Social Media Minefield

Many years ago when the world was maybe a more naive place, some of us thought that social media was going to be a liberating , creative experience.

I was on Twitter pretty early on and it was a fun place to be. No fascist owners or far right trolls in sight. Just mainly nice people communicating and sharing their work, experiences, terrible jokes.

Back in the day, Facebook was purely an extension of Friends Reunited; the place to reconnect with school friends and relatives. Instagram didn’t exist but even when that came along, it was generally fun.

Two things happened. Firstly, the possibility to monetise these platforms occurred. Creators of platforms became very wealthy by selling advertising spots. They designed algorithms to be embedded into the platforms in order to entice users to buy stuff they otherwise wouldn’t. These algorithms were then used by more nefarious people to politicise them in order to influence users how to vote, often against their own interests.

Those of us who made posts were suddenly being commented upon by people who disliked something we said or posted. The legions of armchair experts and critics rose to offer their opinions whether you wanted them or not.

Then the big one was Elon Musk buying Twitter.

He instantly weaponised it, inviting hate speakers back into the fold under the umbrella of ‘free speech’. He changed Twitter to X, a subliminal nod to a far right propaganda outlet. We all know what’s happened since then as he sits on the throne of power with Orange Don as his puppet president. Mark Zuckerberg, always a doubtful human being, drank the cool aid and has now gone over to the dark side. His empire Meta, controls not only Facebook but Instagram and Threads. He no doubts mines the accounts of users to influence their thinking and drain their bank accounts .

There aren’t many massive global corporations these days who don’t have questionable motives. Jeff Bezos controls the world of online shopping through Amazon; Adobe try to control the world of creators through exorbitant prices for their software. Google is omnipresent along with their arch rivals Apple. Who can we trust to act with integrity and impartiality without sucking up to right wing dictators such as Trump? Who are the good guys?

I am now uncertain as to whether the owners of this website creator, Squarespace, are doing it with a degree of social altruism. No aspect of modern living is exempt from money corrupting the purposes of that which they claim to have. There are many small independent businesses and platforms trying to do the decent thing and have some principles. They rarely succeed because the giants know how to make us totally reliant on them. Where would content creators be without YouTube or small businesses selling crafts, without Etsy and Pinterest. Is there anything untainted by greed in existence.

I buy stuff off Amazon because it’s quick, cheap and convenient. I use Instagram to promote my photography. I have an Apple phone/IPad and Mac. I shoot with Nikon cameras, I am no beacon in the darkness of global domination. Maybe, we are all waiting for these global organisations to grow consciences or maybe we just done t care? As long as we get our deliveries the next day and post freely on Instagram/Threads/X, we are happy.

There will be those who opt out for ethical reasons or because the platform doesn’t meet their business needs. And all the while, Musk and Bezos will continue to build rockets to go into space because that’s somewhere they’ve yet to conquer. There are major players who attempt to do some semblance of good. Rich people have always sought ways to make themselves richer by exploiting those who are less well off. Greed has always driven the wealthy to keep wealthy. So what has this got to do with photography?

I could rely purely on my website for publicity, business or engagement. I could take photos, print them and sell them to customers at art fairs or through shops. The truth is for most creators these days is that we need social media to help promote our work. To get work, you have to have a social media presence. You have to be the dancing monkey to the Hurdy Gurdy man called Instagram. You need a website to sell, showcase and book clients. You have to play the game because everyone else is. Self righteousness and moral principles leave you in the dark in this modern era. You have to develop a thick skin for dealing with criticism, to be determined when unsolicited advice is offered on what you are doing wrong with your photography.

Being a photographer is an ever developing art. You can always try new ways to make and take photos. I learn from others, I critique others work but I try to always respect their creative choices. I want to take better photos because I love what I do. I love talking to other similarly minded photographers about their work. We lead often very isolated lives. We often work best on our own.

I am sure I’m not the only one who has imposter syndrome but I just have to keep going because I love what I do. Put a camera in my hand and I feel like I come alive. I would be empty without it. Yes, I have wonderful partner and family, I live in a Beautiful part of England but I need a creative identity. I hope the global oligarchs who control our social media, our creative tools both hardware and software come to see that money and power aren’t everything. I hope they remember why they started up and return to decent creative practices.

Vintage

Panasonic S5II + SMC Pentax M 28mm f2.8

You know you’re old, when the word ‘vintage’ describes items that were made 20 years after you were born. technology moves at a pace these days hitherto not seen in the last 100 years. Camera technology and new models of camera body and lens are being brought out every year and with increasing levels of tweaking what is already there. Sigma for example, have released an update version of their 24-70 f2.8 dg dn art lens in the last couple of weeks. This replaces a lens created only a few years ago which was itself, considered excellent. Every camera manufacturer is forever updating their bodies and lenses to improve on what came before. I have the Panasonic S5II which replaced the S5. There was gap of a few years between models and the camera is a big improvement on what was a great camera.

Panasonic S5II + SMC Pentax M 28mm f2.8

‘Invest in good glass’ is a phrase photographers advise newbies into the world of photography. It is sensible advice and a good lens will make a good composition into potentially, a great one. What if the lens you are using is 50 years old though ? Did the camera companies know a thing or two about producing high end quality lenses back then? I have been user of old manual focus lenses for nearly 10 years now. To be fair, I used some of them when they were new releases back in the late 70’s and 80’s but that’s beside the point. The advent of mirrorless cameras and adapters have enabled photographers to experiment with film era camera lenses. I have tried a few mounts and different manufacturers in recent times. I am a fan of Olympus Zuiko lenses (beautifully made, generally very contrasty and sharp), Canon FD lenses good too but the manufacturer I always return are Asahi Pentax. Their SMC (super multi coated) lenses produced from the mid 1970’s to the late 1980’s are always my go to choice.

Panasonic S5II + SMC Pentax A 50mm f1.7

There is something about the process of taking a photo that is enhanced by using a manual focus lens. They make you feel more at one with your camera and the advent of focusing tools such as focus peaking, make capturing photos relatively easy. They can be quicker than autofocusing lenses as they don’t hunt for focus. You set the focal distance and everything will be in focus. Pentax made some lovely prime lenses back in the day. To be fair, they still make lovely lenses now but their film era glass have a certain quality about them. The colours are punchy but not lurid. They are slightly cooler than say Olympus Zuiko but attractive. The out of focus areas are very well controlled and you can get some beautiful bokeh with them. The biggest plus for a photographer however is the price of these lenses. The three focal lengths I use are 28mm, 50mm and 135mm. You can get a really good Pentax M lens in all these focal ranges for well under £40.

Panasonic S5II + SMC Pentax M 135mm f3.5

If you were to only use manual vintage lenses, you could have a complete lens kit (including maybe a 70-210) for under £150. That is half the price of a modern secondhand standard Panasonic kit lens. What you get for that money are high quality metal lenses with beautiful glass. Yes, in tests they don’t perform to modern standards but you learn to work around that. The double advantage for someone who also happens to own a modern Pentax DSLR is that these 50 year old lenses will fit your modern camera without the need for an adapter, That is a huge plus and I continue to take my hat off to Ricoh Pentax for that.

I still use my modern autofocus lenses on both my S5II and Pentax K70. Sometimes, I need their autofocus, their sharpness, their weather sealing. I love the modern lenses but I have more fun with my older ones. They can be unpredictable but that can also be a bonus. You get effects that you would otherwise not with a modern one. If you have never used vintage lenses, I urge you to do so. They are an affordable way of creating interesting photographs. Many filmmakers are now using vintage lenses to get a different, more creative look. I would recommend Pentax or Olympus Zuiko but classics like the Helios 44m. It is an amazing focal length lens, that produces wild swirly bokeh and pretty sharp detail. Get yourself an adapter to fit your camera body and choose according to what lens mount your vintage lens has. Remember to make sure your camera is switched on to shooting without lens. This allows you take a photo. You won’t get exif data but you’ll just have to remember that! Go and have fun and you might get hooked like me!

Studio Session

I spent some time at my partners’ studio last week. Kate Boyce, is a painter based in Hebden Bridge who works in mixed media. It is a very particular style of work and she is a well known, long established artist. She and I wanted to do some studio work that not only showed in her studio but also some close ups of her handling the materials she uses to create her paintings.

It was the first outing of my Canon RF 35mm f1.8 is sim macro lens (they do make long names for lenses!). First impressions are that it is a fabulous lens. I need to learn how to get the best out of it as do all photographers with new bits of kit. I wanted to focus on her hands manipulating the laser transfers she uses to add detail to her paintings. It’s an unusual process whereby she paints the background and some detail in acrylic before adding the transfer photos over the paint layer. it allows her to not only add detail but also a sort of texture by using small sections of foliage, trees and stone. I have a potential commission from another artist who has seen my work on social media. It will be my first of this type and hopefully not the last!

‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’ is the ancient Chinese proverb and it appears to be so in my case. It has taken me 40 years to arrive at that first step but it’s exciting too. I do plan to do some more studio work with local artists once I know I can replicate the results from the other day. I gave a talk a few weeks ago to photography group. Little by little, I am gradually picking up tiny bits of work. Hopefully, these will create momentum and increase sales of prints. It is incredibly tough to sell prints at the moment unless you’re a well established and highly visible photographer. It is tough for all creatives at the moment what with the fallout from Covid, the cost of living crisis in the UK and general financial insecurity. Art is seen as a luxury, an indulgence. I believe art is essential to help those who don’t create, have a little bit of joy in their lives. We work to not only pay bills but to obtain things that make our lives a little more bearable.

Wish me luck on my first assignment and I hope it is the first of many more!

Kates website is kateboyce.co.uk

Joy In Simplicity.

I had an epiphany a couple of weeks ago. No, I haven’t got religion or had a visitation from outer space. I realised something. What if I could have one system for landscape projects and video; and one for street, portrait and daily use? Simple really. The only problem is how do I get both without breaking the bank? The answer came to me one day. What if I slimmed down my micro four thirds set up and keep what I need for video & landscapes and go old school for my portrait, street and daily use. The solution started to become clearer. I put one of my micro four thirds cameras up for sale, sold a lens I wasn’t really using and bought a cheap full frame DSLR. My problem with full frame DSLR’s is the size and weight of them. Generally, the lenses are big and heavy. The bodies are invariably very big and heavy and I end up back in the situation I was in six months ago. I didn’t want to be lugging big bags of gear around with me and causing a recurrence of my neck and shoulder pain.

I searched, researched and found my solution. I went for the Canon 6D. Its a small, light, full frame DSLR with a respectable 20.2mp sensor. It is cheap as it’s getting on but built very solidly. I found one online with a 50mm f1.8 lens at a very good price. I bought the kit along with the highly rated Canon EF 40mm f2.8 pancake lens (also very cheap). I took possession of the items a few days ago. Ive only been out three times with this setup but what a revelation. The camera is very comfortable, lighter than my GH5II and a joy to use. I am a novice with DSLR’s and have much to learn but my first impressions are very favourable. I opted for a full frame because of the ability to work in low light. I also like the fact there isn’t any maths involved when working out the focal length of your lens. No crop factors or calculations as to what focal length your lens actually is. A 50mm lens is 50mm. Talking of the 50mm, it’s a lovely sharp lens. very light, very cheap and surprisingly capable. The 40mm is a sensation, super sharp and good in low light too.

I know the 6D has its haters. Only one card slot and not rugged enough for professionals. It’s solid enough for me and one card slot is fine as I’m not planning on doing any wedding or serious landscape photography with it. Even if I did decide to do those things, I’d just have a spare couple of sd cards in my bag. The whole kit was cheaper than what I am selling the Panasonic G9. I still have the GH5II and a few lenses. It is a brilliant camera and even better video camera. I am happy with that and what it can do. It feels more of a tool whereas the Canon 6D feels more of a joy to use. I carry the small Peak Design camera bag around with me just in case there’s a moment I want to capture. I might get myself a cheap 28mm to complete the set but it is simple, fast and pleasurable to use. The shutter is on silent mode but still sounds pleasantly reassuring. I am only a couple of hundred shots in with it but I feel already, this one is a keeper. If I fell on hard times and had to sell all my MFT gear, I would still have a brilliant, professional grade full frame camera to use, for fraction of the price of a modern full frame mirrorless system. The camera and two lenses weigh very little. Even if I added a 28mm, it would still be lighter than my GH5II with three lenses. It isn’t without its flaws and limitations but I don’t need perfect. I am a novice professional photographer that wants to get better at his art. I want to pick up a camera I don’t have to worry about being precious with and go and take photographs. I want it to be about creating, not accumulating gear.

Feeding The Beast

Why do you/we/I take photographs ? Is it a hobby, an opportunity to capture special family or personal moments? It could be any of those and they are valid reasons. You could be a photographer that is either a professional, semi professional or someone getting into professional photography. Your goal is to make your passion a career. Also, valid reasons. I have been most of these things in my time. I always found that taking photos of family and friends wasn’t enough to interest me. I liked taking images of urban scenes, of landscapes and seascapes even from an early age.

For the first 45 years of my life, I took photos, got the film processed and then kept the prints and negatives, only to show to those who had an interest in seeing them. I never shared them publicly because I didn’t think anyone would want to look at them. The digital age came along and social media was born and things began to change. We had phones that could capture, process and share images to a wider circle of people. Apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter grew in importance. Suddenly, people were sharing not only their thoughts but images. Photographers of all levels began to see the opportunity to create an audience for their work.

I joined these social networks about 15 years ago (well at lest the ones that existed then) and shared the odd image. At this time, I wasn’t serious about photography but was a keen amateur. I gained followers and connections. They allowed me to show some of my photos and I got likes and positive comments. This confirmed that I must be doing something right so I shared more. I’m not entirely sure at what point did I begin to care about how many people liked my photos but trust me, it happened. I tailored my output according to how others responded to it. I gave the pubic what they wanted. Except, the public or more accurately, the social networks can be greedy. They require more regular content of a certain type to cater for your audience. I entered a vortex of connection/disconnection. I posted photos that I thought a larger number of people would like rather than ones I liked.

I got more serious about photography about 8 years ago. I decided to try to work harder at producing more professional images that would wow the followers/friends/likers. I bought kit that I thought would enable this transformation into a bigger hit on social media. Needless to say, it didn’t happen. In fact, it wasn’t until about three years ago, my social presence began to grow, thanks to the help of a dearly departed friend promoting my work. I was still feeding the beast though, looking at trends, colour palettes that were popular, compositions that got the most likes. I did stop to ask myself why I was doing this but not seriously enough for me to take a step back and reflect upon it. I certainly didn’t think to stop or start again. I post regularly on instagram and Threads. I share images I think others would like but nowadays, I also share them because I like them. I think I have a style and take photos that say as much about me as they do of the subject or composition. I’m not the greatest photographer and only passably half decent but I am working on it.

I think it is important to learn photography as both a skill and an art form. You need to learn how to use your gear, understand light, composition, and form. You need to work on creating your own style, first by studying others and secondly by adapting this knowledge to your own work. You may be a fan of Henri Cartier Bresson, Ansel Adams, Martin Parr or Joel Meyorwitz but use them merely as inspiration. Look at what makes their photos so captivating and try to see if you can put little bits of that inspiration into your work. Social media is a very fickle thing. You can be easily forgotten, overlooked. You can care too much about your social media presence. You can take a stand and only share work very occasionally and feel morally superior about it. You aren’t a slave to voracious appetite of the beast, demanding you post daily/twice daily hourly?! Instagram and Threads will pass you by and forget about you if you don’t post. Hopefully, one day, people will know my work not just through Instagram. This website showcases some of my work and some is available to be purchased as prints. I do intend to have a YouTube channel at some point this year and hope it will get a few views. I now take photos because I want to and because I love doing so. I feel my work is good and I have a professional presence. I post daily on Instagram but it is the photos I am proud of and want to share. I don’t care as much about trends because I am teaching myself to care more about the photos I take. I still feed the beast but I don’t care as much if it isn’t what people want to see. It is what I want them to see, to let them see the world through my eyes. After all, isn’t that what all photography is about ?

One Camera - Maybe More Than One Lens?

New Year, new challenges. If I’m honest, I feel as if my photography has been a bit stuck of late. It’s not that I’m unhappy with the results but just that it isn’t progressing as upwardly as I would like. You often imagine that progress is gradual but consistent state. I realise from the benefit or misfortune of being nearly 60, that life very rarely goes in an upwardly straight projection. My kit is absolutely perfect for my photography. I have a small collection of stellar lenses and two brilliant hybrid camera bodies so I do not excuse myself on account of not being ably equipped. I had my first exhibition last September which went very well. I launched my website around the same time and am fairly pleased with the look and function of it. I have asked others who are in both photography and the creative arts as to how I could structure my website to increase traffic and sales of prints. I now have an idea as to how I can do this.

I’m also pleased with how my photographs are turning out. I see a shift in style and mood with my recent work and like how this shows some progression. The title of the post is however related to the challenge that is popular with many photographers ; namely the ‘One Camera, One Lens’. The principle behind this is to focus the photographer on improving their composition skills by requiring them work the scene more. Having a fixed focal length can be seen as a hindrance by some. Conversely, having a single focal length makes the photographer look at the scene more critically and maybe focus aspects of it rather than trying include everything in it. One of my favourite You Tube channels is that of James Popsys. He talks in one of his videos about the best advice he was given when starting out in Photography. He was told by a very experienced landscape photographer, to think of a scene as a jigsaw. To not look at the entirety of the scene as a completed one but to decide whether the component parts of that scene work sufficiently well to produce a coherent image. Having a single focal length can enable the photographer to concentrate on maybe one or two elements by virtue of the self imposed restrictions placed upon them. I do sometimes think my images can be too busy, too many elements. The skill of an artist can often be what you leave out rather than include.

I do however have a problem with using just one lens. I see why it is a good exercise but I also see the merits of having two ways of approaching a scene by using two focal lengths. I have sufficient experience to know that using one lens in certain circumstances, can be a bit like cutting your nose off to spite your face. I have two excellent Leica/Panasonic collaboration prime lenses - a 25mm f1.4 and 15mm f1.7. These give you the full frame equivalent focal lengths of 50 and 30mm respectively. The wider lens allows more of the scene to be included whereas the longer focal length is a standard length. The wider lens enables the photographer to give more context to the subject even if the shot includes maybe too many elements. The skill in this case is to manage how you contain the number of elements while increasing the context. The longer focal length reduces the extent of the scene but enables the focus to be specific. 50mm is not an uncommon focal length for portrait work which does allow a little scene to appear. In truth, I like both focal lengths. I may only take out one of those lenses as part of a two or three lens kit. This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy using the other but I make a determination as to what the particular assignment requires.

In short, I do think it a worthwhile challenge but I am not a sufficiently experienced professional photographer, to artificially restrict my workflow by choosing only one focal length. For instance, yesterday, every shot I took on my Panasonic GH5ii was with the 35-100mm f2.8 lens. They were either at 35 or 100. I chose that lens because the images I wanted required that flexibility. I was very happy with the results and enjoyed working the compositions using that one lens. If I had used just 25mm lens, I would not have been able to get the images I specifically wanted. One day when i’m rich and famous, I will spend a year shooting exclusively with my Leica rangefinder and the best 50mm Leica lens I can afford. I will justify it as a need to return to improving compositions skills. Until that day, I still need the options my excellent kit allow me!

Getting to Grips

I got a new eyecup for my G9 today. Cheap as chips, a genuine Panasonic one courtesy of the lovely peeps at Wex. It is transformative as it makes the use of the viewfinder so much more comfortable. I’m beginning to really enjoy using the G9. I am wondering why I slogged on with various full frame cameras, all getting increasingly heavy. This camera is more than capable of helping me produce the type of photos I love taking. I’ve sold some gear over the Christmas period and am awaiting a used GX9 to compliment my G9. I also have received a Panasonic Leica Summilux 15mm f1.7 lens today to complete my lens collection. I can get all of my lenses and camera in one bag and it’s still lighter than a full frame body with attached lens and two other lenses. It makes carrying a camera a joy again. I’ve gone for the GX9 as a sort of replacement for the Ricoh GRIIIX. It means I can have a small, discreet camera but I can also carry a couple of other lenses in a small bag and it not feel cumbersome.

This time of year is often seen as an opportunity to reflect on the past year and plan for the next one. It has been a turbulent one photographically, what with all the changes I’ve made in gear. On a personal level, it has also been difficult. I lost my mum in June this year which was very sad. She had lived a long life and died peacefully with her family around her. I also have two new grandsons who are both adorable; this seems to often coincide with the loss of older family members. As I approach the dying embers of 2023, what have I learned? Firstly, the best camera you own, is the one you have with you. I know this is a well known saying in the photography world but it is very true. I have realised, creating art through photography doesn’t require the top spec, full frame gear with all the bells and whistles. Having a kit that is portable, functional and understandable is more important. I love the Panasonic menu systems, the ability to be able to shoot both stills and video to a very high standard and yet be light, tactile and reliable, are reassuring.

So what next for 2024? I plan to get out to some new locations and really work on creating more professional, more interesting photographs. We hope to be moving house at some point this year. Ideally, we hope to move to the coast, to build a new life by the sea. I have a deep affinity with the sea even though, I’m no sailor, fisherman or have any family connections. I don’t necessarily want to focus on coastline or seascapes but having it on the doorstep would be a massive bonus. It is more about the feeling one experiences stood on a beach, a clifftop, a harbour. Being next to an immense force of nature is humbling. I will miss living amongst the Pennine moorland but we need a change. My aspiration is to learn how to get the best out the kit I have. I also want to grow my fledgling professional photography, to sell more proficiently through this website and to offer my services as an outdoors photographer to any potential clients.

I need to get fitter, to be less impulsive, take my time over photographs, not rush the process. The photographer Chris Orange, a constant source of inspiration to me, has moved away from digital cameras for his landscape work and gone to medium format film. It isn’t a new experience for him but he’s decided to shoot film for his landscape work as it enables him to enjoy the creative process and slow down more. I too have shot film over the years but never with a serious professional grade camera. I rushed using compact 35mm film cameras so almost conversely, I now take my time far more using professional level digital! Thank you for being with me in 2023. I wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope 2024 is a peaceful and productive one for you.

Change Is In The Air.

Seasons often meld into each other. When does autumn end or when does winter begin? In the UK it is officially the 1st December and lasts until the end of February. That seems pretty clear. The weather often says otherwise and winter conditions can come early and appear well into what is thought of as spring. Climate change in the past 20 years has exacerbated these anomalies so it is not uncommon to now experience mild winters and late cold spells well into March and even April. There does not seem to be clear demarcations of seasons any longer which can cause problems for photographers. We like reliable weather, not good weather but just reliable. The UK is not known particularly for its reliability but as a rule, we can work around whatever weather appears. As I say on every blog, I am no landscape photographer. I love taking landscape photos, some of which turn out well. I am more of an outdoor photographer, at home in both urban and rural settings.

I really like a moody sky, can cope with rain and wind. I’m uncertain in snow as I haven’t taken enough to hone any skills in those conditions. Autumn suits me down to the ground. Good skies, pops of colour making the options for images all the more plentiful. I have been on a camera gear journey that has proved to be more turbulent than I had hoped. I want a rugged camera that will be at home in bad weather, take detailed images with lots of depth and be reasonably affordable. Panasonic has been very good nearly for all of that. I am however looking at Pentax full frame. Not the most common gear these days although it has a stellar history in photography. It was one of the pioneers of SLR cameras, of IBIS or SR (shake reduction in Pentaxian). It has always had a reputation for producing high quality cameras and lenses. The K1 is apparently, a beast. It has 36.4mp, practically every bell and whistle a photographer could wish for. it’s a pretty lousy video camera but I’m primarily a photographer.

I do wonder if I am satisfying some hidden need for satisfaction by changing my gear as often as I do. I know a new camera won’t make me a better photographer but it might just get me further along the road. My plan is shoot photos with the Pentax and Ricoh GRIIIX and shoot video with the Panasonic S5. The video will contain You Tube videos so I need a good video camera. The S5 is a great photo camera but as I said earlier, it lacks a certain something. Soul is maybe overstated but there is something about the camera you have in your hand. The Ricoh GRIIIX excites me. You feel as if there possibilities where there were not before you picked it up. I recently and briefly owned a Leica SL which managed to do that. Unfortunately, I also felt unworthy of owning such an expensive piece of kit, plus I needed the help of IBIS which it did not have.

Like the seasons, I feel a change in the air. I have been a serious photographer for a couple of years now and have acquired a degree of technical competence. I want a piece of kit capable of easing my ambitions as a photographer. I don’t care if the technology is a few years old, as long as it’s really good. I have been in a creative autumn and now feel the onset of winter. Winter isn’t a bad thing in my book. I love the challenges that winter throws at you, I don’t mind the cold and find it easier to be in snow as long as I don’t have to drive anywhere. It has been tough year in some respects, losing my mum, changes with my family, uncertainties of our future. My partner and I are happy to change and live with change. I have a new grandchild and another imminently about to appear. I love being a grandpa, not at all bothered being one. Next year is a big milestone for me and I suspect, more change will come. I feel my professional photography career is about to take off. Just need to make sure I don't screw things up before it begins!

Unworthy or Uncomfortable

Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey - Leica SL typ601 + Panasonic 24-105mm f4

For almost as long as I have been taking photographs seriously; I have wanted to own a Leica. Maybe it’s the kudos, the legend that is Leica? Three months ago, I got my hands on one. It is a beautiful piece of precision engineering, designed to make photography a pleasure. The camera has not put a foot wrong. I have enjoyed every minute using it. I can’t carry on owning it.

Ok, that sounds perverse. In some ways it is but hear me out. Before the Leica, I was shooting very happily with a Panasonic S5. Quite simply, the best camera I had ever owned. It did everything very well and was a pleasure to hold and use. The only gripe I had was the abundance of options available in the way of controls. I knew what they did but they confused me. The Leica is a solution to this issue. The Leica however has its drawbacks, one of which has proved to be the main reason I am going back to the S5. The Panasonic has IBIS (in body image stabilisation) and once you have owned a camera with it, it’s very hard to go back. Even my beloved Ricoh GRIIIX has IBIS which is part of the joy of that little gem. I tried raising the minimum shutter speed and that helped to a certain extent. I bought the Panasonic 24-105 which has optical image stabilisation, but it works only moderately when not paired with an IBIS equipped body.

South Stack Lighthouse, Anglesey.

The Panasonic is the match to the Leica in sensor, out performs it on dynamic range and low light capability. Its video features are stunning and it is half the price of the Leica. That brings me onto the other reason. Owning a Leica is a pleasure but also a burden to those of us who don’t always feel deserving of such expensive kit. I know I am a semi professional photographer who needs a decent level of quality gear but Leica takes you well beyond that threshold. I’m not berating myself and wailing ‘Im not worthy’ but if I can achieve the same results with well made and more affordable gear, then I feel better about it. I hope this will have scratched the ‘I want a Leica’ itch once and for all. I don’t want more megapixels or lightning quick autofocus. I want a camera that produces beautiful images when this bloke does a half decent job of pointing it in the right direction. I don’t want to feel nervous of taking it out and using it. I don’t want people to think I have only got one because of the name. I recognise it is a fabulous camera, especially when in the hands of a skilled, experienced professional. I am not there yet and consequently need all the help I can get from my gear. I realise I shake more than I thought and having stabilisation, helps me nail focus more often than not. I will miss the simplicity of design, the straightforward menu system and the minimalist layout. I realise these are compromises I must make but make them I must. I can now say I am a Lumix and Ricoh user and live with that. It is not a step back, merely sideways.

Beaumaris Pier, Anglesey.

Manual or Auto?, That Is The Question.

Hebden Bridge - Leica SL + Voigtlander 35mm F1.4 Nokton Classic II

I’m no stranger to using a manual lens. They were the only option back in the 1970s and my Dad’s Yashica and Canon cameras could produce lovely sharp images with this technology. The use of film cameras in recent years has reignited the use of manual lenses originally designed for film. Makers such as Olympus Zuiko, Pentax Asahi & Takumar, Nikon, Canon , all produced high quality optics. Third party lenses could also be very high quality, in many ways the 60”s through to the 1990’s were the heyday of lens manufacture.

Modern lenses are in some ways superior to the old ones with superb topics and fast autofocus. You do hear some photographers today say that modern lenses can be almost too sharp, too perfect. Little or no aberrations, reliable and predictable, tools of the trade, not enough character. I use Sigma Contemporary lenses with my Leica and the Ricoh GRIIIX has a superb 26.1mm f2.8 fixed lens. I know the results from these lenses will be sharp, reliable and consistent. Photographers of yesteryear also needed reliability however and that often came from the quality of manufacture the companies produced. Olympus Zuiko lenses can stand up to modern day lenses in sharpness and contrast but are often made to a higher standard than many top notch modern autofocus lenses. I use a modern rangefinder lens made by Voigtlander. It’s incredibly reliable, sharp and beautifully made. It is also surprisingly easy to use.

Hebden Bridge, Leica SL + Sigma 90mm f2.8 Contemporary.

Learning to manual focus could be seen as a rite of passage for modern photographers. Most modern cameras can be supplied with autofocus kit lenses. They allow the photographer to focus on composition, learning the exposure triangle rather than how to manually focus. It is seen as slower where in fact, learning about hyperfocal distance can make manual focus quicker. My Voigtlander can be set at a particular aperture and focal distance. All you have to do then is compose and press the shutter. Autofocus lenses will often hunt to nail focus and sometimes miss. Once you know that everything from a certain distance will be in focus, a manual lens makes life a little easier. No hunting, just sharp results every time.

Grasmere from Loughrigg Terrace, Leica SL + Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 Nokton Classic II

So why not go for all manual lenses? Well , in fairness I could. I do like the convenience of autofocus, the build quality of the Sigma lenses and the fact they are weather sealed. I can also use them as manual lenses if I wish but in the end, I’m happy with their performance. You do have to be careful when searching for old vintage lenses. They can be from a top name manufacturer but time and poor care can affect the quality of the build and optics. Get a good one however and you’re on to a winner, particularly as they often cost a fraction of a modern top lens.

In the end, they are all tools and secondary to the image you want to capture. You can have the best kit money can buy and still produce mediocre images. It isn’t possible to make a terrible photograph good by having expensive gear or extensive editing. You can however produce a good photo with a mediocre camera plus a good lens. My photography hasn’t improved because I have invested in better gear. it has done so by taking thousands of photos and learning from the mistakes captured earlier on. I have a long way to go before I am ever content with the finished result but the trying is the fun part!

My current kit.

The Wonderful World of Leica ?

Albion Place, Leeds - Leica Sl (typ601) + Sigma 45mm f2.8

I don’t want you to think by adding a question mark after the title of this blog that I am not a Leica convert. It’s only been a week since I got my hands on my new camera. The design of the Leica SL (typ601) is a thing of beauty. It looks so good both sat on a table and in hand. It feels solid, well made and comfortable. I have had my fair share great cameras in the past. I was a committed Fujifilm user for several years. A few months ago, I switched to Panasonic full frame. Great cameras, loads of tools to help you take great photographs and capture stunning videos. The problem was they had too many buttons, too many options. Whether it is a thing with growing older but I need my tools to be simple, well made and good quality. Panasonic are great quality, well made but not simple. I looked around and my thoughts turned to the Leica SL (typ601). It was a less capable video camera, it lacks image stabilisation and the battery life isn’t as good as the Panasonic S5. The image samples I saw taken with it however have a certain something. It isn’t necessarily about the ‘Leica colours’ or the stunning monochrome images. Ok, they are a factor but there’s something more, almost indefinable. With a good lens and a half decent photographer using them, they create images with something sprinkled on them.

Sunrise, Halifax

I have this theory about Marks and Spencer. Their food has a certain something about it. It is as if M&S sprinkle a special dust over their food which makes it taste ever so slightly better than other supermarkets. It doesn’t smell different, look that different but tastes as if it comes from M&S. Leica are like that. They produce images the same way other camera manufacturers do, have similar specs to other cameras but produce images with a sprinkling of Leica on them. The raw files are like no raw files I have ever used. The colours aren’t flat but look as if they are the finished article. Interestingly, the SL has a 24MP sensor the same as the Panasonic S5 yet the raw files are 10mb larger on average than the Panasonic.I can’t work out why but they just are. The dynamic range of the S5 is slightly greater than the SL but I seem to be able to pull out more detail from the Leica files.

Church Street, Haworth

I have found myself in old familiar locations this week taking photos with my new camera. I look at the image after Ive taken it and find myself smiling at the captured image on the lcd screen. Of course, I’ll still make a mess of compositions and take dud photos but the ones I’ve nailed, I smile at. I haven’t done the before and it takes some getting used to. I was also stopped in the street whilst in Haworth. A couple came up to me and the husband said ‘wow, is that a Leica?’ . I said yes and explained it was a secondhand one and maybe not as expensive as he thought it would be (he did ask me how much it cost). I have shot with some very nice cameras but I have never been asked questions about them. I guess you can’t always go unnoticed when using one. Ultimately, I have always wanted a camera I want to pick up and take out. I want to enjoy holding it and feel over faced by buttons. Leica do make very expensive, sometimes ridiculously expensive cameras but they make them well. They are hand made by workers who are paid well to do so. They are engineering works of art, designed to produce stunning images. How stunning depends on the ability of the person holding one. I am far from highly polished when it comes to photography. I can produce some good photos, photos of which I am proud. I know with this camera in hand, I have to up my game and make art worthy of the tools I have at my disposal.

By Leeds Market