GETTING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE
By Kirsten Vignes, LeicaStore Miami
“Do you want to go to
India?”
“What are you talking
about, dad?” I half-laughed through the phone.
My father, a
recently-ordained pastor, eagerly explained that he’d been invited to India to
speak at a few pastors conferences being organized by his friends’ ministries.
“Everything will be lined
up for us,” he continued, trying to convince me. “Besides, it’ll be a good
opportunity to spend some time with your dear old dad.” He’s been using this
bargaining chip a lot more now that I’m grown up and live a thousand miles away.
Between wanting to support my dad and my unquenchable desire to travel, I
couldn’t say no. Besides, India is supposed to be a street photographer’s
dream, right?
Committing to the Leica CL
Fast forward a couple
months, and I was on a 16-hour flight en route to Hyderabad, India. Tucked beneath the seat in front of me was
the Leica CL, the newest addition to Leica’s interchangeable APS-C system. For
the past few years my go-to camera setup has been the full-frame Leica Q,
either solo, or accompanied by an also-full-frame Leica M with a single 50mm
lens. My decision to bring the cropped-sensor CL to India wasn’t an easy one.
For someone who is used to the comforts of a full-frame, it was hard to fathom
traveling to the other side of world with only an APS-C camera. But, the CL was
intriguing. With a sharp built-in viewfinder and simple button and dial layout,
it was reminiscent of both my Q and M. I could shoot in my usual style and feel
comfortable using it as my primary camera.
What ultimately solidified
my decision to take the CL was its compact size paired with the flexibility of
interchangeable lenses. For this trip, I was lucky enough to nab four of the
seven CL-system lenses currently offered: the 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL,
35mm Summilux-TL, 60mm APO-Macro-TL, and the new pancake prime, the 18mmElmarit-TL. I don’t normally travel with such a large array of lenses, but this
wasn’t my typical kind of overseas backpacking adventure, which usually
involves hostels, couch-surfing, and sometimes-sketchy overnight bus rides. In
such situations, lack of luggage space and security woes have taught me to
travel with only the camera gear I can carry on my person at all times. India
would be different though. I was staying in an actual hotel with my own private
room, and even more unprecedented, I was checking a bag. This meant I could
bring extra lenses and switch them up from day to day, feeling secure in
leaving what I didn’t use back in the hotel room.
My Leica CL setup.
Part I: Warangal
We got into Hyderabad at 3
AM and my dad’s friend, Pastor Jesroon, was waiting for us at the airport. For
the first week, we’d be staying at a hotel near his home in Warangal,
Telangana, a three-hour drive from Hyderabad airport. The second week, he’d be
handing us over to Pastor Israel in the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh.
Both pastors had lined up several pastors meeting as well as visits to local
churches.
We were dropped off at our
hotel in Warangal, advised to “take some good rest,” and to be ready in the
lobby by 7 PM for an evening service. We were also cautioned not to leave the
hotel because “maybe that’s not such a good idea” – just what a street
photographer wants to hear. This was frustrating, but after our first night in
town, I understood why. Warangal wasn’t really a destination for Western
tourists and my dad and I didn’t exactly blend in. Everywhere we went, heads
turned, crowds gathered and cameras clicked. There was no hope of being a fly
on the wall. I would have to leave the spontaneous, unposed street scenes to
Craig Semetko.
Our schedule was
structured pretty much the same day-to-day. Wake up. Eat breakfast. Be picked
up. Go to a pastors’ meeting or church service. Dine with the pastor’s family
or congregation. Be dropped off back at the hotel. Repeat. Despite my inability
to roam, I managed what street shots I could while being carted about town.
However, that first week in Warangal, most of my photographs were taken during
or after services.
Primary colors. 18mm
Elmarit-TL. 1/60th sec, /2.8, ISO 3200
Secondary colors. 35mm
Summilux-TL. 1/125th sec, f/1.4, ISO 3200
Praying. 35mm Summilux-TL.
1/160th sec, f/1.4, ISO 3200
The Good Book translated
into Telugu. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/60th sec, f/1.4, ISO 250
During services, I was
always designated a seat front and center behind the pulpit. At first it felt a
little confining and terrifying (I’m mortified of being in front of crowds.),
but after warming up, I realized this was an interesting angle and turned the
camera outwards, towards the congregation.
The pastor’s daughter.
35mm Summilux-TL, 1/60th sec, f/8, ISO 200
Floor seating. 18mm
Elmarit-TL. 1/60th sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200
It didn’t take long to
warm up to the CL. Just like my M and Q, I was able to dial in my auto ISO
settings, switch my shutter to AUTO, and shoot in aperture priority. After
initial setup, I shut off the LCD and the CL’s dual thumb wheels allowed me to
adjust every aspect of exposure, without having to ever go into a menu. Leica
cleverly added a center button within each thumb wheel, so you can easily
toggle the functionality of each. I had it set up so the right thumb wheel’s
primary function was Aperture, a quick press of the center button, and it
switched to ISO. The left thumb wheel set to Exposure Compensation as primary
functionality, and shooting mode (PASM) as secondary.
Leica’s auto ISO function
has become extremely advanced. If understood, it can be a powerful tool. By
dialing in maximum ISO and minimum (slowest) shutter speed, I’m basically
telling the camera to think like I do. Keep my ISO at 100 (base) as long as I’m
able to stay at 1/125th sec or faster. Once I run out of light and have to
start making changes, then boost the ISO. Keep raising the ISO until I hit
6400. These parameters worked for most situations. For unique lighting
situations such as extremely low light or back lit situations, I’d switch to a
manual shutter speed and/or ISO.
I found myself taking a
lot of photographs from rooftops – of the hotel, of the pastor’s house, of the
churches. I wasn’t allowed to wander out, but I could wander up. I always
travel with my Sirui 025x carbon fiber tripod. With a folded length of only 12
inches and weighing just two pounds, I can fit it in my Oberwerth Kate camera bag.
Any larger or heavier, and it would have been left at home. With the high ISO
capabilities of the CL and fast prime lenses like the 35mm Summilux-TL f/1.4, a
tripod wasn’t an absolute necessity, but I was happy to have it, allowing me to
to play around with different lenses and get cleaner nightscapes.
Warangal from the hotel
roof. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 23mm). 30 sec (tripod), f/13, ISO 200
Warangal from the pastor’s
roof. 35mm Summilux-TL (handheld). 30 sec, f/13, ISO 200
Shadows passing by.
11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 19mm). 1/6th sec (tripod), f/4.2, ISO 3200
Our last day in Warangal,
Pastor Jesroon and his family planned a day trip around their home state of
Telangana, which took us through a scattering of ruins from the Kakatiya
dynasty, through protected forest areas and past lakes and waterfalls (which to
our dismay weren’t flowing in the dry season). This outing not only gave me a
chance to see the Indian countryside, but also an opportunity to further
experiment with the different lenses I had brought, specifically the 11-23mm
(18-35mm equiv.). I’ve always been shy of super-wide angles, but India already
had me so far out of my comfort zone culturally, it only seemed natural to push
my comfort zone photographically as well. Besides, the Kakatiya ruins posed a
perfect subject for a super wide lens.
Warangal Fort. 11-23mm
Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 11mm). 1/60th sec, f/5.6, ISO 3200
Warangal Gate. 35mm
Summilux-TL, 1/160th sec, f/8, ISO 100
Kakatiya ruins. 11-23mm
Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 13mm). 1/250th sec, f/8, ISO 100
We probably spent most of
our time in the car that day, but as the sun fell behind Telangana’s rolling
hills and we sped back to Warangal, I couldn’t help but feel immensely
satisfied. Just as I was getting comfortable in Warangal, it was now time to
leave.
Fresh chilis. 60mm
APO-Macro-Elmarit-TL. 1/60th sec, f/2.8, ISO 100
Coming home. 18mm
Elmarit-TL, 1/1000th sec, f/2.8, ISO 100
Telangana sunset. 18mm
Elmarit-TL. 1/250th sec, f/8, ISO 500
Part II: Andhra Pradesh
The following day we
headed a few hours south to meet up with our second host, Pastor Israel. As
soon as we pulled up to our new accommodations, I could immediately tell this
next leg of our journey was going to be quite the change of pace. After our
first week spent in a bustling, sleepless city of 12 million, we were now
tucked away in a quiet lakeside oasis in the Andhra Pradesh countryside.
I would spend the next few
mornings exploring our hotel, the Vijay Vihar Resort, and the wildlife that
called it home. I would wake up at sunrise, sip my garam chai and watch as
exotic birds, wild boars and rhesus monkeys got about the day. Again, I found
myself grateful for the variety of lenses I had brought. The 60mm APO-Macro-TL
allowed me to get closer to nature both near and far. I was warned to not get
too close to the monkeys, so the 90mm (equiv.) focal length gave me enough
reach to get the shot, without riling up my excitable subjects. On the opposite
end of the focusing scale, the macro function allowed me to capture the color
and details of Vijay Vihar’s lush landscape.
The Vijay Vihar Resort.
11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 11mm). 1/250th sec, f/8, ISO 500
Bokeh. 60mm
APO-Macro-Elmarit-TL. f/2.8, ISO 125
Rhesus monkey. 60mm
APO-Macro-Elmarit-TL. 1/320th sec, f/2.8, ISO 100
After my morning retreats,
our entourage would head out for the afternoon. We spent most of our time in
small towns and gypsy villages, each with its own characters and story to tell.
Often times, the entire village would be waiting as we pulled up in our van,
throwing marigold petals, beating drums, and bearing welcome banners. By this
point in the trip I had learned to smile and accept the excessive, unwanted
attention. This was their culture; this was how they welcomed their guests.
Welcome party. 18mm
Elmarit-TL. 1/250th sec, f/8, ISO 125
Gypsy village waiting our
arrival. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 23mm). 1/320th sec, f/8, ISO 100
Drum escort. 11-23mm
Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 14mm). 1/125th sec, f/8, ISO 100
For each outing, I would
take two lenses with me, usually one wide angle and one longer lens. During the day, I would shoot any combination
of lens, but at night I would opt for the faster of the four lenses I brought:
the 18mm (28mm equiv.) f/2.8 and the 35mm (50mm equiv.) f/1.4. As an M shooter,
the 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 was always a favorite, so it comes as no surprise
that I gravitated towards the CL’s equivalent. Even though I had multiple
lenses with me, I still shot with a one-camera-one-lens mentality. I’d pick a
lens, mount it, and dedicate myself to that focal length. Changing lenses can
often be distracting, causing us unnecessary frustration and missed shots.
Open air service. 35mm
Summilux-TL. 1/125th sec, f/1.4, ISO 1250
Peaking in. 60mm
Macro-Elmarit-TL. 1/250th sec, f/2.8, ISO 250
The villages gave me the
freedom and security to explore and shoot. The communities were small, the
people curious and inviting. We were welcomed into homes and offered meals. In
one village, I was escorted with beating drums to a woman’s house where I was
dressed in her grandmother’s traditional tribal clothing. A crowd of women
giggled as they layered me in brightly colored fabrics and jewelry.
Being dressed. 11-23mm
Super-Vario-Elmar-TL. 1/125th sec, f/3.5, ISO 3200
Arriving for dinner. 18mm
Elmarit-TL. 1/60th sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200
Learning to sew. 35mm
Summilux-TL. 1/125th sec, f/1.4, ISO 3200
Garam chai. 35mm
Summilux-TL. 1/60th sec, f/1.4, ISO 500
After each service or
meeting, both in Warangal and in the villages, a local family would prepare a
meal for us, which was inevitably always chicken biryani, with the exception of
our last communal meal. On our drive to the village, Pastor Israel joked, “Today, we are having bird biryani.”
By bird, I assumed he meant chicken. Nope. He meant crow.
Eat crow. 11-23mm
Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 23mm). 1/125th sec. f/4.5, ISO 3200
Part III: Chennai
We were flying home by way
of Chennai, the sixth largest city in India, and Pastor Israel’s home. Arriving
in such a sprawling metropolis was a bit of a rude awakening after spending the
previous week in remote country villages. Western tourists dotted the lobby of
our hotel, Starbucks was just a quick jaunt down the road, restaurant menus
offered pizza and hamburgers. We were closer to home already. With only a day
in Chennai, we went out for some sightseeing and spent time with Pastor
Israel’s family.
Chennai. 11-23mm
Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 23mm). 1/500th sec, f/13, ISO 400.
Pastor Israel preparing
dinner. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/60th sec, f/1.4, ISO 1250
Pastor Israel’s dog, Harry
Potter. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/60th sec, f/1.4, ISO 2000
Part IV: Home
Of the 1,500 photos I took
during my two weeks in India, about 500 were taken with the 35mm, another 500
with the 18mm, 350 with the 11-23mm, and 150 with the 60mm.
If I had to pick only one
lens for the CL, it would hands-down be the 35mm (50mm equiv.) Summilux. I
might be a little biased as a die-hard 50mm shooter, but focal length aside,
the Lux proved its worth over and over again. With a two-stop advantage over
the other lenses in my bag, it let me take on tricky handheld night shots
without resorting to slow shutter speeds or ridiculously high ISO’s. As the only
Summilux in the TL system, it rivaled its full-frame equivalents in terms of
sharpness and bokeh. I was also surprised by the shallow depth of field I was
able to achieve with an APS-C sensor, one of my bigger concerns of giving up
full frame. I’m crossing my fingers that Leica will introduce more Summilux
lenses for the C/TL system.
Straw brooms. 35mm
Summilux-TL. 1/160th sec, f/2.8, ISO 100
Chilis drying on a
windowsill. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/60th sec, f/1.5, ISO 1600
When packing for this
trip, I threw both the 11-23mm (18-35mm equiv.) and the 60mm (90 equiv.) in my
bag thinking maybe I’d use them once or twice for the occasional architectural
or macro shot. I was surprised by how much I actually used both these lenses.
Even though I shot significantly less with 60mm, the percentage of “keepers”
was much higher than the other lenses. Because it allowed me to capture details
both near and far, I had just as many shots with 60mm as the other lenses in my
final edit.
The Vijay Vihar Resort.
60mm APO-Macro-Elmarit-TL. 1/640th sec, f/2.8, ISO 250
Lake Nagarjuna Sagar at
the Vijay Vihar Resort. 60mm APO-Macro-Elmarit-TL. 2 sec (tripod), f/13, ISO
100
The 11-23mm (18-35mm
equiv.) was the lens that surprised me the most. I’ve never been a big fan of
zooms or wide angles. Like changing lenses, zooming in and out always felt like
more of a distraction than anything else. Not to mention the commonly held
notions that distortion in super-wide angles is unavoidable and that zoom lenses
aren’t as sharp as their prime counterparts. The 11-23mm, however, breaks all
of these stereotypes. Leica has thrown the idea that zoom lenses are inferior
out the window. They’ve proved this with the SL’s 24-90mm and 90-280mm lenses,
and the 11-23mm furthers their case. It’s sharp edge-to-edge throughout the
focal range and distortion, even at the widest setting, is minimal.
1000 Pillar Temple in
Warangal. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 11mm). 1/60th sec, f/3.5, ISO 3200
With the 18mm (28mm equiv.)
attached, the CL weighed a mere pound and was reminiscent of a baby Q.
Protruding only one inch from the camera and virtually weightless, I barely
knew it was there. Slung across my shoulder and tucked underneath my sari,
nobody else knew it was there either. In an environment where eyes were
constantly following me, this proved to be the best setup for being discreet.
Washing clothes. 18mm
Elmarit-TL. 1/400th sec, f/5.6, ISO 100
One lens I didn’t have
access to but would have liked to bring along was the 23mm (35mm equiv.)
Summicron-TL. A stop faster than the 18mm and only slightly larger, it would
have given me a little more wiggle room in low light.
The CL at 24MP has the
same resolution as Leica’s full-frame cameras (M, SL, Q), but cramming the same
number of pixels onto an APS-C sensor comes at a cost: smaller pixels. This
generally results in more modest ISO performance and less dynamic range. This
was my biggest concern in shooting APS-C. Would it give me the same image
quality that I was used to in my Q and M? APS-C sensors have come a long way in
the last few years and I was eager to process the images and see just how close
the CL files came to Leica’s full-frame cameras.
In terms of dynamic range,
the Leica CL blew me away. In shots that were seemingly blown out, I was able
to bring back the highlights in Lightroom and recover an incredible amount of
detail.
Original file. Boat on
Laknavaram Lake.
11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 13mm). 1/160th, f/8, ISO 100
Processed in Lightroom.
Boat on Laknavaram Lake.
11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 13mm). 1/160th, f/8,
ISO 100
I was also pleasantly
surprised with the CL’s ISO performance. At 3200, the CL produces a nice, clean
file with well-defined shadows. Bump it up to 6400 and a well-exposed image
with a little noise reduction in Lightroom still makes a clear image. However,
push it to 10000 and things fall apart. While I haven’t done a side by side
comparison, I feel this is where I could separate the CL from my Q and M files.
The full frame sensors could manage at 10,000 what the CL could only handle at
6400. For being a smaller sensor, one stop less of ISO performance and
equivalent dynamic range isn’t too shabby at all.
Late night drives. 18mm
Elmarit-TL. 1/80th sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400
The CL is hands-down
Leica’s most compact and versatile interchangeable lens system. While the CL
doesn’t have the full-frame advantage, it makes up for it in its range of focal
lengths and flexibility. I don’t think the CL could ever replace my Q, but it
certainly compliment it. Since returning from India, I went on a hiking trip to
Zion National Park in Utah. I brought the Q, as well as the CL with the 35mm
(50mm equiv.) Summilux and 11-23mm (18-35mm equiv.). This was a nice combination.
Not only did this setup provide an extra body – God forbid one were to tumble
down Angel’s Landing – but it also gave me a faster 28mm.
Both India and the Leica
CL forced me out of my comfort zone. With a camera I never thought I would
shoot, in a country I never dreamt of traveling to, I broke my own rules and
discovered a new way of shooting.
For the original article and additional images go here
Kirsten Vignes
For the original article and additional images go here
Kirsten Vignes
Kirsten is a
Leica Specialist with Leica Store Miami. She's originally from Minnesota, but
much prefers the sunshine and warmth of South Florida. Kirsten loves
photography, which she studied at Rochester Institute of Technology, graphic
design, her growing cat collection, traveling, movies with mythical creatures
and, of course, coffee.
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