All I can say is that the past few weeks have been crazy. Between work and boards I have not had much time to work on my blog. I’m hoping soon, that will change.
I recently bought a Leica 35mm summilux. This is probably the hottest going lens right now for Leica M-mount cameras. All I can say is WOW! I just uploaded a few pics today and I’m extremely impressed.
I took this one of my beautiful daughter and thought I would pay homage to my favorite trilogy.
ISO160 1/500 f1.4 35mm summilux
It’s been a crazy past few weeks. Traveling from Indiana to Iowa and then to Wisconsin and then back to Indiana in 4 days started the craziness. Work has been incredibly busy and to finish everything off, I’m sitting in a hotel room in Chicago taking my surgical boards. Starting next week, I’ll be able to relax (at least I hope I can).
I’m not much of an abstract shooter but for some reason I really like geometric shapes. This shot was actually taken of an old bathroom floor in a restaurant/bar I was at in Wisconsin.
P.S. After 6 months of patiently waiting, I had a Leica 35mm summilux delivered a few days ago and look forward to posting some pics in the next few weeks.
ISO 160 1/500s f1.4 50mm summilux
I don’t shoot HDR (high dynamic range) photography very often anymore. I know some photographers don’t like it because they think they are too “Photoshop” or look fake. I would say that its personal preference. For years people have been manipulating pictures (i.e. Ansel Adams) and to be honest there are probably not too many pictures posted on the internet that haven’t had some editing. I know some will argue but I don’t really see the difference in HDR photography from someone who uses neutral density or graduated filters (i.e. Lee filters).
Even though I don’t shoot many any more, I still find Trey Ratcliff’s shots interesting and inspiring. He also has great comments to go along with his shots. Another photographer, Mark Neal shoots a lot of HDR and is great at discussing his workflow. If you haven’t visited their sites, I would highly recommend you do.
This shot was taken in San Diego. It was September and only weeks before I traded in my Canon 5D Mark II for my Leica M9. My Leica can shoot HDR (can bracket up to 7 shots) and I do from time to time but I’m more interested in shooting people in their daily lives and love the challenge of catching the decisive moment.
Re-post December 2011
The one thing I really enjoy about my Leica M9 is the ability to shoot without a flash in low light. This is only possible because I can shoot at very low apertures (i.e. f/1.4 or f/2.0). The only down side with the Leica M9 is its poor high ISO if shooting in color.
This picture of my nephew was taken only with light from a few lanterns and street lights.
We were in Madison Wisconsin this weekend to meet my great-niece and celebrate my nephews high school graduation. My nephew lived with me and my parents off and on when he was little and I’ve always considered him a brother. He’s had to travel a lot throughout the past 5 years but was fortunate to settle down and spend his last few years in Madison. He made many friends and has really matured during this time. We are all very proud of him.
