I’ve been asked a few times what I carry in my bag. Here is a video showing what I typically carry.
I’m not sure why I was fascinated by this lamp (I posted a prior pic here). Maybe I was just mesmerized by the color of the light and the contrast created between it and the background with my Leica 50mm noctilux.
ISO 160 1/4000’s f1.4 50mm (Leica M9, Leica 50mm Noctilux, Aperture, Color Efex Pro 4)
This past weekend we went back home for a birthday party. One evening, I was out searching for photo opportunities and as we were heading back home we came across a cemetery. It was almost “pitch black” by then and thought I would try to catch a few hand-held shots with my Leica M9 and 50mm noctilux. Even though this picture is dark, I really like the silhouette and the mood that it sets.
ISO 800 1/8’s f.95 50mm (Leica M9, Leica 50mm noctilux, Aperture)
If you are ever in Chicago and enjoy watching sunrises I highly suggest driving to Adler Planetarium. It is a great place to take cityscape shots. This one was taken just outside the planetarium entrance.
ISO 160 1/1500’s f.95 (ND filter) Leica 50mm noctilux
Believe it or not, it took me 20-30 shots before I got this just right. I wanted to make sure that the one light behind the post was centrally located or at least close. Rangefinder cameras currently don’t allow for live viewing and when looking through the viewfinder, you are not looking through the lens. Because of this, you have to move very slowly either left or right to get the image where you want it (I enjoy the challenge).
I used my Leica 50mm noctilux and neutral density filter for the shot. I then used Nik Color Efex to add the ambient colors. The depth of field is not artificially created (bokeh). You can thank the noctilux and it’s ability to shoot at f.95 for that.
ISO 160 1/4000’s f.95 50mm noctilux
Over the next few weeks you will see a lot of pictures I took in Chicago. We always enjoy spending time there and is probably my favorite city to visit.
One morning, I drove to Alder’s Planetarium. The planetarium is a great place to capture pictures of the city. I shot a variety of pictures with my Olympus OM-D and Leica M9. I think I got every lens I had out of the bag. This one was taken with my Leica 50mm noctilux. Actually, this is 4-5 pictures stitched together to create a panoramic shot. I used Photoshop, Nik Software HDR Efex 2 (this is not a HDR), and Silver Efex 2.
ISO 160 1/1500’s 50mm noctilux
Note: click to see larger size (trust me it’s worth it)
July 4th we spent up in Chicago. Since we only live a few hours away it’s always a great place to vacation. I got up one morning at sunrise and headed out to Alder’s Planetarium to capture pictures of downtown. After shooting over 100 pics with my Leica 21mm super elmar and my Olympus OM-D with the Panasonic 7-14mm lens I decided to get the noctilux out to capture some great depth of field shots. Here is one them.
ISO 160 1/2000s 50mm noctilux ND filter
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.
We had 2 official birthday parties for our baby girl. Her birthday was yesterday and we had a fantastic time. Last weekend we went back home to have a party also, and this pictures was taken after she began experimenting with her cake. She looks so content and ready for the next big thing.
ISO 160 1/180 f.95 50mm noctilux
