Going through my pre-pandemic trips and rekindled my travels through London with the Leica SL. There is nothing better than remembering the good old days and how life was prior to COVID. We are getting there, sooner than later we will be back to travelling and experiencing what life around the world has to offer for us. For now walking down memory lane is what we have. I do not have the Leica SL anymore but in reality, today, it is still a very good camera even with its age. Today’s cameras are moving towards the high megapixel technology but in all honesty 24 megapixels for me is still the sweet spot. Large enough to print great quality photos and small enough that it wont break the bank with all the hard disk space and processing power you will need. Who wants Lightroom to hang up trying to process those high resolution files? At 24 MP, the original Leica SL is still a fantastic camera, and for the price and those wanting to get into the Leica SL ecosystem its a great choice! This post is more so to share images from my trip to London with the Leica SL.

Windsor Castle & Cotswold

 Waiting For Liftoff

Prior to liftoff, I found a perfect line of sight of the planes waiting to takeoff, as the plane was making its turn to prepare to get on the runway I quickly took a snap as the window lined up to the line.

Architecture @windsor castle

While walking around Windsor Castle and the crowd of people focused on taking their selfie with the Castle. I found myself looking at the surrounding buildings and the way the patterns on the buildings were designed. No one was really looking at it but for my eye it caught my attention. The colors, the brick pattern and even the pavement color just all came together.  

Bakery @cOTSWOLD

Something about this bakery on a side street at Cotswold. The deep blues accenting the brickwork, the employee preparing the bread and the lady walking past it was just right. Never hurts to have that all but necessary vintage bike as Leica haters would say, you gotta picture it.

View from a cafe

One of the best things about walking around are all the small business shops and restaurants you will find. No big box stores or chain restaurants, just traditional way of life. All very quaint and cozy as you can see from the picture above.

London

While in London, as with every other tourist, you pass through the touristy spots. It was our kids first time so it was a must, but along the way I tried to find spots that were unique or different than what the billion other tourists were shooting.

Stonehenge

A quick stop over in Stonehenge is a must, they moved these rocks from hundreds of miles away. We also got a good down pour of rain while we were there, typical UK weather.

while Shopping

New Palace Yard

A black and white view of new palace yard adjacent to Big Ben and the parliament buildings. The architecture and the London eye peeping up is what stands out for me.

Curves with Pattens

The curves at the tip of the building that contrast the geometric patterns are interesting. This one also feels like diving boards at the top of the building.

Rain and Haze

Which umbrella is who holding in here? It lines up nicely.

Waiting for the Red bus 

Kids Acting Crazy

Kiddos enjoying the streets of London.

Conclusion

In Conclusion, the Leica SL is still an amazing camera, even after two years removed from it as I look back on my trips. I am fully happy with my Leica M10 but the Leica SL is right there with it. It’s one thing to edit pictures and look at it in the moment but scrolling through pictures from a few years removed is also enjoyable. For one you walkthrough your happy memories and secondly giving your pictures time gives you a different perspective and admiration. Hope you all enjoyed this post!

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Intro

Perfect photo for this post right? This depicts how I feel and probably most of us feel 2020 was like. Isolated and in our own world with no one around. It’s been a long time coming and to say the least 2020 has been the biggest challenge, struggle, roadblock ….. you name it. We all have had our own demons and issues to get through the last year and we are all in this together. 2020 was particularly tough for me this last year, not only were we dealing with the events of the pandemic, lockdown and the “new normal” but I personally had health challenges take its toll on me for the last 12 months. There were months where I questioned would I even make it through 2020, as my mind would race on what is going on with my health and these conditions would linger for the next twelve months. So many things I can write about, but I have been taking it one day at a time and slowly been working my way back. Its been almost a year since I last posted a new blog but it almost feels like an absolute achievement to be writing here again. Today is really to talk about what’s changed in my life, what things I have overcome and what I have been shooting during these crazy times. Hopefully this will inspire you to go out there and shoot again as we all look forward to getting past this and flushing this pandemic down the toilet.

What’s New?

Through the last six months I have slowly been making baby steps with my health through exercise and test diagnosis to determine what was going on. There are days of moving forward but also days of set backs but as with all things in life we push forward. While all this was happening, there were things I was incrementally doing with my Photography to push forward as well and prepare me for when I would be ready to start picking this blog back up. Here are a few things that I have been working on that are either live or will be future posts for this year as travel and life starts to come back to normal:

• Minor Site Redesign - I have made minor increments to the sites design, some light color, font and other changes to clean up and simplify the design. Reorganization of the navigation and also a new logo. It was due and while small in change, gives me a renewed spirit to get back into the swing of things. Its 2021 now so lets keep the positives going right?

• 50 Summicron Rigid - A recent pickup but one that I have been waiting patiently to get my hands on. A very classic and vintage lens with my modern M10 and cant wait to start using this and capturing photos. I have read about how this gives the classic look with great sharpness and a creamy bokeh. Folks that I have talked to have said this is a lens you never want to let go of, and given the cost for this lens its a no brainer.

• Voigtlander 50mm 1.5 Nokton II - I had the version I of this lens and once this was announced I had to get it. I loved the performance of the version I but it did have its flaws. I really wanted to see how this version has advanced the original lens. I opted for the panda version as well which looks fantastic on my silver Leica M10.

• 35 Summicron - I also purchased the 35 Summicron for days when I want to shoot 35 and shoot a more technical shot. There is news of the new APO version which has me drooling and will likely empty our wallets but for now I will put this through the paces.

So there we have it, while I have not been posting much this year, 2021 is already looking to be a positive one compared to 2020. I think I have set this year up to be a much more favorable and fantastic one to go out there and begin shooting more. Hopefully this will also inspire you to start making progress and get out of this hole we are all in!

what have i been shooting?

 This year has been a much much slower year in terms of what I have been shooting. So much time has been spent on my health and being careful with the pandemic that I have spent less time getting out there and shooting as we all are. But there are days when I still make the effort during these times. Probably less so of going to areas where there is a large number of people but finding ways to be out in the open where its safer and less risky to contribute to the problem. Photography during the pandemic has been more so a pick your spots type of deal. Taking a walk in a public park, apple picking in an open orchard…. spending time at the beach. All places where you can control the distance and interaction socially. Isolation and distance are the keywords, but still getting out there. I really hope that some time this year we can overcome those two words as we need to be more social in this world and the mental challenges its creating within us.

But for now, we can all still find ways to create and be inspired. The days we have decided to get out there in a safe way were probably the best days of the year for me. It also allowed me to be inspired with photography during a year where I probably left the camera in the corner more so than other years. Find ways to be safe but still get creative, its there if you really push for it. It is 100 times better than staying inside, trying to find what to binge watch next. At some point the inventory of things to do inside dies and we find ourselves staring at the wall or just scrolling through social media apps.

So get out there, take a walk, sit on a bench or just get out there. You might find it relaxing and recharge your mental health. Here are some of my favorite shots from doing some of these activities this year:

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - bREAKWATER ROCKS

A walk around an open park

These are photo’s from a simple stroll around an open lands area in our city. What started out as a simple “lets take a look” ended up being a 2 mile walk around the area. We found ourselves enjoying the scenery and taking our time while trying to forget about the problems of the world. Its also a good way to get those steps in and burn some calories.

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - iSOLATED tREE

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - Fall Flowers

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - oPEN lANDS pATHWAY

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON -vw buggy

Apple picking

Annually we take the kiddos to an orchard to apple pick at the same time there is usually events or a playground for the kids. This year it was strictly just apple picking, there were a good number of people but when you are outdoors its easy to find that six feet of space. We headed out to an orchard near our home and I used this time to try and get some photos in. As with any year we at least got our apple cinnamon donuts, cider and apples to bring home!

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - Apple Trees

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - Bianca Apple Picking

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - Pumpkin house

Spending Time at the beach

Before the fall came we decided to hit up the beach. It was not peak summer so the beach was not packed but at least the weather was nice and a nice way to enjoy the beach before the cold front came. This was also a good time to get out as we can keep our distance while the kids play in the water. There was enough space for us to keep our distance again and have plenty of room without interaction. We stayed until the sunset to maximize our outdoor time as well as get try and get those golden hour shots that I love to take.

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - Volleyball nets

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - Kids Sitting by the Water

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - Water Barriers

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Intro

Back in November/December I was making a decision of purchasing a new camera after letting go of my beloved Leica SL after two years. It was time to move on to what’s next or the latest and greatest or so I thought. It’s always a temptation to want the newest and shiniest things in life but after hands on use and a thoughtful consideration I moved to a direction that I was not expecting and so far I have not looked back. This post is my decision and thought process on how I chose the M10 over the SL2 or Q2.

How I Decided?

The process by which eventually determined my thought process was to just purchase an M10 and a Leica Q2 and have a hands on experience with both. I did not purchase an SL2 as that would have meant having three new cameras at the time which is ludicrous for my wallet. The Q2 had most of the elements of what I can expect in an SL2, with the higher resolution sensor so I can make a few judgement’s of what I would and can expect in an SL2. So here I was with two camera’s and the process began with taking each camera out and shooting photos to determine which came closer to my heart with the IQ and overall feel. I’m definitely not a pixel peeper so I was not going into all the details of each pixel or all the technical differences. This is really about how each camera feels, functions and produces an image that is unique.

Again this is an not a technical review, it is my opinion and how I prefer to travel and how a camera supports my function. The parameters of what my photography needs are and if you follow my photography then you know its travelling, agility, and on the go simplicity functions. So this is a huge factor in what my decision process is vs a studio photographer or what not.

Leica Q2 - Noah at Dinner Time

Q2 - Chicago Crown Fountain

My Factors

First factor was the sensor and the resolution. As more and more cameras are moving to a higher resolution there was is obviously an intrigue into the 47mp sensor. Resolving more details and doubling the pixel count. But the more and more I thought about it, the want for a higher resolution started to wane. Yes we all want more resolving power but do I really need it? This would double my capacity needs storage wise, slow down my workflow in Lightroom tremendously and just slow my overall workflow. Let alone I will never print an image that large where I would need the 47mp. All of this started to sway my decision towards sticking with what has worked best balance wise 24mp. The cherry on the top that gave me the decision to stick with 24mp is that low light performance suffers with the new Leica SL2 and Q2 due to the higher resolution. So not only does this slow down my workflow but I also suffer in low light. So this one was an easy answer as I started to decide on sensor, stick to 24mp and have more flexibility.

Next up was usage and form factor. Having owned the Leica SL and Q, I already knew what to expect overall with each. But I had never owned the legendary rangefinder line and the Leica M10. I like to travel light with one lens and although I did adjust to the size and weight of the Leica SL, using the M10 was a joy as it reduced the weight tremendously. Everything was also simpler with analog dials and the more and more I used the M10 the ergonomics just made sense. The one and only factor I was terrified with is my reliance with the EVF and will I adjust to a rangefinder?

M10 - Mexican Restaurant Kitchen

EVF vs Rangefinder

With my unrest of thinking I would struggle without the EVF and my love affair of the spectacular one of the Leica SL, I went ahead and purchased the Leica M10 EVF attachment. The first few weeks as I adjusted, I honestly would pop in the EVF and go back to my habits and where I was comfortable. But something changed over 3-4 weeks, I started to understand the nuances of the rangefinder and what was uncomfortable became comfortable. It takes some practice and getting used to but I started to warm up to it. A few benefits of using the rangefinder was for one battery life would extend much longer without using the battery guzzling EVF attachment. Secondly the rangefinder lets you see whats not in frame and this gave you an added advantage of seeing whats about to walk in frame before that decisive moment.

This pivot or turn in events was the moment where I decided that the M10 had warmed up to me and met all the needs I would need in a camera vs the more technologically advanced Leica SL2 or the Q2. Again, you might have other requirements for your own photography but the M10 lined up with the necessities I have.

Leica Pop and Colors

I had also heard about the M10 just having a different pop or look to it compared to the Leica SL or Q which are more technical in nature and this is something I wanted to find out myself. The colors of the M9 for example are highly heralded and from what I know the M10 tries to hearken back to this color palette. I am one that believes in a cameras soul and colors a camera produces given the vast number of bodies I have used over the years and I was curious to see this myself. I have only used the M10 over 3 months not but there is something that I see as I shoot with the M10, the colors, skin tones produced have much more depth and warmth to it. I am eagerly awaiting to take this on my next destination but with the coronavirus and the world shut down, that will likely have to wait for future posts.

M10 - Bianca Walking in the Snow

M10 - Wildlife Preservation Cage Snow Tops

M10 - Kids Playing Cards

Summary

In Conclusion, the Leica M10 won over my heart with simplicity, ease of use and the overall advantage of sticking with a 24mp sensor. The colors and IQ of the images produced are beautiful and learning how to use the rangefinder gave me a new skill or tool to love. Sometimes you need to be uncomfortable to rejuvenate your photography and its always about trying and learning something new. So far my love for this camera has grown closer to my heart, and I understand how this cameras form factor has remained unchanged for decades.

M10 - Bearded Dragon

M10 - Sunset at my backyard

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Intro

A few months ago I made the decision to let go of my beloved Leica SL in part to prepare myself for the Leica SL2 that was just around the corner. And viola, I sold my Leica SL about 8 months ago in June of 2019. With this, I was left with a void. I had no Leica camera as I traveled back to the Philippines in July of 2019. Over the last two years, I have had the X100F with me as a sort of side kick camera for those times when I am lazy to bring the full frame with me. Its served its purpose, being a lightweight, maybe pocket-able camera depending on what you define as a pocket, to bring along for times where we go to a place like Disneyland. But without any go to cameras I found my self with a gap in time where the Fuji X100F would need to be my exclusive camera. And even though I will always walk back to a Leica, the X100F did not disappoint, especially when I was presented with one of the most beautiful sunsets in the beach of Boracay, Philippines. The colors from this camera rival that of the Leica and one of the most important things to me for photography is the colors the cameras produce. This article will be a quick walk-through of some of the photos I was able to capture with my Fuji while traveling to Boracay.

Only the Essentials

A great start to the trip was packing my gear, little did I realize how much more space I would have with just this one small compact camera. I was used to the Leica SL with a few lenses and the X100F all in my bag kit and never really complained about size or luggage. But you only realize how much stuff you were carrying around when you travel light and this time with only one camera, I definitely noticed the difference. When travelling to Boracay, you land at the airport and instead of the usual jet bridge, you walk down a portable stairs and get off on the tarmac. From here you take a bus ride to the terminal and again take another bus to the boat which will take you to Boracay Island. There is no straight shot to get to your hotel. All these stops and transfers made travelling light that much more easier. Just a single camera and a light backpack and I was good to go.

Boarding the boat is another challenge all by itself, there is no solid platform to come aboard. The boat is basically on the beachfront water and the staff place a sketchy board from the sand to the boat for you to walk and balance on. This while the water waves splash on and off the beach sand. Timing is everything here as you wait for the water to pull back, run and step on board. With the Fuji X100F, no problem. If I had my Leica I would be a little worried, I would likely have packed my camera in a waterproof bag vs keeping it on my neck. For times like this, having this camera trumps everything as I have less to worry about breaking or damaging my equipment.

Local KIDS sWIMMING IN THE bEACH Water after boarding the boat

walking around the beach

As we arrived on Boracay Island, the one thing you will do is walk along the beachfront coastline. Lined along the entire white sand beach are resort hotels, restaurants and tourist attraction stores. Our main goal for this trip was to do nothing at most, swim, relax in the sand and enjoy the beauty of mother nature. The white sand is a sight to see, and the clear blue water in front of you will beat anything. Boracay has remote/secluded locations when you need your peace and quiet but also has a great nightlife for the younglings who are looking for that party. Its a great mix for any type of socialism your family is looking for. Food is fantastic, there are street markets along with all the local filipino food you can desire. This was the kiddos first time to a real beach and in the picture below you can see how they are assessing the water for the first time.

Kids Assessing the beach water

No matter where you walk, you will just find scenic landscapes that make you feel like you never want to leave and go back to the hustle and bustle of real life. Sitting under the shade of the over arching trees you get a mix of the tropical trees, white sand and clear blue water. All the local and people we met are always super friendly and the accommodations are perfect depending on what your budget or needs are.

Waterfront Under the sHADE

Waterfront Lookout

Docking the boat

During our stay I was able to enjoy two natural events that when it happens you just have to sit there and marvel at how beautiful it is. Every time you think you have seen the most beautiful things, mother natures one ups that moment. Sitting and relaxing at the beach, a glamorous sunset happened while the water was retreating back creating both amazing still water reflections from the leftover pockets of water along with the most amazing sunset colors. On the second day a thunderstorm out in the horizon right over a dozen boats, witnessing both the calm sunset along with the ravaging thunderstorms. I liked the X100F as an every other day camera but once I saw the colors that I was able to pull out from what I was witnessing I appreciated what Fuji was bringing to the photography table.

Head on Shoulder

Running in the water

Boats in a Thunderstorm

Boats in a Thunderstorm 2

Summary

In summary, I did not miss a beat selling my Leica SL. Yes I will still want my full frame camera, but sometimes the best camera is the one you have with you and you make the most of it. I will always wear a camera, and sometimes its the one you want and other times its not. But you capture the life that is in front of you and the Fuji has been a reliable camera for me while I figure out my next steps.

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Follow Me

The last year has been a challenging one to say the least and it has been quite a while since I last posted, shared or wrote any content on my site. We all run thru trials and tribulations and the last six months has had me stay away from writing. I am restarting and kicking the wheels on getting the ball moving here again and as a first post in almost a year I would like to share some time I spent last summer in the quaint small towns of northeastern France. Having been to Paris for a second time in the last few years we wanted to explore the countryside of France and ended up visiting the towns of Colmar, Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr and Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg. Definitely a change from the city of love and the bright lights of Paris but lovely and charming in its own way and right. Beginning the second year of owning the Leica SL, this would just be another place to continue to put the test to the Leica SL.

The trip begins

We took the train from Paris to the city of Strasbourg as this was the most logical and closest way to arrive from Paris rather than driving all the way out. From here we rented a car as you would need to for driving and getting around the small towns of the area. Our original plan was just to drive to Colmar and spend the 3 days we had on one town but as I chatted with the lovely lady at the rental car she seemed to be perplexed. Why spend all 3 days just in one town when there was so much more to explore, and started ranting away on other towns. I appreciated the advice and started to decide that since we had a car why not try and pack in as much as we can and explore what else the other towns had to offer and off we went. The drive in from Strasbourg is a lovely one, so close to the border of Germany you start to see the influence of the architecture and the culture in the area. This is very much a mixed cultural experience and one that is very different from other cities of France. The first thing for those who want to explore the area is that this place is definitely a place for wine lovers with the vast open spaces of vineyards and chateau’s. Mountain ranges line the highway and every now and then you will find an old abandoned castle on the mountain tops, a peek into the history of how life used to be in the region.

Day 1 we decided on just staying in Colmar as this was where we booked our residence for the next three days and with spending a few hours on the train plus the hour or so drive from Strasbourg we did not want to push it on the first day. The first thing you start to realize walking around the city is how you start to feel the preservation of the historical culture and architecture of the town. French-German architecture with a colorful beauty of France, cobblestone lined streets and alleyways along with a small canal that lines the Colmar area. For those who want to spend the day relaxing and just having a nice lunch or dinner this is definitely a town I recommend. The charm of an old town with the lovely waterfront views of the canal that passes thru the town.

La lAUCH cANAL, cOLMAR, France

 It is somewhat challenging to decide on which street or alley way to turn or take. Looking straight, left or right, all are interesting and you want to make the right choice instead of doubling back on the wrong one. But honestly you really can’t go wrong and my advice is to just go and explor and live with the decisions you make. Sometimes its amazing other times its not but that is part of the journey. The one thing you can do at any spot in town is sit down, relax and just enjoy the moment and life you have. My kids definitely did and loved to just sit and of course run around, but here is a shot of the kids just relaxing and hopefully taking it all in.

Kids relaxing in cOLMAR, France

A few of the things I like to photograph is interesting architecture, streets and furniture that give you a sense of space along with just general street photography. Walking around Colmar definitely does not lack this at all, its all you can ask for and I quickly knew that the decision to spend 3 days here would be fulfilling. Having the Leica SL with me as well did not disappoint in the photos I wanted to take, with my M lenses and manual focus as my tools I can just focus on the photos I wanted to take. I definitely loved the color and contrast of the roof of the church photo below, seeing how people spend so much time on details in just the type of things I appreciate the most. Just like how I love my cameras and the detail, craftsmanship and engineering that went into the Leica line of cameras, is the same way I appreciate the architecture and the culture of the town.

Church architecture and rooftop

Lavender Table Setting

Walking the streets of colmar

At the end of the day, we decided to put the camera down, unwind and have a nice relaxing meal outside on the streets of Colmar. Weather was a perfect 70 degrees, light humidity and just surrounded by other like minded people enjoying the time and ambiance with a nice night cap meal or glass of wine. Even the glasses had charm to it that it was a nice picture of how we capped and ended our day.

Two Glasses

rEQUEWIHR, RIBEUAVILLE and cHATEAU DU HAUT

The second day of our stay would be a full day exploring the surrounding towns and seeing as much as we can. First stop was to visit the town of Ribeauville, where we would have both another town to explore along with a scenic view of the surrounding vineyards. We were initially thinking of just walking around the hilly area for the surrounding views but quickly noticed a train that would take us to a scenic overlook and decided to hop on, it was also a way to have the kids enjoy a small train ride while I focused on the views. Quickly, as we started to ascend the hills, I knew that this was a great decision. The overlook started to appear and I quickly knew that the views would be fantastic and there was no way we would have seen this view had we not taken the train. The trek alone would be too much for the kiddos we were with. Here is one of the shots that show the small town along with the surrounding vineyards that the eye can see, just beautiful.

Vineyards of Ribeauville, france

After the train ride, we would take a stroll around the town and again just another small city to find a spot and enjoy life at the slowest pace. No fast paced city life, no people trying to rush to get to the next spot, just a place where you find a spot to sit, eat or relax. My kind of place! The amount of detail, the preservation, the colors and the floral landscaping that you find throughout the town let you know that the people care and love their city and make the effort to make it as beautiful as possible. We would walk around but not spend as much time as we would like given we were still planning on visiting the castle and possibly Riquewihr as well if time permitted. We did take time appreciating the art work, buying some nougat and also the ensuring we grabbed some Foie Gras which was for surely a bit pricey but why not while we are here.

Entrance to Ribeauville

Next up we would drive up the mountain to visit Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg to see the overlook as well as the have an architectural tour of the Chateau. Parking is along the streets to the entrance of the area and definitely a hike up by itself given you will likely need to park quite a bit back. As you make your way to the entrance, you are greeted with a large entry way and a view from the bottom. We were so high up and appreciated the vistas and overlooks even thou it was a rainy, cloudy day. You pay your entrance as a way for the area to upkeep the castle and enter the grounds. As you enter you start to realize how this is going to be a hike up to the different levels of the building, the kids were able to enjoy counting how many steps they would need to take.

The Chateau was grand to say the least, very medieval but you knew how the rich and privileged lived back in the old days. Endless rooms of things that were probably unnecessary, but that is the life of the rich and famous, having too much than of what you possibly can ever want. You begin to marvel at the amount of stone, the craftsmanship of the pieces and just the overall views. The castle was for surely a sight to see, and you would find architecture and landscape views everywhere you look.

Kids enjoying the steps

Inside the Chateau

Views of the Mountain Ranges

To end our day we made a quick stop in Riquewihr where we found just another small quaint town with more color and architecture. We drove passed the town and decided to park and make a quick stop as we made our way back to the hotel, I mean why not even thou we were likely done for the day. We found more interesting shops but at the same time just interesting streets that we did not have the time to explore.

Shadows and light

Mannequin heads

Summary

In summary, we overly enjoyed our time in the northeastern area of France, a slow paced, culturally packed area for those who want to experience the pace of life in the beautiful world around. Wine lovers, landscape lovers and even people who love food and want to experience life to the fullest, I highly recommend this place. To the woman who advised us to explore a little bit more, we appreciate the fantastic advice. With my Leica SL with me side by side the whole way thru, there was no better tool to help me capture the experience and journey we took. Rain, sunshine or snow this camera just works and keeps going. Year two of my SL ownership kicks off with a bang!

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Additional photos

We found a Double Rainbow

Bianca train ride back

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Intro

Germany, Cologne… and here we were with Photokina 2018 kicking off. The past few weeks have been dominated by announcements from Canon and Nikon with the EOS R and Z systems respectively. I have been keeping an eye on Leica Rumors as a few intriguing rumors have been swirling around…. Leica Q2, Leica SL2, maybe a mini M (CM) or maybe Leica would finally release the 35mm or 50mm Summicron which at this point long overdue. I had some excitement looking forward to the press release from Leica, and here I am with my thoughts on the news that came out of Photokina. Somewhat disappointed but lets go over some of the key notes.

THE SL Lenses that weren’t announced

First and foremost, my biggest disappointment is the lenses that were not released. If you have been following my blog, you would know that I have been anticipating the 50mm APO Summicron-SL or the 35mm Summicron-SL which has been indicated to be a perfect lens with no distortion by lens maker Peter Karbe. But waiting…. waiting…. and waiting continues to make my interest wane. The 35mm was supposed to be released in late 2017, delayed to early 2018, then to late 2018 and now looking at the lens road map, it indicates early 2019. That is almost two years of waiting and at this point I am starting to question whether to continue waiting. This is the biggest impact personally as I am at a crossroad of deciding to wait or potentially just jump in for a 50mm M APO edition, which is available now and is already legendary.

There were announcements for 3 new APO wide lenses which is nice, but again 2020 is the plan and who knows if those dates will hold up. 2020 is a long time to wait. For those interested, here’s an image of 3 additional lenses for the SL Line.

l-mount alliance

In related news, with the new L-Mount Alliance, there is some intrigue here with Panasonic and Sigma moving forward with building native L-Mount lenses. What this means for SL users is that we will definitely get relatively cheaper and competitive glass options for the Leica SL natively with auto focus. If you are invested in Leica, you are probably buying the legendary Leica glass but this is still great news as this will give you alternatives to use Panasonic or the well known art line lenses that Sigma has been known for. For this I give Leica a +, and I commend them for taking this step and opening up the mount.

With the frustration I am starting to have with waiting on SL lenses, this should alleviate some of that with the thought that three different companies will be building L compatible lenses. There for sure will be quality lenses that come out from each company, and having that option is a good thing. Trust me, waiting for these Summicron lenses for almost two years now is not a fun thing for a SL camera owner. I wonder if the lens road map delays was a factor for this alliance, probably not the main driver but I can assume that it was a key role in making the alliance happen.

Panasonic did announce 3 lenses right off the bat which is nice and gives you some insight on what to start seeing available to use interchangeably on the L-Mount. The 50mm below is probably the most interesting to me as I like to shoot with primes. There is also a plan to provide up to 10 more lenses in 2020 so the investment is there.

Panasonic LUMIX S1 & S1R FULL FRAME

With no new cameras being announced by Leica except for the Medium Format below, there was some quick news coming out of one of the alliance partners. Panasonic announced that it is building a new Full Frame S line camera which at first glance looks to be interesting. Will I exchange my SL, probably not but comparing to the recent full frame cameras of Canon/Nikon, its definitely more intriguing in my opinion. It looks to be a good second option if I can not afford the Leica SL. As a side note, the top screen does not look to be appealing with the new trend in camera top LCDs that the Leica SL set, I am hoping its not what you see in old DSLRs but the design looks like it. Here are some highlights of what is coming out, lets just hope that the claims are true as these are pre-production models.

• Highest Resolution EVF (Maybe a higher quality version than the SL?)

• Dual Card Slots (Nikon and Canon missed the boat here)

• 47MP and 24MP options

• Dual IS is a nice touch

Things that would ultimately put a mark on this camera but I didn’t hear is:

• Phase detect auto focus, seems like it will still use the contrast detect

• Eye AF

NEW MEDIUM FORMAT S CAMERA

Another so so announcement was the new medium format camera, I am not looking at the medium format for Leica as its was up there in price tag and honestly the Hassleblad or Fuji competitors give me more interest both in price and form factor. But looks like Leica is upgrading the internals of the S camera with an upgraded sensor and processing power. Form factor seems to be kept relatively the same. I wont go on to much here as there is not much else to go on.

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oTHER NEWS

(silver cl and firmware updates)

On some other minor news for me, the Leica CL came out in a new silver color, and Leica announced new firmware upgrades for a majority of their cameras. Its good to see that the current cameras are continually being optimized and improved through firmware. Leica also did announce a new FOTOS app which synchronizes all the one off apps of each camera, another nice direction as it was a little weird to have an app for each camera. This now gives you the ability to see photos on your device along with copy/download the raw files directly for editing. With the move to Lightroom CC, this will be a nice integration touch.

Overall, good news that came out from Leica but nothing that got me excited or ready to give away my cash to Leica :). Back to the waiting game….

Intro

Those of you who follow my blog or my posts know that I shoot with Leica cameras or primarily the Leica SL at the moment, but today I will be going over my experience with the Fuji X100f. With my move to a Leica SL from a Leica Q, the one aspect that I lost in between that decision was portability for times when I am on the go or need to travel light. With this my decision came to try and give the Fuji X100f a shot as a companion camera to my main set. For the days when I need a semi pocketable camera that I can take along to places like amusement parks, family get together's and so on. This gives me a camera that's way better than just a smartphone for times when I do not want to bring the Leica SL. What I will go over in this post is how well the Fuji X100f complements my Leica SL from functional and technical perspective.

body & build

Owners of Fuji tend to gravitate towards the Leica brand and vice versa, both camera brands have similar reputations in the photography world. Great camera design and build, renowned image quality, tones and colors. Both give you either a unique Fuji look or unique Leica look. So this makes my decision to try out the Fuji X100f a natural and comfortable progression. I own the silver X100f and body and build wise the camera is definitely solid, my Leica SL is a tank and you definitely feel the difference but for 4X-5X times the cost you better be getting that. That's not any knock on the X100f, its definitely a high build quality and the feel in the hands is nice and solid, dense but light. Coming from the Leica world having another manufacturer brand with the same manual dials and knobs is great, having the same benefits of a Leica where you can make the ISO, Shutter and Aperture adjustments with the camera off is a real benefit.  Its keeping photography in a simple, analog feeling form. I used to be a DSLR full auto focus photographer but as I have moved to Leica you tend to start appreciating the slower process of framing and making an image.  At this point I tend to overlook the manual dials but with the Fuji system, this is one of the reasons for having this as an addition to the set of photography tools I possess. 

The more I touch and feel the camera, the more I appreciate the details and thought process that went into building and designing the X100f. The focus ring and the knobs all have a diamond pattern that gives you a grippy tactile feel which is great. Button placements are easy spots to get to or remember while shooting. The one thing that's causes me to take my eye off the view finder is the ISO ring, needing to lift it and turn is a different process than having its own separate dial, but this does not cause any heartburn. More so just a minute hindrance. Look and feel of the camera feels like a vintage camera which I dig which is the same with the Leicas, you often get the average person asking about your camera and if its a vintage camera where in turn its a modern mirrorless camera. If your into aesthetics, which I am, then this is defintely a plus for the Fuji. Pair it with a nice braided strap and you are good to go.

Performance and Image qUALITY

Going into performance as I compare the Leica Q with the Fuji X100f, I am comparing a $4,000 dollar camera to a $1,200 camera, but I wanted to see how the Fuji held up with on the go, everyday use. IQ on the Fuji so far has been pleasant, there's a look and soul to the images, and is by no means a far step down from my Leica SL system. The Leica SL obviously has more richness with the files but for when I need a light system I have no complaints about the quality of images I have been getting from the Fuji. Comparing to the Leica Q, I would say the Leica Q is still in my opinion a higher quality IQ and definitely a higher sharpness with the micro contrast resolution, but for $1,200 bucks and used as a backup on the go system, I will take it. The Fuji can definitely hold its own in the image quality department.

As for performance, there have been a few hitches so far but nothing that is a deal breaker. Auto focus is definitely slower than the Leica Q, and does some hunting at times. With this the difference in AF is acceptable and nothing of a major issue, its still fast enough for my taste. Accuracy of the auto focus was good as well. A few other areas of concern are where the EVF does lock up on me and stick to a half optical / half evf state, but a simple on-off of the camera does the trick. This is probably something that I need to have Fuji fix, but as of the moment I can live with it. Still this does distract me at times when I want to turn on the camera and shoot on the fly. Battery life is good and I have not seen any issues yet running on one battery for the day, although I have not been using it in a full day of just shooting. 

Waiting to board

Low light performance of the camera is good, I have pushed my camera to 3200 and files are nice and usable. With the camera maxed at F2 for low light situations, I rely more on ISO performance when dealing in darker situations. With the Leica Q, I could push the camera to f1.7 and ISO performance was really good. So far with f2 and 3200 ISO on the Fuji, IQ of the files has been really nice, even the grain on the files when pushing further is good as well. Overall this camera has been I would say a B+ performer where I considered the Leica Q more of an A. But for over $3,000 less in price, I cant say that you get that much more with the Leica Q. 

Water Break

USABILITY AND pORTability

Now to where this Fuji really differentiates itself. From a usability and portability perspective this camera is a blessing. Its for surely a lot smaller and lighter than the Leica Q, and much more pocket-able as well. Both really are not pocket-able but at least the Fuji has much more of a chance. Ok maybe a jacket pocket vs a pants pocket... The Fuji X100f really is a camera to pick up and use on the go. From a usability perspective, the placement of the controls, dials and overall interface design has a lot of thought put into it both from designers and from feedback from actual camera pros. I appreciate the thought put into it. Now there are a few things that would be nice to have such as touchscreen or tiltable screens as well but nothing of a deal breaker here. 

Windows

Using the camera through different situations, landscape, street, architecture, low light, harsh lighting etc the camera just performs. I initially thought that this will just be a camera I use for specific situations, like family events where I want to enjoy the time more than shoot photography or days where I am just going out doing errands. But the more I shoot with the camera and see how it performs to my needs, the more I realize that this camera can at times replace my Leica SL for the day of a solid shoot. If I want to do architecture or landscape photography, I can 100% get quality images that meet my need with this camera. So instead of feeling like a backup system, this camera is slowly feeling more like a complementary system to my Leica SL.

Conclusion

Overall, the camera continues to grow on me. Its a camera that can do it all, and a jack of all trades. It's not a superior camera system, but its an excellent overall camera. Its grown from a meh, to maybe, to an actual contender for consideration to shoot for a day vs my Leica SL. That line alone should speak to the quality you get from the Fuji X100f. If you are looking for a camera that can do 90% of what you need from a camera and do it well, then this is the camera for you.

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dOCK pOST

161 Clark

Docks

Broken Rocks

Intro

Love it or hate it, that's the term or review I have found the most about this lens, but one statement I have also heard is how this lens has a special character to it. If your looking for that classic or Hollywood glam look of the 1950s, this lens design is your lens. That is really what drew me to this particular lens, my style is looking for those timeless photographs that feel like a lost memory. So I took the plunge and made the effort to make this my primary lens for over one year and decide whether I love it or hate it. With that, I look to share an extensive review of the Sonnar f1.5 to provide a personal field test and view of the lens. When I first started looking at this lens, there really was not any reviews or articles on it, probably due to the fact that there are not many fans of this lens. I've often heard comments about it's softness or so but I will go through how to overcome this and hopefully through this post I can add public information about this lens for anyone interested. 

body & build

Before going into the character and the IQ of this lens lets start with the basics and talk about the physical feel of the lens. Whenever you touch this lens it has a solid build feel, small and light but you instantly know that there is a lot packed inside by the density you feel.  Focus ring is smooth and it has a nib at the bottom which helps with manual focusing. Aperture clicks are clicky and with 1/3 stops, this gives you more flexibility when trying to control light. 

One disclaimer I do want to mention is that with the first few months of usage, I had trouble nailing focus. I would focus as accurate as could possibly focus with my SL using the zoom focus but often times I would look at the image in Lightroom and find out that I missed the focus. This lens had me scratching my head the first few months and it bugs you when your focusing is hit or miss. At first, I blamed it on going full manual focus for the first time with M lenses, maybe it was a user error. But as time went on and even when I would spend more time than I wanted focusing, I would still miss the focus. It was not by much but enough to have for example the hair on a face in focus rather than the eye which is what you aim for. 

After the trials and tribulations, and the headaches of focusing, I found some info from other users online that had a similar issue. Apparently earlier versions of the lens were not optimized at f1.5, and the advice was to send it to Zeiss to have it adjusted and optimized for f1.5, and so I did. I sent the lens to Zeiss germany, had the lens optimized, CLA'd, and also had the front glass element replaced. Upon receiving the lens again and using it over the last 6 months, it really has been accurate to focus, and so my perception and review of the lens changed as well. Just a piece of advice for anyone looking to buy a used version of this lens, if you buy brand new then these should already be optimized.

That hOLLYWOOD lOOK

Obviously, the reason for this lens is to shoot with this lens at f1.5, just as with the Leica Noctilux or the Summilux. These lenses were built for that purpose and the character you get shooting at that aperture. Later in this article I will talk about landscape use with this lens as I do like to shoot landscapes quite a bit and wanted to know how this lens will perform in that area, but for now lets focus on that classic look. When I shoot street or any details I find on the street, I often times am looking for a shot that gives me a feel of the glamour days of yesteryear. I find nostalgia and the lure for wanting to relive the glory days of your life a large part of every persons happiness. Capturing moments that portray this is what I want people looking at my photographs to feel and hopefully it brings joy.

Rings

This lens after one year of use, really does bring that character to the photograph. Every time that I have found that particular classic look, this lens renders it spot on. Its the perfect lens to portray that glam look. For some out of this world reason, I feel like with using this lens, I seem to attract or find vintage people or things more often than not. Maybe its just me thinking so but it sure damn feels like it. The bokeh of this lens is noisy or swirly but that's exactly what I am looking for with this lens. If you want a creamy or modern bokeh look then you go with the Leica Summilux or the Leica Noctilux. After one year of use, I consider this as a keeper, but for specific uses.

If I need a portrait lens, or a lens for capturing details as I walk around the streets, then this is the lens I am bringing with me. If I am looking for a more modern look then I will likely leave this in my camera bag. My opinion is that this is a special use lens, but a must have for the right reasons. If you want that vintage, classic or glam look then I say to give this lens a consideration. I used to be a skeptic when people would talk about the character of a lens, but after using this, you start to see what people refer to when talking about character.

MG Car

Beat up truck

Image quality

Now that we have talked about the build and character of the lens, I wanted to get into the image quality as you need to understand how this lens renders to properly adjust to it. Numero uno, is that this lens is soft around the edges, but in reality majority of the fast 50mm lenses are the same way. The Noctilux and Summilux both render softly at the corners, same with the Voigtlander that I have tried. If you are looking for sharpness from corner to corner then get the Planar, Summicron or better yet the APO. But when your looking at these line of lenses, my guess is that your looking for bokeh or character more than full end to end sharpness. 

Garden Photos

With the optimization of my lens as discussed above, sharpness of this lens is good. Not tack sharp but sharp enough with a unique looking bokeh. After one year, I can honestly say that I love this lens and probably would not consider selling it. For around $1,000 or cheaper when buying it used, its a bargain compared to Leica lenses. Yes it does not have that Leica look, its also a colder image than Leica but it has its unique character. 

Now as for other usages such as landscapes, my opinion is a different story. I gave this lens a go for landscape, but I feel like you start to lose the character benefits as I start to dial up the aperture. You get more in focus by f4 but there is still corner softness that's not for my liking when shooting landscapes or architecture. For times when I want to shoot landscape and architecture, I would recommend going with a more modern design lens. The lens still performs great but when I am shooting landscapes or architecture I want every detail in focus, or my lines to look tack sharp. That is why I say that this is lens with a specific purpose, once you start to understand that then you start to appreciate the lens. I think the negative review I have seen are probably users who are expecting a different experience.  

Snow Storm

Milwaukee architecture

Conclusion

Overall, in the end, I feel like I have grown to love this lens and appreciate it for what its purpose is. I think this is a lens that is misconceived and put in a bad light for the wrong reasons. Yes its soft, yes the bokeh is swirly but that is part of the character. That vintage, yesteryear or classic photography look paired modern/digital body. This lens is definitely not a jack of all trades lens but more of a specialty. If you pair this with a modern lens and know when to pull it out of your bag of usage then the more you will learn to love it.  If your looking for a lens to give you the timeless character then I say go for it, but if your looking for something modern then there are definitely sharper, contrastier lenses to purchase. 

Austin Street Art

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my son Noah pORTRAIT

Milwaukee seafood market

Austin Texas @ Night

Chicago Lake Michigan Pier

Intro

I recently had a trip to Door County for a long weekend getaway thinking that it would be warm enough to enjoy spring weather, but unfortunately winter has been brutal this year and a cold spell was hovering over the Midwest.  Spring was definitely not there yet and even as I am write this blog post the area is just starting to begin spring weather. We arrived in Door County only to realize that many of the quaint shops and local restaurants were still closed down for the winter. Not letting the chain of events spoil our trip I saw this as a positive to test out the Leica SL in sub zero temperatures.  To my surprise Lake Michigan in Door County was still mostly frozen over and this would give me some really great shots of a frozen, quiet and desolate landscape. This weather would also give me the opportunity to test out the camera in freezing, snowy and downright chilly weather. I also did not pack appropriately so this was a test of my body capacity to handle the freezing weather, I also left the gloves at home so I already knew to expect my hand to feel like ice with the aluminum body of the Leica SL.

Cold, snowy & wet conditions

For those of you who have not been to or heard of Door County, its somewhat considered the cape cod of the Midwest. It full of small and charming towns, state parks and scenic views of the Door County bays. The peak season times are usually in the summer and when it really gets packed is the fall, when autumn arrives and the area becomes a leaf peepers dream. Winter is the harshest time for locals as business activity and the overall community becomes dormant. Our family usually likes to go at least once a year to door county, and more recently twice a year (spring and fall). For this year, we decided to try and go a little earlier than spring to try and avoid the crowds, but to our surprise and bad timing, we arrived while it was still brutally cold and dead. With this the show goes on and we decided that this would just be some good quiet time. 

To our surprise there was some delight as we started to drive around. A winter storm was coming in and upon looking at the water, most of the bay water was still frozen over. During peak winter, the water freezes over so much in Lake Michigan that you can actually drive your cars across. So here I was, somewhat excited to do another field test of the Leica SL, but only this time in some frigid cold temperatures. I could also capture some isolation winter shots to depict the cold weather.  As I used the Leica SL, everything just worked. No issues with battery drain or issues with wet snowy conditions.  The sealing on the Leica SL is perfect, even with M lenses that I use. Its not as fully weather sealed as using a native Leica SL lens but its damn good either way. I left my camera lying on the snow or lake shoreline and never really questioned if it was a bad idea. That's how much trust I have at this point with the Leica SL. The only thing that will get you, especially if you are not wearing any gloves is that camera gets crazy cold, sometimes feels like an ice block in your hands with all the aluminum on the body.  I literally had to let go of my camera a few times to get the feeling back in my fingers. 

Frozen bay of lake michigan

In the image below you will basically see as far as your eye can see, and its all snow or frozen ice. We were in the area while a winter storm was passing through so this gave this image a different feel of just having blowing snow everywhere. This picture really captures both the isolation feeling of the area along with the winter storm effect. The red life ring box to the left is probably calling for me at this point....

All bright whites

For those of you who have shot in snow before know how the camera metering behaves with snow. Often times this is the perfect time to use exposure compensation. The one test for myself with the Leica SL was to see how the camera handles bright whites with a small amount of color in the image. Would the variation in whites be prevalent and give me the tones in the snow I was looking for? Outside of how the camera handles the cold weather, the biggest test is the image output. To my delight the images that came out of the Leica SL were perfect, I really could not ask for more. The white variations were great, giving me distinction between snow, ice, sky, clouds etc.  The colors that I captured in the images popped and stuck out, giving me the contrast to make the image. 

Trees and Shores

Water Lines

Even when I converted one image of this lighthouse below to black and white, the white and black contrasts were great. The tones in between black, white and grey just work and the Leica SL just continues to produce rich images for me.  

Black and White Lighthouse

long exposure test

The last stop on my weekend getaway trip to Door County was to get a long exposure test with the Leica SL. I have been trying to get myself to do a long exposure with camera but time and time again I don't get the opportunity to. Here I was, hellbent on getting a long exposure shot, only to realize by the end of it that I asked for too much. Let me explain, with the weather at sub zero temperatures, the entire walk to the water front pier was an ice rink. I was literally doing a small penguin walk the whole way down, terrified that I might slip and go into the lake or slip and smash my Leica SL. Upon arriving at the edge of the pier, I start to pull out my aluminum tripod and without my gloves as I mentioned earlier, I start to lose feeling in my fingers. I could not feel what I was touching anymore on the tripod, it was literally that cold. I would need to take a break and stick my fingers back in my jacket to try to get a tingling feeling again. 

I push forward and get the tripod set, mount the camera and finally am ready to go. The sunset is amazing and I have done all this work to get the camera setup so no turning back now. I would spend about 30 min in this spot, battling the elements. Having only 10 seconds at most where I can keep my hands out of my jacket. I have not experienced the numbness in my fingers like this before, I thought I would get frost bite with how cold the Leica SL was to the touch. The camera was fine battling the elements, it was my own body that was struggling. Overall I got through it, with some battle scars, my face ended up having a few skin burns from the cold which took a week or so to go away. Here's my final shot from this experience, unfortunately there is no moving water, but you can see the slower shutter from the flag.

Long Exposure Sunset

Conclusion

In summary, the Leica SL passed all my tests for it in the cold weather, landscape and wet and snowy conditions. The Leica SL is built like a tank and beat the elements, unlike my own body which was breaking down trying to keep up.  The Leica SL made the weekend for me and gave me more memorable shots to keep in my portfolio. The one takeaway is the cold body, it gets super cold and hard to touch barehanded. Maybe this is a scenario where a camera case makes more sense. 

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iCY dOCKS

LakeVIEW HOMES

BENCHES

mELTINg Shoreline Snow

Intro

The journey from my trip to Tokyo continued to my final destination of Manila, Philippines, and I thought to myself this would be another good test to my new Leica SL. Tokyo was amazing and a city for street photography  galore from sunrise to sunset, but Manila would bring other challenges to the mix. Humidity, smoke, dust, pollution and just a different vibe going from a first world country to a third world country. None the less the photography would also be a different story as with the sweltering heat, your confined to getting to your destination in a car versus walking and commuting your way in Tokyo.

Weather conditions

First and foremost, what I wanted to test this camera out on with is the weather sealing. Prior to moving on to the Leica SL I had the Leica Q, and one of the biggest "wants" I wanted with the Leica Q was weather sealing. Yes the Leica Q is not officially weather sealed but it still did hold up fairly well in rain, humid and hot conditions. Though with this I would still have some concern and would also hate the dying battery life in blistery cold conditions. This was one of the main reasons I decided to move on to the Leica SL, was to feel confident that weather conditions were not a factor for taking a photo. 

Manila would be another good field test for the Leica SL, heat, humidity and rain. Not just light drizzle rain but heavy downpour monsoon type rain. One disclaimer here is I have been using the Leica SL with the M to L adapter as I prefer to use lighter M lenses until the 35mm SL or 50mm SL Summicron lenses are released, but even with this I really had no issues with with the weather. I would get the Leica SL soaked in water or exposed to extreme heat and never did I have a hiccup with using the camera. It would just chug along and keep going.  From cold weather conditions in Japan to hot humid conditions in Manila it worked the same both ways and throughout the time I felt confident that nothing would happen. That is something you really want for a camera, for it to work the same way in multiple conditions and environments. For a good month of staying in Manila, I never had the camera in a humidity controlled closet, so even with the 100% humidity I had no issues. All I can say is that through the first six months of using the camera, it's really met my expectations with holding up to the weather. Whether it be snow, rain, dusty or humid conditions. 

Rainy street market

Manila Bay

So walking around the city of Manila, one of my favorite places to take photos was Manila Bay. This area has seen a revitilzation over the last decade from how it was rotting away to being one of the best locations in the city. The city of Manila has invested time and money to get this area back to where it once was and today it's a favorite place for me to go and shoot. Sunsets are amazing in the Manila bay as its a perfect view to get the sun dimming over the horizon. You have fishing boats, tourist bouts and just all types of life in the foreground to a beautiful sunset. The streets of the Manila bay are also lined with a large mass of people waiting for the sunset, either to just end their day or spend that beautiful day romantically with a loved one. 

Its a place where I can find amazing seascape and landscape photography and turn the camera and get amazing street and people photography.  I probably found 60% of my favorite photos from this area as its a facinating place to be in. Its lined with amusment parks, malls, great food and now also great scenery. Now with the Leica SL, I really enjoyed taking photos in this area and the image quality of the photos were fantastic. Photos with bright background highlights were no issue and moving between the bright sunset shots to street photography of people were a cinch. One of my worries with the Leica SL was losing the stealth mode I had with the Leica Q, but in reality I never had any issues with the Leica SL. Most people never even noticed that I was there taking picture of them. 

Couple Watching Manila Bay Sunset

Water Transportation

Snowy Parking Lot

busy streets

One of the challenges of a heavy populated metro is the busy and jam packed streets of the city. Tokyo is a different vibe since its very glamorous with fashion, lights and an overall technology focused city. Whilst travelling to Manila its just a dense population with traffic, street vendors and a busy working population. Capturing your subjects in the chaotic and ever so hot environment is a challenge in itself. What I found most interesting in the streets of Manila is isolating people out of a crowded environment. Every couple moments you would find a small window to capture the simplicity within the chaos and those photos were the ones I gravitated towards the most. Manila is great city, there is so much going on that you find yourself trying to make sense of what is going on.

With the Leica SL I found it to be quite pleasing of an experience, with the outstanding EVF and focusing assistance, my manual focusing and nailing shots came without concern. Even with the chaos that was happening around me. The Leica SL helped me slow down and break it down to its simplicity. Once you get used to it, I often times do not even need to zoom to focus. The Leica SL EVF is so good that you can see if you are in focus from a distance.  I have gotten to the point of just focusing and snapping, whereas at the start of my life with the Leica SL I took way too much time trying to master manual focus. Focusing and refocusing until I took a picture, only to realize that I was missing the moment by doing this. Yes you will have shots not in focus every now and then but you focus sloppily as Thorsten Overgaard would say in his masterclass. This technique will give you more opportunities to nail your shot than miss it. 

Kids in laser light show

Street Vendor Selling Balloons

Cooks At Work

image quality

During my trip to Manila, Philippines the Leica SL has never let me down in terms of image quality. I had the Leica Q prior to this and was always so pleased with the image quality of that camera, and the Leica SL has taken that up a notch just in terms of the richness of the files. There is an extra layer of IQ that you get from the Leica SL and the tones you get from the colors. Over the course of the last six months I have replaced a handful of my portfolio images with Leica SL images, this speaks to the level of quality that I feel I am getting with this camera. Part of it is finding those moments, but having the camera that fits your needs and can generate the IQ you need to take that moment and enrich it is amazing. 

I have asked almost everything from this camera and its always been easy to work with. With most cameras of today, you get more leeway in making pictures than of yesterday. The Leica SL has really proven to be a reliable camera over my short experience with it. The best way to know is by field testing it and pushing the limits of the camera. I have needed the dynamic range, electronic shutter capabilities, High ISO capabilities and more. And for the most part its always given me good, reliable files to work with each time. Giving you the technical neccessaties to push that file to its limits.

Waiting for the Sunset

Boat SILHOUETTE

Conclusion

Overall, my time with the Leica SL in Manila went with a bang. Experiencing the culture, streets and people of the city and capturing it with a camera is all you need. When your camera works with you rather than hinder you is all you really need. Gear does not always matter as much as composition and emotion of the overall image, but if you know you are getting the IQ, camera quality and just overall simplicity to breakdown your workflow, you know that you have a keeper in a camera. The Leica SL helps me focus on what I want to compose and does not get in the way, while providing me the trust I need to know that the quality of images is going to be superb. 

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Old FashioN tICKET bOOTH

Mall Employee

Rides

Christmas Parade

Intro

Travel Photography is all about being on the go and exploring countries, cities and small towns of the world. Those of you who follow me know that my philosophy in photography is "One lens and one camera". Having the ability of being agile and ready to go is the biggest advantage in just going out and shooting photos. Trusting in a single focal length for that particular day, shoot or walk is the approach I take as this will let me just focus on framing my composition.

Lens Overload

I use to want to have as many focal lengths and lenses to cover all the potential situations I might encounter on a trip. It took me a long time to realize how this was such a bad idea and would bog me down more than enhance my photographic experience. This is also a precursor to G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), believing you need every great piece of glass and convincing yourself of how you need it to make you a better photographer. Here I was on every trip, packing multiple heavy lenses and gear to cover every situation I can think of and 95% of the time on these trips a good amount of my gear would not see the light of day. What a waste of time and weight... And this is a common scenario I hear often times happen with other photographers.  Its great to cover all your bases, but if you might use a lens one time on a trip, I say leave it.  I have recently also moved away from using zooms as composing a shot with your feet is a much better experience. By sticking to a single focal length you move around your subject more often and you will start to see new angles to your subject that you would have never found with a zoom or switching lenses. 

In photography, the camera is really just a tool, and if your thinking too much about the gear and what to bring, you have already lost the essence of the photographic experience. Keeping a simple camera and lens lineup will almost always give your a simpler photographic workflow and process. This is not me saying to just own one lens but stick to 2-3 focal lengths at most, and for a particular day stick to one lens. You could be doing street photography today and stick to a 35mm and the next day use a 50mm. With sticking to a single lens, you open up your creativity and eye to moving around your subject. The constraints of a single focal length in my opinion is really an advantage, just a little more work for you to get that shot.

The Everyday Advantage

Another advantage of packing your gear light and sticking to a single lens is the ability to just grab your camera and go out for the day. Prior to this philosophy I had my camera just sitting in a shelf most days only to get out the house when I was travelling and had a trip. By rethinking my philosophy, my camera is always ready to go with me as I only need one lens. This has opened up new opportunities of finding unexpected moments that you encounter on a day to day basis. I often times find much more joy nowadays when something comes across me on random day which becomes a fantastic photo. By packing light you have your gear ready to go out and shoot. Challenging you to find that creativity on a daily basis.

Some images I would not have been able to capture if I did not pack light and on the go:

Reflections at Crown Fountain Chicago 

Sunset at Lake Forest

Only the essentials

When I am traveling or packing my gear I make sure to look at the footprint of my gear and only pack the essentials. I like to keep my gear light and also my luggage light. With the hassle of airport security and baggage allowance which seems to be shrinking by the year, staying light will make life easier. I have a small camera pouch which can hold my camera, 2 lenses which goes in my carry on roller, then chargers, batteries and camera cleaning material all go in smaller pouches. I have been able to trim my overall footprint to be able to fit in a roller carry on and not even need a backpack anymore. This makes my stroll thru the airport easy as all I need is to load my roller thru security and good to go. 

No more will I stress my back and body with heavy gear, and add the inconvenience of carrying multiple items that need to be checked or screened.  I try to keep my life hassle free so that I can focus on enjoying the journey and keep my mind free to focus on photography. I often tell people that the master photographers of the yesteryear never had the privilege of all the glass and lenses we have today. It was a simpler time and most tended to stick to a specific focal length. I might be a person of nostalgia for analog things, loving the manual dials, the classical feel and simple camera, but for me it makes me feel like I can be in touch better with my creative juices. 

Images I was able to capture by traveling light on my way to work. Having only the essentials aside from all my real job essentials:

Beat the Rush (Chicago Rush Hour Traffic)

Directions

Summary

In conclusion, this is just a post to help explain why I like to travel light and on the go. What the benefits are that I see on a daily basis, and the perspective that I have in how I shoot day to day. In no way am I saying having all the gear you need is a bad thing, if that's what fits your bill then all for you. But by sticking to the same principles that I go through, you tend to save money, save time, travel with less stress and focus better on your photography versus focusing on gear.  I hope this inspires you reading this to live a simpler life and hopefully this leads to a more fruitful experience. Now go out and shoot and get those #unexpectedmoments !

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Additional Images of travelling light and finding random places:

Benches

Happy Hour

Window to Lake Michigan

Intro

Recently an opportunity came across my lap and got me excited, my brother in law was looking into getting into the Leica system and was jumping straight into it with purchasing a Leica Noctilux. He has asked me to purchase it in advance and my only response was heck yeah as this would give me a week to try out the legendary Noctilux. Its very rare that you get to hold and shoot with a $10,000 lens so this was an opportunity that I was excited for and had me waiting for the UPS truck to arrive. 

Unboxing

Upon arrival and quickly unboxing the package and lens, you will automatically know that this is no ordinary lens. It feels like opening a luxury watch when you open up the Leica Noctilux. With the price tag of this lens as $10k, you would expect it to arrive this way. Upon holding the lens, all I can saw was wow! You almost instantaneously feel the build quality and heft of this lens, and you start to realize just how much engineering, glass and mechanisms it took to build a 0.95 aperture lens. Aperture clicks feels snappy, focus ring is butter but at the same time nice and firm. You really need the focus to be firm with this lens to nail down the focus given the shallow depth of field.  So here I was in awe of finally being able to use and shoot with the Noctilux, my Leica SL already bare with no lens as I was excited to get it on there. 

Align, snap it in and I hear the lens click as I attach the Noctilux on the Leica SL.  Here it was, the Leica SL + Noctilux combo,  and first thing I notice is how the weight is balanced with the SL. The lens is truly a heavyweight for M lenses, but with the Leica SL it feels just right. Yes, I am used to a lighter combo with my other M lenses but with the Noctilux it did not feel all to shabby. The current SL lenses available are way heavier anyways so this was no big deal. Great, here I was and all I wanted to do was shoot something, and here came my son Noah walking in the door. Snap and all I can think of was wow again, bokehlicious as Kai Man Wong would say. First thing I can say just by the first shot is how the Leica SL makes focusing this narrow depth of field a breeze. Second thought is color rendered by the lens and third of course is the 3D pop from the bokeh. 

First Shot with the Noctilux, Noah walking in the door

Chicago Winter Storms

One thing about this week with the Noctilux is that a hand full of winter storms were arriving and it was going to literally snow every day of the week. Nothing to hold me back with though as this would also give me a chance to test the Noctilux with cold and snowy conditions. We would get about 8-10 inches of snow for the week so this tells you that this was no light snow showers but the real deal. Combine this with the weather sealed Leica SL and I really had confidence that there would be no issues for the week. I shot this in heavy snow down pours and all I can say is that the Noctilux was great to use, low light conditions was a breeze and that was my expectation. Every time I shot with this lens there is just a character to it and you start to believe the reviews of what is called the "Noctilux Look". The more I shot with this lens the more I fell in love, you just hold it in your hands and appreciate the overall work and engineering that was put into this lens. Image IQ is amazing, contrast is high, and overall look and feel of images is something else.

Tree shadows on 10 inches of snow

Snow Plow Waiting

Snowy Parking Lot

Color Rendering

The next things I wanted to test was the color rendering of the lens. How would the colors out of camera look? How does skin tones render? I did not have much time to setup anything formal as I only had a week with this and with the snow storms there really was not much to do outside the house. With this my photography models would have to be my kids. Trying to get three year old's to stay put is a challenge by itself. Pair this with the 0.95 Noctilux and shallow depth of field and I thought that this would be a disaster. 

To my surprise, nailing shots in these conditions was not that hard. The Leica SL EVF, zoom focus and focus peaking all enable me to focus at a snap. The more I shot, the more I found the tones and colors that came out of the Noctilux to be amazing. As with Leica lenses, tones were warmer vs the colder tones from Japanese manufactured lenses. Colors popped and as always you get that Leica look with the colors rendered. Skin tones were nice and accurate. Overall, the look is different but in a very good way. Here are a few random shots of my kids and even a self portrait in which I just loved the skin tones and warmth that I am posting it here. I am not very fond of being in front of the camera and would rather be the one taking the photos so this is a rare occasion of posting myself.

Taking photos of each other

WWWT (Wonder Woman Watching TV)

Self Portrait

Sunset Colors

On one of the last days with my time with the Noctilux, we were driving home and noticed the sunset colors that were starting to encompass the entire sky. With a random decision, we turn right and start heading for the woods. In my mind this would be the perfect time to get a shot of contrasting bright snow with the pink and orange sky. Why not test this scenario with the Noctilux while I have it by my side?

So here we are speeding down the road, trying to catch the sunset in the woods. We arrive at the parking lot and all I can do is pop the lens cover off and dash into the lake front view. Little did I realize that in the woods, the snow is not shoveled and I would be walking in 10 inches of snow. What I was wearing was surely not ready for trekking in these conditions. But with the sun setting, little did I care about the freezing snow going in my sneakers, socks and pants. I make it on to the lake edge and start snapping away. As I look at the shots now, the colors and soul of the lens just give me satisfaction of making the decision to dash on through the woods and walk in snow. 

Captain Daniel Woods Lake Sunset

Snow Formations

Snow and Starburst

Conclusion

In summary, my week came to an end with the Noctilux, but it was a week that gave me inspiration and joy to finally experience the Noctilux. Scary as it was to always be holding over $14,000 dollars worth of equipment at my side, it was also a blessing to shoot and behold the engineering that took place to build this lens. Will I ever own this lens myself, probably not, unless I win the lottery. But having a week with it is something I can say not many have the chance to do. The colors and overall soul of the lens will always stay with me and this lens really is bokehlicious!

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Some additional low light shots below from eating in a dim Teppanyaki restaurant. 

Teppanyaki Rib Eye

Teppanyaki Rice

Primes are here! 

Its been over a year and a half since the Leica SL lens road map was announced at Photokina, but we are finally seeing the first products of that road map with the official Leica announcement of the 75mm and the 90mm Summicron Prime Lenses. To me, this is exciting as I have been waiting for the new primes to be released since moving to the SL system. The Vario lenses and the 50 Summilux to date have been lenses that I tend to shy away from due to size and weight. Those of you who follow my profile know that I like to be mobile and travel with one lens so primes are my go-to options. To this date, I have been shooting with M mount lenses on my SL as I wait for the release of the 35mm prime. 

Optical Quality Expectations

Optical quality has been continously mentioned when referred to the new Summicron lenses and I really cant wait to see how these new lenses perform. Having a 2.0 depth of field and sharpness but rendering a 3-D looking image that compares to a Summilux (1.4) is something I will need to see as I look to get a hold of the new prime lenses.  As with all Leica's, optical quality is always at the top of the company's goals of lens design and creation, so I really have no doubt that this will perform with stunning image quality. The weight of these lenses is no lightweight for sure, but still a pleasant downsize from the current SL lenses.  At approximately 700g (1.5 lbs), its not comparable to M lenses, but again these are auto-focus lenses. TL, Q and SL lenses have also been built by Leica to 60 lines of resolution, so it would likely be a similar expectation for the new SL lenses. What this means is that you are able to resolve more lines per inch / megapixel with the L lenses than traditional lenses. Once I have some hands on time with these new lenses by stopping by my local Leica rep is when I can truly start to do a full review of how these new primes perform so stay tuned. This is just an exciting time for me personally to see an official announcement as I know the 35mm is just around the corner.

50mm Summicron APO revealed

Another new announcement was the addition of a new 50mm Summicron prime to the upcoming releases. The 50mm APO Summicron is another nice addition to the lineup, and will now give SL users a true Summicron lineup of traditional focal lengths. A peculiar touch to the new Summicron's is that the all seem to have the same barrel size to create uniformity. Not sure if I like this idea, given that I would have expected differences in size based on the focal length. So far not much news here aside from the announcement and a release date of the 2nd half of 2018, I am hoping that this date holds up...

Update Roadmap Release Schedule

Here is the new release schedule for Leica SL Lenses:

• Leica Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH (Second half of 2018)
• Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH (Second half of 2018)
• Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75mm f/2 ASPH (Available for pre-order)
• Leica APO-Summicron-SL 90mm f/2 ASPH (Available for pre-order)
• Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH (Available)
• Leica Super-Vario-Elmar-SL 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 ASPH (April 2018)
• Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4 ASPH (Available)
• Leica APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90-280mm f/2.8-4 (Available)

For technical details of the new 75 and 90, I would refer back to the Leica Rumors post which has a nice detailed information in terms of specifications and MTF charts. Click here to read more...

Pre-Order Yours!

Pre-orders are now up, see some of the following sites that have pre-ordering up.

BH Photo

Tamarkin

Popflash

Summary

In Summary, this is really just a reaction to the Leica announcement as I feel like this is the first step to what I really want to use and test with my Leica SL. I am looking forward to getting my hands dirty in the new lenses and reviewing and letting you all know the pros and cons of the primes as they become available. Stay tuned for more info...

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Thank You  Leica Q!

Today is a new day, and with a painful heart I am moving on from the Leica Q to try out the Leica SL. Over the last 18 months I really have grown one with my Leica Q and it has never let me down. It has so far been the best camera experience I have ever had and as I am writing this new post I also have posted my Leica Q for sale to fund the Leica SL purchase. Finally deciding to push forward I find myself in a torn situation with a feeling of potential regret of moving on from the Leica Q. I might shed a tear but its unreasonable to have two pricey cameras. I would like to start this post with my greatest appreciation for the Leica Q, it truly is a magnificent camera, and even to this date, its still has an amazing image quality and soul to it. More than two years since its release it still hold up well with newer cameras today. Had I not decided to move to the Leica SL. I I probably would have stuck with the Q for another 2-3 years, thats just how fantastic it is and was. 

Now that I have put together my intro and appreciation for the Leica Q, I will write about the reasons I have decided to make this decision. I will talk about why I decided to take the plunge on the Leica SL almost two years after its original launch date. It may look weird, being late to the party but I do have my reasons and I will explain how the two years waiting made more sense than starting with the SL two years ago. The Leica SL I own today is the SL I purchased from Steve Huff, and I appreciate the work he has done in his reviews with this camera. He himself has made a decision related to this decision, he has taken the plunge to test the waters out with the Hasselblad X1D. To support his decision, he had to sell his Leica SL, so this really is a chain reaction of decisions. 

Then and Now

First and foremost, the main reason I have chosen the Leica SL now, two years since its release is around two factors. Those of you who follow my blog know that I have a philosophy when I leave the house. One camera, one lens and travelling light. The original release of the Leica SL had the gargantuan zoom lens and with this the Leica SL really did not meet my taste at the time. I am a proponent of always having your camera as moments you find in front of you are unexpected and you never know when you find that magical moment to capture with a camera. Yes the M adapter was available, but there are times that I want auto focus and there are times I am ok with using manual focus glass. But with the only option for auto focus was the 24-90 and that lens is a beast. Thus it was a no brainer at the time - Go with the Leica Q. 

Firmware 3.0!

Another reason with moving to the Leica SL at this time is that the camera has had its time to mature, and with firmware 3.0 release you can really see how the Leica team has dedicated its team to ensuring that this camera improves and continues to deliver features that pro photographers need. These firmware releases have not been minor releases but significant amount of new enhancements. I know for a fact that with this, I have a camera that is mature for all the paces I need from it.

Weight Factor

As you all know, portability and travel are important to how I use a camera. And for travel the Leica Q was absolutely fantastic. Light and on the go. This particular factor in my decision with the Leica SL was thoroughly thought through as I did not want a heavy camera to lug around the world as I travel. I like to travel light, with one lens when I walk around the city so that I do not ruin my experience and worry about lugging around pounds of camera weight on my neck. But two areas eased my decision here, one using the M adapter with M glass, the SL was not that far off from the Q. About 1 lb of a difference right now with the Zeiss 50mm 1.5 Sonnar that I have on it. The other decision that put me over the top was the Summicron lineup and seeing the lens body renditions, I noticed that the lens was significantly smaller than the current 50mm prime for the SL. Finally! Getting a lighter lens on the SL with autofocus put me over the top.

Summicron is coming

One of the most exciting things that has pushed me to go with the Leica SL is the upcoming Summicron lineup that is soon to release. For me, this is a really good time to start with the Leica SL as the vision/roadmap of lenses that will take this camera to a new level is upon us. The soon to release 75mm APO Summicron and the 35mm Summicron have me excited. The form factor looks to be way smaller and lighter than the 50mm prime and from what the engineers are saying the performance is going to be taken to another level. Sharpness from the 50 APO legendary lens with depth of field of a summilux. Apparently this depth of field is something we have never seen before, 2.0 sharpness but 1.4 bokeh. Just by that alone, if they really pull that off, I mean wow I will be fully sold on the Leica SL. I am a 35mm shooter by heart so, that particular lens is whats keeps me excited and already working with my Leica dealer to be first in line. 

If you have seen the roadmap image from Leica, the Summicron lineup is to be released as a family of lenses for the Leica SL and there are a couple more lenses to be announced in FY 2018. The investment Leica is putting into this camera tells me that this is a good spot to be in. With all the lessons learned the Leica Engineering team is putting into these new glass, the richness we already have with the Leica SL will be even greater. Camera sensor is one piece of the puzzle, but having new amazing glass really excites me!

Whats to come?

This is just the beginning of posts and experiences I will share moving forward with my Leica SL. So far the images I have taken have amazed me, the richness and 3D pop with this camera is truly amazing. I can see how Steve Huff had this as his camera of the year last year.  Over the next 6 months I will likely blog about my experience on using the Leica SL with M lenses, particularly the Zeiss 50mm 1.5 Sonnar, while I wait for the new Summicron line. I chose this particular lens because of the soul it portrays. It's gotten mixed reviews because of being soft, but so far if you nail the focus, its sharp enough. This lens though has a dreamy old school look to it given the lens design is a classical Zeiss lens design, creating a very old school look which with the Leica SL has been fantastic. 

I will likely spend the next 6-8 month writing about the SL with M lenses, then once the new summicron lenses are available give my first impressions of those lenses. This will be a long term review and long term journey with this camera and I hope to give all of you insight into my journey and advice using the Leica SL. Until the next post, here are some sample initial images I have with the camera and wow, it is stunning!

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Sample Images

Unboxing

Opening new gear is pure joy, I know you all have been there. Ordering your gear, unboxing the gear and feeling, touching and testing out your new toys. This was always a great feeling that fuels your G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) to want more. But ever since moving to a Leica system the love for my gear has exponentially grown. Yes you sign over your life for purchasing Leica gear but you really get what you pay for. If you are a person who appreciates the finer details of life and the minuscule details and the thought put into industrial designs then Leica will truly appreciate. 

Two years in with the Leica Q and to this day, every time I pick up my camera, I still relive the joy. The solid build feel and aluminum body feel in my hands brings euphoria. Simple intuitive menus and dials, amazing aperture clicks and buttery smooth focusing ring. The list goes on and on with my appreciation for the craftsmanship. I really believe that this is a dying art with in the world with mass manufacturing, bottom line sales focus and the dwindling photography market share. 

Every time I see a new camera come out, for example the Sony A9, there is some interest that springs up. I do like to keep tabs with what the industry is doing, and what innovations are coming out. I recently went out to see the Sony A9 in my hands and test it out give the crazy amount of features and praise the camera has received. Build quality is good, overall camera is great but in the end my road keep bringing me back to Leica. Its just another level of feel and design that makes me understand the "fanboy" community that sticks with Leica. Yes you can get way more with a Sony A7 or A9 series camera but if your looking for an experience and connection with your camera then Leica has really been the one for me. 

Getting into the Leica World

For those who are looking to get into the Leica world, buying a used Leica is a great place to start. It still is a very steep price to pay but you can get away with paying less to start your way into the Leica world. The lens soul, color and feel really just has that Leica feel and look to it. Value wise, resale of Leica is probably the best out there as well versus other camera manufacturers. The value of a Leica Lens almost always goes up and also will last you a lifetime given the manual focus and mechanical nature of the lens. Build quality is superb and there are 1950-1960s version of lenses still in use today because of the quality of Leica. 

This article is by no means an article to sway you as a reader to move to the Leica system. This is more of just sharing my own pure joy and happiness of owning a camera I truly love. Not just the image quality or knowing its an expensive camera. But truly falling in love with the build, feel, quality and simplicity of the camera. Finding your photographic euphoria is really all I recommend, whether that's with another system that is ok. When you find that peace with the gear you have you find that at that point the photography starts to shine through. Often time we get stuck in the G.A.S. process that wanting more megapixels or more autofocus points becomes the craze. Those are great features but just finding the right medium for you will take places further than keeping up with the latest and greatest. Today I can honestly say that I am like a child holding my camera, its truly an experience to unbox and use on a daily basis.

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Recent Photos with Leica Q

Where to go?

Pulling Shadows

7-5 21 - Metra Platform

Introduction

For the purist at heart and those who just love to go out there and shoot photos, things can start to get really complicated as you add layers and layers onto your photography workflow process. Today I tackle on describing what I go through from a Lightroom processing workflow perspective as I pop the card out of my camera and into my digital PC. As many of you who follow my blog already know, I am a purist in simplicity, good design and ease of use. After all my moto is one camera, one lens and keeping it simple. Focus on your creativity and worry less about gadgets, gear and all the complexities of a camera menu and dial system. This is the road that leads me to the Leica line of cameras, I just feel that the principles of how the Leica cameras are designed align with every philosophy of how I want to use a camera. Once you have this, then you are in photography bliss, barring the one setback any of you know about going down the Leica path (ahem cha-ching). My current camera, the Leica Q really has taken me to focus on not worrying about lenses and other items, but just take the camera and go.

Getting your Base Set

Before you even make the first visual adjustment to your photos, I usually start of with setting the base of the images collection. For example my Leica Q has a color profile that is imported but not set to the image. What I like to do first is set the base settings that will be consistent for each and every image of a particular photo shoot. This will make your process much quicker as you can set it once then move on to the specific adjustments for each photo. Here is a list of things that I do for each collection of images after importing into Lightroom.

• Set the color profile
• Set the location and common metadata
• Set the copyright information
• Adjust the amount of sharpening I generally like

Once you have set the base settings for your image you then select and apply it to all the remaining images. This will save you time setting it for each and every image you process.

Presets and Accelerators

Often times I see the use of presets and just slapping it on an image and calling it a day. Photography is not just getting the shot from your camera and slapping a preset on it and moving on to the next. Many times we forget that the art and creativity process is end to end. When you have a shot that you thought through and composed in an artful manner, the post processing workflow and editorial process should deserve the right amount of time and respect as well. I often appreciate the image better as I massage the look of it to my desired liking. 

Don't get me wrong, presets are a great accelerator for editing your images. I have recently been using the landscape presets and brushes available from Sleeklens and find it very handy to accelerate your workflow process. There has been a lot of work and refinements made to create these presets and recommend using it to improve how you can quickly move through your workflow. I have also liked how this particular product has levels to the preset so that you can combine and compound different combinations to get the look you like. But my advice for all photographers out there looking at products like this is to understand first what these presets are doing to achieve the look. By doing so you can slap on that preset as a starting point then make finite adjustments to get to the right look of your image. If you slap the same preset on each image of your collection, more often than not it you will run into images that just look off. By understanding how to make the same preset adjustments manually first, you can master how to quickly use these accelerators to the betterment of your workflow.

Presets are great, it will get you out of that funk of worrying about spending too much time in post processing hell. Its also a culmination of other photographers works. My only recommendation is to understand the Lightroom world and how the presets work under the hood, this way you can master the use and adjustments of presets and brushes.

Understanding each adjustment section

Prior to starting off with adjustments my advice is to manually make those changes to each image you take first to understand how to manipulate your images. Presets really are a quick setting of common adjustments to those sections of Lightroom. So once you understand what each section does, the better off you are in knowing what changes to make should a preset not look the right way for you. What I generally do is apply a preset and then go to the affected section to reduce/increase specific levers to tone up or down the adjustments made. Once you get to this state in your workflow process then you will really reap the benefits of those accelerators. What I generally go through for each Lightroom adjustment sections is the following:

• Basic: Setting the exposure, highlight and shadows to the right contrast and exposure
• Tone Curve: I generally leave this as default unless I am going for a very high contrast look for example and increase this to an S curve.
• HSL/Color/B&W: I spend a good amount of time here in either color or black and white. Color correcting the colors or the tones in a black and white image
• Gradual Filters/Brushes: This is really image specific but are good options should you need it to adjust parts but not all of an image.

Final Adjustments

Once you have made your basic adjustments to your post processing workflow. The last layer I go through is now looking at the image at a whole and making the small finer changes. This guides me to seeing the images get as close to what I want the final image to look like. This is time spent on small minute changes but have a slight impact in accentuating your images. For example dodging and burning highlights on an image in Photoshop, sharpening edges, or increasing shadows on particular areas of an image where I need just a little bit more detail. This will be time spent just looking at your image and deciding if there is any small adjustments you still need to make. 

Summary

In summary, this post does not go into detail of each and every lever of Lightroom as that warrants a full training module and video. What I wanted for you as a reader is to understand what my overall workflow looks like from an approach perspective so that you can start to plan out how your workflow works best for you. Each of us have our own taste in terms of how we want to render our images, thus imposing specifics in my style will likely be different for each and every reader. What I hope to portray here is that learning your style and workflow is a process and experience that we all struggle with. It takes time to get to where you want to but trust me that once you understand your process you will be better off. Being ignorant of the intricacies is ignoring what you can do with the tools in front of you. Avoid the general process of just slapping filters, once you do so you begin to build your style and brand that will separate you from the rest.

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Follow/Unfollow Spiral

First things first, the biggest piece of a social network are the people you follow and the people that follow you. Having a social network that is stale or has a small presence does not make any sense at all, so regardless of your end goals we all need to grow the number of people we have in our network. This leads me to the first pitfall that I see in usage of Instagram today, the follow/unfollow technique.

To quickly summarize the process, the follow/unfollow technique basically is to follow a person on Instagram to entice that same person to follow you back. You wait for a period of time and eventually unfollow that same person. All the while, that person has no idea that you are no longer following his/her Instagram. This method gives you a technique to grow your following count tremendously while leaving the people you follow down to a minimum number.  There are a huge number of people that go by this technique, and a good number of people you see with 1k+ followers likely have been using this process. 

My personal issue with this process is I like to grow my following organically. If you decide to follow my work, it was because your have seen the output of my photography and like the photos without bias. Building a true following of people that appreciate the time you spent on it. The follow/unfollow methods puts pressure on people to think that there is this unwritten rule that if you follow me then I should follow you back but behind closed doors your are unfollowing them without any awareness. It just feels like a sneaky process that if it were in real life with tangible exchanges, I would associate this process as a shady deal.

Everything is in a want it now and as soon as possible day and age with digital networks, but my advice is to take it slowly. Great work does not happen overnight, for things to be truly appreciated it takes time and effort.

"Post what you want, when you want and follow when you feel like it warrants it."

If you dedicate and believe in your work, it will eventually get the praise and following it deserves. Nothing in life happens overnight unless you win the lottery, but what are the chances of that happening?

Peer Pressure All Over Again

Is it just me or is social media a tool that has just enhanced peer pressure we would get in school? It really is a social tool that puts so much pressure on you individually or as an organization. When I first started on a network like Instagram and I am a 100% sure this happens to everyone, there were so many factors pressuring me to keep posting:

1. You need to post at a specific time
2. Post daily due to the posting algorithm of Instagram
3. How many likes did I get?
4. Forcing myself to engage and replying to all comments
5. Organizing photos to be a consistent brand
6. Thinking about what hashtags are important

As you can see you can really get serious heartburn just managing these thoughts on a daily basis. It really gets overwhelming. Then I thought to myself, why am I doing this and started to pull back and just do what I wanted. That is really is all that is important, just do what you feel best, when you are ready to post and you can just grow your network at your pace. Doing this you will get the most authentic group in your network without all the fluff and pressure.

Like Me!

The biggest addiction in Instagram is the # of likes you can possibly try to get with your post. Oh boy, how hooked was I to following this. The very first time one of my photos was re-posted by a fairly large community I was on this high. Thinking that this was the way to go, seeing thousands of likes for a photo I had taken that day. From that day on, there I was trying to get as many like as possible, finding the hashtags that can potentially get me another re-post for exposure. Whenever I would post a new image, there I was waiting on my phone to see the likes as they come in. Really this is such a waste of time and a useless process. Why do we do it? Its human nature to want praise and likes sent your way and Instragram and these social networks know it. Honestly, nowadays I still do keep an eye on likes but its an addiction that I advice you to stay away from. Rather than posting something to get likes, post your images for your purpose. I often times found that I was looking at my photographs thinking "hmm which post can generate the largest amount of likes?". 

This is again peer pressure to appease your crowd. As Russell Westbrook said it in his commercial.

"Don't do they, do you!"

Its so true with Instagram or any other social network. Instead of worrying about what to post next, worry about your project or the series your are trying to portray in social media. By doing this you start to grow an organic thought out brand of your photography. Not a random list of photos targeted to generate likes. 

Summary

In Summary, this blog post is not a whole laundry list of how to succeed in Instagram or a social network. But rather a guide on how to be an organic person and to grow your presence organically. Once you start to just be yourself and portray a purist message you will begin to be more at peace with your following. Also by doing this, you assure yourself that the people that follow you are appreciative of your work as they have stuck around, followed your work over time and given you honest feedback. That is really what we want in today's world is an honest and real experience and less superficial fluff.

Follow Me

It's crazy to think that even the greatest vloggers, bloggers or photography pros out there are just always doing great things but this is the perception we get watching or following in the social society of today. To be honest I am 100% sure that even the best of the best have struggling times trying to figure out what to do next, what content do I want to create and how do I inspire myself to get going. We are merely following the creation of their work which took countless hours and struggles for the end result. This is just to level set that it really takes perseverence, patience and a lot of work to get your juices going. You will definitely not wake up one morning ready to go at it again just by the blink of an eye.

So what are a few tips that I go thru to keep myself sane, happy and ready to go at it again? Here are a few things I do regularly that I hope will inspire anyone reading this to get out and shoot.

Always wear a camera

and I mean ALWAYS

This is the simplest piece of advice I can give, I cannot even tell you how many times I left my camera at home to find myself kicking myself in the ass for leaving it. Numerous times have I been getting gas and an amazing car stops right in front of me and I just clench my jaw in anger that I do not have my camera to take that shot. It could be walking to the coffee shop and an amazing person of interest is there at that moment but there you are camera-less. In a previous post "The Unexpected Moment", I talk about that most of my favorite photos are random events and that we can not plan when an amazing moment is right in front of you. Being ready to capture it is so important and how can this happen if you leave your camera at home? 

This is why this is my number one rule to getting going. You will never get out of that rut if your camera is just dusting away on your home desk. I will not lie, you will have days where you brought the camera and nothing happened, but that is ok. The one moment you find an amazing photo, its like an adrenaline rush. You will start to crave and crave for more. Just wait, wait and wait for that right moment and you will cherish those photos even more. It really is the agony and struggle that makes that photo that much more special. Here is a image of a normal truck on my way to work that I found to be a favorite shot of mine, just another day to the office.

Take a different path

Often times we get in a cycle in the day to day things we do. Often times we think its just another ordinary route. This often leads to times where you just sit there and want to leave the camera at home. Sometimes taking a different route to get to your destination can lead to new things. I often times take a longer walk to get to the office to potentially find something new. Sometimes you wont find anything but with this approach you give yourself a bigger change and opportunity to experience a new area. Getting to the office 5 min later than usual is setback I will take to find a new street with new photos. 

My advice to you is to look at a new road or new path to whereever your destination is. Sometimes you will stumble upon a great new building, person or road. It's not 100% proof that you will uncover a hidden secret but you will never know what the back street has for you if you always walk in a straight line to your destination.

Expand your range

Photography is constantly a learning art, never will I ever say that I am a master at it. Yes, we learn the craft and get better but we also get stale if all we do is the same thing. There are so many other genre's in photography that we can learn but we should also practice. Learning is only going to get you so far, go out there and try it out. There are often times that I read a technique for a particular shooting style that I can actually use in things like landscape. 

There are so many things you can get your hands wet in that should help you to keep learning and keep you inspired. Go out and try a few things such as long exposure, street photography, portraits, flash photography, action sports and many more.

Try the Art of Print

An area where I am currently focused on and keeping me going is actually printing your photos. There's a whole other world of craft and materials for framing your art that has inspired me of late. Its really one thing to see your photo in a laptop vs seeing it printed out on actual paper. The level of detail you uncover in a print is amazing and inspiring. I never knew how tack sharp some of my photos were until I started printing. It's sort of a realization of all your work coming together once you start to print it down, instead of sharing in a social site and forgetting about it. Add on top the selection of paper and frames that will drive your image and you can easily get entrenched in the framing world. 

Start a new series

For me personally, one photo that inspires me starts a series. This is actually a good way to get you focused on what to shoot next. Often times I find a photo of maybe something industrial or work in action and it starts a photo hunt to find more images that can fit this series. Some projects last years and some you can do in a hurry but starting a few projects/series will help you focus on types of photos to key in on. It also makes my travel planning an interesting one, as when you have a goal you can focus on how to achieve it and where to go.

Try Monochrome (Black/White)

Another area where I have started exploring more is shooting in black and white. I set my camera to monochrome jpeg settings and my raw files stay with the full color rendition. This is a way to get a different perspective while shooting as you focus on the tones and shadows more than the color. You can even actually see exposure better in black in white as colors sometimes distract you from seeing if its actually over or under exposed. Seeing the world in black in white is great and in most cameras you can still have color raw files when you want to go back to just color for the same picture. I advice people to try this out as you might find it interesting to see the shades of gray.

Join a Social Group

Lastly, if you really want to create continuing inspiration is to join an actual group with like minded people. You often times find opportunities to meet, chat and just talk about pure photography with people. This can often lead to just talking about experiences or places that can drive you going out there and shooting more. 

Summary

In summary, there really is no one or two answers to get you jump started. What I offer here is advice and tips on how I go about and get my inspirations, and hopefully this does the same for you. The camera has really taken off as my life passion but we all get into lulls in life, its a matter of how we pick ourselves back up and get going again. 

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Intro

As we ride the social photography boom of today with smartphones, social networks and mobile apps, there is a growing dependence on filters and post processing applications to give your photographs that extra oomph. It's a question I always get when posting photos on socials media, "What filter did you use?". Answer is, when the shot is a great shot, "None" and even minimal post processing. 

Photo Processing

Often times, we are looking to amplify the photo with filters or moods in the way we post process a photograph, trying to stand out or replicate something we saw on another social media post. Great, but my thought process is to use filters or heavy post for special occasions when there is a purpose to it rather than applying it to each and every photo. Focus on what the photo is trying to tell you rather than imposing the mood on the photo. When everything has a filter applied to it, then whats the point. You are just beating the filter use to death and creating a boring series of photographs.

I tell people that "Special Photos often do not need much done to it." When you have captured that moment or emotion in a still and frozen that moment, often times that message itself is bigger than anything post processing can do. When I open up a photo in Lightroom that I know is special, I seem to always notice that I do not do much with it past a few minor exposure, shadows and light filling levers. Leaving more dramatic levers such as curves or contrast to minimal to none. 

This is because those special photographs already have the color, light or shadow, and texture to it. These messages shine thru bright and loud and that is really all of what photography is about. The moment we start to rely on filters and post processing for all our images, we have lost our way. Photography applications are a tool to take a photographs flaws and fix them more often than not, rather than magically turning dull photos into a great one. That rarely happens.

I have friends who think that I have used Lightroom to my photos at times to create effects on an image and when I explain to them that those images are minimally edited, sometimes I get disbelief. If you frame, capture and expose your image perfectly for a special moment in time, those items alone are 95% of a great image.

With the emergence of smartphones and increasing quality of photos from it, along with the emergence of more and more photography applications such as Instagram, the craze of photography will only grow. There is a reason the filter industry is huge and most common users of smartphones will look for this. Filters used to differentiate you from a crowd but now with the boom of filters your more of just fitting in than standing out. It really makes me see how the latest popular trend is the old film look has become a thing. It stands out more than ever.

Pre-digital Photography

If you look at some of the most classical or popular photos of all time, most of these were in an era where post processing was a non existent factor. Film and pre-tech boom times was a different age but also a great one. We lose ourselves in technology at times and forget to focus on the essence of photography. Don't get me wrong, I am a total tech geek coming from an information technology background, but I try to think less of the tech vs the meaning of the photo. Technology is a great thing to have in photography today, I use it and will never say its not to be used. I just look to share the message of what I believe in photography, that technology is just another tool in the Swiss army knife but not the prime tool in the pocket.

If we all start to embrace both technology and the meaning of photos, I really believe we will begin to create photos that shine. Giving a photograph a view, an opinion and a belief is what will make an album of photos an amazing set of images. 

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