[Leica] One camera, one lens

[John McLeod <johnmcleod@worldnet.att.net>]

Jim, you wrote:

There's absolutely nothing wrong with someone (Mike) using one body and one
lens for a year. I wish them (him) much luck and good photographing.

I just think it's a lame idea and I would like to know what the underlying
"real" reason is for doing this. My mind set places it in the same arena
with the city council art purchases. You know... the large rusty metal
fragments that resemble sandwich scraps, stacked on city hall's front lawn.
Perhaps only understood by the perpetrator, but no one else. It has to be
very personal and therefore unexplainable.


Jim,

I obviously can't speak for Mike and wouldn't want to try.  I was just
reacting to your comment that anyone who tries this "lame" idea isn't
"serious".  I simply don't think serious photography is necessarily about
having every top-notch piece of equipment at our disposal at all times. 
Clearly, this is one way to go about it, and to some degree, many of us
ascribe to this approach.  At the same time, I think most would also agree
that, in many instances, lots of equipment can be a hindrance.  It can slow
us down, distract us, attract too much attention, make us tired, etc.

I'm simply saying the obvious -- there is no "right" way to photograph.  If
you start from the premise that photography is first about seeing, one could
argue the point either way.  On the one hand, I need more equipment to
translate my vision into a picture. On the other hand, I want to re-focus my
energies on the seeing and vision part, and pay less attention to equipment
management.  This latter group may feel that less equipment makes it easier
to get around, to "connect" with subjects, to see more clearly, etc.  It's
really not crazy, esoteric, or outlandish.  If I'm walking down a street in
San Francisco, for example, and see a person across the street that I want
to photograph, it may be easier to simply run across the street with an M6,
50 Summicron and Tri-X, introduce myself, and establish rapport than it
would be if I had a Billingham 445 on my shoulder, and the need to remove my
19 Elmarit, and put on the 80/1.4 with B+W polarizer.  Moreover, for some,
carrying a little M6 and one lens is almost like carrying nothing at all. 
All of one's energies can go into "seeing", alertness, mobility, even
stealth as necessary.  It's sometimes hard to be smooth and discrete with
a big SLR kit and camera bag.

So the underlying reason for a person's wanting to try this project
(shooting with one camera and lens) may be very similar to the reason why a
person would take two bodies and five lenses -- a more complete, satisfying,
integrated photographic experience.  When you pull over on the side of the
road in your BMW wagon, set up your Gitzo, attach your beautifully machined
RRS plate to your Arca-Swiss, pick the right lens and filter, wait for the
right moment, and press the shutter, you get a feeling of satisfaction,
pleasure, anticipation, and exhilaration.  And maybe when Mike is walking
around with his M6 and sees a subject, he feels calm, quick, agile, and
clear as he deftly pre-focuses and discretely lifts the camera to his eye,
hearing the
quiet "click" of the M, knowing that this moment or this scene or this
person has been "captured" on film.  Totally different photographic tools,
same inspiration.  One really no better or more "right" than the other.

John McLeod