Reflecting on the right approach towards advanced modern cameras (e.g. M11) - Om Malik's photo blog

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Well known analyst/journalist/blogger Om Malik occasionally writes about his experiences with Leica cameras (and other photographic devices, whatever is at hand).

I greatly enjoyed his attitude and approach exhibited in his photography related blog posts: https://om.co/photos/

Favorite quotes that to me exemplify 'Das Wesentliche' include "Pelicans flying over the restless waters of San Francisco Bay. I captured a few such formations using the Leica M11 camera with a Leica Summilux-M 90mm f/1.5 ASPH Lens [...] I set the lens to focus on infinity. I intentionally wanted to avoid sharpness. Instead wanted to render what my eyes were seeing and what I was feeling."

This is where it's at, and what I find refreshing and inspiring. Om is not indifferent towards using the latest toys (you don't buy a M11 and Summilux 90 if you don't care). Rather, in his photography, he is not limiting himself by paying any attention to chasing purely 'technical' outcomes, which in the grand scheme are completely meaningless.

[RexGig0]

Certainly an interesting choice; focusing on infinity, so that the pelicans are slightly out of focus. Having first read his words, before looking at the images, I appreciate and like the effect.

Recently, I was trying to “chase” a repeatedly circling and diving osprey, at an inlet, using my Summilux-M 50mm ASPH, on an M10, using the rangefinder, a true “workout.” The osprey was occasionally, but not always, at infinity. In some of the images, the distant petrochemical infrastructure is at infinity focus, while the osprey, and a tree nearer than the osprey, were out-of-focus. I had thought of my images as, largely, failures, but, perhaps I should take another look.

As an educational exercise, based upon Om Malik’s work, I should take my Thambar-M to the beach, and shoot at infinity, with the helpful, predictably low-flying Brown Pelicans. No need to wear my eyeglasses! 

Edited to add: I do not (yet) have an M11, so, an M10 or M Type 246 will have to do.

Edited July 27, 2022 by RexGig0

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4 hours ago, mzbe said:

Well known analyst/journalist/blogger Om Malik occasionally writes about his experiences with Leica cameras (and other photographic devices, whatever is at hand).

I greatly enjoyed his attitude and approach exhibited in his photography related blog posts: https://om.co/photos/

Favorite quotes that to me exemplify 'Das Wesentliche' include "Pelicans flying over the restless waters of San Francisco Bay. I captured a few such formations using the Leica M11 camera with a Leica Summilux-M 90mm f/1.5 ASPH Lens [...] I set the lens to focus on infinity. I intentionally wanted to avoid sharpness. Instead wanted to render what my eyes were seeing and what I was feeling."

This is where it's at, and what I find refreshing and inspiring. Om is not indifferent towards using the latest toys (you don't buy a M11 and Summilux 90 if you don't care). Rather, in his photography, he is not limiting himself by paying any attention to chasing purely 'technical' outcomes, which in the grand scheme are completely meaningless.

It's refreshing to find a photographer with an M11 photographing what they see rather than what the camera see's for them. Having trouble keeping up with the pelicans flying across the Bay and photographing that experience is so much richer than stopping motion with a fast shutter speed and image stabilisation. People should try it, if for example you are squinting into the sun photograph the light and not demand more DR to defeat it, or asking the camera to reveal what's in the dark shadows of the night time that you can't see into yourself. 

[mikelevitt]

I find this very close to the approach of my friends who use plastic lens Holgas in order to get blurry photos with unplanned flare and light leaks, and consider themselves great artists for doing so.

Having said that, I like the seagull photos.  Very restful and relaxing, and better than if they had been in focus.

It's a paradox!!