Leica Akademie Workshops

[michael friedberg]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I'd be interested in reactions, including who is planning to attend and any tips from those who have attended prior ones.

 

I'm planning on attending the M9 workshop in Chicago next month.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[kkochheiser]

Hi Michael, I attended the one in Indianapolis last June and had a great time meeting 10 other M9 shooters (including a couple on this forum) and learning from 2 experts. It was definitely worth my time and a good opportunity to learn from experts and try any of the Leica lenses. Plenty of tips on workflow plus anything else you wanted them to discuss. Definitely worth my time. feel free to email me if you have any questions.

 

Kent

[mcameraguy]

I am attending the X1 workshop in Vancouver, BC on Oct 22. They are only giving an M9 workshop in Seattle ( I can't afford an M9 at the moment). I hope I'll be able to meet other interesting Leica enthusiasts...and see the new Black X1.

 

Does any one know whether the "coupon" Leica gives you can be used at time of purchase or is it mail in after purchasing at full price?

[Overgaard]

I attended the one in Los Angeles earlier this year and it was well worth the time. You meet with other Leica users, the people from Leica North America, get to see the current Leica lineup of cameras and lenses and you get a run-through of the M9 idea, shooting style, the menus of the camera and all.

 

There is also usually a photographer showing his portfolio and telling how he uses the M9, and there is coffee and brochures.

 

It's not a life-changing event but it puts things in perspective and gives you all you need to know about the M9 (which is thankfully not that much compared to a Canon dSLR workshop which would be a week just to get through the menu ;-)

 

It's not a hands-on workshop where you got shoot or learn a lot about Henri Cartier Bresson. It's a factory briefing about their product.

[Shootist]

I am going to the M9 workshop in Atlanta although I don't own a M9 (I do have a M8).

It is next weekend, Oct 16, and I have not been informed of where it is being held.

Maybe there aren't enough people around Atlanta for them to bother. We'll have to wait and see.

[tdtaylor]

I attended the M9 session earlier this year in Washington DC-I assume this latest round of sessions is similar. I had my M9 and was quite familiar with it when I attended, so 3/4 of the session was not very beneficial- that of reviewing menus, setting, etc. The Pro presentation part of the session was fascinating, being a photographer from the Washington Post, as was the opportunity to handle lenses and try them out.

 

They had one sample of most of the lenses, and 9 M9s. The participants worked with the cameras while the presenter when though the settings and menus. If you were considering buying an M9, I feel it would be excellent opportunity to try the camera and lenses. Most of those attending the session I attended were in that situation.

[michael friedberg]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I am going to the M9 workshop in Atlanta although I don't own a M9 (I do have a M8).

It is next weekend, Oct 16, and I have not been informed of where it is being held.

Maybe there aren't enough people around Atlanta for them to bother. We'll have to wait and see.

 

Me too (although I have an M9) --I'm going Tuesday to the one in Chicago and haven't heard yet about the location.

 

--Also, thanks to all others for their replies; very helpful and appreciated.

[arminw]

I have only ever been to the ones held by leica in wetzlar Germany ,and it was well worth it! If the American ones are as good , then I can only recomment them .

[thetoness]

I attended the M9 Workshop in Philadelphia today hosted by Tom Smith. I learned more in one day then I have learned about rangerfinder shooting to date. It was spectacular. I would encourage you to attend.

[Shootist]

Me too (although I have an M9) --I'm going Tuesday to the one in Chicago and haven't heard yet about the location.

 

--Also, thanks to all others for their replies; very helpful and appreciated.

 

Have you heard anything from Leica yet as to where this workshop is to be held?

 

I have not and the workshop in Atlanta is 5 days away. I really don't want to get up on Saturday, Oct 16, and find out I have to drive X number of miles to get to the one I'm going to.

[Guest WPalank]

I'll be a speaker at the M9 Akademie next week 10/19 in San Francisco. Besides presenting images (projector), I plan on going over my PP workflow and bringing some large M9 prints out of my Epson 7900 and ImagePrint RIP.

[michael friedberg]

Have you heard anything from Leica yet as to where this workshop is to be held?.

 

Yes, they e-mailed on Friday (for a Tuesday workshop).

[michael friedberg]

I'll be a speaker at the M9 Akademie next week 10/19 in San Francisco. Besides presenting images (projector), I plan on going over my PP workflow and bringing some large M9 prints out of my Epson 7900 and ImagePrint RIP.

 

I would have loved to attend "your" workshop. Good luck.

[Shootist]

Yes, they e-mailed on Friday (for a Tuesday workshop).

 

Thanks for the update.

[deirdre]

WPalank, well, I'll meet you next week then!

[deirdre]

I'd meant to post my trip report here; I've posted it on other forums.

 

 

I spent the day at the Leica Akademie in San Francisco along with 19 other camera enthusiasts, a local professional photographer, and two Leica representatives, both named Tom. As with many trips into the city, it began early with a trip on Caltrain.

 

The venue was the Hotel Triton, a funky little Kimpton hotel. The small conference room on the second floor was where we met: three large round tables for the class members, the altar of cameras and lenses at the front, and coffee at the back (which I sorely needed). You will see just how funky this place is later....

 

About half the people already owned either a Leica M8 (the previous model, Leica's first digital M-series camera) or the current production M9. A couple extra people had owned previous Leica film cameras; the Leica M series has remained essentially similar since the mount changed on the M3 in 1954.

 

After a brief introduction to the cameras and the basics of focusing, we filled out forms and then selected a camera and our lenses. Most people, including myself, took a single lens. As I was carrying around someone else's expensive camera, I opted for one of the smallest (and thus least expensive as small generally also equals slow) lenses -- a 28mm Emarit f/2.8, which is a nice wide-angle lens for a city street or general landscape. There were a wide variety to choose from, and there was at least one Noctilux (the most expensive lens currently in production), but I was afraid I'd trip and smash it or something.

 

 

We wandered around the room on a break and I took this photo. Absolutely nothing's in focus, but hey, I was learning and it's "artsy" despite the focus fail.

 

I'd been trying to aim at the glitter, but maybe that was the wrong tactic. Perhaps a better one would have been focusing on the strong vertical, tilting artsily (more than I did; it looks like I was drunk rather than merely caffeine-deprived), and then snapping.

 

We were taught about focus and hyperfocal photography, and were challenged to try to take photos without looking: to set a distance and learn to work within that limit.

 

Then it was time for the local photographer, William Palank, to come talk. His specialty is what he calls "environmental portraiture," and the image he had in mind when he says that is the same one I thought of: Steve McCurry's photo, "Afghan Girl." Palank takes photos in Southeast Asia, primarily, and I would like to point out two in particular: first, the haunting and beautiful Child Monk, taken in Burma, and the comedic Gangs of Phnom Penh, taken in Cambodia.

 

Then it was time to play in earnest!

 

We all trundled downstairs, picked our directions, and headed off with one of the three instructors. Two of the groups headed north into Chinatown, which is the direction I headed.

 

I found a bronze statue of a mermaid (I like mermaids, and this one is a particularly nifty example) and snapped a few photos, of which this one is my favorite.

 

Here's a few other photos:

 

Street lamp.

 

The best of my street shots of people.

 

And other shots: one two three four five

 

And some of the hotel's entrance and lobby. In these (and in some of the other pictures I haven't posted in this thread), you'll note one quirk I found: I kept framing thinking the right edge of the shot stopped short of where it actually did:

one two three four

 

On the last one, in retrospect, I should have focused on the strong vertical elements in the back of the chaise. Oh well.

 

When I went, I had the following questions:

 

1) Given that an M9 is heavier, is it still something I could comfortably handle for a long day's venturing out? Yes.

2) Was I able to get over the fear of having an expensive camera? I think so.

3) Was it something I enjoyed shooting with? Oh, yes.

4) Was I able to focus quickly and reliably? For the most part, even though I hadn't used a rangefinder for 20 years (and my eyes definitely aren't what they used to be). In fact, I throw away more photos when manually focusing my GF1. Approximately 2/3 of my photos were usable focus-wise. Sometimes I took 2-3 takes of a scene and only kept the best, so I kept about 1/3 of my total photos. Not all would normally be "keepers," but each has a lesson about what I needed to focus on, so they're keepers in that sense.

 

My complete set of the photos from the day's shoot can be found here.

 

At the end of the day, we spent time going over features of Lightroom, which was pretty cool. I have been a combo iPhoto/Photoshop user for so long, I'm not sure I'll switch to it, though. Some of what I liked about the layout in Lightroom I now have in iPhoto '11 and I need to upgrade my laptop before doing any serious change of photo process.

[andybarton]

Don't forget that two senior forum members here run the Akademie workshops in London.

[Guest WPalank]

Anyone know of an alternate sign up page for the "Leica M9 Akademie Fall Workshop" other than this one?

Leica Camera AG - Leica M9 Akademie Fall 2010 Workshops

 

Both events in San Francisco only list the Oct. 19 past workshop. I know there is one upcoming this Friday, Nov. 12 because I'll be presenting. The reason I ask is that a friend of mine might be interested in attending and I have nowhere to send him online.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[adan]

William - I'll call my Leica rep tomorrow (Sunday) am and see what she suggests. By odd coincidence, I was called in - by her - to serve as an impromptu presenter at today's Akademie in Denver (scheduled local presenter fell ill). Talked a little about "people" shooting, handed around some M9 prints, took questions on everything from lens preferences to color calibration.

 

For those interested, this is primarily aimed at people new to Leica or rangefinders, or new to digital, or those just curious to try the M9. If you already "get" RFs and already have a stable processing and image management workflow and already own an M9, the only other reason to attend is to try out exotic Leica glass (Summilux 21, 24, 35(new) - the 50 f/0.95), with a decent couple of hours devoted to shooting "out in the world." Think a "Leica Day" on steroids (and with lunch )

 

The main presenter from Leica was, IMHO, well organized, a real-world photographer who imparted knowledge and useful tips and not sales talk. Recommendations on sensor cleaning (Giotto Rocket blower, Arctic Butterfly), importing images, backup techniques, quicky course on LightRoom3 and how to incorporate it into ones' existing file system or workflow. I've been doing this for 20 years and still got some useful new info, myself, (and hopefully also provided some).

[deirdre]

Anyone know of an alternate sign up page for the "Leica M9 Akademie Fall Workshop" other than this one?

Leica Camera AG - Leica M9 Akademie Fall 2010 Workshops

 

Both events in San Francisco only list the Oct. 19 past workshop. I know there is one upcoming this Friday, Nov. 12 because I'll be presenting. The reason I ask is that a friend of mine might be interested in attending and I have nowhere to send him online.

 

I thought Nov 12 was an X1 workshop?

 

Oh, that's the 13th. I see the 12th listed here.