Tuesday, April 21, 2020

EXCELLENT PHOTOGRAPHY WITH A LEICA by MONIKA KOPEĆ


By Heinz Richter

There certainly are a large number of well-known photographers that rely on Leica cameras.  But like so often in life, there are a large number of unknown heroes that use Leica equipment very much to their advantage also.

My article about the Leica Digilux 2 (Leica's First Mirrorless Camera) a few days ago created a lot more interest than I expected.  After all, it is a relatively old camera that does not measure up to what Leica has to offer now.

Yet the camera is capable to produce high quality photographs, even by today’s standards.  As I explained, it was my first digital Leica.  It has done a great job for me.  I still like to use it, even though I have long since graduated to a Leica M240 with a large compliment of lenses.

Rather than sitting on a shelf, I turned the Digilux 2 over to my wife Monika Kopeć.  She has a degree in Art History from the University of Minnesota and she also graduated from the School of Communication Arts in Minneapolis. Combined with what I consider excellent photographic skills, she has produced some very good photographs with that camera.  Even though the the Digilux 2 is her main camera, she has produced some excellent work with other cameras (medium format and large format) as well.

Rather than trying to put her work with the Digilux 2 into words, it is obviously much better to show a selection of her work done with that camera.  As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.  

Trier, Germany

Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

Northern Germany

Neuharlingersiel, Germany

Patio in Minneapolis, Minnesota


Island of Spiekeroog, Germany

Island of Spiekeroog, Germany

Roman ruins in Trier, Germany

Inside the Roman city gate Portra Nigra in Trier, Germany

Minneapolis, Minnesota



Studio Shot
Sinar 4x5, digitized with Leica Digilux 2


For other articles on this blog please click on Blog Archive in the column to the right

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12 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 21, 2020 at 2:36 PM

    Wasn't the Digilux 2 just a 5 MP camera?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LEICA Barnack Berek BlogApril 21, 2020 at 2:37 PM

      It still is (sorry, I had to do that). Yes, 5 MP is all there is.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousApril 21, 2020 at 2:38 PM

      I find it hard to believe that the sample photographs were made with that camera.

      Delete
    3. LEICA Barnack Berek BlogApril 21, 2020 at 2:40 PM

      I assure you that they were. I have heard the same comment many times before. Maybe I should explain that all photographs I post in my articles in this blog are optimized in Photoshop.

      Delete
    4. AnonymousApril 21, 2020 at 2:41 PM

      Photoshop!? Isn't that cheating?

      Delete
  2. LEICA Barnack Berek BlogApril 21, 2020 at 2:42 PM

    Why? I take a photograph and optimize it. This is something photographers have done virtually from day one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousApril 21, 2020 at 2:44 PM

      But with photoshop it isn't any longer what the camera took.

      Delete
    2. LEICA Barnack Berek BlogApril 21, 2020 at 2:46 PM

      Of course Photoshop offers many possibilities to alter a photograph way beyond what the camera put on file or film. But that isn't the case here. I simply took what the camera put on the memory card and perfected it, made it look as good as possible.

      Delete
    3. AnonymousApril 21, 2020 at 2:48 PM

      But if you use photoshop, you alter the photo beyond what the camera saw. That is no longer pure photography like it is the case with film.

      Delete
    4. LEICA Barnack Berek BlogApril 21, 2020 at 2:54 PM

      I totally disagree. With film you virtually make a large number of changes from the very beginning. This starts with the developer. different developers impart different characteristics to the negative. Then, once developed, the negative needs to be enlarged. That means you choose a photographic paper based on its characteristics, then choose a contrast grade before making the exposure. Those choices substantially influence the final enlargements. In addition, to get optimum results, it is often necessary to dodge and burn, just as an example. All of this allows us to optimize the final image, to make it look as good as possible. That is no different than using Photoshop for the same reasons.

      Delete
    5. AnonymousApril 21, 2020 at 3:00 PM

      You are talking about black and white.

      Delete
    6. LEICA Barnack Berek BlogApril 21, 2020 at 3:05 PM

      Yes I was, but is it any different with color? There too you have a choice of different papers. Then you have to choose the correct filtration to assure proper color balance. Dodging and burning still applies as well. Even with transparency film there are many steps during the development which alter the final outcome. Most people don't need to do so because it is a lot easier to just have a lab do the processing. But then you have to rely on what the lab deems necessary to give you optimum results. and if you have a lab make enlargements from negatives, black and white or color, the same choices still have to be made. You just let the lab make those choices for you.

      Delete

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