Leica III and Leitz 90mm lens - Lockdown shots

[Rob MacKillop]

Remember when you were only allowed 20 or 30 mins outside of your house? It seems incredible now, and any future grandchildren will find it hard to believe.

Well, my wife and I used to walk to a local park every day for 20 minutes. It wasn't much of a park, a grass rectangle surrounded by trees on three sides, traffic on the fourth. The spring was amazing that year - do you remember it? There were no cars on the road, hardly anyone in the street or park, far more birds singing in trees than I can remember over my whole life, and those moments were golden! My wife and I look fondly on those 20 minutes everyday in beautiful sunshine. They were taken, I think, in March 2020, but not developed until later.

On one of those walks I took my Leica III with its 90mm Leitz lens - I had forgotten all about it until this evening when I was looking through my external hard drive of images. As images, they might not connect with you at all, but they have great resonance for us! Sorry, I can't remember the film...possibly Ortho+.

 

[Stevenson Gawen]

That's a very relatable and poignant (is that the word I think it is?) tale, Rob.
Here in Australia we had fairly serious lockdowns too, although in the rural area I'm in it wasn't as noticeable.

Yet the thing your words remind me of very much is the summer after my mum passed away. (this was a few years before covid) It was a sad and difficult year in some ways, but our family held everything together. You don't always appreciate what you have til you don't as they say, and that applied to loosing mum, but also to how we supported each other afterwards. And that spring/summer was the best I can remember. Loads of blossom on the trees, weather was warm but kind, and it was like a hug from the seasons, at least in my memory now.

Anyway... (cough) nice pics!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Nice comment, Steve. I feel for you. I wonder if you resorted to photography to help you through those times? I find it helpful.

 

[Ivar Dahl-Larsen]

I see the sadness in those images, not the sadness of the photographer, but the sadness in nature. During those days, I guess many of us resorted to photography. I at many times find myself immersed in photography and reluctantly find my way out again. Because what is the world without people, albeit some of them we could do without?

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Oh, we were happy in our own little world, and the following week was our wedding anniversary. To celebrate, we had a walk along the canal. Big mistake. 100 others had the same idea, and we suddenly got surrounded by people. The next day I got Covid, the seven months of Long Covid, and four years later my immune system has fallen to 18%. I have to avoid people as much as possible. But we remember our silent walks fondly.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

During those days, I guess many of us resorted to photography

I at that time no longer had and not yet had a camera, I had to devote myself to other hobbies such as growing herbs on the balcony. It was an unbelievable time, nature was taking back its space and the sky was really a sky even here in the city. But I know well how much I suffered then if I reread my emails sent to my friends at that time. It was a huge disaster that perhaps could have been limited, if not avoided.

Did we become better after that? No, we are worse than before.

 

[Ralph Turner]

Nice pics, Rob. So sorry to hear of your woes with '19 and its fallout. Such an awful thing.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

The next day I got Covid, the seven months of Long Covid

I can only send you a big hug.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Preferable to the real thing, with respect!

 

[Brian Moore]

Remember when you were only allowed 20 or 30 mins outside of your house?

Never got that restriction over here, Rob. Sorry to hear you contracted Long Covid. Sounds awful!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Tiring more than anything, Brian. Exhausting. But things could be worse.

 

[Ivar Dahl-Larsen]

Well, we were not restricted as Rob conveys, so I guess we were lucky in that respect. But living in suburbs in Norway may be compared to No way or rather..

 

[Gary R. Smith]

The next day I got Covid, the seven months of Long Covid, and four years later my immune system has fallen to 18%.

This is why my wife and I haven't been on an airplane since 2019. Sometimes I wonder if the caution is worth the restrictions. And now measles seems to be everywhere (here in the USA).

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Measles are on the rise in the UK too, thanks to morons on the internet talking utter crap. Those poor kids!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

In one file on my hard drive these images are from a Leica IIIG, but Ive discovered them also in another file as being from the 1st-iteration Leica Monochrom, to which I somehow attached the Leica 90mm lens. My memory is poor, but I feel it might have been the latter. So, I feel I might have misled you all…Apologies!

 

[Brian Moore]

So, I feel I might have misled you all…Apologies!

You led us up the garden path.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!