Finally fired up that old Leica

[Art Meripol]

A little history.

I have always been aware of Leica. Throughout my career I almost never saw one. But their reputation for being the ultimate mechanical camera, for endurance and precision always stuck with me. I know people who collect watches and I always thought a Leica would be like a fine watch.

Just before the pandemic hit I finally bought myself a Leica M4p. Up till now any 'extra' funds I had went to my working gear, lighting or whatever I might need.
I still don't Need with a capital N a Leica. A fellow shooter here in town posted that he was selling his and before I could change my mind I grabbed it. It came with a Voigtlander 35mm 1.4. After buying it I thought about getting a Leica lens but they were more precious than the camera body. But I did buy a nice Voigtlander 21mm just because.

I ran a roll through it and loved the feel of the camera. I know many here are way ahead of me on Leica. I'm just discovering the many reasons they're so celebrated. But then after shooting that roll I put the camera down and it sat on a shelf mocking me for a long time. Last month I finally grabbed it up and put another roll in deciding to keep it with me as I ran around the city doing errands or shoots. I decided to photograph people. Each would get a couple frames on the roll of Tri-X.

I don't have a darkroom as much as I wish I did. Fortunately a couple of young guys here in town recently opened a lab. I dropped off that first roll from 2018 and the new one. When I got the film back (pleasantly surprised it all worked) I used my old Nikon SuperCoolscan 5000 to scan a few frames and Lightroom to do a quick edit. I have a bit of a learning curve to go on the camera but it sure was fun shooting film again.

Here are six of the people images.

My helpful friend Greg at a mens clothing store.


My brother in town for a visit.



Nicole,the wonderful lady who cuts my hair and her dog Cloie



My friend Don who is an angel to the homeless in town.



A Forestry and Conservation ranger I met on a shoot for state tourism.



A manager at the Honda Manufacturing plant I met on a shoot for a business magazine.

 

[Brian Moore]

A wonderful set of portraits, Art. The light is captured beautifully in each.

I must say that Cloie doesn't look the sweetest of creatures but sometimes the camera is unfair. (I especially like the backlighting in the last two.)

I imagine the Honda plant was in Lincoln, AL. I've been there a few times. I worked for Honda corporate on the West Coast for many years. (Don't know the gentleman you've photographed, though.)

Overall I'd say you're getting along just fine with that Leica.

 

[Art Meripol]

A wonderful set of portraits, Art. The light is captured beautifully in each.

I must say that Cloie doesn't look the sweetest of creatures but sometimes the camera is unfair. (I especially like the backlighting in the last two.)

I imagine the Honda plant was in Lincoln, AL. I've been there a few times. I worked for Honda corporate on the West Coast for many years. (Don't know the gentleman you've photographed, though.)

Overall I'd say you're getting along just fine with that Leica.

Yep. The Lincoln plant. They were opening a new customization unit. I guess instead of dealers doing add-ons they're moving more of it in house. And yes Cloie is a sweet as she could be, not the usual yappy small dog. And I was surprised how well the camera held up in those backlit situations. The other hair dresser in the shop has a bunny and the two love each other. I do mean love! Thanks for your kind words. I sent the camera off to have a new skin put on it. The old vulcanite was falling off when I got it and I didn't mind. But then it started falling off in larger chunks and looked pretty bad. Can't wait to see it finished.

 

[Geoff Chaplin]

Yes, film is fun, perhaps precisely because it is not work. Great portraits (something I'm useless at), thanks.

 

[Brian Moore]

Yep. The Lincoln plant. They were opening a new customization unit. I guess instead of dealers doing add-ons they're moving more of it in house. And yes Cloie is a sweet as she could be, not the usual yappy small dog. And I was surprised how well the camera held up in those backlit situations. The other hair dresser in the shop has a bunny and the two love each other. I do mean love! Thanks for your kind words. I sent the camera off to have a new skin put on it. The old vulcanite was falling off when I got it and I didn't mind. But then it started falling off in larger chunks and looked pretty bad. Can't wait to see it finished.

It will be worth the wait I am sure.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I'm a Leica fan...after years of bemoaning their prices...but got my hands on a couple through wheeling and dealing my old cameras. The build quality was mostly first class. Unfortunately their lenses are for billionaires only, like @Pete Askew

Art, I love your portraits - wonderful in fact. The one of Don is my favourite of the bunch, but I like them all. I can rarely get anyone to pose, for which I assume I'm to blame by not putting them at ease, but you seem to naturally have that talent. So I suggest you buy a bunch of film and make a larger series of people in your walk of life. BTW, those Voigts are excellent.

 

[Art Meripol]

I'm a Leica fan...after years of bemoaning their prices...but got my hands on a couple through wheeling and dealing my old cameras. The build quality was mostly first class. Unfortunately their lenses are for billionaires only, like @Pete Askew

Art, I love your portraits - wonderful in fact. The one of Don is my favourite of the bunch, but I like them all. I can rarely get anyone to pose, for which I assume I'm to blame by not putting them at ease, but you seem to naturally have that talent. So I suggest you buy a bunch of film and make a larger series of people in your walk of life. BTW, those Voigts are excellent.

Since I'm hardly a Billionaire I think the Voigtlander lenses are awesome. I read reviews where people felt they were every bit equal to the Leica glass. But still, a purist I guess would sneer at that.

I've always been people focused. I guess it's what you're used to. My first full time newspaper job came before I even graduated college. One of the first assignments I got from the editor back almost 50 years ago was to come up with a question of the day and get random people outside to give their opinion. I usually went to the post office where, back then, that was the most democratic mix of folks and was constantly busy. I learned to approach strangers, put them at ease, appear unaggressive and all that stuff. A great lesson for my career.
So thank you for your very kind words about my portraits. I have 50 years worth in my files.

My very first portrait of a stranger was when I was 17 or 18 and got my first 35mm camera. It's a long story about how I gained access to photograph this man but he was extremely reticent. He was likely the last or among the last of true Hillbillies way down a dirt road in the Arkansas Ozarks. This was 1972.
He lived with his brother and they never left their little valley where they raised all their own food. they had no running water, no electricity. They never bathed or changed clothes that I could tell. He had one eye that was just a white orb. They had one older lady who would buy them what they couldn't get which was coffee and flour. She set up the photo. I was to meet him at a certain place on his fence. When I showed up he came around from the back of an old barn, approached the fence and looked off a moment and I shot a couple frames and he walked away.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Great memory, Art! If I click on the photo I can see his while eye. I wonder how many times he was photographed - yours might be the only one..

 

[Pete Askew]

Glad to hear that you have 'gelled' with the Leica, and produced a super set of portraits into the bargain. I especially like the first shot, but then I have a thing about people looking out of frame: I like the extra dimension of story that it can bring. The image of Don works brilliantly too and has gorgeous tones and structure as well.

I do have a quite a few Leica lenses (which is why I'm not a billionaire@! ), but like the ones from Voigtländer as well and have several. I especially like their ultra wides and some of the (Cosina) Zeiss ones as well. My standard lens on the Leica is the 35mm Summilux f1.4 and I probably take 90% of my shots with it.

 

[Art Meripol]

Glad to hear that you have 'gelled' with the Leica, and produced a super set of portraits into the bargain. I especially like the first shot, but then I have a thing about people looking out of frame: I like the extra dimension of story that it can bring. The image of Don works brilliantly too and has gorgeous tones and structure as well.

I do have a quite a few Leica lenses (which is why I'm not a billionaire@! ), but like the ones from Voigtländer as well and have several. I especially like their ultra wides and some of the (Cosina) Zeiss ones as well. My standard lens on the Leica is the 35mm Summilux f1.4 and I probably take 90% of my shots with it.

I really enjoy the Voigtlander's version I have of the same 35mm 1.4

 

[Julian Tanase]

Those are great shots, Art, really beautiful. I especially am attracted to the first one, the shadows and light are just what it needs to be a great photograph. Regarding Leica, I do own a IIIf, indeed a great camera. When using it, I am humbled by the years this camera has been around, and provided so much joy to others before me. I am not a very proficient photographer, and I do wonder at times if I use this jewel of a camera to its full potential .

Just a photograph with APX 400, Leica IIIf, if I am permitted.

 

[Art Meripol]

Those are great shots, Art, really beautiful. I especially am attracted to the first one, the shadows and light are just what it needs to be a great photograph. Regarding Leica, I do own a IIIf, indeed a great camera. When using it, I am humbled by the years this camera has been around, and provided so much joy to others before me. I am not a very proficient photographer, and I do wonder at times if I use this jewel of a camera to its full potential .

Just a photograph with APX 400, Leica IIIf, if I am permitted.

View attachment 17653Fun shot. That guy on the far right just charms the whole scene.