Woody Campbell – Page 728 – 16 years of one photograph every day for the rest of my life

Friday October 19, 2012

WARREN CONNECTICUT – So here’s an experiment. I’ve been shooting almost solely for the last six weeks with my Leica Monochrom, a digital camera that shoots only in black and white but offers enhanced resolution and a distinctive film-like look (after some processing). It’s fall here and I’ve been working against the grain, generally a good idea, and shooting the New England foliage in black and white. I thought that I’d show you what the foliage looks like both ways today. First a black and white image taken with my Monochrom and a Leica 28mm Elmarit lens, and then an images taken in color with my M9 and the same lens. First the black and white:

After spending a bit of time with this I’ve decided I like it – it has the grittiness of a 1940s image shot on orthochromatic film.

Here’s the color images, taken a half mile from the first image and in color.

Not bad. Captures the moment but a bit pedestrian. For now I’m sticking with the Monochrom.

On this day one year ago: Thames Street.

Thursday October 18, 2012

NEW YORK NEW YORK – Not a lot going on today except for a party for Libby Klein at the River Club celebrating her recent marriage. Manhole cover taken with M Leica Monchrom and 35mm Summilux FLE lens; Libby taken with the same camera and Noctilux lens.

On this day one year ago: Punter.

Wednesday October 17, 2012

NEW YORK NEW YORK – I took a walk across Central Park today on a route that took me north of the Reservoir. I stumbled across a lovely cast iron Art Noeveau bridge that I either didn’t know about or had forgotten. Here it is captured with my Leica Monocrom and an 18mm Super Elmar lens.

An image from the Reservoir, heavily fixed up with software perspective controls – the high bright sky makes this look like a vintage image on orthochromatic film.

Self portrait. I posted this on an online forum (where I somethimes test-drive images); it was pointed out that my fly was open; I edited the problem out in Photoshop.

On this day last year: The Bull and Bear.

Tuesday October 16, 2012

NEW YORK NEW YORK – This is my third anniversary. I’ve posted a picture every day since October 16, 2009. I’ve reproduces below my October 16, 2009 picture, a Jean DuBuffet sculpture, that was my first post. This is my 1096th consecutive daily post.

I’m planning on continuing this indefinately. It takes discipline. It’s been like having a second job. I wake up every morning with the question “Where will I take my picture today?” But of course I’ve learned a lot about myself, photography and my subjects.

For today I got out on Second and Third Avenues with my Leica Monochrom with my Dual Range Summicron lens from the late 1950s.

I shot an image of an oldter building nestling into the arms of a new building on Second avenue on October 11. I struggled a bit with the very long dynamic range so I went back today and shot the same scene at the same time of day (but with a slightly different point of view and different lens) using an HDR technique. HDR is “high dynamic range” a technique that uses multiple exposures and specialized software to capture a longer dynamic range that is possible in a single image. The problem with HDR in general is that the resulting images have to have their dynamic range re-compressed (or “mapped”) back to the lower dynamic range of the viewing technology, a monitor or paper. The results are usually artificial looking. Some photographers have been using the technique, though, merely to tame highlights and make shadows transparent. So here’s the HDR rendering of the building on Second Avenue. Three exposures two stops apart taken with my Leica Monochrom and 18mm Super Elmar lens, and rendered in HDR Pro in Photoshop.

On this day last year: Picnic on the boat.

The first picture in my now three-year photo a day effort, from October 16, 2009:

Jean DuBuffet "Four Trees" One Chase Manhattan Plaza — Jean DuBuffet “Four Trees” One Chase Manhattan Plaza

Monday October 15, 2012

NEW YORK NEW YORK – This afternoon I had a meeting at the ICP where I found the pay phones hidden – perhaps out of embarrassment for this ancient technology. Taken with my Leica Monochrom and 35mm Summilux FLE lens. A bit earlier I caught a window washer out of my office window.

On this day last year: New Preston Kitchen Goods.

Sunday October 14, 2012

BREWSTER NEW YORK AND WARREN CONNECTICUT – Another day of shooting fall foliage with my Monochrom. This time with a 35mm Simmulux FLE lens. I focused on relative close ups to find some textures that the black and white camera could get some traction on. On the way back to New York this afternoon we stopped at the Red Rooster Drive-In in Brewster. Not many of these left. There’s a nice outdoor eating area; we overheard the conversion of some seniors at the next table: “Now isn’t this better than Macdonalds?” Yup.

On this day last year: Francesca’s friend.

Saturday October 13, 2012

WARREN CONNECTICUT – Back to a perfect display of fall foliage. Wildly colorful. And here I am shooting with my Leica Monochrom. In black and white. I’ve got a new lens, a Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit Asph. This lens is extremely compact making the Monochrom almost pocketable. It reputation on the Leica street is that it almost offensively sharp and high contrast, making it difficult to control in high contrast situations. I thought it might work well with the Monochrom’s flatish looking files, and it does. Here are some samples. Note that I’m using a yellow-orange filter here to darken the sky.

On this day last year: Chuck Close.