Impossible Project Magazine - Rooster Brennan Documents African Safari with Instant Film

I am still thinking about how equipment and creativity interact to tell a story. Just yesterday, I met with my photographic friends and mentors, and got some feedback on the Smithsonian Folklife Festival images that I've been posting here recently. I got comments ranging from something like "See, if you control the background, you can't tell that these shots weren't made in Lima, Peru, as opposed to DC," which I loved, to "Not really sharp. That's the problem with flatbed scanning of 35mm film." All of the comments were useful to me, and were correct.

 

So, how does one share an African safari on instant film?

 

Image Source: https://magazine.the-impossible-project.com/wandering-man/

 

Well, you can check out the Impossible Project's magazine to see how Rooster Brennan did it, using the Impossible Lab to print his images on instant film. The article focuses on storytelling, more than equipment. I think he's done a fine job. (Click Here) to read the story and see the pictures.

 

I think that I still need to work on my storytelling with pictures. If the storytelling were strong enough, the technical details would become much less important. That's my goal.

 

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Studying Up for Magnum Days Workshop

 

I'm very pleased to have been accepted into a Magnum workshop in Provincetown, Massachussetts, which is coming up in a few weeks.

 

I will be studying with Magnum photographer David Alan Harvey. Mr. Harvey has a wonderful online magazine, entitled Burn.

 

(Click Here) to read Burn magazine for yourself.

 

What interested me the most there today is a video interview with Constantine Manos, another Magnum photographer who happens to be located in Provincetown. Click the link below to see and hear Manos' thoughts on becoming a successful photographer.

 

http://youtu.be/pd33OY-aXFE

 

Mr. Manos states that in order to be successful, a photographer needs to have a portfolio of at least forty images that show the message they want to communicate. That message should be focused, and the images should hold to a theme. This focus on a single theme, at least for the scope of each portfolio, seems to be critical. Manos also believes that printing an image is necessary for it to really exist.

 

I have a few projects that have led to this number of presentable images. Street photography from various cities, but in a single style, make up one of those. Live music, specifically local performers from the mid-Atlantic region where I live are another. Another of my current projects, focused on meditation, is not quite there yet.

 

Always more to do!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

LHSA (International Leica Society)'s Journal "Viewfinder" Edition 46-3 is Here!

 

Barcelona, by Reed A. George

Leica CL, Minolta Rokkor 40mm f2 Lens

 

If you're a fan of Leica, you'll want to know about the LHSA (International Leica Society). One of the biggest benefits of membership is the quarterly journal, "Viewfinder." The latest edition is now out, and I'm pleased to say that I have an article in it. A series of images I took last fall in Barcelona with my Leica CL and 40mm Rokkor made the pages!

 

Other topics in this issue include: Lith Redeveloping by Gary Hough, Ed Schwartzreich's final article in a series of three about how Leitz produced the landmark M3 camera, and a story about the LHSA's spring shoot in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, by Bill and Mary Caldwell.

 

This is just a sampling; there's plenty more.

 

So, come join us at LHSA, and get access to every issue of Viewfinder produced since the 1960s! I'm thrilled to have some images and writing published in this great journal for Leica enthusiasts.

 

(Click Here) to join the LHSA.

 

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April's Whole Lotta Leica Lens - the Summicron 5cm f2 Collapsible LTM "Radioactive" Lens

 

Leica Summicron 5cm f2 Collapsible Lens

 

This month, I am choosing the Summicron 5cm f2 collapsible lens as my Whole Lotta Leica selection. I will pair it up with my Leica M9 for the month and share the results with you here.

 

The Summicron 50mm has been a benchmark lens for Leica (and for comparisons from other manufacturers) since it was first introduced around 1955. The first version (shown here) was a collapsible lens. Originally made in Leica Thread Mount (LTM), the collapsible was also made in Leica M mount. Mine is an LTM lens.

 

The collapsible Summicron was an evolutionary step up from the previous Summitar 5cm f2 collapsible, which remains a favorite of vintage Leica shooters.

 

Mine happens to be an early unit (serial no. 994,XXX), which is classifed as having radioactive glass. There is some disagreement about the meaning of this, but here's a quote from Brian Sweeney, a lens expert with a lot of credibilty:

 

 

"Brian Sweeney

04-27-2010, 03:48

The original Summicrons use Thorium Glass and they are radioactive. I own two of them. Summicrons with SN after 105xxxx do not use radioactive glass.

 

The original prototype Summicrons were marked as Summitars, and had the asterisk (or star) next to the name. I have only seen photographs.

 

http://www.imx.nl/photo/leica/lenses/lenses/page92.html

 

The Summar is a double-gauss, 6 elements in four groups, 1-2-2-1 configuration. The Summitar and earlier Summicrons are evolutions of it, 7 elements in 5 groups. The type 2 Rigid Summicron (black, the 70s version) was 6 elements in 5 groups. The modern Summicron went back to the 1-2-2-1 configuration."

 

 

If you're interested, you can (click here) to read more about thorium glass, contaminated lanthanum glass, and whether or not the radioactive glass will fog film (it won't at normal distances).

 

The glass in these lenses is normally yellowed. Some people think it makes these lenses better for black and white shooting. I know it's common to use a yellow filter to increase contrast in blue skies. Or maybe the yellow is worse for color photography?

 

In any case, mine is in gorgeous condition. It is rare to find one without cleaning marks. I got lucky.

 

(Click Here) to read a nice summary of the different versions of the Leica Summicron 50mm lenses on antiquecameras.net

 

The International Leica Society (aka LHSA) is having their Spring Shoot in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on April 17-20. I'll be taking the Summicron collapsible along for the trip.

 

By the way, if you aren't a member of LHSA, I highly recommend it. It's a great group. Even though it formerly had "historical" in its name, the LHSA comprises a wide variety of members with experience ranging from the earliest vintage models through the latest digital Leicas. This is not a group stuck in time. In fact, at my first LHSA event, I took a great workshop on high dynamic range (HDR) imaging. That's not an old technology.

 

In addition to their Spring Shoot and annual meeting, the LHSA holds an annual raffle where they give away extremely expensive and wonderful cameras, and they publish a great journal, known as the Viewfinder. They also offer an electronic membership, where the Viewfinder is delivered as a pdf. Wonderful. No clogging up the mailbox with a paper magazine.

 

So, check out the LHSA:

 

(Click Here) and join!

 

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