Leica M Monochrom: best pics

[Flat Twin]

Flat Twin -nice look you are cultivating with these.

Thanks DwF,

I'm feel like I'm working my way along a learning curve with the camera. When I get it right the results are amazing, but when its wrong, its wrong! I'm also using Silver Efex Pro which is another learning curve!

I find that I can process a picture one day and really like it and then the next day I can go back to that same same picture and pick holes in it...

Personally I don't like the "digital" look that I sometimes see, basically I'm after a smooth'ish grain, medium contrast Ilford FP4/HP5 look and I think that I have a way to go yet! I seem to be doing the pushed Tri-X look to my eye! Too self critical? Maybe but I'll keep trying!

Having said all that, I like your recent shots above^^, what is your method?

Regards

Simon

 

[Flat Twin]

35mm Summicron ASPH version II

Turning the frozen earth. 29th December 2016 by Flat Twin, on Flickr

 

[cz23]

Some shots from a recent trip to Cabo.

This is also my first post so I figured I would include a selfie!

This camera (MM240) is really so amazing. I recently traded in my MP240 for it and dont miss the color one bit!

I shoot mostly BW film and this is camera really almost gets there!

Welcome, Nicholas, and nice contributions. I'm with you on color. I no longer have a color digital M and don't miss it at all. Looking forward to seeing more from you from Cabo and elsewhere.

John

 

[Alberti]

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

 

[DwF]

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

THank you for the greeting Alberti, I've been enjoying your posts /images here 🙂

Simon- It's funny how we get so close to the canvas, it ratchets up the self-critique until we lose perspective. I think that I was drawn to a look that is somewhere between grain and digital in what you posted here. We need a term other than "Noise"- a term like Bokeh" for controlled noise 🙂
The fact is we can try to emulate the look of silver but it will never be quite right if what we want is to really nail that look or texture. But we get something that in my opinion shines in other respects (word for controlled noise goes here🙂 and I see that in what you are doing. It's not just the "grain" but the interaction of the subject and play of light in the image.

As for me, I am working at getting to know the camera and don't get out with my camera as consistently as I'd like, so the process is slow. I will say that I have a tendency to use lower base iso and have to remind myself it is important to push it a bit because the MM1 can shine when pushed IMO -of course depending on subject matter.

As for method, I am doing the free 30 day trial with Capture One....jury's out on what I will settle on because Cap One is new for me. Generally though my approach is to keep it simple applying "Curves", first to establish the outer zones of the file and working to find the overall balance consistent with what I recall of the scene.

David

 

[DwF]

b minor!

b minor!

50mm Planar-C

 

[xayraa33]

Very Tmax 100 like, nice.

 

[airfrogusmc]

 

[pechelman]

A handful from the past few weeks. Had a few days of super cold days near a record low (~ -16F) and limited sunshine. But I always get excited that the new year has begun and we start seeing noticable gains in the amount of daylight now that the solstice has come and past.

Chainlink snow!

M1002562 by pechelman


M1002564 by pechelman

I've walked past these maybe a hundred or so times on my regular route, but this is the first time I've ever seen them. Guess it was the low angled light that brought them to my attn.

M1002569 by pechelman

Tree growing on the edge of a cliff growing into the prevailing wind direction. It was so windy this day I was tearing even with glasses on my face.

M1002615 by pechelman


M1002646 by pechelman


M1002657 by pechelman


M1002662 by pechelman

 

[DwF]

Hanging Branches

Hanging Branches

 

[Flat Twin]

35mm Summicron ASPH version II

Morning frost near Ipsden, Oxfordshire 5th January 2017. by Flat Twin, on Flickr

 

[cz23]

 

[airfrogusmc]

VERY NICE John...

 

[benlees]

airfrogusmc, your images have a nice rendering, if that makes sense! Your have your work flow dialled in!

 

[airfrogusmc]

airfrogusmc, your images have a nice rendering, if that makes sense! Your have your work flow dialled in!

Thanks so much.

 

[cz23]

VERY NICE John...

Thank you, Allen. It's the post office plaza, where there's often dramatic light.

John

 

[rhl-oregon]

John, i agree with Allen. You even have what I think of as homage to Airfrog horizontal stripes on the human subject.

But i also wanted to register how much I appreciated your recent MM studies, Allen. Your approach and subjects and light and tones are so usually recognizable; these recent shadowy black contrasty abstract images make me rethink what I thought I knew about your eye and temperament. In a good way, I mean. ;-)

 

[dof]

50mm Planar-C

As a guitarist for the past 39 years and a photographer for 33, I commend you on so deftly describing the relationship between a musician and their art as this single image does. "Well done!", I say!

 

[cz23]

As a guitarist for the past 39 years and a photographer for 33, I commend you on so deftly describing the relationship between a musician and their art as this single image does. "Well done!", I say!

DwF, somehow I missed this thread posting. It's a wonderful subject, great angle, and especially lovely processing. A middle gray lover's dream.

John

 

[DwF]

As a guitarist for the past 39 years and a photographer for 33, I commend you on so deftly describing the relationship between a musician and their art as this single image does. "Well done!", I say!

DOF Yes, it takes a guitarist to photograph one! 😉 This guitar was a surprise Christmas gift and she was a happy camper 🙂

John Wolf- I find myself stopping and noticing old posts I somehow missed- there are just so many images on RFF. I am having my ups and downs figuring out the MM but felt like the tonality of this one was what I was after. I thank you! And congratulations on your image with boy in Plaza- this is a really striking image!