Green Anole - Audubon Park, New Orleans, Nature Shot with Leica Rangefinder

Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis), by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica 90mm f2.8 Elmarit (v.1)

iso 200, f6.7, 1/350 sec.

 

I shot this image of a Caroline Anole (aka Green Anole) in Audubon Park in New Orleans. I used my early Elmarit 90mm f2.8 lens on my Leica M9 digital rangefinder. Rangefinders are not used for nature photography all that often, as you're limited in the longest telephoto lenses that are practical (135mm is reasonable, though very hard to focus). I usually shoot a 90mm as my rangefinder telephoto. Rangefinders also don't have good closeup capabilties, without going to great lengths with accessory lens googles or reflex housings, which essentially turn your Leica rangefinder into a single lens reflex camera.

In this case, the 90mm was a fine focal length, and I didn't need to get any closer than the lens normally allows. In fact, I like the context of the leaves around the lizard. They help the composition. I love how his body is silhouetted from the other side of the leaf. I got the focus just right as well - a 1:1 zoom shows his eye is really, really sharp.

I printed this at about 7.5" x 10" and it looks great. I think I'll make a 12" x 18" print of it.

 

So, use the camera you've got in your hand, rather than worrying about if the gear fits the subject. I couldn't be much more pleased with this shot.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Visual Poetry - Audubon Park, New Orleans

Visual Poetry, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 35mm f2 v.3 lens

iso 200, f3.4, 1/1000 sec.

 

Knowing that it was important to get out of the French Quarter, at least for a little while on my recent trip to New Orleans, I hopped a streetcar to Audubon Park one morning. After my own SNAFU, whereby I rode past the station where I needed to change lines, walked several blocks to recover, then discovered that the streetcar line was under construction and being supported by bus, I was quite a bit later arriving than I had planned. The bright Louisiana sun was well up in the sky when I got to the park. That did not stop me.

 

This is one of my favorite couple of images from that morning. I saw this composition as soon as I walked into the park; an hour later and the lighting would have been all wrong. There are several things I love about this shot. The light is at nearly exactly the right position to put the statue's face in a nice combination of light and shadow, and light the body of the statue perfectly to stand out against the dark backround of the live oak branches behind it. I love how the statues interact, including the third and fourth, slightly out of focus in the background above the child statue at bottom right. They're barely even elements in the composition, which is how I wanted it. The palm tree in silhouette way back there is another important element to me. The similarity of the main statue's pose and arm position to that of the lovely live oak tree behind is probably what attracted me to this composition in the first place.

 

Of course, the next time I go to New Orleans, I will be at the park at sunrise; that would just be spectacular. Not having made it at the perfect time on this morning, I'm quite pleased with this result.

 

The Leica M9 and 35mm Summicron pulled it off nicely for me. I think this one warrants a print.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Live Oak Tree, New Orleans' Audubon Park

Live Oak, Audubon Park, New Orleans, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 35mm f2 Lens

iso 200, f16, 1/60 sec.

Edited in Snapseed

 

On one day of my trip to New Orleans, I took the streetcar line to Audubon Park. Actually, due to construction on the streetcar system, I had to make part of the trip on a bus. In any case, the park is lovely. The light coming through the branches of the amazing, enormous live oak trees there was amazing, even mid-day on a clear, bright day.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com