Newsletter - March 2007

This year’s M Vision Atelier underlined how eager and versatile rangefinder aficionados can be. Faced with three days of wet weather that ranged from drizzle to deluge, the participants produced images that were memorable because of the weather, not in spite of it.

Thank you, Jean-Francois Gratton and Audrey Desnoyers of Shoot Studio for all your efforts. Your upbeat attitude and technical prowess were instrumental in making the Atelier the success it was!

Black-and-white photography soldiers on! Perhaps inspired by Michel Gravel’s powerful reportage imagery, all silver-halide users at the Atelier made this the medium of choice. Several M8 users also opted to shoot this way, as well as producing digital color files.

Please visit our M Vision II gallery on the to see what your colleagues produced. I think we can all agree that the 15 participants share a deep passion for photography, while promoting their unique way of seeing. Here are some of them...


Steve Pellerin	Thierry Cerpolet	Lawrence Moquette

A visual reporter best friend... still

Recently, I was praising the merits of the Leica M system to a client interested in the M8. I told him that, in my opinion, the Leica M is the heart and soul of reportage photography. ‘Reportage photography is dead,’ he replied. ‘There is no longer value in that kind of image.’

Opening up a debate that goes back to the beginning of television, I was compelled to disagree. Photojournalism is selective observation that changes with our times. We no longer wait for Life Magazine to show us the world, but are still greatly influenced by photographs available to us in a myriad of mediums. From W. Eugene Smith’s Country Doctor to David Alan Harvey’s kaleidoscopic images to Alex Webb’s portrait of Istanbul, the Leica M has been a constant. In the hands of a skilled photographer, its contribution to the photo-journalistic tradition is irrefutable. Unobtrusively, it captures what is observed. It is both faithful witness and creative tool. Larger, more complicated D-SLRs—with their huge and heavy zoom lenses—make it difficult for the photographer to blend into the surroundings and capture spontaneity.

I’d like to draw your attention to the work of some of our own young photojournalists. Chris Osler of Ottawa (www.griotphoto.org), Roger Lemoyne (www.rogerlemoyne.com) and my friend Liam Maloney (www.lightstalkers.org/liam-maloney) prove that photo-reportage is not dead! They are all underappreciated, and that is truly shameful. Do you realize that Montreal, self-proclaimed cultural capital of Canada, has no venue to showcase and promote our photographic talents?

Through one of my Leica clients, I was recently introduced to the talents of Jill Coleman. This young photographer born in Zimbabwe, marries the excellent technique of a classic film photographer with a contemporary take on the world.

Recently the Leica M8 was put to the test in some difficult locations and situations, including Iraq. (http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4133/extreme-field-test-leica-m8-in-iraq.html)

Reportage from Iran by Bruno Stevens (www.digitalrailroad.net/bruno) (See also www.lightstalkers.org/bruno) shows that this small instrument, when put to the task, is capable of performing wonders.

Congratulations to the Magnum Photo Agency in New York City. It will be celebrating its 60-year anniversary this June. (http://festival.magnumphotos.com) A 60-year retrospective of Magnum photographers is yet another great reason for a trip to the Big Apple. I’m hoping to make it down there, depending on the schedule of events. If anyone is interested in joining me, please drop me a line.

The Voigtlander has landed!!!

Voigtlander is a time-honoured name, synonymous with quality, 35mm-film cameras and lenses. Voigtlander offers an extensive, affordable, rangefinder-camera system that complements and occasionally rivals the widely-known rangefinder product lines.

Aficionados of the *classic rangefinder* systems will appreciate the quality and compatibility of the newly-introduced Voigtlander Bessa cameras and lenses. The selection and workmanship are impressive.

We have been selling Voigtlander products for three years. Recently we have established a stronger relationship with the supplier. This new arrangement assures best availability and most-competitive prices for Voigtlander cameras, lenses and accessories.

We’ll be offering the Voigtlander enthusiast extensive stock, competitive pricing, knowledgeable, honest service and quick delivery. It will be our pleasure to serve you.

It has been pretty dry in the after market...

The arrival of the M8 has generated an unprecedented interest in Leica photography both analog and digital. This in turn caused a very-high demand for pre-owned Leica items, especially lenses. My shelves have been bare from the usual repertoire of Leica lenses. However, I recently secured a couple of analog bodies, M7 and MP from Leica demo stock. These bodies are in immaculate condition and come with an 18-month Leica warranty. They are selling for C$2975.00. If you still believe in film, drop by and take a look.

A Loss from the Canadian Leica scene..

I am saddened to say that Keith Matson, Leica’s sales manager in Canada, has left the company. I learned the bad news two days prior to the Atelier and, as a result, Keith was not present at the Atelier. I have known Keith for a very-long time. Over the years, I learned a lot from him about Leica and the retail photography trade. The Leica community in Canada is losing a very passionate and honest source of knowledge. I’m sure a challenging position awaits him in the imaging industry in Canada.

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