A Personal Challenge
There was a time when I really enjoyed photography. I loved snapping photos of everything, but most particularly the people that I shared life with. I remember always having a random film camera on me when Indiana was little, and capturing every tiny detail. It was truly a joy.
A Lost Passion
Sometime down the road, I lost interest in capturing moments. I think a few things contributed to this. Firstly, having more children. Secondly, moving to another state and then back. Finally, getting paid to make videos. When your creative outlet becomes your financial means it becomes easy to lose the joy, especially if you dislike what you create and how you create it. Needless to say, I put down the camera for a while, and only captured moments here and there.
Another factor that I think also contributed to my lack of photographic interest, was a switch to a Sony Camera system. This was a practical move, the industry had embraced the technology and was also the gear of choice for my employment. For a while, it worked just fine, but I honestly never enjoyed using a Sony camera. I still feel ambivalent when I pick up a Sony Camera. True it’s a tool, but to me, they feel more like a modern hammer you’d get from Harbor Freight as opposed to the heirloom ESTWING you found in your Grandpa’s shed. Tools matter! If you hate the tool, you won’t enjoy the craft. Perhaps the reason why I loved photography so many years ago was more based on my chosen tool, vintage film cameras. One particular camera stood a little taller than the rest, the Leica M3. My gosh, I loved that camera, especially with B&W film. The day I sold that camera I was immediately filled with regret.
Leica M3 Samples:
Grandmothers & Chosen Tools
Before my grandmother passed away, she and I had an honest conversation about how I had lost passion for something I truly loved. She encouraged me to reconnect with my passion, for no other reason than for myself. That conversation spurred my desire to photograph these tiny moments again. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed creating for the sake of it. I also forgot how much I needed an outlet.
I knew I needed a proper tool for the job, and I thought I would just buy another M3. When I started to factor in how much it would cost for me to buy another M3, lens, film, and pay for development for a year's worth of photos I realized that it would be cheaper to buy a Digital Leica. So I took a gamble. I found an old Leica m240 on KEH and pulled the trigger. My hope was that I would connect with this Digital Camera in the same way I connected with the film version. Would I love it? Or, would I regret the decision and go back to film. Turns out… I love it!
The Challenge:
As it turns out the Digital Leica functions almost identically to the Leica M3. The things that have been added (light meter, faster shutter speed, LCD display, etc) don’t take away from the experience, and I find myself shooting it in the same way I did with my M3. I carry it everywhere and snap everything. In these past few weeks, I’ve captured some of my favorite images. My love for photography for the sake of photography has returned, and I look forward to carrying this thing everywhere.
Since my creative juices seem to be flowing again, I thought it might be fun to start a weekly experiment. I guess you could call it a personal challenge. My goal is to take at least one picture every day that I like and make a weekly post with my favorites. It might be a bit bold, but I think it’s worth a shot.
