GETTING BACK TO BASICS with the Leica M9

Here’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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TRAVEL TECH: A Gadget Girl's Guide To Packing

As a journalist specializing in travel, I pack and unpack for dozens of trips a year. As a result, I’ve learned a thing or two about packing smarter, packing less, and traveling with travel technology.

Clothes are easy: Two pants. Two shoes. Four shirts. Something dressy. Fleece for cold. Layers for hot. Outerwear for wet. Quick-dry everything. A wrap for the airplane. 

Toiletries, too, are a no-brainer: Travel-sized liquids refilled or still packed from the last trip. Nothing over 3-ounces. Nothing sharp. Done. 

But when it comes to gadgets, things get more complicated. Cords. Cables. Batteries. Back-ups. Hard drives. iPod. Smartphone. Laptop. Memory cards. More memory cards. It’s too easy, and so frustrating, to head off without the essential bits that make the gizmos go. 

For Gadget Girls (and guys) on the go, here are a few techie travel tips and must-pack recommendations. 

1. A SMARTPHONE. How the heck did we manage before smartphones? Seriously.

From essential contacts, flight itineraries, confirmation numbers, and access to online check-in and banking, to alarm clock reminders, currency conversion, language translation, and GPS navigation…on the road or at home, a smartphone (or contract-free iPod Touch) is every geek’s best friend.

But without a charge, it’s useless. Don’t forget your phone’s charge cord. And if you’re traveling internationally, be sure to purchase, and pack, the foreign outlet adapter kit for your smartphone model. 

*Techie travel tip #1: To help me remember not to leave essential cords plugged into hotel room outlets, I carry an index card with the reminder ‘DON’T FORGET TO CHECK FOR CHARGE CORDS’ written on it. This simple, low-tech solution has saved me more times than I should admit.

2. PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT. While increasing numbers of travelers are electing to use their smartphone cameras for vacation photos, there are a few of us still toting some serious hardware. 

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Trip Tech: HD Camcorders

Hey gadget-girls, a slew of new high-definition camcorders are making it easier than ever to capture (and share) your favorite travel moments. Concierge.com puts the latest high-definition camcorders to the test to see which are best for creating your vacation memories.

Well worth a browse, especially if you’re busy making a list and checking it twice!

Point-and-Shoot Perfection

10MP D-Lux 3: The Little Leica that Can…

Think you need an SLR to capture pro-quality images? Think again. Think Leica D-Lux 3. The little power-house, with its high quality optics, 10-megapixel sensor and custom settings, can rival most SLRs.  Better yet, it’s so compact, that I won’t leave home without it.

Never again will I miss capturing that dazzling double rainbow, decisive moment or impromptu jam session where Keanu Reeves shows up (it could happen!) just because I didn’t want to be weighted down with an SLR. Sure, I could snap it on my cell phone, but with the D-Lux 3 in my pocket, purse or backpack, not only will I get the shot, but it’ll be magazine quality resolution. Add to that a video function, and, it’s easy to see why I’ve taken to calling it ‘the little Leica that can.’

The D-Lux 3 is more than your average point-and-shoot. It’s a compact camera with controls like those on my professional SLRs. With focal lengths from 28 to 112 millimeters (F2.8 - F8.0), auto and manual focusing, image stabilization for shake-free pictures, and file formats from simple Jpeg to QuickTime movies and RAW for optimum image quality, it’s a pocket-sized performer.

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Visible Dust Sensor Cleaning Brushes

As a professional travel photographer, keeping my digital SLR camera sensor clean is a must for blemish-free images. On assignment, I use the Arctic Butterfly 724 sensor brush from Visible Dust. Ideal for airplane travel when I cannot carry a can of Dust-Off with me, the Artic Butterfly's spinning bristles 'charge' the brush's bristles with static electricity that literally attract and safely pick up dust particles off the camera's digital sensor. Using the Artic Butterfly 724 to clean my camera sensor is a nightly ritual when I'm on the road, and this particular item is a permanent fixture in my travel camera bag. I never leave home without it.

*Includes a sturdy hard-sided carry case for added protection and class. Requires two AAA batteries (not included).