Black & White Photography with my Leica M6

I recently spent a few days in Scotland photographing more aspects of the "day in the life of" a Scottish Estate assignment, and decided on impulse to take my Leica M6 to use alongside my workhorse the Leica M8. I had not used the M6 for ages, and found it a joy to use, slightly smaller, quieter and knowing one had only 36 shots up the barrel so to speak, meant one was more composed when using it.

On returning to London, I decided to stock up with some Black and White Film and went off to Calumet in Drummond Street, where i found the film cabinet, now stuck forlornly in a corner with rather a sparse set of films to choose from! I bought 5 packs of Ilford XP2, all they had and resolved to have the M6 with me most days and see what caught my eye.

I have created a slide show of Black & White photography with my Leica M6, out of the 1st of these films to be developed taking photographs around Fulham and at the Saatchi Gallery and scanned and am pleased with the results so far.

I look forward to the rest and to stocking up with lots more film as one can now plainly see the writing is on the wall for film in the longer term, though enthusiasts will try to keep it going as long as possible.

Off to the Kalahari

As reported in a previous blog, I photographed Beata Aleksandrowicz of "Pure Massage" for a poster needed in relation to the opening of a branch in her business in Fenwick's of Bond Street W1. Last week, following a request by Beata who was in the process of developing an "African Massage", Beata chose to spend time with the Kalahari bushmen and learn some of their healing ways and absorb the rhythms of their lives so as to incorporate them in the new massage along with the sounds, light, smells, soils, plants, insects, animals, and herbs of that part of the world.

She then asked me to come along and photograph this journey of discovery and to make a video of it. I pondered long and hard for fully 4.5 seconds and said yes!

So armed with my Leica M6 and a pile of film and a new Sony HDR-HC3E camcorder we are going to spend six days with the bushmen based at a farm 30km East of Aranos, Namibia near the Botswana border.

Photo copied from "Hunting the Kalahari" website

I think it will be a once in a lifetime experience, with us even joining them for a hunting expedition. Once I get back I will put up a selection of the photos as a slideshow and once the video material has been processed hope it will make a great movie/documentary.

So watch this space!.

Trafalger Square and King George IV

I was in Trafalgar Square with my Leica M6 and 35mm F2.0 lens and took this rather uninspiring photo of the statue of King George IVth, when I noticed the light was changing and in particular bouncing off a hoarding behind it, leaving it as a stark silhouette amidst a slowly darkening square.

As one moved further away, the horse took less and less space against the hoarding and resulted in my going home full of anticipation for the results.

I think they ended up, just as I had visualised them and have a slightly magical feel to them.