Courage! Civil War Tour of Washington, DC

As part of our LHSA meetup in Washington, DC on September 21, a couple of us took part in a Civil War walking tour.

 

Led by character Demetria Parish, a Pennsylvania girl who married and moved to DC (along with her sister), we walked through the modern streets of DC together, hearing the stories of 150 years past. Dressed in hoop skirt and all, Demetria shared plenty of period gossip with us.

 

(Click Here) to read about the Courage! tour on historicstrolls.com

 

Demetria Parish, in Front of Clara Barton's Offices, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM Lens

iso 400, f4.8, 1/125 sec.

 

We met a few other characters on our walk, including this lovely catholic nun, who passed Demetria a secret letter. It seems that letter never made if further, being stuffed into Demetria's bag, and likely forgotten.

 

Nun With A Secret, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM Lens

iso 400, f4, 1/500 sec.

 

From a photographer's perspective, seeing Matthew Brady's studio building was a treat. Mr. Brady was a driving force in photography during the Civil War, the first war to be significantly captured on film (or at least the bodies of dead soldiers, which allowed capture with extremely slow films). We also heard a story about how his assistant, on the roof to adjust light-diffusing curtains to improve the lighting for General Grant's portrait, stepped through the slanted glass, showering the General in shards.

 

 

Matthew Brady's Studio, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM Lens

iso 400, f4.8, 1/3000 sec.

 

We spent some time around the old patent office (now the National Portrait Gallery) and post office (Monaco Hotel). Ms. Parish worked in the Dead Letters office.

 

The tour ended up outside Ford's Theatre, where the news of Mr. Lincoln's death, at the hands of actor John Wilkes, was just coming out. It seems Ms. Parish had something of a thing for Wilkes, and she's shocked to learn of his true character.

 

Demetria Parish and Mary Lincoln in Front of Ford's Theatre, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM Lens

iso 400, f4, 1/2000 sec.

 

The tour was really informative and enjoyable, drawing plenty of looks from passers by. Demetria consistently told us to watch out for carriages (cars) and to walk carefully around the horses (once a dog, in another case a set of seqways on tour).

 

As you can see, I shot with my WLL lens for this month, the Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8. I'm overall pleased with the result. The first image above is extremely sharp, showing what the lens can do when used carefully.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Second LHSA (International Leica Society) Local Meetup in DC

On Saturday, September 21, we held the second DC area local meetup of the LHSA, the International Leica Society.

(Click Here) to read about and join the LHSA.

A couple of us met for a civil war era walking tour of DC, rounding out our group of five at lunch and conversation at the National Portrait Gallery. Unfortunately, a couple of members had to cancel last-minute, so participation was about the same as our first meeting. I'm sure the near 100% chance of rain didn't help, either.

 

Kevin, Jerry, Bill, and Charlie, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 Lens

iso 640, f6.4, 1/45 sec.

 

As agreed at our first meeting, most of us brought Leica prints to discuss, which is always useful. I like to get critical feedback, and hear how others would have made the shot.

Here's what was going on beside our table at the Portrait Gallery:

 

Gymnastics, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 Lens

iso 640, f3.4, 1/180 sec.

 

 

This time, I tried to diversify the meeting a little by adding the civil war walking tour. I'll post a few pictures from that experience in a later post. Led by a period actress, complete with hoop skirt, I found it quite interesting. Some of the members missed the tour because of a Metro train delay, which was unfortunate.

 

(Click Here) to see a description of the tour "Courage," presented by Natalie Zanin's historic tour company.

 

Here are a couple of other shots I grabbed throughout the day with my M9 and Whole Lotta Leica lens for September, the Rokkor 45mm f2.8.

 

Lift, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 Lens

iso 400, f11, 1/350 sec.

 

Style, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 Lens

iso 640, f5.7, 1/1000 sec.

 

While the participation didn't increase from the first meeting, I do feel like we're forming a good core of members for these events. I will continue to think about ways to increase participation, and draw new members to the meetups. The quality of conversation was great, and made for an enjoyable afternoon.

 

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.

 

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First Regional Meeting of The International Leica Society (LHSA), Washington, DC, June 22, 2013

I am a member of the International Leica Society (LHSA). LHSA members are pursuing regional gatherings, with the purpose of building on the benefits that have already attracted us to LHSA which include the Viewfinder magazine, national meetings, raffles, and other opportunities to interact, teach, and learn about Leica and Leica photography.

 

(Click Here) to learn more about the LHSA. If you're a Leica enthusiast, you really should consider joining the society.

 

 

Our first Mid-Atlantic regional meeting was held on June 22, 2013 at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. The following people attended: Gary Irons, Charlie Arnhold, Bill Barton, Oleg Stepanov, Kevin Hase, Gerry Dreo, and myself (Reed A. George). The courtyard of the National Portrait Gallery turned out to be a nice place to meet, as there is plenty of space, great lighting and climate control. It is also a short walk from the new Leica Store DC. The only drawbacks were parking availability and cost of refreshments.

Through the course of introducing ourselves, we learned how each of us began photography, and came to use Leica equipment. Of course, we also got to see, handle, and sometimes even shoot equipment that others had brought, with bodies ranging from an early Leica C Standard to a new M. Other notable pieces included Charlie's Hektor 135mm screwmount lens with black lens head and chrome body, Gerry's lovely M3, and Bill's Ricoh GXR with Leica M mount module.

 

We took the opportunity to decide and agree upon some guidelines for future meetings. First,we came up with a few alternative locations in Vienna, Virginia, with better parking and coffee (which, of course, is critical!). Meetings will be held approximately quarterly, and we all agreed that the next meeting will be in the latter half of September. I will take responsibility for planning that one. More details coming soon. We are not particularly interested in group shooting, but may do special sessions, such as renting studio space for a future meeting, so that Mr. Arnhold can teach us about lighting. On the subject of photographic themes or contests, we agreed to a very simple approach: each member will bring one print to every meeting. The only requirement is that the image is shot with a Leica camera or lens. We will be relatively flexible, accepting any Leica lens or body, and even Leica branded Panasonic lenses.

One question that never got fully addressed was whether participants must be members of LHSA. As stated at the outset, the purpose of these meetings is to add value to LHSA membership. However, we would also like the meetings to attract new members. My personal feeling is that participants should at least be prospective LHSA members, but we'll continue that discussion at a future meeting.

We all walked over to the Leica Store DC to finish up the afternoon. Eric Oberg, General Manager,and his staff welcomed us to the lovely new store complete with equipment showroom, gallery, and teaching space. We also got a look at the new Leica Vario.

I'm quite encouraged by the turnout and the engaging discussions that we were able to start at this initial meeting. Thanks to everyone who came out. I look forward to the next one in September.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

I'm Hosting the First International Leica Society (LHSA) Regional Meetup in DC This Saturday!

 

Daguere Statue, by Reed A. George

Leica M8, iso 320, f9.5, 1/180 sec

 

This coming Saturday, June 22, 2013 at 1:00PM, I'll be hosting the first regional meetup of the International Leica Society (LHSA) in the atrium at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.

 

If you're not familiar with LHSA, (Click Here) to check it out. Originally known as the Leica Historical Society of America, the LHSA has broadened and updated its scope, renaming itself to the International Leica Society. It is a great society to be a part of, offering an excellent journal, "The Viewfinder," national meetings, a raffle (ongoing at the moment, where members can win a new Leica M or APO Summicron lens, a Leica X2, or a Leica Dlux-6), a lively community on Google+, and now, regional meetups.

 

We will plan to meet at 1:00PM, get to know each other a little, maybe see an exhibit at the gallery. Then we'll head out and do some shooting around DC, ending up with a visit to the Leica Store DC.

 

Right now it looks like 6-8 of us will be there. So, get your membership up to date, grab your gear, and come on over!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com