Bench near library, with sun peeking in.

The film advance still feels a bit grainy, but the cosmetics in the camera are now unbeatable. Both PC contacts have their own covers and the little rims around them (both were restored). Don also replaced the hot flash element, which had deteriorated when some glue from a clumsy repair in the top axle of the film rewind seeped into it. Later, I added some white to the lettering. The camera is ready for some 25 more years...

What are Leicas for?

2009-12-04T10:38:00.008-06:00

I don't know what to say when people talk about others who photograph birthdays, babies, family celebrations and other events of the kind... with a fine camera. That is to say, a Leica.

Case in point, the feelings that arise when people read that Gary Winogrand's Leica M4 is now in the hands of a family friend who uses it for birthdays, funerals, Christmas and Thanksgivings.

What's wrong with that? Given my newly acquired status, I use both my metered and unmetered bodies for family pics.

Should I call them artistic because of the camera they were made with (which, as you can ascertain, is my M4-2 with Konica lens), or should I dismiss them as family snapshots?

On the other hand, who can say whether these are prosaic, daily life images, completely void of value?

To be quite honest, those who would consider my use of a Leica M4-2 a waste, just because I'm not doing other type of images, should be out in the street, producing images themselves. From where I see, a camera, however legendary, is a photographic tool, and using it for that purpose is far preferable than leaving it to rust, no matter how much we revere the dang object.

Hence, these shots are artistic snapshots... 'cuz they're pretty, not because they were made with "artistic" gear. What's your take?

Street shots only with rangefinders?

2009-09-12T16:44:00.008-05:00

Is there a law about this?

(Chicago, near Art Institute, M6TTL, 35/f2 Hexanon, on Ilford XP2)

How about an SLR for the job?

(Same gear, under the L rails in Wabash Street, Chicago)

Or medium format? Doisneau already showed it, right?

(Stairs up to the L station, Wabash Street, same gear & film as above)

It seems to be counterintuitive, but one of these days I'm going to try it. Either with my Nikon D700 or with my Mamiya C220, with B&W imagery, of course.

In the meanwhile... who takes street shots with anything else but a Leica? Who has? Is there a difference between quality, attitude, and, of course, perception?

Crutchless Photography

2009-08-30T18:16:00.008-05:00

Not long ago, I started playing with meterless Leicas. Especifically, a 1957 DS M3 purchased from National Camera Exchange for something below $500. Highly recommended, by the way...

Back to the issue... that purchase perhaps was not a good idea... Or probably it was, because it helped me start flying without electronic help.

Here come some early efforts with the M3 and Kodak Portra or Ilford XP2.

DeKalb garage, on the way to my office.

Stairs inside a university building.

Who said "no" to landscapes with rangefinder cameras? I did... once, a long time ago, before realizing I had done the one above (the Kishwaukee river flows around my university campus).

Something similar with my M4-2... on BW400CN film and with my Hexanon 35/f2 lens.

Hot dog vendor in campus.

Mimi stalking a chipmunk in the back of the house.

Table and chairs for not so terribly hot days (I'm curious about how they'll look in winter).

I admit having to do a bit of Photoshopping on these images, but mostly an exposure adjustment of maybe one stop. Considering that I tend to overexpose, and that I had to adjust the levels only one bit, it's not too bad.

BTW, these are all Walgreens scans off the film I left with them for developing.

More later!

About a year ago..

2009-08-08T22:43:00.005-05:00

About a year ago I started this blog. On a whim... while awaiting delivery of my newly acquired Leica M4-2 camera.

Lots of things can happen in a year. Little did I know, for instance, that we'd be adding one family member in May 2009. Above is Edmund, our son, just in July this year. Not his first Leica portrait... but the best (I think; I know, the photo needs a bit of editing yet). BTW, it was with my Konica Hexanon lens at 1/30th, f2 on BW400CN Kodak film.

An old favorite from Denver CO, where I took my M4-2 in a type of maiden trip. Done at 1/1000 at f5.6 on Fuji ISO 400 Superia film.

Nice sample of my eye-meter at work: 1/60th at f2.8 on Fuji Superia ISO 400. This is our cat Mimí, doing what she does best: showing her moxie!

Something we'll apparently need in the years to come...

Randomness

2009-06-06T18:04:00.007-05:00

Pottery near window in a Colombian store (2006). We ended up buying a nice, blue creamer there.

Brazilian musicians playing at Bembo Haus, in Nuremberg, during the Blaue Nacht, an event in which all museums stay open until late, with free admission and hosting musical events. Done with an M6TTL, Summilux 35mm and Provia ISO 400 pushed at 1600.

Silly scene in Providence, RI. This is near the main drag in town. Done with my M3, Summicron 50mm (collapsible and unfiltered), on Agfa ISO 400 film (developed in T-Max).

Random shots have the value of the unexpected, the common and ordinary that turns into a strange thing once it's recorded in film.

Let's see if I can find more for later; right now, I'm busy with a newborn at home... Of course, he's a handful, and he's keeping us busy. So far, he was already photographed with my M3 and my Elmar 90mm lens, but since it's color film, I won't develop it. Later on, once I have it, I'll see to post it (provided it's reasonably exposed).

New Toy!

2009-04-25T20:16:00.004-05:00

Here it is! One more Leica lens...

A nice Elmar 90mm f4 lens, with caps, recently came home. It is now part of my M3 classic system, as you can see...

Of course, pretty much immediately, I loaded film it into my M3 and proceeded to burn it. I went without a meter here, so I recall that the exposure of all the images was about the same I use with my Summicron 50mm collapsible, but with a tad of an opening to compensate for the lens's length. So, the one above was shot at f5.6, 1/1000 on B400CN film.

And so was this one above!

Now... where would I be without PSE6? See... in the end, I did overexpose most of these shots, so I had to resort to the shadow/highlight sliders.

The lens works well; the turning of the rings, both aperture and focus, is nice and dampened. The only concern I may have is a slight squeak close to the infinity, that I hear every time I turn the focusing ring a bit fast, from the closest to the farthest distance. However, it's been relatively quiet for a while.

Later I will post either more shots with this one, or more with any of my other long Leica lenses. Who said that rangefinders are not efficient with telephotos? We'll see soon. Meanwhile, dust off your big guns!

Composition Heaven or Nightmare?

2009-04-16T19:35:00.006-05:00

Welcome to a metering and composition nightmare! The parallel lines at Red Rock Auditorium near Denver, CO.

Making lines and subject work? Hmmm... easier said than done! Take a peek at the following shots. First, above these lines, some runners up the seats. Below, a graceful young lady who was lending moral support to someone in the crowd (M3, 50mm 'cron, Agfa APX ISO 400, at 1/1000 sec. and aperture between f8 and f11; the second: same shutterspeed, but at f5.6, most likely).

What's your take? What do the lines do for the subjects?

And finally, by the stage, an exhausted athlete (same gear and film, but aperture between f5.6 and f8; I like to use my lenses as open as possible, hence the f-stop).

When I was taking these photographs, I was in hog-heaven... or whatever the expression be to say I was in a high... In the zone, going Zen... Through the viewfinder, all these shots looked like a million bucks.

Not so much later.

While I like the one on the top (it has a nice, eerie look to it, and the men look like wild animals climbing the steps), when I was getting ready to scan the negative the lighting, the metering and the grain (something I'm becoming a stranger to) posed a series of challenges. I won't add that I had to contend with some Newton rings, so there's a few negatives that will need to be re-scanned. However, these ones looked good only after a second examination (not pixel-peeping). Now... I like them, but I'd like to hear about your experiences using lines in the composition.

If the first has a nice, lyric air, what do you make of the second? Does it need cropping? Is the human element getting small and buried in the geometry? How about the tired runner in the bottom photograph? I perhaps should add that it's the one I like the best in terms of contrast, sharpness and lighting.

Anyway, I'd like to know about your reactions.

BTW, I did print these images... and Ansel Adams's famous dictum came to mind: "the negative is the score, the print is the performance." My negs don't look too good, but the prints have a nice sharpness about them... I must be a decent conductor.

Thanks!

Travel Photography

2009-04-14T23:45:00.004-05:00

Why does it happen...

That most of our best shots...

Happen when we travel?

Any ideas?

BTW, and before I forget, these are all Leica shots, ranging from Bogotá (Colombia), where I captured the girl talking to her dad about the dog who won't budge; to Barcelona, where my rarely used Summicron 50mm yielded a scene in Plaza del Pí; to Chicago, which I still consider a travel destination because it's not the town where I live.

Is it perhaps because of the distances we need to cover to get these shots?

Is it maybe because we always assume that the greener pastures are beyond our horizon?

Or just because these are to us unfamiliar sights?

It annoys me... because, for one reason or another, some of my best shots are, indeed, from far away locations.

Makes me feel glad I had a Leica back then.

Flash and the Leica

2009-03-06T14:08:00.002-06:00

Which of these two photographs was taken with a flash?

I'll reveal only that this one was done with my Elmarit 28mm f2.8. I cannot recall what film it was, but I'm pretty sure it was Kodachrome. For the next one, I used my Konica Hexanon 35mm f2, and the film was (true, very true!) Velvia ISO 50.

Considering that I believe that flash photographs should NOT look as if they were taken with a flash, I must concede to being extremely proud of one of these two.

Please, excuse the poor scanning and lousy exposure. So far, I've been uploading scans from labs, but if I dig deep enough in the past, I find my own clumsy scans only. They're not too bad in print, I should add, but nobody would believe it from looking at them online.

Did you guess which one was the flash one?

I should add that I do believe in the power of flash. It's portable light, it's useful, it's progress, and to use it, one must exercise the intellect, and guess where the light will strike. It's not easy, so I think that most of the Leica users who bemoan about flash are actually the ones who do not know how to use it, or, worse yet, don't want to learn.

At some point in my life, I too believed that flash photographs were only for parties and for indoors, but later, much later I learned that a flash works like salt in a meal: just a little bit of it goes a pretty long way. In short, we must handle it with care, while enjoying the results.

Why is that others simply reject the use of flash? It's not like some photographs don't need it.

Oh, well... I consider it useful, good and a blessing. Long live flash!

BTW, it's the second photo. I used my Leica SF-20, with one full stop dialed up for underexposure (to tame the output). Also, the shutterspeed, a typical Leica quirk, went down to 1/4th of a second. However, instead of a well-lit cat and a dark background, I got a nicely illuminated domestic scene, in which Ben shows that he'll defend his owner's peace at any cost.

Take care and hope to return soon!

Who Else Uses Leicas?

2009-02-16T10:52:00.006-06:00

Who else uses Leicas? How about a Leica M4-2?

I'd like to know...

Mostly, because this blog got started right when I got my own, first Leica M4-2.

To some, it may seem a weird decision... Why bother getting a meterless camera body, when there are so many advanced camera systems out there?

At some point, the control-freak inside a photographer shows up. And starts longing for a camera that gives you a lot of control (that is to say, forces you to make decisions) over your the way you photograph.

Besides, one starts needing a number of lenses that are not only reliable, but also fast, small and unobtrusive. Hence, the longing for a camera like the Leica.

Now, by the time I got my first Leicas (which should have been subject for a separate blog... and I may do it one day), I was already relatively bored with SLR bodies. Granted, they are versatile, flexible and easy to use, but people see you coming a mile away and, more often than not, they assume you know something or other about photography. I've been taken for a professional more times with my Nikon gear than with any other cameras.

So, my Leica decision was, rather, a move towards the new. I could have gone with medium format, or even digital, but I'd have the same conspicuousness problem. So, rangefinders were there. I went for the metered bodies because my short experience with an unmetered medium format body didn't really satisfy me. Probably, I wasn't ready to learn the little traps about taking a reading with a meter instead of using a camera.

Why a rangefinder camera? What was the draw to a metered or unmetered body? What did you do it? Was it the B-and-W look? Was it the brilliance of the color?

Let me know!

(FWIW, Street carolers in Hinsdale, IL, M6TTL, Summilux 35mm on Agfa ISO 400 at ISO 1600, Nov 2007; Brazilian musicians at the Bembo Haus, Nuremberg, same rig, but with Provia ISO 400 pushed three stops, 2008.)

The Problem With Leicas

2009-02-13T23:07:00.004-06:00

The problem with Leicas is...

That they have to be so darn good... The photograph above was taken in a store near Bogotá, Colombia, with a Leica. Spur of the moment, light hitting the right spot, or maybe simple boredom, but the camera (and the `cron 50mm) came to the rescue. Mind you, I'm not a fan of this focal length, but then, I force myself to use it, as it was the first Leica lens I got, and the one and only purchased new (hard to believe!!). Now, the photograph below is, as it turns out, somewhat random. Taken with my very M4-2 and Hexanon lens, I did not take a reading; just set the camera at f2.8 and 1/60, overexposing one bit on Provia ISO 400 (yes, I dared use slide film). The result is a fairly pleasant photograph of a colleague in his office at the university where I work. He liked the shot himself, it seems.

Lastly, we go back to Denver. In a place called Red Rock there's a huge auditorium carved in the rock that, when it's not busy with famous bands (the Beatles offered their first concert in Denver at this place), turns out to be just as useful and the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum were for Rocky Balboa. Here's the proof!

Need I add that this one was taken with my M4-2?

About RF shots

2009-01-23T12:00:00.003-06:00

Granted, you can do these things with an SLR

(Chicago, Art Institute, hip shot with M3)

(Denver, park near the library and Art Museum, with my M4-2)

(Café tables near Sixth St, in Denver, with my M4-2 again)

Sure, an SLR could handle these shots just as well. But then, there's the little aspect of conspicuousness, discretion and creativity. I was able to walk by all these places, take the photographs without any more fussing than making sure they were in focus, and keep going my way. Granted, I also had to think about the exposure, and either pre-meter or guess. Fortunately, the fac that C-41 film is so forgiving also helps. Not to mention that the little voice in my mind was reassuring me all the time with the famous mantra "This can be fixed with PS later."

In short, while SLRs allow the same (and more) technical possibilities as the rangefinder camera, the latter is better for your brains. They pose challenges that the SLRs never met: wider frames to compose in (compare a 135mm top image area to what an SLR can do... up to 600mm!), use of the brain, and ease (no need to do a lot of camera adjustments on the spot). Besides, they're a lot quieter!

It seems, then, that the best way to avoid Alzheimer's is to use a Leica.

Going to the deep end...

2009-01-18T22:33:00.004-06:00

Or, to put it differently, playing around the limitations of a rangefinder camera...

The image above was done with an SLR and a very conventional, standard kit zoom. The place is Cartagena, Colombia, where I also brought my Canonet (that was loooong before buying my Leicas; also, after that trip, even my wife admired my work, so I told myself I deserved a Leica afterwards). However, on one or two occasions, I took my Nikon F80 with its 28-80 f4.5-5.6 (eew... that's slow) zoom, and that's when I snapped this photo of a statue by Fernando Botero in the popular Plaza Santo Domingo. Distinctive aspects anyone?

I'll do it.

To me, it's only two definite markers that show this image was taken with an SLR. First: long lens used here. Second, relative closeness to the subject (this nice figure whose butt was always patted). Then, the fact that I took it and remember it seals the deal. In the end, I just have the head of a statue. It may look "good" in a print... but only to those who know what it is and where it's placed and what it symbolizes (to many, Cartagena, but not to the entire world).

Then, the one above, and the other below, were both taken with a Leica camera and a 50mm lens (my unfavored Summicron 50; I just don't use it enough). The color photograph is from San Juan PR, a fancy store... The one below is a store in the "new" section of Dresden, on Scala film.

The difference are, I believe, pretty obvious and clear, but the consequences of those differences are what matter here. In short, even if these mannequins had some distinctive feature of any kind, the cameras used didn't really allow for a close-up with as much detail as the image at the top. I had to work around the images. My interest, in both cases, was their clothes: the way mannequins inevitably draw attention to the clothes they wear because they suggest a human shape underneath. And yet, these two were pretty flawed in that the clothes didn't sit, say, in a natural way.

I had to include the environment here. And, of course, with that inclusion, the whole image changes in the end. The lens limitation simply forced me to rethink the image... and I believe the results are at least more informative. As opposed as a lonely detail of a statue, like the top, I wound up with two images that say something about the place in which they are, and the clothes and moment. The PR dress speaks about a fancy, yet shallow store. Not necessarily good, but not bad either. The Dresden shot belies it was done behind a window, and it is, in a funky way, the anti-mannequin: the buttons are undone, suggesting that it's hiding something: the exposed skin. Like someone trying to avoid ridicule or embarassment, the mannequin, leaning against the window, makes me think about the effort to conceal something that everybody already knows. How worse can it get?

I don't know, but it's good to be able to spin this much text about three photographs, huh?

I'll continue with this idea later!

Mechanical Cameras

2009-01-17T08:18:00.006-06:00

Digital revolution? How many revolutions have to come yet? What will be next? In what way will any revolution change the very basic way in which a photograph is made? Will it do away with aperture? How about shutterspeed? Digital simply replaced the media that captures the image. So far, things are still the same.

However, the change will arrive in the shape of...

A mechanical camera!

Even though I've been chronicling the seasons in this town (because my M4-2 has remained inactive due to its need of a CLA), I still ponder why I use film, and where photography can go after digital. I do not think film will recover its preeminence, but then, it won't go away. Just like LPs, it will stay for a long time yet, because it happens to have that particular "hand-made" quality about it that digital lacks.

Brains instead of computers

Let's all hang onto our film gear. Film isn't gone yet... and there's charm in graininess. Otherwise, how to explain that a print of Lee Friedlander's may sell for thousands of dollars in a Christie's auction? Subject matter (a young, nude Madonna?), or the fact that it's an artifact of the past?

' later!

Seasons in DeKalb

2009-01-14T23:24:00.003-06:00

Corner of Sixth St and Lincoln Hwy

Hot Dog Stand during Cornfest

Small Coffee Bar (now gone) in February 2006

Living in DeKalb isn't glamorous, but I like it... probably for that reason. However, that doesn't make our seasons less exciting. The seasons have their way to insert themselves into our lives. Here, two of the shots are from our warm weather, and one "came in from the cold" (can you not tell which one it is?). All were taken with Leicas here in town... and I'm proud of each because, to a certain extent, they show what I've learned. Also, and here I hope, they show a bit of what I like in DeKalb.

Common thread here: they all show people. We'll continue with it next time!

Seasons in Chicago

2008-12-21T23:05:00.004-06:00

What's there with the summer in Chicago?

It's a strange season, in which people really let it all hang out, dress strangely and meander in packs. Look at this family crossing a street in the loop. Only the kid noticed me. The rest? Lost in that summer daze... (M6TTL, Hexanon 35/f2, T-Max ISO 100)

Then comes winter... and the Kris Kindl Markt (aka Christmas Market), with its expensive, fancy trinkets that make Chicagoans feel nostalgic if they've been to Germany, and touristy if they haven't. It's the best moment to watch people... (same gear, but in Scala film).

And then, there's that weird anticlimactic spring: wet, cold and unpredictable. There may be beautiful days followed by others, gray, rainy and cool. Of course, for an adopted DeKalbian, a rainy day in Chicago beats any rainy day in DeKalb (M6TTL, Elmarit 28/f2.8, T-Max ISO 400).

The possibilities are just endless... But, for now, the next one will be the seasons in DeKalb!

Winter

2008-12-19T00:46:00.002-06:00

These are trying circumstances. What to do with winter?

However trite it may sound... the best is to open one's eyes to it, face it and take it. Speaking of "taking things," I was very tempted to ditch the slide above until my wife told me it looked like the University of Iowa football symbol: an eagle. I had not seen an eagle here... but it saved the slide (Canonet G-III QL17 and Ektachrome 100).

Now, I did go out on a night like this, looking an image like the one above. Luckily, it made it to an exhibit assembled later that year (M6TTL, Hexanon 35, T-Max ISO 100).

Not the place and time to abandon your bycicle (M6TTL, Summicron 50, Scala ISO 200).

Winter should make us think, reconsider and ponder. Instead, the wonderful light and the quirky weather (I'm being nice here) force us out, and so we walk, shake, complain and guess exposures in the bitter cold, instead of doing other things. Why? Any idea?

Challenges (again, Denver)

2008-12-15T15:52:00.002-06:00

How to make the ordinary look extraordinary?

With long lenses... (Windows in Larimer Square, Denver, M4-2, Summicron 90/f2, Superia ISO 400)

Moving fast... (Hotdog vendor in 6th Street, M4-2, Hexanon 35/f2, Superia ISO 400)

Acting quickly... (a view of Michigan Avenue, south of the river in Chicago, M3, Summicron 50, Ektachrome ISO 200)

Looking for the weird... (Performing Arts Center in Denver, M4-2, Hexanon 35/f2, Superia ISO 400)

Some time ago, a photographer let me in his secret for succesful street photographs: visualize your shots. Sounds easy... until one leaves the familiar environment. That was my lesson (one of them, the other was that meters don't have it all with them) to take to Denver, CO, with my M4-2. In Chicago, it is relatively easy for me to determine what is ordinary and common as opposed to what is not. I can easily decide what details to pick and photograph and which ones to leave as done and overdone by other photographers. However, Denver didn't offer me that choice... simply because I don't know what is usual to photograph there. The challenge I faced, just like I do when in Chicago, was to render the familiar unfamiliar. Otherwise, why bother photographing?

Here are some of my results. My window shot, done with a Summicron 90, takes the windows and their awnings away from their surroundings. They're no longer a "Denver sight" but rather a line of windows with a conforting routine about them. Then, the hotdog vendor is so common and ordinary that he couldn't be any commoner. Yet, the people around him steal his protagonism from the photograph. My view of Michigan doesn't look any different from any other shot, except for the fact that it was done at dusk. My favorite here is the yuxtaposition of a bear (apparently a begging one) and a nice VW Beetle (weren't they known as "Bugs"?), in a photograph that screams "postmodern" to me: irony, clashing categories (urban vs wild, or idealized view of nature vis-a-vis the equally idealized urban life in the VW). I don`t know, but the VW in the forefront, and the bear in the background look so incongruent that I should frame the shot.

If you don't agree... just let me know!

More Denver citiscapes & signs

2008-12-08T12:06:00.004-06:00

More images with the M4-2... Can these be public art?

Nice coffee shop near our hotel.

An example of public art (sign of life).

Thinking girl near the library.

Let me brag... I metered these shots. With my eyes, only.

Well... I also had some help from my meter. Every time I had my doubts about lighting, I pulled out my faithful black Leica M4 meter and checked the lighting. However, most of the time my guesstimate fell in the correct area, so for situations like the ones above, I relied on my memorized settings (applicable with ISO 400 film). Proof that photographers in the past were guys with good memory!

That, or I'm going to be a tough candidate for Alzheimer's.

Back to Denver: Signs

2008-11-28T23:43:00.004-06:00

When in Denver... read the signs!

This is part of a street that ends in Sixth. Nobody complains about lack of information here.

The name of the place is just a hoot... and Brits probably crack up when they read it.

Now, to think Silver Plume was a booming town and now it's reduced to a few houses (inhabited by very friendly people, I should add).

Need I to say that these photographs were all taken with my M4-2 and my Hexanon? I must except the first one, for which I used my Summicron 90mm. The film? Fuji Superia ISO 400, indeed.

The thing with signs is that they're silent witnesses of other times. Like in the first photograph, they reveal what at some point existed in the world, things we needed to be aware of. Otherwise, they show what was in the collective mind of a generation or a group. Finally, like cemeteries, they indicate where something now lies.

I like photographing signs. Not all are necessarily fun, but many have that particular trait of working as silent voices, testament of last and lost wills, or very late reivindications (or indictments). In cities, while I look for them, not always do I photograph them unless something evidently obvious or funny leads me to immortalize them in film. Whatever the case, the signs I have photographed, however trivial, have always told me something beyond their initial intentional message. And that's just the beginning of the fun!

More signs later!

Monochrome

2008-11-27T00:05:00.005-06:00

Who shoots black-and-white these days?

Old photographers, perhaps (M3, Agfa APX ISO 400, Summicron 50)

Adventurous individuals (same)?

Lonely souls?

How about all of the above?

The truth is that B&W ain't easy. In short, it's not for wimps. Not for chimps either. And not for every one. As a particular thing, the scene matters more, there are less distractions and more things to see in a B&W image.

How does one do that?

My approach is that the image has to be relatively strong, or anchored in a good element, or else the viewer will not "see" it. The best way to create something that catches the eye is to place an element that leads to the image, something that indicates perspective and tells us where to look. When this added element is absent, the image gets watered down. It simply fails to emerge from the gray.

Now, this is not a rule, as I can think of many photos in which it is simply impossible to add perspective. In these moments, the two-thirds rule comes to save the day. At least to me. Besides, in B&W, if the composition isn't strong, the photograph has nothing else to "grab" our attention and enter our memory.

This is perhaps a simplistic trick, but it's worked for me ever since I came up with it.

In any event, something I keep in mind all the time, when I carry my Leicas loaded with Agfa or Ilford stuff: color allows us to enjoy life, while monochrome film makes us think about it. What could we say about all the photographs above? They were shot in Thayer St, in Providence, RI, during a conference in Brown University in which I took my recently refurbished Leica M3 and the faithful Summicron 50 collapsible.

For the next, we're going back to Denver.

Color

2008-11-21T17:34:00.007-06:00

Some time ago, a good friend of mine and very old-school photographer said to me that "color came to wreck everything"...

I think I agreed with him... out of courtesy. Color, as the photograph above shows, didn't wreck much... provided that there was something to wreck in the first place. These chatty girls (M6TTL, Hexanon, Ektachrome ISO 400) wouldn't look good in monochrome. Try it yourself...

I can see where color works and where monochrome looks better, but I don't see them as direct opposites or, worse yet, mutually exclusive. However, I must admit that I have a different attitude when I shoot color and when I load monochrome. In the shot above, both ways would work well... but I like it in color as it adds a bit of familiarity to the scene (Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, with an M3, Summicron 50 and Ektachrome 200). In monochrome... the observer probably would do a double take before figuring out what the image shows.

And here we have a case for color: these chairs in a now defunct store from Esmond, IL, really had to be photographed in color (with my M6TTL and trusty Hexanon 35mm). The wood under the light and the general cast are pleasing... at least to me, and the effect (hanging chairs, kind of a weird image) would get lost in monochrome.

Did I settle the controversy? Of course not! However, if color came and stayed, why fight it? It does help... or else, what would life be like without it?

Next time, monochrome.

Need to photograph

2008-11-19T22:52:00.004-06:00

Do you feel too the absolute need to photograph things? Just to hear the shutter go off and know that you have an image in the roll of film?

I do. Not just occasionally. Often.

This shot was part of a "challenge" in the Rangefinderforum some time ago. It was the month of February, and we were supposed to find "Shadows" around us. Shadows? In February? I found them, and photographed them with one of my M6TTL bodies and my Hexanon 35mm. Of course, the end result is a crop; from what I recall, the frame was quite larger. And the film was the nice Kodak chromogenic BW400CN... or was other type?

One of my early rolls of Scala yielded this image of one of my neighbors's street lamp. Since I was mortally afraid of pushing it, I had to contend with the ISO 200 rating of the film and shot this image in the bitter cold of December, early in the evening, with one M6TTL and a Summicron 50mm.

This image is something I like coming back to ever since I photographed it first in Ilford SFX and my M6TTL with the trusty Hexanon. Once in B&W, I needed it in color. Once in color, I needed it under a different light. I've been shooting the same image for so long that I could make a history of that corner at this point. This version was shot in Velvia, shortly after a snowstorm, probably in 2005. Scanning it was a pain, because I couldn't help getting those blue tones on the snow. However, after examining the slide... yes, those corners ARE blue in the original slide.

Is it normal to have the compulsion of taking a photo just because? Probably not, but then, who would object to it when it does give you nice shots more often than not?

Something nice about film

2008-11-17T15:33:00.004-06:00

There's something very nice about film...

Snowy house in DeKalb

Peeking at the menu in Barcelona

Leading an intense inner life (Barcelona too)

I get to make all the decisions!!

For instance, which photos I will scan (and potentially print), how I want them to look, what size I want them to be (and resolution). Granted, these same things come up with a digital camera, although I don't think I have much of a say in some areas. Of course, there are settings to arrange, but what if I want certan photos for certain purpose?

On the other hand, I'm just quibbling with myself.

These photographs (all made with film Leicas) have nothing in common. I simply felt like posting them because some of them have never been seen elsewhere, and others, even if seen, didn't seem to attract much attention. For instance, my snowy house was completely unknown. Will it merit a comment here? I certainly hope so. The Barcelona shots, on the other hand, were admired by friends. Does DeKalb stand up to Barcelona? Easy to find out; check my other photographs.

Be back soon!

Random Harvest

2008-11-13T17:00:00.004-06:00

Today, I feel like posting Leica shots for the heck of it.

For instance, above is the town's supermarket (M6TTL, Elmarit 28, Scala). It used to be the only one in town... but now it has to compete with another that sells upscale stuff. I went there one night to get some bread, the lights looked cool... and I snapped this shot.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, the stores in the town of Hinsdale throw their doors open to the people who feel like a little tingle in the air... and offer free stuff! This lady works at an insurance company, but also gives popcorn away on these days (M6TTL, Summilux 35mm, Agfa APX pushed at ISO 1600).

On our trip to Denver we stopped briefly at the public library, to take a look at the place... and use "the facilities." I was a little bored and about to finish a roll, so here's the result (M4-2, Superia ISO 400, Hexanon 35mm).

Change of direction?

2008-11-07T11:18:00.003-06:00

Christmas time in Geneva, IL

(M6TTL, Summilux 35mm, color film)

Chicagoans crossing the street

(M6TTL, Hexanon 35, T-Max ISO 400)

Aurora Literary Festival: a young participant

(M6TTL, Summicron 50, Scala)

For a while, I've been longing for a digital camera.

On November 6th, 2008, I just ordered it. It may not have been a bargain, but it wasn't too bad in price either. It is a Nikon D700, full frame body, to use with all my wide-angle and long telephoto lenses.

Will this mean I'll abandon my film gear?

Surely not. Even though I like computers, mostly they are tools for a job, not entertainment gizmos. Granted, I like them, but that's an added benefit. Spending hours tweaking photographs is not my cup of tea... but then, shooting grainless images is something of a dream. That, and not having to scan my photographs. I'm not good at scanning.

However, how about the shots posted above? Reactions?

Will keep you posted!

News about the M4-2

2008-10-31T15:12:00.003-05:00

Well, this was a decision I made a while ago: my M4-2 needs a bit of TLC. In short, it's going for some repairs with Don Goldberg, the owner of DAG Camera Parts. He revived my M3 some time ago, so I know this one will be in good hands.

(M6TTL, Hexanon 35, some slide film, Oak Park IL)

Let me add one thing: I don't like the idea... but then, I haven't used my M4-2 since I returned from Denver, and there's a number of other things that need to be taken care of here.

(M6TTL, Summicron 50, chromogenic film; door long gone)

What can one do in the meantime? It's going to be a loooooong period of time without my M4-2. Granted, I do have other toys, but this one is the only one with a blog.

We'll find out. In the meanwhile, I'll keep posting seasonal stuff and browsing the sites I've posted on the sidebar, under the title of "Blogs and sites to check." Feel free to do so yourselves!

Fall again (the season, of course)

2008-10-29T22:24:00.005-05:00

A bright fall morning...

(M6TTL, Summicron 50)

A bright fall afternoon...

(Canonet G-III QL 17, BW Plus)

A chilly early evening in the fall...

(M6TTL, Summicron 50, chromogenic film of some type)

The fall is definitely my favorite season. I already explained the reason why... and have enough photos to prove it. These ones, however, aren't the best, but by no means are they the worst. They are all very, say, experimental. In two of these, I was learning how to see through the Leica viewfinder; in the other, I was just playing with my Canonet (which has been in retirement for a long time, but despite its forced rest I cannot bring myself to sell it). This particular one, the bird feeder, was just a snapshot, something I shot on impulse, and that added to the surprise I experienced when I saw the print. There was very little work on it at scanning it: no need to adjust the exposure or anything: I just loved the out-of-focus area as background for the sharp bird feeder.

Something sad to me about that shot is that we lost that feeder. The branch on which it hung was deemed sick, and it had to be cut off. The feeder is probably in the garage, gathering dust as we never found another branch from which to hang it. Lots of birds visited this feeder, and it was a lot of fun to observe them even fight for the seeds, completely oblivious that there were two sides to pick from.

We have another feeder, but that's for another day.

Short Visit to Denver

2008-10-14T23:08:00.009-05:00

Family that travels together...

(16th Street Mall, Sunday morning, 90mm Summicron)

People reading in the sun.

(Larimer Square, Tuesday morning, 90mm Summicron)

Nights of color.

(16th Street Mall, Monday evening)

Very recently I stayed in Denver for about four days only, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's a vibrant town, full of people who enjoy the outdoors because they don't get to see much sun throughout the year (apparently, there are some eight months of snow per year). Hence all the life that happens in the streets, documented here for posterity with my M4-2, my 90mm Summicron and my Hexanon 35, with Fuji Superia ISO 400.

Be back soon with some more photographs from Denver. And will continue the fall motif too! After all, winter's a-coming, and I need new snowy shots, be it with this camera or any other in my hands.

More about the fall

2008-10-13T00:42:00.005-05:00

A street lined with golden trees.

(M6TTL, Hexanon 35/f2, Ektachrome ISO 100 VC)

A silent witness of stories from long ago.

(M6TTL, Hexanon 35/f2, T-Max ISO 100)

The nice color contrast between light and shadow on the street.

(M6TTL, Hexanon 35/f2, Ektachrome ISO 100 VC)

I did these images starting from a visualization. In other words, I scouted the neighborhood, looking for the type of spots that make people go "ooooh..." Fortunately, I found them, and here they are. The day I took these was a gorgeous Sunday in which my (patient) wife and I went out for a walk. The air had the foreboding air of things that will come, a kind of melancholy that makes the light seem like aching. Those are afternoons that I love to waste doing not what I should, but what I damn well like to do: take photographs. I must have burned half a roll of film in a few minutes... and, since I had bought those ten rolls for a pittance a few days earlier, I sensed I deserved to play.

This film is probably out of production now, or rebadged or replaced as part of some marketing gimmick. The slides turned out as glorious as the small windows into another world that they seem to be, and I was quick at scanning them so as not to forget (which happens often) that I have them.

The fall is, as I said, my favorite season. It announces the end of certain things, mostly, like an exit door for the summer, or the path that leads us into the bleak winter but that at least helps us understand that even if the earth can be as predictable as it is, it still has a lot of surprises (days like this one, for instance).

What next? Winter? Naah... not yet. Let's see which other fall shots I can dig out of my computer. Because there's always something else before it all ends.

Until then!

Plans for the Fall

2008-10-10T21:24:00.005-05:00

Ben, our older cat, peeking into the porche,

(M6TTL, Summicron 90, Ektachrome 200)

A lonely leaf, hanging of a tree in our yard,

(Nikon F100, 24-85 AF-S G, Ektachrome 100)

A fiery red in the middle of a yellow sea,

(M6TTL, Summicron 50, Fuji Superia 100)

With the fall comes the weird feeling that something is about to happen, that we're wasting our time trying to figure things out, that we'd be a lot better off planning, deciding what to do, storing food and taking things one at a time. These are days of painful beauty (as my wife likes to put it), because we know they're coming to an end.

Plans, projects, ideas?

Besides keeping up with my own work, I intend to file all the slides I have, scan others, print some, see how to get them nicely framed and try to cheer up the house. Winter forces us to think and ponder, and, to be quite honest, I am not in the mood. In fact, I am planning on getting myself a new toy, a digital behemoth, to keep me occupied during those days. The Leicas and Nikons shan't be forgotten, of course, but will enjoy something of an extended vacation.

Going digital is so much work I don't know if I'll be able to stick to it. But we'll see. In the meanwhile, I'll see how to scan some fall color photos and return to post them here.

Now, let's go for some cider!

More Portraits: People at Work

2008-10-03T16:15:00.005-05:00

An artisan in his shop (M6TTL, Summicron 50, Scala ISO 200) in Barcelona,

A girl in her dad's photocopy shop (M6TTL, Summicron 90, some color film) in Bogotá, Colombia,

Women selling lottery tickets (M6TTL, Hexanon 35, Scala ISO 200) in San José, Costa Rica,

They're all working. I felt a bit intrusive by breaking into their routine and stole two of the three shots above (the women kindly accepted to pose for the camera). In a way, my meeting all of them constituted a kind of crossing of our paths, as I was working in that very moment. Working, at least, in one thing I enjoy doing, which is taking photographs with my Leicas.

Working people fascinate me... probably because while I "work" photographing them, I don't feel as if I were working myself. However, I am, only not for a living, but to overcome my own limitations as a photographer and documentarian (I have never considered myself an artist). In the end, I'd really like to document all possible occupations in the world. I have a few, but, oddly enough, not mine. However, one of these days I'll set up my own self-portrait at work, and post it here. In the meanwhile, I have some more work to do.

Portraits: People at work or leisure

2008-10-01T12:02:00.004-05:00

Here's a young reader at Borders, in Chicago (M3, Elmarit 135 on Fuji Superia ISO 400):

And here is an old calligrapher in the Art Institute of Chicago (M6TTL, Summicron 90, T-Max ISO 400):

And last, a young vegetable vendor at the Tibás weekly open air market in San José, Costa Rica. She was kinda shy (M6TTL, Summicron 90, Kodachrome 200):

I like these shots because they're kind of candid portraits, pretty much like the candy vendor in San Juan, PR (see below). Now, not all were taken in the street but all were done with one purpose in mind: to document people in their daily life. Granted, the calligrapher probably doesn't do what I photographed him doing all the time, but if he is one who is always called to demonstrate the beauty of Chinese characters, we can safely assume he is doing something familiar and relatively ordinary to him.

What goes into the perfect portrait? Let's get some ideas...

Unexpected images

2008-09-24T21:10:00.007-05:00

A night near the Schloss in Nürnberg (M6TTL, 'lux 35, Provia ISO 400 pushed to 1600)

Lorenzkirche (Nürnberg) during Blauenacht, the night when culture and art mingle with people in the streets of this German city (same gear & film as above).

From a bridge above the Spree river in Berlin (same camera, but with an Elmarit 28/f2.8 lens on Agfa APX 400)

What do these photographs have in common?

It's not that they are night shots. In fact, one isn't.

It's not that they were taken in the same German city (one wasn't).

One could argue they are city scenes, granted, but the truth is that they were all more or less grab shots, images that I didn't plan. They simply crept up on me. The first and second were impulsive shots, mostly because I was there and thought the scene and the moment were cool. I didn't really expect to see them come well, even though I knew they would turn up (not "out"). To be quite honest, they surprised me.

As a guiding principle, I don't go into a town hoping to find something to photograph; usually, I "scout" the place, look for something to tell me what to expect. Later, I try to see the kind of photograph I'd like to make, and then look for it. As a result, not always do I shoot, or not always am I happy with the stuff I bring back. However, there are surprises like these little "jewels" (if I may be this proud about them) that struck me as sudden and necessary. The last one, more than ever, came to me after I had already crossed that bridge and was well into the following block. Something about the trees, the intense light of that summer afternoon, and the desire to photograph the light itself made me return to a spot where I hoped to see this scene.

I didn't quite find it, but chose to make do with what I had at hand.

Do you plan your shots? Do you visualize them before pushing the shutter release? Or do you believe in inspiration? I'd like to know...

Objects II

2008-09-09T22:59:00.008-05:00

A seductive staircase...

Water coming down or snow melting on the ground...

A figure whispering in the hall...

Are these things what you see in the accompanying photos? Is that really a staircase, or an invitation? Did you see a cascade or snow on the ground? Was the statue really calling the woman?

When objects seem different or look like something else, I know I did what I wanted. I will never think the same of a bicycle, for instance, after seeing one covered in snow, and looking like a sign of good times gone. Same happens with the staircase (from which I had to crop a man, coming down), and its associations (ascent, way, obstacle, end of the way). When push comes to shove, things simply appear to us, and if we don't make something out of them, our photographs are not to survive. At least, my goal has been to, say, "defamiliarize" objects. Otherwise, my shots wouldn't fit anywhere.

Not even the very weird boundaries of a blog.

(BTW, all these images were made with rangefinder cameras; the first and second with a Contax G1 and a Planar 45mm lens; the third, with my Leica and a 'cron 50mm.)

Ever thought about photographing an object to make it look what it is not? Or taking advantage of some thing, to say something else? How does one say "summer" or "curiosity" without words?

I'll try to answer the question next time.

Objects I

2008-09-08T10:30:00.005-05:00

A bike in the snow

A row of mannequins

A konditorei table

Objects that speak of a function, a need, status, weather, a circumstance, but also things that exist on their own (or does a chair exist without someone to sit on it?). I have photographed them for different reasons, although in all cases there's one that has led me to snap their pic: their expressivity. Granted, objects can easily look lonely, thus inspire the idea of loneliness and even despair, but there are other images that speak to me of other things, like the bittersweet afternoons in the late fall, the sun in the summer, a possibility that never occurred. These make images that work as reminders of the things we could or dared not do.

There's another thing to this: I like photographing objects to make them look strange, distant from their usual function, inhabiting other places and spaces. In short, I like chairs to look like people, or cars look like bugs. It's a challenge, but if in the end I manage to make an object look like something else, I'm more than happy of having created an illusion.

Next time, more objects.

Travels with a Leica

2008-09-03T21:21:00.006-05:00

Where to begin? With the pretty candy vendor from Puerto Rico, who continued about her business even after seeing me aim my camera at her? With the edgy figure of a man climbing up a roof in the colonial neighborhood of Bogotá, Colombia? Or with the more mundane containers of Chinese food we got some time ago, that weren't even shot with a Leica?

All these images bring back memories to me, of trips in which I swore I'd never carry a camera again, only to agonize over a choice of lenses and bodies for the next trip. In Puerto Rico I walked all over the place with most of my gear; on the way back, in the airport, somewhere in NC, my carryon bag gave in when the strap broke on me and it fell with a disturbing plop sound on the floor (nothing happened, my glass and cameras were protected by my jacket and all the stuff I had in the bag). In Colombia, having learned my lesson, I carried only one body and three lenses... and felt like an orphan. At home, I stashed the Leicas away and rekindled my relationship with my Nikons.

Why all this traveling?

Perhaps to return with photos? Only?

So much to scan...

Next time, objects: why photograph them, what is in them, why bother at all...

So long!

City scapes

2008-08-28T08:19:00.007-05:00

Fortunately, I have had the chance to see the world. Every time I have traveled, I've taken one or another type of camera with, and recorded some sights I considered typical or at least representative of the places I've been. These are my city scapes.

DeKalb has a nice corner (in a photographic sense, the place is anything but nice) in Sixth and Lincoln, where a large lottery ad can be seen from a distance. I saw it photographed a long time ago, in a rather big print, presumably done in medium or large format, and liked it a lot. This is my own version of it: the pick-up truck, the man getting out of it and the lighting speak of loooong summer afternoons to me (M6TTL, 35mm Hexanon, Scala ISO 200).

Getting out of DeKalb, we go to Chicago, whose streets have lots of personality but not always look good in photos. Here is the Artists's Café on Michigan Ave, in a tilted version á la Winogrand (M4-2, 35mm Hexanon, BW400CN). Looks to me like very much a Chicago place, yet the woman in the large sunglasses adds a weird, cosmopolitan (I'd even say Parisian) air to the scene. I must print this one in a larger size to enjoy all the people who appear in it.

Lastly, Barcelona, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, because it conjugates both, a distant and a not so distant past in wonderful harmony. This balcony is at the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic), and even though it was taken in 2004, the fact that I used a 1936 lens gives it a strange flare that does not detract from the scene (at least, not to me). There's something timeless about the pidgeons in this shot... and it's one of my favorites (M6TTL, Elmar 90/f4, Scala ISO 200).

More to come later!

Street photograph=people shots?

2008-08-24T23:51:00.011-05:00

Here comes the question of the week: are people necessarily part of street photography?

Some have said that street shots should document the streets. To me, the streets are nothing without people. Those who think otherwise can take a peek at the Atget photographs of Paris and decide on their own.

Here we can see some examples of people in the streets of Chicago; the first shows a group of people looking up... all of them, at the same time! Why? The Air and Water Show (and the Blue Angels hovering over town... quite noisily). Then, a young couple having their picture taken in Millenium Park (some family history started right there and then). The following one shows a man who plays chess with multiple mates not far from the Art Institute, and the second portrays two fellows in wait of customers for their tour of Chicago in an open bus. Both are street scenes, both present the life in downtown, what those who live in the Loop see every time they step out of their apartments. These are the images that won't be remembered easily. Sometimes I wonder what would Chicago look like on the screen, just in case someone in the year 2080 wanted to film a movie set in the Loop in the early 21st century.

They'd need my photos, of course!

Images and Politics

2008-08-21T13:03:00.010-05:00

Let's talk about something different today.

How about photography and politics?

The photographs above may be seen as showing my political leanings... to a certain extent. One can see politics in the energetic stance of the young people in the first photograph, participating in a demonstration to protest the bombing of the Atocha train station in Madrid, on March 2004. I was in Barcelona when this occurred, and saw the entire country grind to a halt... with indignation, stupor and disbelief. While I was in the streets, decided to photograph the demonstration against the terrorist attack, I was feeling like a journalist and wanted to capture people doing what these young students are doing here: showing their rejection to terrorists tactics. However, with time, I've come to like this image because I would have liked to be there, standing along with them. Instead, I was on my knees, with my M6TTL loaded with Ektachrome ISO 400, trying to get as much as possible with my Hexanon 35/f2.

Now, I understand it better.

Then, there's the perennial protesters in Chicago, the ones that have been on strike for the last five years, parading in front of a well-known hotel south of Congress (on Michigan Ave). They are tired, their protest has turned into a routine, it seems to have lost its zest, they appear to be there out of habit. The hotel administration, however, won't relent or listen to them. Now, they are a fixture of the landscape, fodder for tourist pictures that will show abroad that America ain't the stuff dreams are made of.

And, speaking of the making of things, this photograph was taken with my M4-2, the same lens used for the photo above, and black-and-white film.

Finally, our local protesters. Ever since the current administration announced its intentions to go to war in Iraq, these people began protesting against it. They already were known as vocal demonstrators (in a subdued, Midwestern way) for their weekly stands in front of the DeKalb memorial monument every Friday, but with the war and its developments, they have grown... unlike their counterparts. Their ideological opponents stand next to a traffic light, across the street, and waive a flag while calling the protesters names. Usually it's a middle-aged and pudgy couple, sometimes accompanied by a thin girl with braces. At times, it's only the man. He bellows and screams and, frankly, is so scary I cannot muster the guts to photograph him.

BTW, I used my M6TTL, Hexanon and T-Max ISO 100 for this photograph, which was later incorporated in the archives of the city of DeKalb in 2006, as part of the DeKalb Streetscapes Project. In short, the image no longer belongs to me, but to the city. They were generous enough to give me copies, though...

All these events and circumstances make me wonder why and how did this country become so polarized... but while I may not have the power to question it or the guts to participate in the debate, I do what I can do better: photograph these actions so that they document the national mood for the days to come.

Now, given the way the powers in office have trampled over basic reason and common sense, will the eyes of the future bother to learn from the mistakes of the past? Probably not, because our current leaders haven't done it either.

Bleak future, indeed...

Oh, well, there are other, more immediate things to worry about, and we'll get back to them later. So long!

Chicago images

2008-08-20T20:49:00.007-05:00

Made with my M4-2 last Saturday, August 16th. First, customers at the famous Lou Mitchell's, a Chicago institution, where gentlemen waiting in line to be seated receive a doughnut hole, and the ladies get Milk Duds. Then, there's this building maintenance crew in Chicago, near Jackson and the Union Station.

This city has one aspect I like: it's always active, but without the hustle-and-bustle of other, larger towns like NY (which feels messy). However, there's a paradox here: while NY seems dirty and messy... it photographs beautifully! Chicago, an architectural gem, clean and active, doesn't seem that photogenic.

Go figure!

New Images... this time in BW400CN

2008-08-19T14:38:00.008-05:00

Thursday, August 14th... I loaded the M4-2 with BW400CN film and went to the Farmer's Market in DeKalb. Here's what I came back with: a nice series of people shots exposed with the lens as open as the light allowed it (mostly at 1/1000, between f5.6 and f8). The baker admired my camera while his customers silently shopped. I couldn't help to tell him that what he called an "antique" was actually made in the seventies. I guess the idea of antique pretty much rests in the eye of the beholder.

After the market and doing some errands, I returned home. Later, we played with our cats. Mimi was especially receptive...

On Saturday, we took the train to Chicago in the company of Corina, a colleague from Argentina. We went for lunch at Lou Mitchell's, a Chicago institution, when I suddently ran ouf of frames.

At least not all was lost: I had some spare film.

More to come soon!

Two More

2008-08-15T19:19:00.006-05:00

Part of our daily routine: Frances, my wife, has to fuss over Ben (M4-2, Fuji ISO 200, 1/1000, f4). He's the oldest cat we have. The young one is below...

her name is Mimí, and this shot (1/60, f2) was taken right after the one posted yesterday.

Today, even though we had a beautiful day, I couldn't go to downtown to photograph something because there was a lot to do around the house. Hopefully I'll be able to shutter away later. The film in the camera right now is B&W, and since it's chromogenic, I expect to get it processed quickly.

My own processing has been hampered by a number of circumstances, but soon enough I'll get back to my (intended) routine of working on this at least once a week.

In the meanwhile, when I'm not reading or writing, I'm scanning or tinkering with this blog. It's still kinda fun, let me say.

TTYL!

Not a masterpiece but...

2008-08-14T21:28:00.004-05:00

Not a masterpiece, granted, but it's one of the first photos I took with this M4-2.

More to come soon!

In the meanwhile, this is Mimí, our young cat and less patient model. Since I had some Fuji ISO 200 in the camera, I decided to meter it like ISO 400 but with one stop on the plus side. Hence, this is at 1/60 at f2.8 with my Hexanon. In a larger copy you can count her whiskers...

Now, after burning that first roll, I loaded some Kodak chromogenic film (the BW400CN). I recall having used it a long time ago, when it came out first, and then lamenting its demise. Apparently, Kodak brought it back last year, and I was happy to find it as something like $4 a piece in my local Walgreens.

So, either on Monday or thereabouts, we'll have some B&W shots from this M4-2.

So long!

Feeling cyber frisky

2008-08-13T22:39:00.003-05:00

Here comes a little surprise... I'm playing with the stuff I have in Flicker (didn't quite work out) and this blog. I'll try again later.

In the meanwhile... an old photo from December 2007 (is that really old) to illustrate the blog for now. Like the preceding one, it was taken with one of my Leica M6TTL bodies, and my Summilux 35/f1.4 lens, with Arista ISO 400 film, exposed at ISO 1600. I souped it for 15 minutes in T-Max. And the PS adjustments were just in size, which makes me very happy...

I'll get the first photos from the M4 2 tomorrow.

First Pic... of the camera!

2008-08-13T16:27:00.005-05:00

Here, to the left, is the new acquisition, sporting a Konica Hexanon 35/f2 lens. Yes, it's loaded (Fuji ISO 200, supermarket film) and I already burned some 10 exposures (I'm at home and there's a limited number of photos to take).

Oddly enough, I don't miss the meter. Is this normal?

Back later with more news... and pics. As long as there's a one-hour lab open until late, there`s hope.

Camera Home!

2008-08-13T14:07:00.002-05:00

Well... the Leica M4 2 just arrived today. It will join my M3 (seen on the right of this text) as the second meterless body in my inventory. I had to clean it a bit, and will have to send it out for a CLA but let's see how much the film advance lever becomes more pliable, and how long it takes. Right now, after a few silly dry shots, it's beginning to act as it should. This camera must have been dormant for a while.

TIme to load some film and burn it. We have a gorgeous afternoon, so methinks all the photos will be at a fairly small aperture.

BRB!

Wow... that was easy

2008-08-12T20:17:00.001-05:00

Now, kind potential readers... why do you blog? What's the purpose of it? In fact, while I can see the sense of a photo blog, it boggles the mind to think of any other type. Although, now that I think about it, the ones I've read occasionally work as ranting spaces (like the one by a waiter with all kinds of stories of bad customers).

How does one publicize a blog? I'm an academic. If we blog, we keep it under wraps. That's not, say, expected. It's not frowned upon either, but it's similar to, say, a ballerina that watches soap operas: it's not really bad, it's simply unexpected.

I believe there are people in this profession who blog. But then, I'm sure they teach English. I teach Spanish, but the last thing I want to blog about is my teaching. Good that I still like the literature I teach!

Be that as it may, I must go to bed thinking about this whole blogging business... and also it would help to bookmark it. I'm sure I'll have plenty of things to talk about tomorrow, as I stew in my own impatient juices waiting for the silly camera that works as a pretext for this blog.

So long!

First Entry

2008-08-12T19:54:00.003-05:00

Pretty much on impulse, and in the impatience about waiting for my Leica M4-2, I started this little blog. Much against my inclinations, mind you, as I really aren't into blogging or anything that may seem a commitment with a hobby.

However, given that my camera is still somewhere between New York and Illinois (where I live) and I frankly cannot wait for it to come, I googled it (for the upteenth time) and found Andrew Nemeng's Leica FAQs website with a nice section on this camera. In that page, it also said that there used to be a blog named after this type of Leica. When I clicked on the link I learned that the blog had been canceled, and that the name or domain was available. "Do you want to register it" my computer asked.

Why not?

So, here I am.

Of course, since I still DO NOT have photos with this camera, my blogging will remain circumscribed to what I have done with my other cameras. And, of course, to what my potential readers may say about my work.

Funny... I barely read blogs. In fact, I didn't like the idea of keeping one. But now I started one out of sheer jumpiness.

TIme to learn!