In the footsteps of J. Allan Cash

[Koolzakukumba]

One of my photographic heroes is the pre-war British photojournalist J Allan Cash. He was one of the early Leica pioneers who made a living travelling the world with his camera.

The model he used at the start of his career was a Leica II with the Summar. I have a tremendous urge to get the same camera and lens to experience photography as he did. Leica IIs are common enough but it seems getting a good scratch and haze-free Summar might be difficult.

Has anyone else done a similar thing by following in the footsteps of another Barnack-wielding hero?

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

Has anyone else done a similar thing by following in the footsteps of another Barnack-wielding hero?

Nope, but I do have a couple of his books and heard him lecturing in London, sometime in the mid 'sixties. He used a Rolleiflex a lot, as well as a Leica. At least, that's the impression the books give.

His photography is very stylised, and very much of its time. I understand that the library he founded is still running.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Nice idea, but possibly more intellectually than pictorially appealing, for the reasons Sejanus Aelianus gives. Like SA I have a few of J. A. C.'s books and I agree that they are very much of their time.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Dralowid]

Look up Ravillious, can't remember his forename. Mostly Devon with a Summar.

 

[Bingley]

James Ravilious. He used an M3 and low contrast lenses for a lot of his shots of rural life in Devon.

 

[Koolzakukumba]

There's no doubt his pics, by today's standard, are dated but then 1970s photography often seems from another world, too. It's not for his photogaphy that I admire Cash but for his pioneering photojournalism. He documented Germany during Hitler's rise to power and Russia's communist experiment, as it was seen at the time in some quarters.

The guy had a varied and interesting life and I suspect I'd have readily traded places with him. For most of my walkabout photogaphy I use a Hexar AF. It would be great to see what problems Cash had to overcome shooting with a Leica II and Summar not, as Roger says, for pictorial reasons but as an intellectual challenge.

 

[Erik van Straten]

I have a book by him: Photography with a Leica, by J. Allan Cash, FIBP.FRPS.

I am curious what FIBP.FRPS means.

This book is however postwar, 1949. The pictures are technically very good. I think he used a coated Summar, but I know that of course not for sure. He often used a tripod and long exposures, so his Leica was not a II.

Erik.

 

[Koolzakukumba]

Erik,

By 1949, Cash had probably moved on to another camera but it was definitely a II and Summar he used pre-war. When you think that 35mm wasn't widely
accepted on Fleet Street until the 1960s, he was well ahead of the game.

 

[Erik van Straten]

it was definitely a II and Summar he used pre-war

Yes, I am sure he did. In fact I would like to see his earlier work very much. Maybe you can scan some material for us so we can get an idea how his early work was.
A II was and is a great camera and the Summar is a great lens.

Erik.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I have a book by him: Photography with a Leica, by J. Allan Cash, FIBP.FRPS.

I am curious what FIBP.FRPS means.

This book is however postwar, 1949. The pictures are technically very good. I think he used a coated Summar, but I know that of course not for sure. He often used a tripod and long exposures, so his Leica was not a II.

Erik.

Fellow of the Institute of British Photography, Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.

He died in 1974 so his images are still copyrighted and the J. Allen Cash picture library -- http://www.allancashpicturelibrary.com/search.asp -- would probably go after anyone who made unauthorized scans.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Dralowid]

I have a book by him: Photography with a Leica, by J. Allan Cash, FIBP.FRPS.

I am curious what FIBP.FRPS means.



Erik.

FRPS = Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society

FIBP = Fellow of the Institute of British Photographers


Michael

 

[Simon Bruxelles]

I sometimes wonder whether it is possible to do anything really fresh using such old technology. Cash and his contemporaries perfected the technical side of Barnack photography despite the limitation of slow films etc. Is there anyone now using these older cameras and lenses doing something original and innovative that would make them say "wow" (or more likely "top hole, old boy!")?

 

[Roger Hicks]

I sometimes wonder whether it is possible to do anything really fresh using such old technology. Cash and his contemporaries perfected the technical side of Barnack photography despite the limitation of slow films etc. Is there anyone now using these older cameras and lenses doing something original and innovative that would make them say "wow" (or more likely "top hole, old boy!")?

On the other hand, does freshness of vision depend on the age of the technology at all?

Cheers,

R.

 

[Dave Jenkins]

This is something I copied and saved several years ago. Don't remember who wrote it.

" James Ravilious' book "An English Eye" (1998, ISBN 1-85522-628-6) were taken almost exclusively with a Leica M3 and older lenses. The book includes a longish section (5 pages) on his tools and techniques, and demonstrate how using the M3 + VIOOH or Imarect, with uncoated Elmars and Hektors, in conjunction with the Zone System, helphim to get precisely the effects he wants. His prints are very even and smooth in tone, very well suited to his subject, the Devon countryside."

 

[Dralowid]

On the other hand, does freshness of vision depend on the age of the technology at all?

Cheers,

R.

...or the age of the photographer?

Humpf

 

[Dave Jenkins]

Neither of the above.

 

[johannielscom]

This is something I copied and saved several years ago. Don't remember who wrote it.

" James Ravilious' book "An English Eye" (1998, ISBN 1-85522-628-6) were taken almost exclusively with a Leica M3 and older lenses. The book includes a longish section (5 pages) on his tools and techniques, and demonstrate how using the M3 + VIOOH or Imarect, with uncoated Elmars and Hektors, in conjunction with the Zone System, helphim to get precisely the effects he wants. His prints are very even and smooth in tone, very well suited to his subject, the Devon countryside."

Also, Ravilious used home-crafted lens hoods, to shield the uncoated lenses from stray light.

In this thread (which had an interesting follow-up in which people started posting on 3D-printed custom hoods for several lenses), Roland posted an excellent write-up on how to create a hood yourself...

Just saying. 😉

 

[Simon Bruxelles]

"On the other hand, does freshness of vision depend on the age of the technology at all?
Cheers, R."

I'm sure it does not but perhaps the limits of creativity have been reached with 35mm rangefinders. Will anyone, for example, capture more or more decisive "decisive moments" than Cartier Bresson and if they did would it still be new and fresh? I use old cameras but sometimes I wonder whether it hasn't all been done before. So is the best I can hope for, creatively speaking, to do something as well as someone working in the pre-digital era, or is it possible to create something new using that technology?