Newsletter - January 2008

If a photograph is a record of what you see, then much of photography is the process of how you see. Therein lies the kicker. Despite cameras that minimize shake, focus on the whites of the eyes, and document every nuance at a mind-numbing number of frames-per-second, we are being overwhelmed by a superfluity of bad images. No, I’m not advocating a return to the good ol’ days when real images were silver halide and the world was a better place because of it.
W. Eugene Smith, himself no slouch as a photojournalist, addressed the erosion of excellence way back in 1954.

“For the many photographers I talk with, and of the many photographs I see in portfolios, publications, and exhibitions, I am far too often appalled and saddened by an increasing disregard, or in the extreme, an actual disdain, for the grammar of photography.

… I will have to hold as suspect the work of any photographer claiming to be an artist, an observer, an interpreter of reality who is this careless in the simple details of his communicative effort. For might not this also indicate a similar laziness and carelessness of observation in the photographer’s approach to his subject?” © W. Eugene Smith

I am promoting a more critical approach to appreciating photography. The foundation of a great photograph is intellectual honesty. Those photographers who allow their preconceived notions to shape a photo or a photo essay, are producing nothing more than eye candy. I remember listening to an interview with a German photographer recruited for A Day In The Life Of Canada. On the eve of his assignment, he described his desire to take an image of an Inuit hunter jumping from ice flow to ice flow. He had never been to Canada before, but, in a 24-hour period, he was going to capture its Arctic essence! At the height of their popularity, Canadian writer Heather Robertson dismissed the Day In The Life books as Cabbage Patch Kids for adults.

Understanding and composition are the building blocks of memorable images. You need a clear vision in order to see and seize the right moment. This involves commitment, a helluva lot of work, and a healthy dose of raw talent. That is why great photographs, and the remarkable photographers who take them, are both rare gifts.

Summoned to Paris!

In late November, I received an invitation to spend a week in Paris, room and
board included. Needless to say, the decision to go was easy. Soon I was crossing the Atlantic with my M7, 21mm f2.8 Elmarit and a borrowed 50mm f1.0 Noctilux. With much photography done in the evening, I was able to put this legendary lens through its paces. The proof is in the pudding, or the prints. Especially at the widest aperture, the Noctilux performed like the thoroughbred that it is. Even with the dubious resolution of a computer screen, I’m betting that you can find those images shot at f1.0.

I had the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of one of my favorite photographers, Robert Doisneau. Initially A Rolleiflex devotee, we will still give him his due and acknowledge his sizeable contribution to documenting and defining Parisian life in the mid-twentieth century!

When I look at a Doisneau photograph, I see unabashed joy. The image of children running below the Eiffel Tower captures the optimism of France in the 1950s. In a café, I debated with a friend whether Doisneau’s genius could still flourish in today’s Paris. After all, I argued, he must be more than the product and agent of an era when France was defined by the baguette, beret and bicyclette. Looking at the powerful portraits he produced in the 1980’s makes me realize that great artists are nourished by ever-changing politics, feelings, trends and realities. If Doisneau were working in 2008, his subjects would reflect contemporary issues and his point of view would undoubtedly reveal the essence of this distinguished photographer.

Helen Levitt at the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson

I made the hajj to the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Montparnasse, where I was introduced to the works of Helen Levitt. Born in Brooklyn in 1913, she documented New York City street scenes first in black and white and beginning in 1959, in color. Interviewed in 2002 on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, she said: “I decided I should take pictures of working class people and contribute to the movements. Whatever movements there were -- Socialism, Communism, whatever was happening. And then I saw pictures of Cartier Bresson, and realized that photography could be an art -- and that made me ambitious." Working an ocean apart from Doisneau, I was struck by considerable similarities in their oeuvres.

Revisiting the past

2008 marks the 50th year since the publication of The Americans, Robert Frank’s groundbreaking photo essay. The essay was in stark contrast to the golly-gee, celebratory style of photography that had become the mantra of Life, Look, Parade, etc. Reading Brian Appel’s outstanding article Beauty and ‘the Beats’—Robert Frank’s The Americans (1955-56), I learned that Frank had been a participant in Edward Steichen’s MoMA show, The Family Of Man.

…Edward Steichen’s 1955 “The Family of Man” debuted at The Museum of Modern Art in New York and became the most heavily attended photographic exhibition in MoMA’s history. Here was an optimistic take on the role of democracy positing that no matter how diverse the world’s make-up we are all part of the same family. Although Frank actually worked on this project with Steichen, back in 1953, the sheer mawkishness of some of the accompanying text -- snippets from the Bible and other great works -- and the hubris of its intentions, turned him off to it. He did not share the director’s sentimental vision which removed the events depicted from their historical context and drained them of any ‘real’ meaning. He left the curatorial team well before the show opened. Perhaps Frank’s proximity to the “editorial preferences” of Steichen made him realize that the observer/photographer not only records but can change the depiction of events and that the editor has the “power” to neutralize this voice by putting the overall concerns of the curatorial agenda above the unique voice of the artist. ©Brian Appel

While we’re looking back in history, forty years ago, in 1968, Danny Lyon published The Bikeriders. This was the day when motorcyclists weren’t lawyers or retired business executives. There is an anarchic quality captured in these pictures, a trait that reappears in much of this under-appreciated photographer’s work.

This passport is null and void

Here’s one mess we can’t blame on Customs and Immigration Canada, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or any other agency guarding sovereign states worldwide. Who could be behind the nefarious plot to eliminate the security and protection a passport provides? You guessed it: our boys from Solms!

It is with complete bewilderment that I must confirm Leica’s cancellation of their three-year Passport warranty on both M and R analog systems. This comprehensive protection plan gave Leica owners peace of mind, and helped set the lines apart from other camera systems. The M8 continues with two-year warranty coverage against internal defects.

Completely predictable is Leica’s decision to increase prices 4-6% as of January 2008 on virtually all items in the catalogue. Bruised by 2007’s substantial hikes, remarkably the M8 was spared from this ignominy.

The eclectic Eagle

Warning: What follows is not rangefinder news! (Notwithstanding, these new products come from an intellect that is clearly rangefinder-inspired.)

I have received and tried both the Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SLII Aspherica l pancake lens, and the Voigtlander Nokton 58mm f1.4 SLII lens. These are both manual focus optics that have the necessary chip to take complete advantage of all metering modes in both Nikon and Pentax cameras. There is a precision feel in their traditional construction that is often lacking in modern AF lenses. The focusing helicoids are smooth but not slack, and the aperture indentations are clear and easy to set. The results? Razor-sharp images with beautiful tonality! Both lenses in Nikon and Pentax mounts are Cdn. $379.

Mulling over future developments

It’s January, a time of year when soothsayers conveniently overlook their dismal track records and fearlessly predict what will happen in the next 12 months. I know I’m stepping out on thin ice, especially when it comes to foreseeing what’s in the tea leaves for Leica.

After a shaky start, the M8 has earned its laurels as an accomplished workhorse. I expect minor upgrades and improvements to the software. The body will remain unchanged. And in the time it will take our planet to make its orbit around the sun once or twice, the M8 will continue as the digital rangefinder flag bearer, whether there is an M9 or not !

I’ve received numerous testimonials apropos the M8’s attributes. Zoran Milch, working in Brazil, wrote:

“I am a Canadian photographer who shoots stock and reportage for Masterfile and Getty Creative in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I'm one of the first to take a gamble on the M8. (I used to work with the M's at the start of my career for the Globe and Mail.) I am VERY happy with the camera and can manipulate its excellent quality for the high standards of the stock industry. The camera is a godsend, especially when working on the beautiful but theft-problematic streets of Rio de Janeiro.”

If you need further convincing about the M8’s track record, read Bruno Stevens’ insightful review based on a 6-week assignment in Iran. A couple of caveats: I do find his comments about scanned film a little simplistic, and comparing the M8 with a Canon 5D is a bit like comparing an open-wheeled racecar to a stock car. His field use of the M8, his choice of lenses and his suggestions, are all thought-provoking.

Despite Leica pricing that sometimes borders on Machiavellian, the rangefinder universe will become a more crowded and competitive place. Interest in rangefinder photography is growing at a significant and sustainable rate. Voigtlander, a recent recipient of Japan’s Good Design Award, will continue to innovate and offer remarkable products at very reasonable prices. I am pleased by the renewed presence of Carl Zeiss in the marketplace, and am giving serious consideration to incorporating both the Zeiss Ikon camera and the ZM lenses into my rangefinder lineup. These lenses are 100% M-mount compatible, and the price points seem quite attractive.

When the snowdrifts recede, there will be an atelier

It is snowing again. Improbable as it might appear, we will eventually pursue photographs unencumbered by heavy coats, scarves, gloves and boots. What better way to rekindle the enthusiasm than by attending our 3-day atelier led by none other than Carl Valiquet and Conrad Duroseau ?

Block off your calendar for the weekend of April 25! As the workshop is limited to 15 participants, it is not too early to reserve your place. Please contact me at jeanb@leicaboutique.com. Unfamiliar with what makes an M Vision atelier a must-do weekend? You can review previous efforts at http://www.leicaboutique.com/mvision-what.htm

To infinity and beyond!

Move over Buzz Lightyear. M Vision is reaching out to faraway places. It was satisfying to peruse emails about the last newsletter, despite loving comments from my wife to “get off the computer and put out the garbage”. Readers from Rigaud to Rio wrote with suggestions and kind comments. Thank you.

Always looking forward to your comments.
Photographically yours,
Jean Bardaji
Leicaboutique.com & Camtec Photo