Kids at the Manassas Train Festival - Leica IIIG, Summitar 5cm f2 Uncoated Lens

Last weekend, some friends and I attended a train event in Old Town Manassas, Virginia. I focused on photographing kids at the miniature train displays with my Leica IIIG and wartime Summitar 5cm f2 collapsible lens. All of these were shot on Agfa APX400 film, exposed at iso 200 level.

 

 

It's great to see these modern kids so deeply interested in trains and mechanical things.

 

Speaking of mechanical things, shooting with the IIIG was a pleasant challenge. Focusing quickly is not the forte' of Barnack cameras, especially in shade, but I did pretty well overall. My Agfa APX400 did pretty well here, as well, if a bit on the low contrast side. All in all, a very enjoyable photographic experience.

 

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Dancer - Leica IIIG and Uncoated Summitar 5cm f2

Dancer, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Summitar 5cm f2 Collapsible Lens

Agfa APX400 Film @ iso200

 

I think I have figured out this film. I actually like the grain it produces. Shooting it at iso 200 and developing for 10 minutes in undiluted D-76 does the job.

 

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Baseball - Japanese Little League, Shot with Leica IIIG

Baseball is big sport in Japan, including Little League.

 

Little League Baseball, Japan, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Elmarit 5cm f3.5 Collapsible Lens

Kodak TMax 400 Film

 

On one of my morning walks around Tokyo, I came across this team, running drills either before or after their games. I was impressed by the enthusiasm of the young players, and the attention their coach paid to them. All of the following shots were made with the Leica IIIG, this time with a Nikkor 50mm f2 LTM lens that I purchased at Map Camera in Tokyo. It's a beautiful little lens.

 

I very much appreciated capturing a little slice of the Hawks' fun together. Great fun with an old Leica rangefinder.

 

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Finding Space in the Big City of Tokyo - with Leica IIIG

 

Urban Space, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Ilford HP5 Film

 

This gentleman on left was out early in the morning at the Tomioka Hachiman shrine in Tokyo. The lesser shrines are always a good place to go for some space and relaxation. The big ones, like Meiji Shrine, are frequently very crowded. The secret in either case is to be out early.

 

I find this to be true in almost any big city. New York City, Barcelona, Tokyo, they're all pretty quiet in the early mornings.

 

Here's another shot from the shrine. I focused on the cherry blossoms, rendering the fountain slightly out of focus with shallow depth of field. There was no one else in sight when I shot this.

Quiet Morning, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Ilford HP5 Film

 

So, if the crowds in the big city get to you, simply get up early! Jet lag sure helped with that while I was in Tokyo.

 

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More From Kiyosumi Garden with the Leica IIIG

While visiting Kiyosumi Garden, this young couple, probably just engaged, came to the park with a professional photographer to get their pictures taken under the lovely cherry tree. Keeping a respectable distance, I shot a couple of exposures of my own.

 

Young Couple in the Park, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Elmar 5cm f3.5 Collapsible Lens with Yellow Filter

Ilford HP5+ Film

 

They didn't seem to mind. I love the traditional dress, which makes the images somewhat timeless.

 

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Photos of Kiyosumi Gardens, Tokyo, with Leica IIIG

My mother-in-law lives in Tokyo. She is a wonderful host to us when we visit. Her home is a short walk from the beautiful Kiyosumi Garden. With an interesting history, including the incorporation of natural stones collected from all around Japan, and being owned at one time by the founder of the Mitsubishi empire, today it's a public park that is perfect for a morning stroll.

 

(Click Here) to read more about the history of Kiyosumi Garden.

 

The garden is centered around a large pond, and features a floating teahouse.

 

Kiyosumi Garden, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, 5cm f3.5 Elmar Lens with Yellow Filter

Ilford HP5+ Film (iso 400)

 

In addition to the natural stones and traditional Japanese garden trees (including pines, willows, and cherry trees), the garden has a lot of wildlife, like the ducks you see above, as well as turtles.

 

 

Kiyosumi Garden Wildlife, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, 5cm f3.5 Elmar Lens with Yellow Filter

Ilford HP5+ Film (iso 400)

 

The Leica IIIG, collapsible Elmar, and 400 speed film are not your classic landscape gear. However, I quite like the images I was able to produce with them here. The yellow filter helped increase the contrast just a little, but it was imperative that I keep the bright sky out of the images. In the first image, I had to crop out a plain white sky.

 

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The Fountain at Bryant Park, NYC

I'm getting ready for a quick weekend trip to NYC. I love the place, and can't wait to walk around the City with my camera(s).

 

Here's a rather unremarkable shot I made earlier in the winter at Bryant Park, when it wasn't too cold:

 

Bryant Park Fountain, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible Lens

 

To see a truly remarkable image of the fountain as I assume it looks today, (Click Here).

 

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Lion and Dragon Dancers - Leica IIIG Film Shots

Here are some images of the lion and dragon dancers from the Chinese New Year celebration in DC this year. All were shot with my Leica IIIG rangefinder and 50mm f2 Summicron collapsible, on Ilford HP5+ film.

 

And here's my favorite:

 

 

I absolutely love using the IIIG. The viewfinder is wonderful. Focusing is a bit of a pain, but works. The early Summicron really performs.

 

Burning through that 100' of HP5+!

 

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A Shot I Like from Chinese New Year

 

Noodle Shop Spectators, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, 50mm f2 Summicron Collapsible

Ilford HP5 Film, Developed for 7 1/2 mins. in D-76

 

The Chinese New Year parade in Washington, DC had much lower attendance in 2015 than last year. I managed to shoot a 36 exposure roll of Ilford HP5, but really spent as much time talking and having lunch with my friend, Charlie, as I did shooting. This is the noodle shop we decided on, where the chef is making noodles by hand in the front window. You can see the ducks hanging on the right.

 

We both had a nice bowl of roasted duck noodle soup, and then stopped at the Chinese bakery next door for a pastry.

 

I do have some more images from this roll of film to share, but this one is one of my favorites.

 

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Going Out in the Weather for Chinese New Year

The weather outside is horrible. Yesterday, we got several inches of snow, followed by some freezing rain. Today, it's warming up, but the roads are still questionable.

 

But, I have cabin fever. With a new DMC-LX100 having arrived, I'm packing it up, along with my trusty Leica IIIG (loaded with black and white HP5+ film), and meeting my friend Charlie for the drive into DC. We'll attend the Chinese New Year celebration there. Here's a shot I made there last year:

 

(Click Here) to read a post on the Leica blog about this subject. The images embedded in the text aren't much to look at, but the gallery at the top of the post, especially those images by Su Li, are.

 

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Going Up

Going Up, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible

 

I'm about to start making regular posts again.

 

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Sikh Pride, NYC

Sikh Pride, NYC, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible

 

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Street Photograph, NYC

Street Photograph, NYC, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible

 

I just really like all that's going on in this image. The pointing pair on the right, the paired smiles of the kid in the advertisement and the guy in glasses, the flag reflected in the glass.

 

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Happy New Year!

Holiday Trimmings, NYC, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible

 

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Going to the Anime Section, Kinokuniya Book Store, NYC

Anime Section, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible

 

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Street Vendor

 

Street Vendor, NYC, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, 50mm Summicron f2 Collapsible

 

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Subway Musician, NYC

 

Subway Musician, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible

 

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My Persian Friend

This is Alex. We met early one morning in Bryant Park in NYC when I was out taking pictures. I thought he was the perfect model for winter coming on in NYC. Finally, I got enough courage to ask permission to take his picture.

 

 

 

Alex, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible

 

Alex was born in Persia and has lived in NYC for over 30 years. We talked about the fact that under our feet at that very moment, there were 28 miles of stacks (archived documents) in the basement of the NYC Public Library. So much knowledge.

 

Meeting Alex was a major positive influence on me, though I'll probably never see or hear from him again.

 

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Alone, Again

Alone, Again, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible

 

I have often thought about a project centered on "Alone in the City," or "Alone in a Crowd." Maybe it's time.

 

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Alone

Alone, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible

 

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