Re: For what type of work do you use you leica?

["Charles E. Dunlap" <cdunlap@rupture.ucsc.edu>]

>I'm still relatively new, so if there is an archive with this info,
>please direct me.  Otherwise, list members, for what type of work do you
>use your leica?  Thanks--Jill

Personal--I like photography and the M6 and lenses are ideal for my tastes:
simple, compact, and of exceptional quality. I like to take candid photos
of people, low light photos, general snapshots when I'm with a group
(birthday parties, friend and family outings, etc.), landscapes: I don't
really specialize or limit myself.

This week I took some low light photos on Kodachrome 64. I had a candle
burning in my kitchen window surrounded by Sierra Nevada granite and slate
from the Sierran foothills. The candle was one of those tall ones with a
Virgin Mary label on the outside; we get them in the Mexican supermarkets
around here. It lit the rocks with a warm glow. I set the tripod up outside
of the window and mounted a 90/2.8. I brought the lens close to the glowing
portion of the candle and metered 1 second at f/2.8. I took a few shots,
adjusting the composition, focus, and shutter speed (overexposing a couple
on B to see if I could hold the highlights while getting more texture in
the rocks). The M rangefinder is really helpful when focussing in low light.

The moon was full and I got interested in doing some long exposures of the
old water tank house on our property (a former chicken ranch). The tank
house has dull green, weathered clapboards and with a moderate wide angle
(35 f/2) looking up it seemed to loom agreeably with the starry northern
sky behind and a willow on one side and palm tree in the background on the
other. I'm hoping that the low contrast, dark sky moonlit exposure enhances
the eerie old lurch of the building. I look forward to getting the slides
back.

Sure, I could have taken these photos with other cameras. But the M is so
quiet and vibration free on B that it made the experience more enjoyable.
The only time I feel limited is when I see something on a small scale that
requires a macro lens. I could get a DR Summicron, and someday I might.

- -Charlie