On one year in photography

Dear Reader,

In this post I’d like to reflect upon my first year in photography.

First monochrome image

Gear

Within a year I’ve gone from mirrorless (Sony A6000), to mirrorless (Fujifilm X100s), to digital rangefinder (Epson RD1s), to rangefinder (LEICA M6TTL) and mirrorless as a backup (Fujifilm XE2). Lesson learnt? Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) is a real problem, there’s always newer and better gear out there to enhance your shooting experience!

Taken with A6000

Taken with X100s

Technical knowledge

The automation embedded in the latest generation of cameras are a great tool for any photographer, allowing him/her to concentrate solely on image making without having to worry about technical details. However it can be a crutch as well, an impediment to learning technical details like the exposure triangle, depth of field and so on. Shooting film with a non-automated camera is a great way to get more involved with your image-making. After several months of solely shooting film I now appreciate, yet not take for granted the convenience granted by modern cameras.

Transition from digital to analogue

Like any new photographer, I was eager for as much sharpness, megapixels, and dynamic range that my money could buy, no thanks to being bombarded by media designed to sell the latest and best. While initially impressed by the technical superiority of the Sony A6000 the photos out of camera required substantial post processing to taste. I was looking for black blacks, lifted shadows, and gritty grain, à la Daido Moriyama; I was also looking for a more manual experience, manual aperture rings and focus. Attempting to adapt M mount lenses to the camera didn’t deliver a satisfactory user experience.  Enter the Fujifilm X100s, with its retro good looks and retro controls. The camera with its optical viewfinder and contrasty lens produced consistently good results, but only made me lust after a genuine “rangefinder experience”.

I next used an Epson R1Ds for an extremely short time, while it produced gorgeous colours, the crop sensor meant I was not able to shoot at my preferred wide angles of 28 and 35. After lusting after a LEICA for several months, I finally took the plunge and have yet to look back! Using the camera is utter simplicity; ISO is predetermined by your film selection, you merely have to set your aperture and shutter speed. Shooting at a small aperture negates the need for careful focusing due to the large depth of fields when shooting wider lenses. Shutter speed should be ideally set to freeze motion, unless shooting in low light conditions. As a bonus, shooting analogue gave me the high contrast and grain due to pushing of film! The rangefinder window and focusing patch allows the photographer to be more intimate with the scene unfolding before him.

Taken with LEICA M6

Evolution of photo style

I believe I have found my ideal focal length, the 28mm; it gives context to an image, and the perspective creates a certain tension to the photo, giving it a sense of drama. The depth of field of such a wide lens is large too, an aperture of F8 to F11 is sufficient to have everything from 1.5m to infinity in focus. The only disadvantage of such a wide angle is the unnerving experience of having to get closer to the subject, but Robert Capa would argue otherwise. Using 35mm allows me to maintain a slightly further distance from the subject, but requires more careful composition to leave the viewer more visual clues.

Visual tension created when shooting 28mm

Conclusion

My first year in photography has been an enriching experience, learning of the deep history of photography and its giants, as well as shooting street. I’m learning to view the world from different perspectives, seeking that decisive moment. What awaits in the future?

 

DbMonochrome