The Obsessive Cycle

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

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

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

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!

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?

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?

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

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..

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...

More on whatever later!