Posts Tagged ‘Leica M6 TTL’

Maybe it’s not the typical time to be doing so but I did a lot of reading over the summer along with a lot of coffee drinking. Here is a summary of my cirriculum.

• Watchmen, by Alan Moore. Glad I read it but I felt let down for all the hype. On the other hand it lowered my expectations for the movie and ended up enjoying it unlike the fanatics.
• A Singular Man, by J. P. Donleavy. This guy is a virtuoso. I can’t wait to read more Donleavy.
• Beautiful Losers, by Leonard Cohen. Some great stories in here but something about this book felt dated to me, as if culture had moved on or at least I had. I bet it was amazing to read 30 or 40 years ago.
• The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins. Not sure what to say about this but I think everyone should read it, especially you fence-sitting agnostics. As awkward as Dawkins comes across when speaking publicly, in print he has a charm which reminds us that he’s probably the most passionate and outspoken ultrageek we’ve ever known. (Note: It should go without saying that when we read books, especially books like this, we don’t read them to be told what to think, we read them to challenge and re-evaluate what we’ve thought and will think)
• The Runes of the Earth, by Stephen Donaldson. Book 7 in the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. It was terrible and yet I’m still attached to the series for some reason. I guess it’s just because Thomas Covenant fucking rules.
• What is the What? by Dave Eggers. The story of a Sudanese refugee and his coming of age. It is disturbing and also humbling.
• Platform, by Michel Houellebecq. If he’s not my favourite author he’s the author I most wish will write more books.
• Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy. One book where I feel insulting to think of using mere adjectives as description. There is a quote from this book I might talk about in a future entry as it relates to photography. Some of you may have already figured out what quote that’s going to be!

But of course I do actually have some photography to share.

Down the block from my apartment this was happening.

But that evening in Yaletown something involving a bit of drinking was also happening.

By the way, many of these wides are from my little plastic Nikon Series E 28mm f/2.8.

In most entries you’ll see them playing instruments, but this time you’ll see them chewing chicken.

We both laughed after that and I said “you know what I got, right” and he said “yes, I know what you got.”

The next thing to do was to take a little walk…

And to get back just in time to witness Jonathan extract a shot from somewhere between Tanner’s legs.

By now you might have guessed that this was Jonathan’s stag.

We continued to drink into the evening outside on the patio. f/1.4 at 1/6th. Later we went to see dancing girls and due to my camera I was refused at the door. When I eventually got inside I realized why, the girls performing at that venue bored me sober.

How to transition from the peelers to hanging out with my family gracefully? No idea really.

This photo is best without context…

Shifting gears a bit, aheh. And films, shooting 125px in the Leica and Tri-X in the F100. On the first weekend of August my mother was giving her new dragster some break-in runs at Mission Raceway.

Catching the launch.

That was the first time I really wanted to have a rapidwinder on my M.

Here’s the crew before heading down to the end of the track to guide the dragster back. That’s my grandfather on the right wondering why she didn’t hit 3rd gear on that run.

I followed him back to the trailer. My grandfather made a name for himself racing in the 60’s with a car that he built himself, the Syndicate Scuderia.

He brought the car to put on display and it was difficult to get a moment when it was not being crowded with digital cameras.

My sister was camped down near the end of the track, the only place you’d ever find some shade, but it was a long walk back and forth.

The shutter on my M drags at 1/1000 so I made one at 1/500 just to see what I could catch of a nitro funny car. That car ran 6.739s at 207.08 mph.

It had been forever since I’d seen my nephew that weekend. He loves the cars but the sun was intense, it was one of the hottest weekends of the year.

Then my mom sent us a text to let us know it was time to drive again.

When I caught up with her they were in the staging lanes. I’ve never seen my F100 overlap a frame like that before but it hasn’t happened again fortunately.

The one time I brought my F100 to the line to make use of continuous mode, she was placed in the opposite lane. Sad face.

This is almost comedic, especially if you haven’t tried to shoot something like this before. Anticipating a bit too quick, but it is a barrage of the senses, feels and sounds much more beautiful than it ever looks.

Looks like she bounced there.

And the crew setting off to meet her at the end again.

Mom wanted to run alongside him but their crew told us their car wasn’t running straight so they did seperate runs. He ran straight, but slower. Good thing for his ego I guess ;].

Lady spectating in difficult light. f/2.8 @ 1/4000.

Bringing the car back after the burnout.

Catching some air again.

Pulling back up to the trailer. She was running pretty consistently about 140mph that weekend, but I don’t remember the times. Right around 9 seconds I’m guessing.

Went to watch the funny cars from another angle. Even in the first half of the 1/4 mile you can’t stop them at 1/500.

I think my good man maybe needs some shades.

Getting some shade again with my sisters friends.

Finishing off the roll back in the city.

We had some lovely mini-taco things.

Back in June, it was time to have a birthday. That morning I hadn’t much idea what to do but I knew there was an independant music festival in the city and my friend Tyr was participating by playing a solo show at a book store just off East Hastings, an area known for its charisma and the Godspeed You! Black Emperor track of the same name.

One of my favourite aspects of this performance was Tyr’s capitalization on his cramped quarters as he coaxed spastic sounds from the keyboard up against the window by smacking the headstock of his guitar down against.

When you’re sitting on the floor in an overcrowded bookstore there’s not much you can do to vary what frames you can get aside from getting your finger in there.

I kept my birthday a secret but I let it out afterwards when we were standing infront of the shop. He conducted a singing of happy birthday with random people who wondered who the fuck is this guy anyway.

We decided we were going to travel back up Main Street to catch the Japandroids spot for the festival. I’m tired of moderating so I’m just going to post every bad shot I made that night. You can go to www.japandroids.com and stream the video of a previous live show while you read this entry, if you are cool.

Japandroids is a band I’d heard of but made a conscious decision to avoid (reading about or listening) until I got a chance to see them play a live show. Sometimes it’s great to introduce yourself to a band that way and fortunately Japandroids are from Vancouver making that effort a little easier.

It was an idea I didn’t regret.

That one might be my favourite just for the expressions of the listener and drummer. That’s what is called juxtaposition.

After Japandroids Chris and Holly and I spent a while chasing Tyr around the city as he schizophrenically decided that ne needed to be at every venue. It was kind of fun, and we made some nice walks.

These guys were outside the Funky Winkerbean.

And him. Everywhere you go there’s always someone who wants to make sure you realize that you’re shooting a Leica. It’s nice to have a reminder sometimes, but I’m always at loss for what to say besides make a photo. Leica shooters? What do you say to those people?

Actually that dude there was pretty cool and he made good conversation with me beyond the obvious so cheers to you, random Leica appreciating brother.

Around that time I also made some camera porn with the Beard.

So Tyr and Japandroids weren’t all I enjoyed in June. Only a few days later Isis was playing with Mamiffer and Helms Alee.

This is Mamiffer, who radiates beauty in multiple senses.

Gosh, heh.

I had a poor spot to see Helms Alee so I didn’t shoot much.

Isis.

.

I don’t know if I’ve ever actually been so pleased with concert shots. The Isis stuff turned out exactly the way I saw what I was shooting that night.

The crops from neg scans are not ideal though unfortunately.

Wanted at least one shot of him even though I didn’t really have the angle.

I think that’s a good way to end a blog. Next entry will have a just slightly less ancient history factor.

If you take a dollar every day and put it in a jar it will just take 20 years, kids.

In February Tenant played at the Anza Club with Bridges Out, Ninja Spy and Callahan. I didn’t get up to much shooting that night but thanks to the alcohol factor it seems I became somewhat artistically inspired.

I ran into some dA gallery admin at the show. We recognized eachother and nodded but it was way too loud to have a conversation. In lieu of verbal conversation I decided to play a game with him to anticipate his shots. He was running around shooting with a remote off camera flash and so I went to bulb mode.

It was a silly idea because the venue was really well lit unlike most places but I guess I could a couple cute results. A lot of them became more esoteric in nature…

I guess it wasn’t long before we’re getting some 1am fast food at Wendy’s.

Looks like Andrew also found some timbits. I’m trying to remember if that was the night where there was this disturbing old man in a wife beater, shorts, a baseball cap but with the most prolific body hair and all of it was white. It was so dense that it puffed his undershirt up from his chest and back. He had some odd behavior and seemed to be harassing customers or the staff from time to time and always returning to the counter to ask for more of something useless. He was also the guardian of the front door which was not swinging shut automatically and so every time someone walked in or out of the place through that door he would adopt an exasperated look and stand up to close the door again. When at last we stood up to leave we walked past his table and he was eating from 4 tins of  sardines. We walked out the door that didn’t shut properly.

Yeah, it wasn’t the same night but oh well.

Tenant was also playing at the Media Club. That might be the Media Club. If it isn’t the Media Club then it is the Biltmore but I think it is the Media Club.

Over the winter there were a number of these Denny’s trips. Usually after clearing Naxxramas.

Visiting at my fathers with my sister and my nephew.

One of my favourites.

For reading break Kevin came back to Vancouver.

Somehow ending up back at Denny’s again with John.

One day someone was playing with cards in the window seat at Slickity Jims.

Difficult to determine at this size I guess but the cards are of Hooters and feature the female body.

Inside Slickity Jims it looks like this.

The mens room at Foundation.

One morning that came with beautiful light, someone was sleepy.

And eventually awake, for my dads birthday party we made Super Mario Brothers power-up mushroom cookies.

We ground fine sugar with this mortar and pestle that Kevin once gave me as part of a greater  joke. I bet he never imagined I’d find a practical use for it. It felt like some kind of profound victory.

He thought to put out the candles on his birthday cake with the dust buster.

But he was forced to do it like the rest of us.

The Vancouver Darkroom Co-op where I used to print held a gallery show next door at this space. It was interesting to see what other members were printing in there.

I guess I’m getting in trouble here.

But I’ve always been a very smooth talker.

He’s kind of like a horse here but his snout is a beer glass. More about horses in a later entry…

Eventually Tenant played another show where I again I didn’t make much use of the camera.

But that weekend we celebrated Norms birthday and played some Beer Frisbee League in the back yard. It was dumb we didn’t start sooner because he was difficult to see the frisbee. As dusk passed I think I made that one at f/2 1/8th.

Teaching pool.

We spent most of the night outside where I enjoyed some Laphroaig and we passed around the hookah and cigars.

This one is going to be all Leica and once again all Tri-X +1.

I don’t eat out so often as any time when Kevin is visiting.

You kind of have to set aside a budget for it all together.

Once again beauty is known entirely only in its defeat.

Man plays thing, waits for bus.

Battles at Richards on Richards, September 2008.

One evening I was relaxing at home when I received a text message from Norm. He said come down to Richards and see this band called Battles, I think you’d like it. I spent about 28 seconds consulting the internet and left immediately because it was already close to show time and I had to reach downtown. As you can see it was pretty full when I got there and it is about as close as I got to the stage. But he was right, I did like it.

I remember at one point Craig came around to bring beers amongst his colleages. He had several bottles in his hands/arms and he was trying to offer an item to me but I didn’t know which one he meant to give so when I reached out I used both hands. I wanted to make sure that nothing was going to be dropped in this exchange but I quickly felt awkward as I imagined he was going to think that I was trying to take more than 1 of his offered beers. I felt pretty terrible and it was so loud at the time I couldn’t explain this to him properly. Still I never brought it up afterwards. Thank you for that beer, Craig. It was a bittersweet moment for me.

Mogwai played at the Commodore soon after.

Sometimes when you want intensely to make a photograph you will make your best effort with all of your knowledge and experience behind you but you will still fail. If you choose to show your failure anyway there will be people that say it is still good no matter what. Be glad that someone liked it but don’t listen to them because they are both wrong and right at the same time and how can you trust people like that?

I just spent half an hour looking for it without success but I read a review for this show somewhere which gave it a pretty bad rap. The author even went on to say that as he looked around the venue his sense of disappointment was mirrored in the faces of his peers! Well isn’t it pleasant when your feelings are justified by insignificant strangers.

One of my favourite moments was during the song Tracy which featured also the telephone samples like on the record and I think a couple members were caught by surprise as it almost seemed like they thought a mistake was going through the speakers for just a few seconds before they realized what it was. I couldn’t fight off the smile a lot of us shared in that moment.

At the end of the show the stage lost power and confusion began to spread. It was clear that the band wanted to play one more song. In the end they got everything running again and I was incredibly glad because as encore they played ithica 27 o 9 which sounded just amazing.

This is what Vancouvers olympic village looked like a year ago today as seen from Main St station. McDonalds in the foreground and city hall in the very distant background.

When my father decided to buy this car we assembled the following day in the back yard to stare at it but also to bolt a seat belt in the passenger side to drive more with the comfort of modern safety features.

I drove it later to the train station and it was the first time I ever drove something so powerful without power steering and I felt like an uncoordinated weakling.

Some guys opened for Grady at the Plaza on Granville street. It was evident that they came from the suburbs, perhaps because they still had passion.

There was no real way to get a nice exposure here. Maybe my next Leica will have HDR.

God, I love that epic double-neck.

Y U So Shady, Grady?

Towards the end of the evening, in response to an article in the weekly Georgia Strait which challenged the condition of hair hidden underneath that southern hat (Mr. Johnson defected to Texas from Canada lately), Gordy lifted his hat from his head triumphantly to demonstrate a full head of healthy grown hair and then launched into another blues-rock anthem. It is actually funny I come to this roll now because I have been listening to a lot of Grady lately. There is just no substitute for those greasy fingers.