What the Leica taught me

Fuji Acros 100 on Leica M6, Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.4

I’ve always had trouble focusing in photography, having 6 different cameras loaded with film at once and not being able to finish any one of them. Last year I came across an article online encouraging people to shoot with a single camera (a Leica), single lens, and single type of BW film for one entire 365 day year. I kept coming back to the article over and over and finally went looking for a Leica online, found one and purchased it on a whim. I didn’t have money to burn, and I didn’t feel completely comfortable dropping over $1,000 on a camera and lens.

I committed to a Leica M6, Voigtlander Nokton 35mm 1.4, and Fuji Acros 100 shot at 200 and developing in Diafine. The article encourages you to shoot 4-6 rolls per week, but I have come nowhere near that many. In fact over the 4 months I’ve been doing this I’ve only shot 15 rolls. The one thing I love about it so far is that each picture has a purpose; I have not been forcing myself to shoot. When I develop, every single picture on each roll is something I’m excited to see. It’s taken me back to when I had only one camera and it might take me a month to finish a single roll, but each picture was a very unique moment that caught my eye. Part of the process is also recording all of your exposure information, it slows you down and makes you want each photograph. It’s amazing to go back months later and know exactly how you shot every photo.

Leica has a bit of magic in everyone’s mind, but it’s just a tool. Just about everything stated in the article that inspired me is true. It won’t do anything you don’t tell it to, it shows your pictures as they really are without any additional effects that add or detract, it’s nice and sharp but so are many other slr cameras. Nothing extra to get distracted by; shutter speed, wind/rewind, self timer, and shutter. It’s a beautiful and very humbling experience!

Read up and be inspired for yourself:

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2009/05/a-leica-year.html

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2009/05/why-it-has-to-be-a-leica.html

-Charlie Wray

edit: FYI, I bought my Ensign Ful-Vue from Charlie on Etsy, and in the package he’d kindly given me a print taken with his M6 and I was immediately in awe and forced him to submit a write-up on his experiences with a Leica. Thanks a lot Charlie! Makes me wanna go and start saving up for one now (though it may take years…*sigh*)

Keep up with Charlie on his tumblr http://goodluckcharles.tumblr.com!!

-delusiana

goodluckcharles