Shooting through water with an iPhone the other evening. What interesting and unpredictable results.
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The move from rural, beautiful, remote St George to the SeaCoast region of Maine has been as smooth as we could possibly have hoped for. Neighbors have been welcoming, services available sometimes at urgent notice, all in all a very comfortable transition. The Boy will start 2nd grade in the local system soon, and we look forward to settling in for a warm and wonderful winter here. Best to all.
My wife, son, and I started what was intended to be an annual vacation to the eastern provinces of Canada a few years back...just before covid. My mother's side of the family hail from here so I'd like to think it feels familiar. Bonus is we really enjoy the area and people.
The pandemic and other priorities put things on hold until this year, when we were able to pick the tradition back up, and travelled from Maine to Rothesay NB, Lunenburg NS, Indian Harbor NS, Halifax NS, back to Rothesay and home. As different as the towns and settings were, there was really no favorite in the bunch. It was more of a smorgasbord of experiences, each one successful in its own way. A little car trouble along the way spiced things up, as did some torrential rain...apparently the new normal for parts of the world this spring/summer. As for kit, I just realize that I was still hauling around full size DSLR gear last time. One afternoon in particular comes to mind. We'd been walking all morning in Charlottetown, PEI. It was hot, and we collapsed at a small outdoor table hoping for refreshments. Even then, hauling a big Canon body with multiple L zooms around in a bag was just too much like work. So instead the camera and one lens sat strapped across me, heavy and at risk of whacking into tables, chairs, and passersby. But where to set it down safely amongst all the bustle? How uncomfortable. Was it then and there that my later decision to sell it all and switch to a smaller, lighter system was born? I suspect that to some degree it was. This year, my walkabout kit was the Lumix G9 body and one lens...usually the Leica DG 9mm or 8-18mm ASPH, while the 50-200mm sat at home in the sling bag. This system did not weigh me down, nor seem likely to hit and injure itself or others. The one change for next time will be to take the 15mm f1.7 instead of the 9mm. Just a preference. At the end of the day, the wet conditions added punch to the already brilliant colors of the area. I did not have any goals in mind while shooting. It was just a family vacation, and mostly I was simply recording whatever caught my eye. But I seem to have captured the flavor of the different towns, and truly enjoyed the process. Success. So, it was school vacation week recently, and we spent three days down in Boston. This is "ol' stompin' grounds" for us, as my parents met there, I was born there, we were engaged there, and my wife attended undergrad there. It's a favorite city for the family for sure. We arrived just two days after the Marathon, but you'd never have known...the city hosts so many events and cleans up so quickly. Highlights were a Red Sox game...which they unfortunately lost...the Hayden Planetarium, and the Common and Garden. It's a great walking city. I took the GX85 and Leica DG 9mm [e-18mm] f1.7 ASPH along for the visit. Mainly as a trial run before our upcoming vacation in Canada. [I'd like to say 'annual visit', but covid ruined that tradition as soon as it started.] The 9mm is quite a departure from the other short Leica DG primes for MFT. It has a very noticeably plastic barrel for one, and more importantly lacks an aperture ring. When street shooting, which is broadly what I use these lenses for, I really appreciate the option to quickly select a rough aperture on the fly...without having to verify my choice on a screen or in the view finder. Move from bright sun to shadow? Open up a few. Done. And vice-versa. This lens does not allow for that. I've often described the GX85 paired with a 15mm Leica DG f1.7 as the digital equivalent of my M3 and 35mm Summichron. And it is. And it's small and light. But. I think the G9 is going to make the trek to Halifax. I really enjoy the larger finder and controls. And it handles the zooms much better. And the 15mm as well. It has an aperture ring for quick snaps. All the better. So, the GX85 is fun for a quick trip or around town, but I'll stop doubting the G9 when it counts. So my son and I flew to Paris to meet up with my wife, Bri, who was there for work. What a wonderful week of restaurants, museums, and shops.
I so love that a couple of friends 'got it' on this shot from my last post. I almost titled it 'Three Gulls'. Look closely, stay with me...
There is so much motion. So much going on. Not tooting my own, but what a story here if you just let your eyes wander. And the people! I've long held, after years of static landscape photography that was technically fine but lacking emotion, that only images of people connect with viewers. I also have the opinion that by and large B/W images are the most effective. And that's still the case, most of the time, for me anyway. But this, total serendipity, takes any viewer on a journey. Likely a familiar one. And that's what matters. That's what makes a photograph successful. Wonderful late afternoon light at Drift Inn Beach, Port Clyde, America.
--Lumix G9, Leica DG e-100-400mm, f4, ISO200 Well, it's finally Summer here in Maine. We tough out the six plus months of winter and mud season, and this is our reward.
It's very tempting to 'get away' to somewhere else now that travel is easier, but why would you?! We had friends over for a wonderful dinner, and then s'mores and sparklers on the lawn. Summer months are gorgeous here, and we make the most of it. --Lumix G9, Voigtlander e-21mm Nokton, 1.6sec a @ f0.95 ISO 200 The boy had his first winter break from school this month and we took the opportunity to get away, down to Clearwater Beach in Florida. We felt compelled to return early to beat the recent storm, but it was a wonderful week. With this new precedent set, the big question is where we'll head next time! The ability to get away from Maine in the winter is not only a great blessing, but perhaps a necessity. :)
--Lumix GX85, 12~32mm G-Vario, ISO 200 Wonderful evening with friends new and old, and a warm lazy next day at the house.
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Thoughts and musings on the photographic process by a recovering film lab owner.
Some photo sites we enjoy:
Magnum The Online Photographer John Paul Caponigro Onne van der Wal Kirk Tuck By Thom Steve Huff B&W Mag LensRentals DearSusan Archives
December 2024
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