GETTING BACK TO BASICS with the Leica M9
Ellen BaroneHere’s the truth. Anyone can take a beautiful photograph. The advanced technology in today’s cameras, even the most basic point-and-shoot, makes it easier than ever. And with a few artsy apps and a creative eye, even an iPhone can deliver gallery worthy images. Seriously.
But what if you want to do more than make a pretty picture? What if you want to slow down the experience of preserving a moment, a place? Or distill the creative process of photography down to its essence?
Enter the Leica M9.
Until recently, I thought I knew a thing or two about photography. After a week with the M9 in hand, as part of a Seedlight photography workshop, I realize I want to know more, that I’m ready to dig deeper.
Taking place in remote Chilean Patagonia, the Leica sponsored workshop, led by Conservation Photojournalist Bridget Besaw, and hosted by Patagonia Sur, provided the ideal setting to learn and record the story of Patagonia conservation in legendary Leica style.
A self-taught shutterbug, I grew up in the age of auto-everything photography. My first camera was a Canon Sure Shot. As I moved up to Canon SLRs then DSLRs, I improved my knowledge of F-stops and shutter speeds and refined my photograher’s eye. But I never really started from scratch. Which is why shooting with the Leica was such a pleasure - and a challenge.
First, there was the transition from a through-the-lens SLR to a what-you-see-is-not-entirely-what-you-get rangefinder camera. Then, as embarrassing as it is to admit, there was the challenge of manually selecting the perfect trifecta of focus, shutter speed and aperture. Additionally, the Leica required me to anticipate the decisive moment and prepare for it, as opposed to reacting to it.
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