My Leica and I

[Tomsmac]

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Perhaps some of you, like I, have never heard of the book “My Leica and I”. circa 1930’s.

What an absolutely fascinating book. Filled with stories from approximately 20 Leica users and their associated photographs. I wholeheartedly recommend it IF you can find a copy. Just a wonderful read and the photographs are fascinating as well. FWIW.

Edited June 8, 2022 by Tomsmac

[Tomsmac]

Forgot to mention, the complete name “My Leica and I…Leica Amateurs show their pictures” edited by Kurt Peter Karfeld.

[luigi bertolotti]

Thanks ! Does not look impossible to find (https://www.amazon.com/My-Leica-KARFELD-Kurt-Peter/dp/B000L3K542 ) and looks a fine item of the era...

[Tomsmac]

1 minute ago, luigi bertolotti said:

Thanks ! Does not look impossible to find (https://www.amazon.com/My-Leica-KARFELD-Kurt-Peter/dp/B000L3K542 ) and looks a fine item of the era...

I hope that you enjoy it!

[Tomsmac]

51 minutes ago, luigi bertolotti said:

Thanks ! Does not look impossible to find (https://www.amazon.com/My-Leica-KARFELD-Kurt-Peter/dp/B000L3K542 ) and looks a fine item of the era...

I look forward to hearing what you think. It’s astonishing how photographers of that day really underexposed their images with high contrast with very little midtones.

[Susie]

I've had a copy for many years.  It really sets the scene on amateur Leica photography about 1937.

[Tomsmac]

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43 minutes ago, Susie said:

I've had a copy for many years.  It really sets the scene on amateur Leica photography about 1937.

Oh, it really does! And the photographer’s tips! Here is someone, actually many shooters, from the 1930’s giving tips and training Exercises that are still pertinent and extremely helpful today. Just a wonderful book.

[luigi bertolotti]

9 hours ago, Tomsmac said:

I look forward to hearing what you think. It’s astonishing how photographers of that day really underexposed their images with high contrast with very little midtones.

Films, chemicals and printing papers were not as the ones that we darkroomers of '70s/80's  did use... 😉  I think that at those times the main goal for a Leica user was to minimize grain to achieve, for such a small negative, prints comparable from what one could have from a 6x9 (or even bigger) negative.

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by luigi bertolotti

[Pyrogallol]

9 hours ago, luigi bertolotti said:

Films, chemicals and printing papers were not as the ones that we darkroomers of '70s/80's  did use... 😉  I think that at those times the main goal for a Leica user was to minimize grain to achieve, for such a small negative, prints comparable from what one could have from a 6x9 (or even bigger) negative.

 

Bring back Agfa grade 6 paper, that I used in those days.

[luigi bertolotti]

Damn .. book undeliverable to Italy🤒

[Tomsmac]

20 minutes ago, luigi bertolotti said:

Damn .. book undeliverable to Italy🤒

Try Abebooks and Alibris

[pedaes]

Or Ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165444083566?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D457dc9e04b734ab7be098df0148d570e%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D165444083566%26itm%3D165444083566%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A449a747d-e830-11ec-a13a-3e19c5b21474|parentrq%3A4a175fce1810acb4ab6d6906fffec86e|iid%3A1

[Tomsmac]

2 hours ago, pedaes said:

Or Ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165444083566?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D457dc9e04b734ab7be098df0148d570e%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D165444083566%26itm%3D165444083566%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A449a747d-e830-11ec-a13a-3e19c5b21474|parentrq%3A4a175fce1810acb4ab6d6906fffec86e|iid%3A1

Thanks for helping!

[Tomsmac]

You guys may also like “Camera Girl” written in the ‘50’s. Not exclusively Leica but quite a bit.

[pgk]

On 6/8/2022 at 8:15 PM, Tomsmac said:

Perhaps some of you, like I, have never heard of the book “My Leica and I”. circa 1930’s.

My father had a copy on the bookshelf when I was a youngster. At some point it disappeared but I too, now have a copy on my bookshelf. It is a very evocative book, full of images taken and valued by their creators.

[Tomsmac]

2 minutes ago, pgk said:

My father had a copy on the bookshelf when I was a youngster. At some point it disappeared but I too, now have a copy on my bookshelf. It is a very evocative book, full of images taken and valued by their creators.

Indeed. The stories are remarkable. I noticed that a vast majority of the stories were written by doctors. I wonder if that’s a sign of their affordability for the time?

[Matlock]

Received my copy today. Fascinating and well worth searching for. 

[Tomsmac]

53 minutes ago, Matlock said:

Received my copy today. Fascinating and well worth searching for. 

Wonderful! Enjoy!

[pgk]

Just revisiting this thread because "My Leica and I" gives data about the lenses used for the photographs it contains. By far the vast majority are on 50mm lenses, the rest a mix of  35mm, 73mm, 90mm, 105mm and 135mm with just one 28mm and a 200mm. Obviously this reflects the available lenses and their relative prices I suspect, but I also wonder if it suggests that we have shifted because today many photographers would consider the 35mm lens as being as 'standard' as the 50mm if not more so. I would suggest that this shift may have started, albeit slowly, with the advent of the M and around 1960 this might have been accelerated by the introduction of aspirational lenses such as the 35mm Summilux? The book is a treasure trove of photographic information in that it reflects the use of Leicas by their owners and their lenses and subject matter from ~85 years ago.

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[pgk]

I will just add that the text is interesting and many of the comments regarding Leica cameras and the choices of lenses are equally valid today. There is a little discssion of wide-angles including the new 28mm lens and the difficulties of using this due to the potential to overemphasise foregrounds!