Skeletons From The Closet - First Results From The Konica I Rangefinder (July's Camera)

(Click Here) to read about July's SFTC camera, the Konica I 35mm rangefinder from ~1950.

 

I took the Konica along with me to shoot an outdoor concert on a Saturday evening. An earlier post shared my color images from that evening, taken with the Leica M9 and WLL lens for July - the Summitar 5cm f2 collapsible.

 

As I mentioned in the SFTC introductory post this month, the Konica still had an unexposed roll of Kodak C41 black and white film in it, which had been in there for years. Well, the film was at least still sensitive to light. Here are some results.

 

The Hot Seats, Warrenton, VA, by Reed A. George

Konica I Rangefinder Camera

 

The show started at 7:30PM, as the sun was starting to go down. From a heat standpoint, this was great. From a lighting standpoint, with an f3.5 lens on the Konica, it meant challenge. I did underexpose quite a few shots, but some are okay.

 

I was crouched down in the front of the audience shooting the band when I looked up and saw these two kids.

 

Concertgoers, by Reed A. George

Konica I Rangefinder Camera

 

I think the skinned knee really adds to the picture below. Reminds me of being a rough-and-tumble kid myself.

Skinned Knee, by Reed A. George

Konica I Rangefinder Camera

The Hot Seats, Warrenton, VA, by Reed A. George

Konica I Rangefinder Camera

More to come from the Konica I this month!

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Key West, Florida - Shot With Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

 

Pier, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 100, f8, 15 seconds

 

As you may have seen from other recent posts, my family and I went to Key West, Florida for a mini-vacation. Three days is pretty short, but we definitely made the most of it.

 

Having focused a lot on my Leica and film camera photography for the first half of this year, it was time to shoot some of my Panasonic cameras. I've already written about the DMC-TS5 underwater camera and how it performed. The workhorse of this trip was the DMC-LX7. I also used my DMC-GX1 a little, and will share those images in a separate post. This one's dedicated to the LX7.

 

The Casa Marina resort in Key West has a long history, and is the brainchild of railroad magnate Henry Flagler. We liked having breakfast there, where everyone gets treated as if they're wealthy. I made this quick shot using the iAuto mode on the LX7.

 

Casa Marina Breakfast, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 80, f2.8, 1/800 sec.

Casa Marina also has great hammocks out by the water's edge.

Hammock, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 400, f2.3, 1/20 sec.

Here are some other scenes from around Key West. First, the lighthouse. I love the orange blossoms on the trees.

 

Key West Lighthouse, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 320, f4, 1/100 sec.

And one of the famous Key West roosters, this one on the sidewalk at the Hemingway house. This is one of those shots that's so sharp it's scary. When I do a 1:1 zoom on the rooster's head, the detail is downright astonishing.

 

Key West Rooster, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 100, f4, 1/80 sec.

 

A simple street scene that says "Key West" to me:

 

Store Window, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 100, f4, 1/40 sec.

 

And a parting shot of the kid, looking through a waterfall glass fountain.

 

End of a Nice Vacation, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 100, f2.1, 1/25 sec.

 

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. The LX7 is capable of so much, it's almost embarrassing. It makes it hard to justify all of the other camera equipment I own.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Be sure to read my ebook on how I set up the LX7 for my uses, and why:

 

 

Whole Lotta Leica Results For July - Summitar 50 f2 Collapsible at Outdoor Concert - The Hot Seats in Warrenton, VA

On Saturday, July 6, 2013, I attended a concert by The Hot Seats, a band from Richmond Virginia that plays quite an interesting mix of bluegrass and old-time music.

 

(Click Here) to check them out.

 

I shot the evening with my Whole Lotta Leica lens for June, the Summitar 50mm f2 Collapsible from 1951, mounted on my Leica M9. I also shot some black and white film in my Skeletons From The Closet camera for July, the Konica I. Those pictures will come in a later post.

 

(Click Here) to check out the Summitar.

 

The Hot Seats (Clockwise from Bottom Left: Graham, Josh, Jake, Ed, and Ben), by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summitar 5cm f2 Collapsible Lens

iso 400, f6.7, 1/60 sec

 

The music started in the late evening, and was lit by lights from local buildings and a few garage mechanic's lights (really). So, I ended up shooting at high iso and wide open, or near to it, for most of the night.

Sunset on the Streets of Warrenton, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summitar 5cm f2 Collapsible Lens

iso 400, f4, 1/180 sec

 

 

The show was introduced by the cheer team from Fauquier County High School. These two girls had a blast running back and forth in front of the band.

 

Joyous Youth, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summitar 5cm f2 Collapsible Lens

iso 1250, f2.8, 1/180 sec

 

 

Stealing the Show, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summitar 5cm f2 Collapsible Lens

iso 1250, f2, 1/180 sec

The action must have been contagious.

Dance, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summitar 5cm f2 Collapsible Lens

iso 1250, f2.8, 1/125 sec

 

As the show drew to an end and I headed home, I caught this view of small town America as I turned around for one more look.

End of the Show, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summitar 5cm f2 Collapsible Lens

iso 1250, f2, 1/60 sec

Great fun. As I mentioned above, you'll be seeing some film pics from the Konica I as I get them scanned and online.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Review of Leica Akademie Workshop "The Truth About Photographs" Washington, DC, USA June 7-9, 2013 - AND - More WLL Results From The Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5!

 

I attended the Leica Akademie Workshop, "The Truth about Photographs - Developing a distinctive visual style." at the new Leica Store DC on June 7-9, 2013. The workshop consisted of a Friday evening lecture and introduction session, a full day of shooting on Saturday, and a review and critique on Sunday. Assisted by Leica Akademie North America Manager Tom Smith, Instructor Quinton Gordon packed a lot into the relatively short time of a weekend.

Gordon is a professional photographer from Victoria, British Columbia. His work has been exhibited in international shows, books (including a handmade monograph, Mile Zero: A Place Uncertain), and many high-tier publications, including Canadian Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, and Action Asia.

(Click Here) to go to Quinton's website and blog.

 

At the outset, Quinton told us that the goal of the workshop was not to make pictures like his; the goal was to make pictures like ours. In order to discover what our own style was, he told us to stop thinking about themes or photographic types. We had to stop taking photographs of things and take photographs that show how we felt about things. He also introduced a concept attributed to photographer Sam Abell:

• Know when you're in the presence of a good photograph.
• Compose and wait

This concept rang true as we practiced our craft over the weekend.

I won't share more of the ideas that make up this very unique and intriguing class. Suffice it to say that Quinton will give you new ways to think about photography, and plenty of assignments to challenge you to practice what you've learned.

Here are some images that I made over the course of the weekend in the workshop.

I shot the entire weekend with one camera (Leica M9) and one lens (Carl Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5, my Whole Lotta Leica lens for June). This was helpful in getting the equipment out of my way, another tip from Mr. Gordon.

I was quite satisfied with this workshop. I feel that the subject of developing an individual style was well-treated, and was the true focus of the lectures and exercises alike. The workshop is scheduled for a few more locations over the next several months, culminating with one in Los Angeles, California, in January 2014. I can give this workshop my full recommendation.

(Click Here) to go to the Leica Akademie website for more details.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Time For a Shot I Love

 

The Kid, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC (ca. 1946), Leica Summitar 5.0cm f2 Lens (ca. 1951)

 

Sometimes I get a shot that helps me remember why I do all of this photography stuff. Not perfectly sharp, a grab shot. But, this is why. I didn't even bother to crop the scan.

 

And, I simply love shooting an old Barnack-style Leica. I couldn't care less that it has no meter, separate windows for focus and framing, and dim ones at that. It simply works.

 

Thanks for putting up with a little self-indulgence on my part.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Leica Stores - When Camera Stores Are Disappearing, Leica Stores Are Multiplying

Image Source: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-14/why-leica-is-opening-so-many-stores

 

I've written a few times about how much I enjoy having a new Leica store in DC. I've taken a couple of Leica Akademie classes there, and always enjoy dropping in for a chat with the experts, and to view the latest equipment.

 

BusinessWeek has posted a brief article about the stores. (Click Here) to read it.

 

Apparently, the plan is to increase from the current number of 37 stores worldwide to over 200 by March 2013 2016. That's a business I'd actually consider running.

 

The Leica stores include retail space (obviously), studio space, which is also used for lectures in the Leica Akademie workshop series, and a gallery.

 

My experience in the Leica Store DC is that this is no snobby jewelry store atmosphere. The staff are true enthusiastics (which reminds me of Aziz, who proudly brings his early Barnack Leica IIIF and Summaron 50mm lens to work). They're intent on sharing Leica camera capabilities and unique features, not on getting your wallet out of your pocket.

 

The gallery space is always interesting, inspiring.

 

You've perhaps already read my thoughts on the Leica Akademie. It's really quite good. I've just finished a three day workshop there, "The Truth About Photographs." You'll see a review on that very soon.

 

So, in a time when brick and mortar camera stores are disappearing, Leica stores are expanding. I hope this is a good direction for the company. Apparently, something is going right. According to the BusinessWeek article, Leica's revenue increased 57% last year ($310M). I'm not sure exactly what this means, but the article also says that income increased 10X. Income can be defined in more than one way, but regardless, this sounds pretty good to me.

 

Welcome to the neighborhood, Leica Store!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Here's a New One on Me: Recreational Water Jet Pack

While in Key West, I saw this:

 

Key West Jet Pack, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

This is a new one on me. A jet-powered backpack that shoots you into the air.

(Click Here) to read more about it.

 

Key West Jet Pack, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

Key West Jet Pack, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

He even landed it so that he was standing on this piling.

 

I shot these with the DMC-TS5, which I am evaluating as part of the Panasonic Early Adopter program. I took the waterproof TS5 down scuba diving with me, and it worked very well. I'll have some underwater shots to share soon.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com