Photography

I recently read Leica Literature 1930–1960, written and compiled by prominent camera historian James L. Lager.    Lager presents a lot of interesting information, but these were the highlights that were interesting to me: The Leica opened up entirely new fields of photography, Neither telephote sports photography nor action photography with the hand held camera had been heard of until the arrival of the Leica. Photo reportage is probably the most important area in which the Leica has been used and the one to which it owes most of its acclaim. The Leica is certainly regarded as an exceptional tool by reporters all over the world.  It was the spirit at the Wetzlar factory a spirit of co-operation, of cross-fertilization and of the blending of ideal concept, practical demands and technical realization-which provided the vehicle for the development of the Leica system. It was this spirit, fostered by Ernst Leitz I, that enabled Oscar Barnack to develop what began as his personal hobby into a great technical achievement. Before the Second World War Leitz were the undisputed leaders in every field of 35mm photography. Although the Leica was not the first 35mm camera, it was the first 35mm system camera-the first with a coupled rangefinder and interchangeable lens (if only by two months, the runner-up being the Contax) and the first with a stereo lens. Today, some critics allege that the Leitz company is lagging behind other firms that its designers no longer set new trends but copy others. But the Leitz designers, like all good designers, will only take up-and improve - someone else's idea if it is a good one. It is worth remarking briefly here on a few post-war Leitz achievements.

Driving back to Santa Fe after a disappointing day shooting, Ansel Adams stopped the car, grabbed his gear, and captured in 1941 near Hernandez, New Mexico, as the moon rose over the village.   It's one of Adams's most famous images, requiring complex darkroom dodging and burning, adjusting the exposure in the enlarger, so that no two prints are completely identical.   Adams was a magician in the dark room. Stephen Collector has written and spoken about trying to photograph Hernandez, New Mexico, in his new book, No Do Overs in Paradise Valley, reflecting on how the landscape has changed since Ansel Adams captured his iconic masterpiece, "Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico". As a professional Colorado-based film and digital landscape photographer known for his magazine work, Collector decided to try to photograph a client's ranch in the same fashion as Ansel Adams's famous shot.   Collector often contemplates the artistic legacy, technical parameters, and emotional weight left behind by Adams. In his essays, blog posts, and audio appearances (such as interviews featured in The Colorado Sun and related podcasts), Collector discusses his journeys through the American West and the reality of revisiting legendary photographic locations. Collector notes that if you visit Hernandez today, you should not expect to find a bustling town or a neatly preserved monument marking where Adams stood. Hernandez remains a modest settlement, and the view has dramatically changed from the pristine look of 1941.  Collector emphasizes that Adams' image was born out of profound instinct and rapid calculations when he couldn't find his light meter. Replicating the shot is impossible because a large part of what makes "Moonrise" compelling is the extensive darkroom work—dodging, burning, and manipulating contrast—that evolved decades later.  For film photographers like

I recently acquired a copy of Pitchfork Country: The Photography of Bob Moorhouse.  Texas Tech University Press.   It is inspiring me to take more photos around the great settings that we are pleased to call part of our lifestyle.   The book is filled with a striking visual documentary of daily operations and traditions at the historic Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company ranch in Guthrie, Texas. Because Moorhouse served as the ranch's vice president and general manager, he was able to capture candid, authentic moments of contemporary working cowboy life from the unique perspective of someone living it every day.   I'll report back soon with some of the photographs that this inspired me to take.

My First Ten Years with the Leica by Paul Wolff was an interesting read, having been published in 1935 with a lot of practical advice and 192 fine screen halftones.  It triggered an epiphany in my shooting with the Leica M-E.   What if we treat the digital Leica as if it were a film camera? After all, the Leica M-E type 220 has a CCD sensor was tuned specifically with a unique infrared (IR) filter and a color filter array (CFA) designed to mimic Kodak film tones. Because it handles colors aggressively, many photographers feel CCD images have an organic, painterly quality straight out of the camera.   In short, it captures digital images as if they were taking on film.   So why not treat it as a film rangefinder camera? I grew up shooting film in high school and even after graduate schools.  When I got serious and acquired all of my Minolta 35mm gear, the first thing you would do is decide on what to take your bag for lenses and what kind of film you are going to shoot (100 for bright sun, 400 or 800 if you could find it for shooting in dimly lit areas or action shots and understanding that these would result in some grain, and 200-400 for everything in between).   Then you set the ISO to match the film (no real decision to be made here after you loaded the film, you were stuck with whatever ISO film you had purchased for the entire roll).   The practical limits of the Leica M-E are really between ISO 100 to 800 (sure you can shoot 3200 but be prepared for a lot of noise versus a modern Sony or

Capturing the Chase: Why ISO and Camera Choice Matter Afield There is a distinct magic to a morning spent along the Sporting Road. Whether you are galloping a thoroughbred down a polo field, watching a well-trained bird dog lock onto a point in the crisp autumn brush, or following the fast-paced action of a foxhunt, the world around you suddenly stands still.  As sporting enthusiasts, when we are not participating in these sporting days afield, we often try to use the remainder of our time afield to freeze these fleeting, high-octane moments with a camera.   As my friend Stephen Collector, a lifetime professional photographer and avid sportsman, says, "A frustrating day of fishing can many times be redeemed with a camera." The Myth of "Fixing it in Post" A common misconception in modern digital photography is that ISO is an afterthought or that it's like a bucket setting, as long as you are close enough it doesn't really matter. And, with advanced editing software, it is tempting to think you can shoot at a low ISO to keep your image clean, underexpose the shot in the field, and simply brighten the shadows later on your computer.  If you are shooting sports with a flagship action camera like the Nikon D5, this workflow is a recipe for ruined images.  The Nikon D5 is not an "ISO-invariant" sensor. It is engineered specifically to handle low-light and high-speed action in real-time. If you pull up heavy shadows from an underexposed file shot at a low ISO, you will introduce severe, destructive read noise. To capture the crisp textures of a galloping horse or a bird taking flight, you must get your exposure right in the camera, at the

Leica just announced a new campaign, "The Art of Leica."   Leica had a beautiful announcement from which we excerpted below, which sums up what we love about Leica photography: Photography captures far more than just a moment in time. Every image reveals our true perception of the world. Photography is careful observation of people. It is the patience, attention and respect that we show to every subject. It is about being present while others pass by. It is not relying on observational skills alone. It is having unwavering trust in your imagination. Yet remaining open to whatever happens. Time and time again. Looking more closely than others do.  That is the art of photography.  We invest the same level of care that the Leica community applies to its photography in each of our cameras and lenses: patience, attention to detail and respect for every part of the process. We focus on precision and craftsmanship so that the camera disappears in your hand and your view remains unobstructed. Looking more closely than others do. As Leica looks at making the M12 (which probably won't be called that) as the M has been a rangefinder camera from the start and the 2026 version is probably featuring a hybrid vision system blending a traditional optical rangefinder with electronic viewfinder (EVF) capabilities, along with a completely new sensor, among other "upgrades."   Whether the "new M" is still a rangefinder or not (although it will surely accept M-lenses, otherwise what's the point, might as well just get a Q), is up for debate, and either way there will be complainers and some that are ecstatic about the switch. There is a curious idea in modern life that newer is somehow better.

John Fielder is a legendary Colorado landscape photographer.   We are honored to have collected his shots from Douglas County, Colorado.  He died a few years ago but he was an interesting guy to talk to.  Fielder’s work spans 50 books and hundreds of thousands of photos and helped promote conservation efforts. For his masterworks, John Fielder relied on a Linhof Technika Fieldview camera. He explicitly chose this 4×5 large-format system because the massive size of the film transparencies preserved the extreme, crisp detail crucial for landscape photography.The 7 LensesTo capture varying depths and perspectives of the Rocky Mountains, he attached lenses spanning 75 mm to 500 mm. His toolkit included the following focal lengths:75 mm (Ultra-wide angle)115 mm (Wide angle)150 mm (Standard/Normal perspective)210 mm (Slight telephoto)300 mm (Telephoto)360 mm (Long telephoto)500 mm (Super telephoto).  In all with tripods, etc., his backpack of photography gear weighed over 65 pounds. History Colorado is the proud steward of John Fielder's Colorado Collection, an assortment of more than 6,000 photographs which immortalize the landscapes of nearly every county in the state. This collection represents Fielder's life work and was distilled from the more than 200,000 photographs taken by Fielder over the last 50 years. Donated by Fielder in January 2023, it is now digitized and cataloged by History Colorado to make it easily accessible and searchable by the public. Please see the links below. Since he began photographing Colorado in 1973, Fielder has effectively been to each of Colorado’s 104,984 square miles, compiling a record of the Centennial State's landscape and how it has changed over the past half-century. His photography has been featured in dozens of books, garnered him multiple awards for his service to Colorado and its