Upgrade? Really?

Photography is not a trade, art or occupation for few professionals anymore. Everyone in the modern/western world can afford it in some way or another.

There are many discussions online and in the trade media about when to upgrade and with what…manufacturers of the latest gear tell us what we need.

‘Well, if you have been shooting that long with that camera….you need to upgrade to THIS!”

“If you buy this set, you will never need anything else…”

“Why would you want to use that…if you can have this!”

How would they know what I need? Are they looking over my shoulder? Are they looking at my images and seeing where my shortfalls are? Or are they listening to me over the microphone of my iPhone?

Who are they to tell me what I am supposed to have?

Fact is, Canon, Nikon, Lumix, Leica, Hasselblad, Sony, Fuji…and whoever else there is are all desperate to take my hard earned cash off me and stick it in their pockets. Nothing else!. They spend millions on paying so called world class creators to tell us why we need to upgrade. These top notch creators are only at the pinnacle of publicity because the camera Industry has put them there. The marketing of their work was pushed massively online so they could endorse products. Its all a massive marketing plan. Make loads of money!

Here is an example:

#filmisnotdead was created by Leica years before they released the Leica M6. That was carefully scripted and calculated. The # was spread across social media channels, subsidising influencers and creating a hype for Leica and analog film…piquing with the release of an analog camera in the most advanced age of digital photography so far.

Scrupulously planned and executed with precision…drawing on our desire to satisfy that need which was instilled in us by carefully placed advertising and artificially reduced availability to justify prime pricing: Euros 5800,-

That is how far they go! They draw on our desire to be like others by buying their gear.

But why is that so? Why do I have a desire to have the same gear as that creator/photographer/artist I have seen on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok? Is it that I believe that I can only be ‘that’ good if I buy and use the ‘new’ gear? It definitely seems feels like that. In order to up my game I need to have more capable cameras and sharper lenses…and by god, loads more megapixels!

Have I been ‘influenced’ by social media? Have I been online too much wasting my time ‘wanting’?

I probably have. I know I have. Lets be honest, most of us know this about ourselves. We KNOW that we will not lie on our deathbed wishing we had spent more time online hoping to afford new camera gear. It will be more like ‘more time with the family’ and ‘more time being there for others’.

Naturally, I can only grab myself by the nose, knowing that I have been a gear junkie and suffered from GAS for may years. I am not sure if it is because I am just older and wiser now, or maybe I have already had all the gear there is to have…or maybe I just can’t afford it now as my wife would throw me out if I spent our savings on new photography toys. I have however taken stock and my camera count over the years is more than I can count on two hands.

Whilst evaluating, downsizing and selling my kit I still have ambitions. I still want to delve into different disciplines/forms of photography which I have not yet mastered. Fine Art Portraiture is one. Shooting action sports is another. I also always fancied myself as high resolution landscape photographer.

However, the time has come to be honest with myself:

I will not be travelling the world to shoot amazing landscapes. I will also not be printing large format panoramas. Landscape photography will not be my future! To that end I do not need a 100 megapixel Fuji or Hasselblad camera.

I will not be printing images larger than 8x6in. I have a 15 year old dye-sub printer that quite comfortably delivers that. I do not need an inkjet photo printer. If I want a one-off large print I got to a professional print shop. They have amazing machines that can do that much better than I ever will.

For printing at a size of 8x6in or smaller, I do not need lenses that can depict finest detail of 60 or 100 megapixel. As a matter of fact, I can even get the focus slightly off and I wouldn’t really see it in a 6x4in print.

I have never really shot portraits. Fine art portraiture is an art. One has to have a talent for this and that special eye for ‘something special’. I have come to terms with I do not have that. I am not that good and I certainly don’t have the talent.

I will not be a fine art portrait photographer. Therefore I do not need studio flashes, backgrounds, bounce cards, ring flashes, brollies, honeycombs, beauty dishes and soft boxes…and whatever else the industry thinks I need.

So why do I need to upgrade from gear I bought 6-10 years ago?

Professionals used to be quite happy providing digital images to print publications at 4 megapixel. Why is it so important to upgrade today?

It is not…unless parting with your cash and collecting gear is your main hobby…rather than photography.

I collect images in print. The end product is important to me now; the what, not the how.

The Leica M11-P - Is it really the best? Best in what? ...and for what?

Since its release in autumn last year, the Leica M11-P has been reviewed by just about all the popular influencers on Instagram, Youtube and all the other portals you can imagine. Leica as a company has spent huge sums to have every popular internet personality review the newest iteration of its M Line-up. It is said to be the ultimate tool for professionals.

What professionals…I ask. Professional enthusiasts? Or professional reviewers? So far I have only found one professional photojournalist, who is also a Leica brand ambassador, to speak about this tool. And it is a tool, by the way. In case some of the so called experts haven’t realised it. We don’t go to bed with it, we don’t cuddle it…and it definitely doesn’t make me a cup of coffee. There are far cheaper coffee machines on the market.

I use cameras for a living, dragging two Sony A7 Bodies and three Lenses with me every day, in addition to a Leica MP and a Leica M-E Type 220. I have been working with the latter ever since it came on the market. It is well worn and has shed loads of it gunmetal paint. That is through use and not artificial styling. It’s been with me to Iraq, Afghanistan, Canada and has served me well. However, it has come a time, when my back and shoulders are rebelling and the weight is causing too much pain. Downsizing is the solution!

I decided to trade-in EVERYTHING…including my beloved M-E and see what else there was to be had. I was looking for a brother for my Leica MP film camera. I already had the lenses to it was a no-brainer. I opted for the new Leica M11-P. It was the highest resolution, slightly lighter than my M-E and it was new tech which gave me some future-proofing. I was highly interested in the content credentials feature and above all, excellent battery power.

So here is what I have figured out. It is only my opinion…that of one person…only me.

1. The content credential feature is not ready…or better, the industry is not ready. Even though Adobe was one on the initiators of the scheme, Photoshop and Lightroom are still working with Beta Versions of the plug-in. If you don’t have the right version of the software you will not have the feature at all. Lightroom classic doesn’t have it yet! Meaning, if you have content credentials attached you your image (done by the camera when creating the file) it has to be specifically exported from your editing software with it enabled. PS doesn’t do it as instructed and LR…well, not with my classic version. The industry isn’t there yet. A lot needs to happen before anybody will care about this image security feature. What bothers me is that the internet is fulll of discussions, reviews and explanations how it is supposed to work…but it doesn’t…not like they say it does. It is still far too complicated! So far everything is a sales pitch to get these cameras shifted!

2. Internal memory in addition to an SD Card is a cool way of having huge capacity and only having to secure your data once a week. This camera will be able to store thousands of images as DNG before running out of space. But, Leica has built this camera with bluetooth and WiFi so you can transfer your images off the camera wirelessly. Naturally I tested this as soon as I was able to. The WiFi and Bluetooth transfer works ONLY with the Leica Fotos App and it takes…AGES!!! The fastest speed I got, even when connecting with the Lightning Data cable was approx one DNG File per minute. Imagine you have 60 images to transfer…you’ll be there for an entire hour! And have a guess what’s next: there is no USB-C cable. You can only transfer to devices with a lighting port. Stupidly enough, when plugging the camera into a computer or laptop, the camera doesn’t show up as a mass storage device. That wasn’t built into the firmware. It may come one day with an update, but this is only if Leica chooses to do so. But all is not lost. Lightroom Classic recognises the camera in the import dialogue and that transfer is swift. Normally I wouldn’t bother with a cable connection, but since you have to eject the battery to get to the SD card it is easier to just plug it in. As you can see…it’s not as simple as they all say. There is more to be done on the firmware. The Leica Fotos App is a sales gimmick and worthless for press photographers who have deadlines and need to work fast.

So…why would one get such a camera?

For me, it’s about future-proofing my workflow. As a professional I do concern myself with AI and the fallout that it may have on the industry. Even if the tech is not ready yet…it will be one day.

Any camera will do, especially nowadays. There is no bad camera on the market. I shoot with the Leica M11-P because it pleases me. I like using it because it is small, my kit is small and I do not have to lug around a big pack full of gear. The days have gone when one will only be considered a pro if one uses pro gear. That is a thing of the past. To that end its all about what I like using.

Coming back to the questions at the beginning of this post. Is it the best? No, not for what most consider it. It is right…right for me and my way of shooting, despite its flaws. Would I recommend it to others? No. Not until they tell me that they want to downsize and give up on joining the race for ‘better’.

Getting serious about film…

…in a time when resources are dwindling…manufacturers are going out of business and availability is shrinking.

Expensive? Yes.

Amazing colour? Indeed.

Grain? Plenty.

Worth it? Absolutely!

I guess I always compromised with film. In an age of digital photography, where every further click doesn’t really cost more money, one doesn’t really want to continuously spend on film. The results aren’t instant and the worry remains: did I get it right? Exposure, focus, framing? What a waste it would be to have made a mistake and wasted a frame…or even an entire roll? It all seems too much risk and additionally it takes ages to see the results. Days, weeks of waiting until the negatives come back from the lab…and then the negatives are scratched and cut in a way that they don’t fit the standard A4 sized archiving sheets. It’s all drama.

When chasing the best colour rendition with character…there is no replacement. Digital is nearly too perfect. But then that is my opinion…and I am just one person.

Digital cameras have become so magnificent that it is nearly impossible to end up with a bad image file. It doesn’t matter wether Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax or any other. I deliberately mention ‚image file‘ and not photograph, as the latter is a subjective result of creativity. But colours, pixels and especially the high pixels per inch (ppi) rate has become impressive. But in my humble opinion it has all become too dependant on software and IT hardware in order to achieve the desired results. And above all, images will be hidden on a hard drive…I would not see what I had achieved with my photography.

I have become a fan of film. It all started with 35mm and now includes medium format (6x6,6x7). I love the grain. I love the imperfections and particularly the fact that i have to work hard to get it right. I don’t believe there is a soul or feeling to film images…but the sense of achievement is significant when it all comes together.

So I splashed out to get a few rolls of Kodak Ektar 100. I nearly fell off my chair when I found out what i was supposed to pay for them. But hey, what else am i gonna‘ do during the lockdown? Naturally I was really nervous whilst processing the negatives at home. I had only started C41 developing in my kitchen a few months ago but so far did quite well…but only with cheap and nasty Kodak Gold 200. With Ektar 100 I was taking an entirely different risk.

Here are the results.

I will be taking this risk again…and again…and again. It’s worth it!

Some high speed film…b&W…naturally

This was one of them days when there was little drive and opportunity to purposely grab a camera and shoot planned subjects. It was cold, grey, damp and just a horrible day. During the ongoing pandemic it is however not a reason to stay indoors and feel sorry for oneself and just fester on the couch. A wander through the local woodland on a Sunday morning, when everyone else is sill in bed, gave me an opportunity to capture the finer detail of what was left of the last summer.

I call these the sculptures of the past. I love the grain and contrast of this high speed film.

Giants in the mist…

I can’t help myself coming back to old images, which I took some time ago. Maybe its because I have actually created a hard copy of this image. Yes, you read right…a print. Something tangible…something you can touch…and above all, it gets in your way when you attempt to clear up. I see it as a good thing, that reminds me of why I make use of a camera in the first place. It reminds me of the really amazing and good times of the past, especially when memory doesn’t serve me as well as it should.

I wandered through the mist for hours that day and encountered many of these ‘giants’…standing silently, waiting for warmer days.

Front doors…the Entrance to private worlds

Fomapan 100 - Medium Format

Enter the wold of Lockdown

As the Pandemic Lockdown torments us all I venture out into the local woodlands. Ive been here umpteen times…never really fascinated enough by the usual and boring. Quite honestly, I feel uninspired and somewhat bored. I only really leave the house to get some exercise. My doctor told me to move more…overcome the couch-laziness and get going.

So I have all these cameras I collected over the years. There are far too many. I used to be a gear junkie…suffering from GAS. I spent far too much on camera equipment and now regret it. But I am not prepared to sell it all for the sake of then loosing all the money I originally put into this collection of mine.

Every time I head out I feel sorry for the one or the other camera. I tell myself, that if its not used, I wasted my money. Well, on this occasion it was an old Rolleicord Vb and a roll of Kodak TMax 3200.

It had to be done.

Heather at dawn

The trusty Nikon F6…sadly not made anymore.

Hutewald Halloh

Silvopasture (Latin, silva forest) is the practice of integrating trees, forage and the grazing of domesticated animals in a mutually beneficial way. It utilizes the principles of managed grazing, and it is one of several distinct forms of agroforestry.

Properly-managed silvopasture can increase overall productivity and long-term income due to the simultaneous production of tree crops, forage, and livestock, and can provide environmental benefits. Silvopasture is one of the oldest known forms of agriculture and has been practiced in many parts of the world for centuries. Silvopasture is not the same as unmanaged grazing in woodlands, which has many known negative environmental consequences.

Hutewald Halloh is ancient oak and beech forest near the Edersee national park of Hessen in Germany.

Burg Eltz

I never thought I would ever make it to the castle and be able to capture it without tourists.

Et voilà!

A mixture of Kodak Ektar 100 and Kodak Colour Gold 2oo Film Captures. You can clearly see the difference in quality and colour rendition…

cheap colour film: kodak Gold 200

Film prices are rising. Specialist films such as Ilford Delta 3200 and Kodak Portra are expensive. In order to save some cash I started processing not just black and white, but also C-41 colour film at home. It reduces the bill by over 70%.

Forcing expenditures further down I started saving money by buying cheap Kodak Gold with a rating of ISO 200. Therefore I now have sources which offer a value of €2,65 for each 36 exposure roll..

I originally thought it may be a bad compromise for there is a reason professional photographers have used the expensive film stock for client jobs for so long. So I gathered, if I use excellent Zeiss or Leica glass in front of a great camera…I wouldn’t be doing too bad. I can, above all, influence the output when scanning my negatives.

…here are some results. Make up your own mind.

Adapter Test

Fitting a Leica mount lens (fully analog) to a modern digital camera; a Sony a7 R III
I didn’t really think from the start that the combination of a FotoDiox Adapter and the Camera/Lens combination would produce anything great…

…but I was pleasantly surprised. The image quality in general is amazing, however the lens doesn’t really sit firmly in the adapter. It wobbles slightly and may cause problems with tilting. In relation to the image sensor it could therefore cause out of focus areas when shooting wide open.

I have read, that the equivalent adapter from Voigtländer is far better and machined far more accurately. So that’s what it will have to be.

Until then…current results below.

Dragon fly

Nikon F6, Kodak Gold 200

Sunday Morning at Sunrise

It’s was the shortest night of the year…naturally the sun was up early and what else is there to do but grab my camera and get moving. I endet up in a field near a pond in long grass. Not a good idea for my hay fever. But what I encountered was amazing. Just have a listen…you might have to turn up the volume.

It’s the time of the year where frogs sing their…lets call it love songs. Amazing concerts on a cool summer morning.

Edited from the archive: Agfaphoto apx400

There are times, when I get frustrated…with the weather, the Corvid-19 Restriction or even with the lack of inspiration to go and shoot more film. I’ve ordered C-41 colour negative chemistry so I can develop colour film at home. This way I can reduce the cost of processing by 90-95% and shooting film will become so much more affordable. Additionally I get a chance to kerb that frustration and boredom with sitting indoors and occupy myself with something worth while.

So today I have reviewed a few images shot on AgfaPhoto APX400 35 mm film. I’ve never used this emulsion before, so it was a kind of experiment. I concluded that I prefer Kodak’s TriX 400 and TMax 100 over the Agfa. However, it is dirt cheap in comparison. I’ll have to see wether it is worth the savings.

AgfaPhoto APX400

AgfaPhoto APX400

Kodak TMax 100

AgfaPhoto APX400

From the archive: Morning mist

The Steinhorster Basin is an artificially created nature reserve in the Delbrück region near Steinhorst to the north of Paderborn district. The approximately 83 hectare area consists mainly of water areas of the dammed river Ems and offers a habitat for many water birds. During the early hours of a February morning the mist, coupled with the subdued light of the rising sun creates a very special mood worth capturing on film.

Stuck at home…without corona

The government has invoked tight rules on who can do what, when, how and with whom. To that end I am stuck at home. Luckily enough one is still allowed to roam the outdoors to catch some fresh air and naturally swing a camera about. Unfortunately it is really boring. Spring has not really shown its face yet so flora and fauna is at a standstill. It’s all brown...a little like goods sold on a car boot sale: its either rusty or muddy! Even so I managed to take a walk early in the morning.

Munich At christmas

Over the years I have, like many, amassed a huge amount of gear. There are not just several cameras, but also more lenses than I can practically use in a day of photography. During a recent visit to Munich I was adamant that I was not going to drag all my kit with me but concentrate on visiting family. For a short trip into town I was still going to take one camera and one lens: my Leica M6, a 50mm Summicron and a roll of Kodak colour film.

The importance of understanding real value

We hear it over and over again, that the use of social media is dominating peoples lives. More than ever before has Instagram been a tool to publicise and distribute images around und the world. Photographers can hardly do without and the goal is to become famous quickly. No doubt, the use of instant, worldwide display of one’s own work is faster than any e-mail campaign or a well executed mailing list...but it is forgotten quicker than it took to post an image. I speak from experience. I too have made use of Instagram and...did not become famous. I could blame it on the alogarithm, the way IG shows my images, or how IG crushes my jpeg files to size....or maybe because my images are crap.

Either way...Instagram success is like Monopoly Money...its not real. True success in photography is not ‘posted’ on Instagram, nor Facebook or Twitter. It is forged by consistently delivering quality over quantity. No surprise that the great images of our century usually stand alone for themselves. Imagine the empty stare of Don McCullin’s shellshocked marine in Vietnam, or the beautiful colours of Steve McCurry’s Afghan Girl. The depictions of reality were the result of consistency and commitment to a standard of quality which demanded professional skill. It took years to perfect this craft and was not just ‘snapped’ at the right time in the right place. So some may argue...that this was during a time before digital imaging was invented. Yes, that is true. But despite modern technology, you will not find Steve McCurry or Don McCullin shooting hundreds or thousand of images during an assignment. Anyway, all I am saying is that social media is not a solution. As convenient as it is and as well it connects people around the world...it demands our attention...committee to a tiny screen of a smartphone or tablet. As a matter of fact, one could actually argue, that it has driven society apart.

Again, I speak from own experience. Nobody talks at the bus stop anymore, or on the tube, or the airport. In restaurants during a meal out there is no communication between people anymore...less talking and interaction on a personal level. People just keep staring at a screen, trying to catch up with the latest post. Even worse, and I am also guilty of this, I get home from work and tend to do...nothing...! I sit on my fat backside and browse instagram and the internet. How about getting outdoors and catching some fresh air, or go and meet friends and family...talk, communicate, share experiences like our grandparents did. I dare to say, that society was happier before social media and will be after Instagram, Twitter and Facebook have gone.

So here are my New Year resolutions:

- Less social media,

- More Integration with actual people,

- More exercise,

- More real photography,

- More printing instead of posting.

I think that is plenty.