…came out of the oven at 10 pm last evening
From gathering ingredients
to mixing and kneading
to feeling what the dough wants to become
to smelling the dough transform into bread
to hearing the finger thump on the crust
to photographing
to tearing (or slicing)
to tasting
’tis one long meditation, involving all the senses
a practice, a life sustaining ritual
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Leica M, 50 mm Summilux Asph
We photograph to explore our fascination with reality and all its remarkable, fleeting moments. …because we love light. …to discover how the moment may look when frozen in time. We photograph to remember. To tell a story. To illustrate. To explain. To say, “Look what I saw.” To learn more about “this or that.” To share. To show—as proof. We’re fascinated by, and need to explore, visual compositions as a means of self expression. …music for the eyes …visual poems.
We use black and white when we feel a need to express our love for lines, textures, patterns, shapes, and forms drawn by shadows and highlights. …when our vision demands a rich tonality.…when color would only serve as a distraction. The same reasons we draw with graphite, silver point, charcoal, conté and inks.
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Leica M Monochrom, 50 mm Summilux Asph
We use color when the subject demands its color be seen, understood, and presented; and of course the light; always the light; along with the shapes, lines, patterns, textures, as we pass through each ephemeral moment of our life. The same reasons we reach for any other pigmented medium; whether paints, colored pencils, dyes, or pastel chalks. Because we have something to say about the color we see in the world.
Leica M, 28 mm Summicron Asph
memories are made of these:
the fan died
nature reclaims
the hot plate
with a firm hug
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Leica M, 50 mm Summilux Asph & 100 mm Apo Macro Elmarit —R
Locking the 60 Macro-Elmarit-R on to the Leica M, with M to R adapter, Multifunction Grip and EVF results in yet another relatively light, relatively small, very well balanced and extremely versatile kit. The ability to focus from 1:2 to infinity without additional hardware is very reassuring for a lover of close views of the world’s details.
(click photographs for larger view)
The 60 works as a fine short distance portrait lens.
Oops. Forgot to reset the Manual Lens Detection. So the EXIF shows the 50 cron rather than the 60 Elmarit in the first three samples above. Rest assured every image in this post was shot with the 60 Elmarit—R; irrespective of the EXIF data.
Throwing the Macro-Elmarit-R 60 Extension Tube in the bag extends the range to include 1:1 through 1:2 with little extra weight… though may mean taking the 28 Summicron out of my fairly tiny “everywhere every day bag.” No. I can fit the tube and the 28 too!
Popping the Apo-Extender-R 2X makes a remarkable 120mm 5.6 Macro which adds working distance and different depth of field to both macro or other medium long focal length possibilities — all while taking up very little space or weight in the bag.
Now why in the world would the above photograph be tac sharp and the one below be unsharp?
Both were shot handheld at a 1/1000th of a second. Hard to imagine that the bottom one involves movement.
Both used focus assist with the “red” lighting up appropriately on the intended subject. What the hell’s going on here?
Infinity focus issues? Hard to imagine that at around f:8 with a 60 mm. Any ideas?
Leica M, 60 mm Macro—Elmarit—R
Next up: Leitz Wetzlar Summilux—R 1:1.4 / 80
Just like the 35 mm Summicron-R the Leitz Wetzlar Summilux-R 1:1.4 / 50 makes a beautiful, relatively small, well balanced kit, with a great feel, fit and finish, when mated to the Leica M(240). The 50 mm Summilux also provides a respectable 20″ close focus possibility along with its classic, creamy Summilux bokeh.
The first few of these examples display the wrong exif data because I forgot to reset the Manual R Lens Detection to the 50 Summilux. Rest assured all the images in this post were made with the 50 mm Summilux_R on the M(240).
This may be the most remarkable walk around lens/camera kit I’ve had the pleasure to use. This relatively small and light combination handled every situation while delivering superb results; including a commercial studio product shoot.
Next up: Leitz Canada Summicron-R 1:2 / 50. A lighter lens than the Summilux, though about the same size.
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We can see this is a lovely lens for working in close at that 20″ mark.
Again focused at the 20″ mark; though this is a very small section of the Full Frame (seen below);
and certainly demonstrating the quality of both the 50 mm Summilux-R and the M(240) sensor.
In this last example I put the 50 Summilux-R on the R Bellows.
Leica M, Leitz Wetzlar Summilux-R 1:1.4 / 50
remind me to notice
patterns and textures and rhythms
providing the proper mood
for the day
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Leica M, 135 mm Elmar
Two golf courses have provided fireworks displays on or around the 4th of July for the past 30 years.
This will be our last 4th of July in this home – change becomes final on November 30.
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from our driveway
and then out to the road
we watch them over the Historic Range Line Inn
directly across the street from our home
(for the last time)
Leica M, 100 mm Summilux Asph
On April 25th Sophia”s school hosted a breakfast for grandparents. The children made ball point pens into flowers for the table center pieces. The kids were encouraged to ask us questions about how life may have differed when we were their age. They also wrote a composition which described their own life in the future — when they’d be sixty five. A great time was certainly had by all.
Additional photographs from this event can be viewed here.
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Tanya and the other parents brought around the coffee, water and a variety of juices; as well as served the various hot dishes which complemented the fruits, cakes, rolls, croissants and kringles.
Leica M8, 50 mm Summilux Asph, 28 mm Summicron Asph
Yesterday I made my usual Raisin/Walnut Morning Bread. Of course it’s always a little different. Maybe cinnamon maybe not. More or less honey. Lately I’ve moved toward greater hydration, working around 75 percent; and using the stretch and fold method rather than the knead method. Anyway – yesterday’s loaf turned out unexpectedly dense and heavy – good – though not what I intended. Very surprising. As the previous rye, rustic, sourdough and morning loaves turned out perfect; exactly as intended. I’m guessing that I pushed the hydration to the limit. It was definitely beyond 75 percent; may have been 80 or more; pretty sticky when it went in the oven.
So today – feeling the need for a lighter, plain, lunch and dinner loaf as well as the need to achieve intentions –
I created a light sourdough loaf. And yes. I nailed it.
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Leica R8/DMR, 100 mm Apo Macro Elmarit
Yes the freezing water and snow cover provide their own brand of beautiful.
Though when chilled to bone in one’s own home
with wind chills a dozen degrees below zero
in both F and C
day after day… week after week…
Enough.
(click photograph for larger view
Leica R8/DMR, 60 mm Macro Elmarit