Weekends at Lake Anne

Weekend Visitors to Lake Anne, by Reed A. George

Leica M9 Titanium, Leica Summicron 35mm f2 (v3)

iso 200 Color Print Film

 

For today's post, I'm simply sharing a couple of images that I took at Lake Anne in Reston, Virginia a few weeks back. We've had an incredibly nice August for this region. This particular morning was sunny, cool, and relatively low in humidity. Not what you'd normally expect in Northern Virginia in August.

 

Lake Anne has a nice farmer's market on the weekends, and has that great symbol of real culture, a used book store. It's the only used book store I know of around here.

 

As you can see, I shot these with my Leica M6 on color print film. I just decided that black and white looked better, so went with it. Hope you enjoy the images.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

And Here's the Image My Friend Picked from My New Orleans Trip

My friend James did me the amazing favor of lending me his house in New Orleans. This enabled me to spend a long weekend without any responsibilities, to explore the city. When I returned, I shared my favorite images with James, and asked him to pick one to have framed for his place, if he wanted. He chose several, and told me to surprise him with the final selection.

 

Because James felt a little funny about having his neighbors in any of the images, he selected only those without people in them.

 

Here's the one I chose to frame for him:

 

Trompe O'eil, by Reed A. George

Leica M6 Titan, Leica Summicron 35mm f2 v.3 Lens

 

The subject is a Trompe O'eil (Fooling the Eye) mural, accompanied by a bronze statue of a girl. For fun, someone gave her a paper hat from Cafe Du Monde.

 

I think it's a fitting print for James' French Quarter home away from home.

 

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Mike Selsky - Leica Photographer, Winner of LA X-Vario Challenge

Image Source: http://blog.leica-camera.com/photographers/interviews/mike-selsky-hunting-for-the-strange-and-obscure-in-los-angeles/

I like to read the Leica camera blog, where they regularly feature interviews with other Leica photographers. I like to see what I have in common with others, as well as our differences. The latest is an interview with Mike Selsky, fine art photographer in Los Angeles. Mike recently won the Leica X-Vario City Challenge there, which earned him a free X-Vario.

(Click Here) to read about Mike's approach to photography and his interests.

Mike's regular camera choices are a Leica M6 TTL film rangefinder, and Monochrom, Leica's black and white-only digital rangefinder. His lens of choice is the 50mm Summilux Aspheric (f1.4). This is similar to my favorite rangefinders, the M6 TTL (titanium version, in my case) with matching Summilux 50mm, and the Leica M9 (which allows me to shoot both black and white and color).

Mike seems to be a wanderer, saying:

"I enjoy exploring California with a friend, planning road trips with vague photographic goals in mind."

We also have that in common.

Mike makes images that ask more questions than providing answers. Mystery is important in his style of photography. I find it a challenge to make the questions engaging enough to draw the viewer in. You don't want a response that just says "I don't know what that is." or "Why did you take a picture of that?" Sometimes, it's better to elicit "What am I looking at here?" or "How did you make X look like that?"

One final thing Mike and I have in common: we both value the effort that goes into making a great image. For me, an image is much more valuable to me personally if I know that it was a difficult one to capture. Mike says:

"My favorite images are the ones that took the most effort to make."

Mike seems to be enjoying the new X-Vario that he won in the challenge. Congratulations to Mike. I look forward to seeing more of his work.

(Click Here) to visit Mike's blog, 2WK.

One additional note. Mike mentions that with the Monochrom, he exposes for the highlights, and brings lots of detail out of the shadows in post-processing. A quick look at his blog indicates that he underexposes a lot with that camera. A little too much for my taste. I think he needs to bring up the shadows quite a bit more in many cases. Just a little critical thought on his work.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

New Orleans, Latrobe Park at Sunrise

Latrobe park is dedicated to architect Benjamin Latrobe. Located in the French Market, it's on the former site of a waterworks designed by Latrobe. Now, it's a cool place to relax in the shade of a hot day, just a few steps from the Mississippi River, and on the edge of the French Quarter.

 

I was walking through on my morning exploration when the light through this statue caught my eye.

 

Latrobe Park Statue, by Reed A. George

Leica M6 Titan, Leica Summicron 35mm f2 v.3 Lens

Kodak TMax 400 Film

 

Man, I could sure spend more time in New Orleans. Friends who visited a week after me told me of the torrential rains during their trip; not a drop of rain while I was there. In fact, I'd love to shoot the city in fog and rain. Maybe my next trip to New Orleans will be selected for moodier weather.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Royal Street, New Orleans - 13 Strings and a $2 Bill

New Orleans is such a musical city. While I was there, the Jazz Fest was happening, but I decided not to go in. I figured that I can attend a music festival in any city. I wanted to experience New Orleans music, the music that's there every day. I was not disappointed.

 

This is "13 Strings and a $2 Bill," playing at sunset on Royal Street:

13 Strings and a $2 Bill, by Reed A. George

Leica M6 Titan

 

Having a dog along with your act seems to be a real revenue increaser. This guy looked just a little bored, even with Nora tapping away right next to him.

 

Check 13 Strings and a $2 Bill out - (Click Here) to visit their facebook page. Youtube has several videos of them as well.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

More New Orleans Street Art

I have a thing for artists who make their living sharing creativity on the street. This gentleman was most gracious when I asked if I could take his picture at Jackson Square in New Orleans.

 

Street Artist, New Orleans, by Reed A. George

Leica M6 Titanium, Kodak 400 Color Print Film

 

I honestly can't remember if I was using my 35mm f2 Summicron or 50mm f1.4 Summilux for this shot. I must learn to record my film shooting parameters better.

 

What attracted me to this man as a subject was the combination of beautiful morning light bouncing from his sketch pad and lighting his face, and his intense concentration on his subject. In composing the shot, I got down low, hoping to use the line of the fence to align somewhat with his line of sight. I think I achieved that reasonably well. I was able to get in and out of their way very quickly, and captured exactly what I wanted with the M6.

 

Nope, I'm not ready to give up film yet.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Under Cover of Darkness

Under Cover of Darkness, by Reed A. George

Leica M6 Titanium, Summilux 50mm f1.4 Lens

TMax 3200 Film, f1.4, 1/30 sec. (?)

 

I shot this through the window of a very dark bar on my walk home from a show on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans. I feel that it's quite mysterious, and knew at the time that it would make an interesting image if it came out. I love the blazing bar light at right in the shape of a lion (or something), and the hands with no visible attached body at left. I also love the eyes of the person on the left looking upward.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

French Quarter Reflection

French Quarter Reflection, by Reed A. George

Leica M6 Titanium, 50mm f1.4 Summilux Lens

 

I shot this image early one morning in New Orleans. It's a little cliche' to shoot reflections all the time, so I don't. In this case, I like the difference in emotion that it gives, as opposed to shooting the balcony itself directly in the early morning warmth. I like how it has an almost night time feel to it. Don't be afraid of black shadows in your pictures, if that's the emotion you want to communicate.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Morning in Jackson Square, New Orleans

Morning in Jackson Square, by Reed A. George

Leica M6 Titan, Summicron 35mm f2 v.3 Lens

Ilford Delta 3200 Film

 

As I sit writing this morning in my local Starbucks, this image reminds me of the wonderful coffee and chicory I had just enjoyed at Cafe Du Monde a few minutes before I shot it. I like Starbucks; I loved my Cafe Du Monde coffee that morning.

 

Morning is very quiet in the French Quarter; most of its denizens are at least semi-nocturnal. I always enjoy seeing new places early in the morning, to get a different perspective.

 

The sunlight was just coming up over the bank of the Mississippi River, which would be on the right in the photo above. I like how the edge of the light follows the intersection of the two sets of stairs, going off at different angles. While the steps in the lower section are fully light, those in the middle have light only on their edges. The pigeon at right is similarly edge-lit, which gives it a bit of a focal point in my opinion.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

New Orleans Street Poet

Performing Poet, New Orleans, by Reed A. George

Leica M6 Titan, Summilux 50mm f1.4 Titanium Lens

Ilford Delta 3200 Film

 

I really love creative people. This poet was set up in the French Quarter, and would write about anything you asked. He was asking for donations if you liked what he wrote. I very much respect him for using his creativity and skill to make a living here.

 

I asked him to write about my daughter, Christine. I only told him a few things - her age, her interests, that we are very close. He asked me to give him 15 or 20 minutes. When I returned, here's what he had written:

 

"Christine

 

The paintball warrior

with art in her blood,

jumping into the flood of

emotions, running toward

adulthood.

 

A family well in tune,

a room, a canvas,

Christine sees with an

artist's eye, drinking in

the colors and textures,

becoming the young woman she

was meant to be.

 

A Renaissance woman in training

determined to put her mark

on the world,

one ball of paint at at time"

Perfect. Couldn't be more correct.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

My Leica M6 Titan is For Sale!

 

My Leica M6 Titan (factory titanium coated, ca. 1992)

 

(Click Here) to read the ad on rangefinderforum. All the details are there. I bought this from KEH last year in EX condition. If you know KEH, you know that means it's really nice. There is one ding, highlighted and labeled in one of the pics in the ad.

 

This is a wonderful user camera. I would keep it, but I just got another, in order to get the matching titanium lens. The serial number dates match between the new body and lens, so I'll keep the second one.

 

Oh yeah. The same ad contains a near-new silver grip for the Leica M8. Nearly half-price from new.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Some Leica M6 and LHSA Love

A few days ago, I admitted (to myself and the world) that at some level, I've become a camera collector. I only have a few cameras that I choose not to use, because any damage to them would be catastrophic to their value. In each of those cases (until now), I've purchased the camera with the intent of using it, and changed my mind once it got to me. Now, I've officially purchased a camera that I do not plan to use, one that is truly a rare collector's item.

 

Here it is (photo courtesy of David at Camera West):

 

LHSA 20th Anniversary Leica M6

 

 

First, how rare is this? Well, it's really a stock Leica M6 Classic from 1988. What makes it special is the LHSA 20th Anniversary engraving, which was offered to LHSA (International Leica Society) members at the time. A total of 43 cameras seem to have been produced with this engraving, number 20-01 to 20-43. Mine is number 20-38. I had read that all of them were silver, which makes a black one even more attractive. In my opinion, a nearly thirty year old camera that's one of a total of 43 (who knows how many black ones, but far less?) can be considered rare.

 

(Click Here) to check out and join the LHSA. This is the organization for Leica fans. Offering a great quarterly magazine ("Viewfinder"), a lively Google+ online community, specific discounts with some photographic-related vendors, and national meetings, LHSA's membership includes many of the world's experts on Leica cameras, both historical and current.

 

Interestingly, this camera was not all that expensive, even in mint condition. Less than the year 2000 black paint LHSA M6, for example, which was produced in the hundreds of units. But, the 20th Anniversary doesn't have that lovely black paint. I've never seen one, and have only ever seen one for sale, a silver one, at much higher price.

 

Now, I do like to use the M6 camera. I have another, less valuable, M6 that I use a lot. I can't say it's my favorite Leica (that's a spot not really held by a single camera, anyway), but it's a convenient one. The built-in meter is really helpful. That said, the M6 finder has some problems for me, not infreqently going "white out" on me, which makes focusing impossible. I understand that changing the location and alignment of the camera to my eye fixes it, but it's still a bit of a pain. That said, the M6 is a great companion to the digital M9.

 

A local photographic authority, Frank Van Riper, wrote a nice piece for the Washington Post about the M6.

 

(Click Here) to read Mr. Van Riper's story on Leica and the M6.

 

My new 20th Anniversary M6 should arrive today or tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to seeing it. But, I remain largely focused on cameras that I can and will use.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Oh, No! I'm Becoming a Collector as Well as a User!

 

I have always had a problem with Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS), only made worse by my association with Leica cameras.

 

I used to say that I only bought cameras that I could use. What that meant in the past was that they had to be functional, and I had to be able to get film for them, etc. Or at least be able to convert them to film that's still available. I didn't buy cameras for collection purposes.

 

Well, I've broken that now. I have the beautiful black paint M6 LHSA special edition camera shown in the image above. I could use it, but it's in completely mint condition, and a scratch or mark of any kind would significantly reduce its value. So, I haven't used it yet. I could think of it as an investment, but to tell the truth, I didn't get it at a great price. Not bad, but not investment price, for sure.

 

I have some other Leicas that are not necessarily collectible, but are interesting for one reason or another. Probably the best examples are my wartime Leica IIIC cameras. These are all user cameras (up to three of them now), and I'm not afraid to get them out for regular shooting. These cameras are not expensive, each of mine coming at less than $200. I figure they can't be a bad investment at that price.

 

Now, I'm being tempted by a true rarity - another M6 LHSA camera, but this time the 20th anniversary model from 1988. There were only 43 of these made, period. I know where to get one, for a very good price this time. I'm going to sleep on it, but think I may have to go for it. It's not every day you'll see one of these available for sale, especially at such a reasonable price.

 

My enjoyment of being a member of the LHSA (International Leica Society) drives much of my interest in these special edition cameras. If you're interested in the LHSA, come check out the website and join:

 

LHSA.org

 

The LHSA offers lots of benefits, including a great quarterly magazine ("Viewfinder"), local and national events, and even a 15% discount on camera service at Leica Camera USA. I just took advantage of the discount, which saved me more than the cost of membership for the whole year!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Following Up On Tips for Shooting Strangers - Wait For It!

Yesterday, I wrote about a post on Digital Photography School's site which gave 8 tips for photographing strangers.

 

One of the hardest practices for me to learn was to take my time and get the right shot, once I'd gotten over the barrier of talking to someone and getting permission to take their portrait. As I mentioned yesterday, many times I used to walk away thinking "If only I'd move a little to the right (or left)." or "I should've bracketed the exposure."

 

Well, I am learning to take my time and wait for the image I want. Here's a recent example. I was in San Francisco, walking around Chinatown with my Leica M6 and Summicron 50mm f2, when I saw this little girl and the woman I guessed to be her grandmother. I rather bravely walked up to them, and asked the older lady if I could take their picture. She smiled, which I took as a yes. As I put the camera to my eye, the little girl figured out what was happening and did this:

 

Oh, No! Not What I Wanted!, by Reed A. George

Leica M6, Summicron 50mm f2 (v.3) Lens, Kodak iso 400 Color Print Film

 

I felt it right on the spot - what a horrible shot I've just made. This is cheesing for the camera of the very worst type. The forced smile turned this sweet little girl's face into an image of stress and tension for me. But, I WAITED. As soon as she heard the shutter click, the little girl relaxed and gave me this:

 

Here's What I Saw in the First Place, by Reed A. George

Leica M6, Summicron 50mm f2 (v.3) Lens, Kodak iso 400 Color Print Film

 

This is what I saw in the little girl's face that drew me to photograph them in the first place.

 

One more note - on asking versus just shooting. Another thing that really drew me to this pair was how the older lady was looking into the face of the little girl (like in the top shot). I really wanted to catch that interaction between them, but while they were looking natural and not posing for the camera. I think you can probably see that in both pictures, on the right side, there are men watching me, rather protective of what I'm photographing. This prevented me from taking the candid that I hoped to get. So, asking directly at least got me the shot. If the situation didn't have this tension, I would have shot a candid first, and maybe then asked permission for a follow-up shot like I got.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Chinatown Sky, San Francisco

Chinatown Sky, by Reed A. George

Leica M6, Kodak 400 Color Print Film

 

I have always been attracted to the Chinese lanterns and dragon-design lightposts in San Francisco's Chinatown. In this shot, the clouds against the bright blue sky, boxed-in by the building roofs, provide a nice backdrop for them. The diagonal line of the lanterns also works for me.

 

This is a low resolution scan that I downloaded from The Darkroom's online site. I added some saturation in the lanterns, and darkened up the shadows under the roof eaves, and added the frame in Snapseed. I may do some more work with this image when the negatives arrive in the mail next week. I'm sure it will look somewhat different if I scan it at home and post process with Lightroom.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Lucky Shot - One With the World in Maui

 

One With the World, by Reed A. George

Leica M6, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 Lens

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

Well, I'm waiting for my negatives from Maui to arrive back in the mail from The Darkroom. I usually only spring for the cheapest scans from The Darkroom, as I like to scan my own selected images. However, this one looks so good to me in the online scans that I decided to go ahead and post it.

 

I shot this on the way back into town after a walk to the Buddhist temple in Lahaina Town. I didn't know this person, and just happened to catch the moment, as his family continued on down the beach by the Lahaina breakwall. I love the feel of this image.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Being A Kid - Photographed With Leica M6

Oh, the freedom of being a kid. It's easy to romanticize about how easy it was. Of course, kids have as many worries as we do, maybe more.

 

Here are a few shots of my kid, who's having a good time being twelve:

The Sweetest Comeback (Twinkies), by Reed A. George

 

The Carwash is Just a Little Scary, by Reed A. George

 

Okay, Enough Pictures, Dad, by Reed A. George

 

Resting Up For More Fun, by Reed A. George

 

I've been thinking that the M6 is a great second body to the M9. I happened to find a very nice one, in the titanium finished special edition, for a nice price. All of these were shot on a roll of Fuji 800 print film I had lying around, and with the Canon LTM 50mm f1.4 lens (a great bargain, with results comparable to a Summilux 50mm).

 

So, I'll try it out for a while. If I like it, great. If not, I'll sell it and recover my money.

 

Did I mention that I still LOVE to shoot film? I do.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

LHSA (International Leica Society)'s Google+ Page Gets A New Collage

 

LHSA's Google+ Collage, by Reed A. George

 

As you may know, I'm an enthusiastic member of the International Leica Society. I recently established a Google+ community for LHSA, and it's a pretty lively place to catch up on what members are up to each day.

 

As a weekend project, I decided to make a new collage for the page's header. Clockwise from top left, the images are: Leica special edition null series replica, the Society's journal "Viewfinder," Vario-Summilux on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 (same lens as Leica DLux6), checking out LiveView on the M240 in the Miami Leica store, a black paint Leica M6 LHSA special edition camera, Leica Ablon film trimming guide, and of course the LHSA logo in the center.

 

If you like Leica, you should really consider joining LHSA. We have the Viewfinder, national meetings, local meetups currently starting up (second Washington, DC area meeting on September 21), not to mention other new member benefits, including a 5% discount on t-shirts from Dodge & Burn.

 

(Click Here) to check out and join LHSA.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

The 50mm Summarit (The Old, Fast One) - You'll Being Seeing More From This Lens In a Coming Month

One of the lenses that I'll shoot for a month as part of my Whole Lotta Leica series is the original 50mm f1.5 Summarit in LTM. I'm writing about it today because I found a post with some interesting example images.

 

Shot by raytoei on rangefinderforum, the images simultaneously show some of the quirks and strengths of this classic lens.

 

Image Source: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133603

 

(Click Here) to see other Summarit images from raytoei on rangefinderforum, including some that show where the lens excels (hint: not in direct light coming into the front element). The shots in the post are all shot on a Leica M6.

 

My example of the 50mm Summarit was my very first Leica lens. From the 1950s, mine has exceptionally well-preserved glass surfaces, which is rare for this particular lens. Most of them have "cleaning marks" on the front element. Just in case you're wondering, "cleaning marks" are scratches. I don't care if they got there through someone trying to be nice to their lens or not, they do degrade image quality.

 

Anyway, mine doesn't suffer much from scratches, but it does have some internal haze. I haven't sent it off for cleaning, mainly because I'm afraid of it coming back worse than when it left. For some reason, the glass on these particular lenses tends to scratch very easily. Instead, I purchased an aftermarket hood from Cameraquest, which helps keep internal reflections down. I also don't rely on mine as an everyday lens; I use it when I'm looking for a particular mood in my images. Here are a couple of my own images from the Summarit:

Nature's Code, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summarit 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 200, f2, 1/180 sec

 

Artifacts of Life Past, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summarit 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 200, f2.8, 1/250 sec

I haven't decided when I'll shoot the Summarit for my WLL lens. Probably sometime in the winter.

 

By the way, this lens is not to be confused with the modern Leica Summarit 50mm f2.5. That is a new lens, made with modern materials and manufacturing technologies; it suffers from none of the fragility or age-related flaws (features) of the older, faster Summarits.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

You can buy the modern Summarit 50mm f2.5 (lower cost than a Summicron or Summilux, but yielding excellent Leica image quality) here: