Welcome to the K.R. Williamson PhotoBlog | Great photos and the stories behind them | All things photo | My opinions on the photographic world | Leica, Canon, and Sony experiences and thoughts
The Car Show with the Leica M9 & Sony Nex-7
This weekend I had an opportunity to go to a car show over in the small town of Essex not to far from where I live. It was a great site all these old, tricked out cars or just old and completely redone. Some of them were just beautiful. Of course as luck would have it we got a late start and ended up there around noon. Horrible light! Bright does not describe it. Chrome everywhere and reflections everywhere. Uggh. What to do. Well I just decided to start shooting and hope for the best. I looked for good situations and when I could shoot in the shade I did. Here are a few shots from the day.
A wonderful old 1955 Chevy Bel Air.
Old and new pass each other at the car show.
Some serious engine going on here.
Leaving old friends on their way back home after the show.
Sony Nex-7 w/Leica 90 mm Tele Elmarit
The dresses match the paint job on this hotrod.
Sony Nex-7 w/Leica 90 mm Tele Elmarit
Old friends gather to talk about their cars.
Sony Nex-7 w/Leica 90 mm Tele Elmarit
This guy was really into what he had done to this old truck.
Sony Nex-7 w/Leica 90 mm Tele Elmarit
I could not resist these stickers on the side of this old wagon.
Low light shooting with Canon 5D Mk3 and the Canon 24-70 2.8 L
Last night I was at a play rehearsal shooting some images for the paper. The stage light was great so the images from the rehearsal were lit really well. But those images have a certain look to them and getting something different requires some looking around outside of the stage. I was lucky to find a woman dressed in costume studying, what I thought were her lines. Come to find out she was studying someone else's lines because that person could not attend the rehearsal. She was worried she would get her lines mixed up with her own. Now, the lighting outside the stage is non existent people use flashlights to walk around. This woman was using her cell phone to light up the book she was reading.
The Canon 5D Mk3 is really incredible at low light. I shot this with the Canon 24-70 f2.8 L (not the latest version) lens which is pretty heavy. As a matter of fact the whole rig is a beast since I use the battery grip on the camera. This is one of the reasons I have been playing around with the Leica M9 and the Sony Nex-7. If I was able to use my rare version 1, black paint Leica 50mm Summilux f1.4 (currently in the Tamarkin Spring Auction) I would not have used this rig at all. But I digress. I was able to shoot this image in almost total darkness at ISO 6400 1/30s @2.8. Of course being the photojournalist I am I cheated and used a chair to steady myself. The image is tack sharp. I only wish I could have moved to a better angle to eliminate the fire extinguisher on the wall. I did burn it in a bit to make it less obvious. Moving to the right gave me a very ugly partially covered window and moving to the left gave me people and a door way. So I chose the best option I could.
Exposure ISO 6400 1/30s @2,8
The Sony Nex-7 with Sony 20 mm pancake 2.8, more
This rig is great for just carrying around with you. Of course my Canon G15 serves the same purpose with a zoom lens for less money and results that are arguably almost as good. The Sony gives you a few more things and plenty of pixel power. I can go either way but the Sony lets me carry a Leica lens on it which gives it the edge. I like to try and see if I can do some different things with the Sony pancake 20mm. Today I was out to the cafe for a snack and this image presented itself. The 20mm performed perfectly wide open. It did not have much color to it so I desaturated it and gave it a little more contrast and this is what I got.
Exposure ISO 1600 1/125s @2.8
Sony Nex-7 with the Leica 90 Tele Elmarit 2,8
Yesterday in the early evening as the sun was going down over Gloucester harbor the wind was still and the harbor was like glass. I was waiting for a friend to show up and I had my trusty Sony Nex-7 with me with it's companion of late the Leica Tele Elmarit. At 135mm the lens was not really long enough for what I wanted to do but with the 24mp sensor on the Sony I was able to blow it up even more which gave me some great latitude. I was looking for a shot or two of the waterfront that looked crowded but peaceful and I think the two images I display here do that.
The juxtaposition of the lobster boats, a couple of fishing vessels, and a schooner really add to the working waterfront feel to the photo. Then as I started to look around for interesting light play on the buildings these shadows started to show up.
Now that I have gotten used to the fringing feature of this camera it has become really easy to focus with the lens wide open at 2,8.
Doing it Old School with the Canon G15
After shooting with Leica M9 for a bit I thought it would be fun to use my Canon G15 but in a different way. I decided to use the viewfinder for framing shots and adjust the zoom to a step zoom that stops the zoom at predetermined focal lengths, 28,35,50,85,100,140. I did this by going into the menu/set,function and adjusting it so that the front dial1 is set to these settings. Front wheel/M/TV, AV/AV, TV/TV and the Back Wheel set to AV/zoom, AV/zoom, TV/zoom. This information and a diagram are on page 168 of the manual under step zoom. The other thing I did was to turn off the LCD screen on the back. Whenever you make an adjustment the screen activates to show you the adjustments you have made but is otherwise black (more conducive to using the viewfinder).
The real-time viewfinder is barely adequate but serves the purpose. It only shows 75% of the actual scene so be prepared to crop things a bit. The other thing you can do to make this a really cool street camera is to turn on the mute. This feature is really great. It's pretty close to totaly silent. I can't wait to try this out on the street. If you use the viewfinder a green light shines steady to let you know when it's in focus and when the image has been taken (blinking). If mute is off then a beep sounds to let you it's in focus and a shutter click when the image is made. The viewfinder adjusts in and out to show you the scene the lens is adjusted to but like I said only shows 75% of what the lens sees. I have overcome this to some extent by zooming to 85mm instead of 50mm which means you get what you actually thought was 50mm from the same position. It's more of a mental thing.
I came to this decision after using the M9 and Sony Nex-7 and really hating looking like a total noob by holding the G15 in front of me, god how I hate that. I'm a photographer and not some nit wit with a cell phone or a P&S. The shot below was made in the method I have described above using the viewfinder and the step zoom on aperture priority.
Exposure ISO 125 1/200s @2.8 step zoom 100mm
This was a fun experiment and I plan on using it more. I get to set my focal length, shutter speed or aperture on auto. The camera focuses automatically and the camera has matrix metering so I get to do old school but with some of the auto features I love. I can't wait to take this to the streets and see what I get. This camera is so small and compact and when I choose silent it's ideal for stealth street photos. When I get the chance to do more street shooting I'll post some photos.
Sony Nex-7 with the Sony 20mm pancake 2.8
Yesterday was a beautiful spring day but I was stuck inside at work. So when I got out I grabbed the Nex-7 with the 20mm pancake and headed out the door. I decided to test this lens out at wide open, 2.8. So I put the camera on aperture priority and shot away with the ISO set to Auto. Ya I know I'm a bum for sticking the camera on auto but hey the Nex-7 and the 20 are made for that. Manual focus is alright but autofocus is great for P&S shots. I found this tree blooming nearby and shot it wide open with the late afternoon sun which I thought would be a perfect test for the lens. I was surprised to see very little vignetting at the corners and the distortion was not very noticeable. I converted it to B&W because the color was not extensive.
Exposure ISO 100 1/800s @2,8
At 2.8 the buds just jump out at you. A really cool 3-D affect! Of course this is true when shooting wide open on just about any lens depending on how close you are and the focal length. I find experimenting with f-stops and shutter speeds adds to the fun of getting out there and shooting some frames. Glad to be out of the office.
Shooting with two cameras - the best of both worlds Leica M9 Sony Nex-7
Yesterday I had a great time photographing a very small play rehearsal for a friend. They needed some promo shots for the paper and I said sure why not. I knew that I would get a chance to shoot with two cameras with things going on around me. A feast of imagery. The play is about Albert Schweitzer and his obsession with classical music and his other obsession which was building a hospital in Africa.
So here's the story - the Leica M9 with the 28mm Elmarit V.1 and the Sony Nex-7 with the Leica 90 mm Tele Elmarit which makes it a 135 f2.8. These cameras are tiny in comparison to the giant Canon L glass laden behemoths I usually travel with. I carried the M9 around my neck and the Nex-7 on my right shoulder. Everything was very easy to use and nothing got tangled up and no switching lenses what a joy.
The director talks with Albert about what is expected of him during his performance.
I decided to show one of each in this post. The Sony Nex-7 with the Leica 90 mm is really unbelievable as you can see above. So small and easy to use, wow I can't wait to travel with it.
Here the Leica M9 with the 28 mm is perfect to use for this assignment. With it around my neck up it comes for the shot at any time. The longer shots are also quite easy as I can pull the Nex-7 around off my right shoulder very easily. When I am just walking around I tend to carry them both on a shoulder with the cameras hidden by my arm and hands which are in a coat or pants pocket.
With these two cameras I matched the exposure and was happy to see they did a great job. As you know the M9 has issues with mixed light and AWB and in this case did a reasonable job but still had the tell-tale green cast at times. I was going to put it into manual WB mode but decided against it since I was shooting in RAW. The Sony Nex-7 had no such issues and produced good WB though out the images. Overall I felt a conversion to B&W was the answer as you can see here. I did not put them through Silver Efex Pro2 as I had intended and may try that tonight we'll see how it goes.
The Leica M9 - Everyday Camera
Over the years it has proven out that if I don't carry a camera with me all the time I miss things. You'd think as a professional photojournalist this would be an obvious thing but over the years I have purposely not carried a camera because I do that with my job. Now with the M9 I have started to carry it with me most of the time. On Friday I had a meeting to attend after work and I knew that where I was going might offer me something interesting. As I was walking to the meeting the sun was shining for the first time in a long time and the clouds were really cool looking as the showers moved off-shore. I saw these two gentlemen enjoying the afternoon like me sitting on a bench along the waterfront. Another man and his dog happened by and a picture formed itself with the returning deep sea fishing boat about to go through the cut bridge on the left. I envisioned this in B&W and it really worked out that way. The color version is still pretty good but not what I wanted.
Exposure ISO 200 1/750s @ 5.6
Another key to making the happened photo is to have the camera ready to go. This is not so much the case with the new cameras that make coffee for you but with the M9 I feel it's essential. I like to control the ISO and the f-stop and let auto control the shutter speed in this situation. That would be bright sun. I find myself using the camera in different ways depending on the situation. Of course you folks might use it differently - let me know how you set the camera up because it's a really personal thing. Either way the Leica M9 is a great camera for carrying with you everyday for those unplanned photos.
Rainy Day Leica - M9
Ya I know you have all seen this before but I could not resist. It was raining hard this morning on the way to work and the Leica M9 was sitting next to me with the 28 Elmarit V1 so up it came and I made the shot out the window with the focus set all the way to close. It's a heavy crop but interesting to me so here you are. I guess this would be art - right! Either way when you have the camera with you make the shot don't blow it off because it will never be there again.
So I bet you are asking yourself - this guy must be nuts making frames through the window while driving while it's raining. Well yes that's true to some extent. I preset the focus before I left my driveway so all I had to do was lift the camera up and make the shot, no focusing involved. The camera was on auto. I set the aperture to 2,8 before I left and let the camera figure out what the shutter speed was. Pretty simple.
My life with the Leica - Part One
My Life with the Leica – Part One
Ever since my younger days in high school I have been a Leica guy. My dad was a big Leica fan and had a nice collection of cameras and lenses. He even had a Leica 2c enlarger in the darkroom. Yes my dad really enjoyed his Leica's and passed that on down to his two boys.
When I was 15 he gave my brother and I each a Leica 3g with a collapsable 50mm lens on the camera. He instructed us on the use of the lens and camera operation but for two teenagers it was a bit overwhelming. The amount of very dark frames with a circle in the middle were annoying to he and us so the 3g's and the collapsable 50's went back and were replaced with used Leica M3 double strokes. My brother and I love these cameras just as much today.
During my high school years the M3 and the 50mm went everywhere with me. I was in Jr. ROTC and I was the official photographer for our unit. I travelled to several army bases with our high school battalion and recorded everything we did. My dad had a Leica leather case for the M3 and meter and we fashioned two Agfa film tins to the strap to make the camera easy to carry. I felt like a war photographer - well kind of. I was also in charge of photography for the year book for two years which meant I went everywhere with that camera. Proms, teachers, classrooms, sports, graduations, you name it I was there with the Leica and my only lens a 50mm f2. The sports events were more sideline stuff since shooting action was out of the question with the 50mm.
Back in 1971 our family took a trip to northern Italy for a skiing vacation. My dad was ill with cancer at the time but was in remission and this trip was something he always wanted to do with us. We had a wonderful time making pictures as we travelled throughout northern Italy. I will always remember my dad waking me up early to go on a little photo expedition in the northern city of Milan which at the time was a very industrial city. I just remember it as dark and foreboding but unfortunately non of my photos have survived. The Leica M3 and 50mm with the meter on top of the camera were a technological marvel for the time. We wandered around the city by our hotel looking for people out walking their dogs or interesting buildings or signs. It was a fun time with my dad and I will never ever forget it. As we made it up to Cervinia, which is the other side of the Matterhorn in Zermatt Switzerland, the photo taking was more interesting and all of us had fun taking photos of the Alps and the skiing that we were there for. It was here that my dad taught my brother and I the secret behind correct exposure with snow. He said "the reflected meter only tells you what the exposure is for the light falling on the subject in 18% grey so you need to open up a stop and a half". It worked like a charm. Back then you had to wait until you got back to see the results. We used to mail them out in pre-paid mailers to be processed by Agfa or Kodak. It was like Christmas when they came back.
While still in high school my dad started a photo class for my friends and I with the carrot being a group show at a gallery in Rockport. We all took to it with gusto. My dad bought us all these small Kodak books that had tons of information in it and we would have an assignment each week regarding something in the book like depth of field or composition. It was a great experience. All of us kids, which totaled about five, including my brother gained an enormous amount of experience during this time. But it was the access to my dads darkroom and the magic that happened there with the Leica 2c that floored all of us. The other kids quickly got their parents to set up their own darkrooms and the fun was on. The result was a great show at a gallery in Rockport. Several of us sold pieces (including myself) which hooked me on photography as a career at the age of 16.
The Leica 2c is such a wonderful enlarger and I still have it in the basement covered up in my now unused darkroom. Back then auto focus was unheard of and it was pure magic to see it work. My dad and a friend of his John Fields helped me see what could be done with a little dodging and burning to bring out the best print possible. It was this formative training in the darkroom that started my career for me. As I think back my dad and John Fields showed me the importance of full contrast prints. My early editors were wowed by my prints and that is a full reflection on my dad, his friend, and the Leica 2c.
My dad John K. Williamson on a photo expedition with his friend John Fields (who made this photo of him) in Sweden Maine in the mid 1960's with what looks like a Leica M3 and collapsable Leica 50 or 90.
In my next installment – In part two I talk about my college years with the Leica and the start of my career.