Montreal, September 2005 (Version Francaise)

Dear Classic photographers and Leica enthusiasts,

You know that timeless photographic question: Is it art, or is it craft? You probably can guess that my measured response is 'somewhere in between'. (Can any politician sit on the fence better than that?)

From strong technical routes developed a great modern art. While Victorian photographers such as Julia Margaret Cameron used the craft to emulate painting, the legitimate crossover took place in the last half of the twentieth century. One person I would credit with that crossover is Lee Freidlander. Freidlander started photographing Jazz musicians. Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Ella Fitzgerald were among those captured by his keen eye. The gritty, non-glamorous photos that resulted, showed a vulnerable side to these musical legends.

Freidlander then moved to New York City where he photographed the city from A thru Z. Every aspect of daily living was a fair subject for his Leica. Through his representation of American life, he elevated the documentary genre from the pedestrian recording of events to a great art form. He was a trailblazer for New York photographers. In 1967, he received the ultimate recognition from the cognoscenti by being the subject of a major solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art.

This summer, MoMA announced a retrospective Freidlander show. (http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2005/friedlander.html) You can imagine the arm-twisting needed to get me back to New York in late August!

800 photographs spanned seventy years of photography. It seemed like everything was there: the early musical years, cityscapes, grim portraits of America's industrial workers, urban and industrial decay, nudes and of course, those zany self-portraits.

Numerous publications of his photographs were on sale-some were highly sought-after collectibles-including books and boxed reproductions that were published during the last fifty years.

Whatever you may think about Lee Freidlander's iconoclastic vision, there is one certainty: thanks in part to Lee Freidlander, photography occupies a legitimate place in today's art world.

Leica will make you a faster….! and better photographer too…
Have you seen this? This is precedent setting. Leica is giving away a fabulous Leicavit or a sturdy Leica Motor M for free….with the purchase of a brand new Leica M, that is! This offer applies to the à la carte camera too. Please click here for details.

Speaking of à la carte, I forgot to mention in the last newsletter that the price increase that took place in July did not affect the à la carte program, making an à la carte camera a more reasonable purchase.

Lately, I hear a buzz about two products that may make me qualify my position. The first is a classic camera for the ages. Dubbed the MP3, it’s an MP with M3 attributes (oooh the windows, those wonderful M3 window); a camera made to satisfy people who believe the M3 to be the greatest Leica ever mass-produced.

The other buzz is about a new compact digital camera espousing great design, optics, and overall quality. It’s not intended to replace the Digilux 2, but will find its niche as a high-end compact camera with a superior quality lens and CCD sensor. The official launch date is October 1st. Tune in Leicaboutique.com around that time for complete details.

Speaking of Leicaboutique.com, new photographs were recently added to the gallery section featuring passionate amateur photographers (including yours truly).

A grim subject; enlightening photographs.
JUDITH LERMER CRAWLEY, a fine photographer, friend and client of Camtec photo, is displaying photographs and informative text taken during a recent trip to Poland.

" À propos Auschwitz " / "About Auschwitz"
JUDITH LERMER CRAWLEY

Cathédrale Christ Church
635 Rue Ste Catherine O., Montreal
12 Sept - 2 Oct 2005
lundi au vendredi / Mon - Fri 10- 17:30
samedi / Sat. 13 - 16; dimanche / Sun. 12 - 16

En 2002, la photographe montréalaise et fille de survivants Judith Lermer Crawley a visité le plus notoire des camps d'extermination de l'Holocauste. Trente photos en noir et blanc saisissent la complexité de cette experience émotive et artistique.

In 2002, Montreal photographer and daughter of survivors Judith Lermer Crawley visited the Holocaust's most infamous extermination camp. Thirty black and white photographs capture the complexity of her emotional and artistic experience.

La 8ième série éducative sur l'Holocauste / Centre commémoratif de l'Holocauste à Montréal
8th Annual Holocaust Education Series / Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre

Les photos. sans texte / photos, without text : www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/events/holocaust03/crawley_exhibition.html

Always looking forward to your comments. Do enjoy the great colors that fall usually brings us.

Photographically yours,

Jean Bardaji
Leicaboutique.com & Camtec Photo

M Vision, My Vision Workshop Update



I am in the process of putting the final touches on the workshop schedule. I thank the twelve people who have already booked, and invite those who are still thinking about it to contact me as soon as possible.

What follows is a sampling of the accomplishments and contributions of our two eminent guests:

Steve Simon
Steve Simon has been passionate about documenting life through photography since he began wandering around Montreal taking photographs
at age 12.

At age 18 he started writing his photo column in The Gazette and syndicated it across Canada and to The New York Times.

His books include Healing Waters: The Pilgrimage To Lac Ste. Anne, (University of Alberta Press) and Empty Sky, documenting the pilgrimage of people to New York’s Ground Zero, published and excerpted by Time-Life Books in The American Spirit. Two additional books are forthcoming: America At The Edge to be published by the Center for American Places and The Republicans by Charta Art Books, Milan Italy.

Steve has received numerous awards including Canadian Newspaper Photographer Of The Year, CP Picture Of The Year and The Global Health Photography Award for his work documenting AIDS in Africa. He has had solo shows in New York, Buenos Aires, Mannheim, Toronto and Montreal, including three presentations at the prestigious Visa Pour L'Image Festival of Photojournalism in Perpignan, France.

Recent work has appeared in Mother Jones, The New York Times Magazine, Colors, German Geo, Walrus and Harpers. He is a graduate of Concordia
University Communications-Photography as well as Dawson Institute of
Photography. He lives in New York City.

Peter Martin
Peter Martin developed his first pictures at age 13. By 16, he was a pro with a photo splashed across the front page of a Toronto daily. At 17 he became the official photographer for the Miss Teen Canada and Miss Canada beauty pageants. He has been both a freelance and staff photographer for various daily and weekly newspapers throughout Canada including The Oakville Journal Record, Edmonton Sun, and for the last 16 years, The Montreal Gazette.

Over the last 25 years, Peter has traveled extensively on assignment and has won significant critical acclaim. Among his awards are included The National Newspaper Award for his photograph of Terry Fox, and The Recognition of Achievement Award from both Ontario and Alberta News Photographers Associations.

Peter has been published in numerous travel and news magazines including Time, Newsweek, Maclean's, and Sports Illustrated. He has contributed extensively to books including A Day in the Life of Canada, A Day in the Life of the N.H.L., and The Ice Storm, (an historic record of photographs from January 1998).

His work has been displayed in numerous solo and group exhibits in the United States, including shows at The Washington Gallery of Photography and The Maryland Federation of Art

People don't watch enough. They think. It's not the same thing.
—Henri Cartier-Bresson

Steve and Peter will kindle or rekindle your interest in photography. Their passion is infectious, their experience and drive unparalleled. The workshop will explore photography as both a powerful and creative means of self-expression. It will be conducted in English. Future ateliers will be hosted in French by Francophone pros.

The workshop will look at how we see and how we present this vision to others. Through group discussion, photographic exercises and friendly critiques, we will be encouraged to define and refine our vision. The building block concepts of place, happening and purpose will be looked at from a photojournalistic perspective. We will learn how to develop our own photo essay.

Workshop nuts and bolts:

The atelier is scheduled for October and is a not-for-profit endeavor. Fees cover film, photofinishing, equipment rental, meals and our instructors’ remuneration.