Pearl Harbor and an M9

[marcoinhawaii]

Thanks to a rental with Josh at Hawaii Photo Rental in Honolulu, I got to photograph the 70th anniversary of attack on Pearl Harbor with an M9 and an older 50mm Summilux. Along with my cameras, I shot quiet a wide range of images and tried to use the Leica as much as I could but with much easier to use Canons, I found myself relying on those as opposed to the somewhat limited M9.

Now when I say limited I mean I was still able to capture some really nice images.

I think what really was nice about the M9 was the handling and the size. Some might say the Olympus Pen or other small cameras do the same the Summilux lens proved to be a fantastic lens. The bokeh felt much more...well..there are others that can describe this more than me but i felt it was something else. Canons do a fine job at this but the feeling isn't quiet the same. Even the flare in the first photo of the Buddhist monks really made an impact.

The metering seems primitive in my opinion due to Canon's matrix etc...but again, if you are a professional or understand your camera/tool, you can probably compensate a situation before you snap a picture. I would quickly shoot something, see it was under or over and compensate as fast as my thumb could move. I automatically know how to compensate by seeing what people are wearing, background, etc...and know instinctively how to fix that before I even shoot it. Again, if I shot and owned one I would probably be as efficient with it like a Canon. Put a Nikon DSLR in my hands and I would probably fumble just as much as I did with the Leica.

As far as the images go, I felt the sensor was sensitive enough to quickly go wrong...oddly like film. I was shooting scenes where I'd review images and see there were blacks because I under exposed. I can't get blacks like that with a canon because of the dynamic range of the camera. Again in my opinion, the range of modern dslrs really takes away some mystery as everything is recorded. I've pulled major detail from canon files that were files that were up down 4 stops. The Leica kept blacks black and whites white.

Looking at the images now, they feel like film.

Am I crazy?

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I like the last two photo's, I find the flare in the first one distracting.

As far as the evaluation of the M9- the operation is much closer to a 1970s Nikkormat EL as far as exposure goes. Simple aperture preferred automatic with manual over-ride.

As far as dynamic range: I shoot uncompressed DNG and use Lightroom 3.5 for conversion to JPEG. I've not run into a dynamic range issue. But again: I've used SLR's since 1971 and rangefinders since 1969. It's just what I am used to. I feel uncomfortable with a modern DSLR because their are too many options and modes. And I've used DSLR's since 1993.

It's something to see these veterans from both sides return on the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. This past weekend I attended the funeral of a coworker that started at the Lab in 1943. He retired last year, due to health. The greatest generation, and my friend was a real inspiration.

 

[marcoinhawaii]

survivors

survivors

Over the years I documented this event, vets from both sides attended the memorial. I'm not sure when the first Japanese pilots arrived but from what I understand, many of the American vets were not happy as you can understand. I think the Japanese came during the 50th anniversary. Lots of the Americans wounds were still fresh and lots still had the ol' piss and vinegar in their veins.

One Japanese vet, Zenji Abe, was one of the first seeking ... for lack of a better word ... forgiveness. Maybe I should say seeking reconciliation. Many vets on both sides knew it was just a job either one had to do. Abe made it a promise to return as much as he could to pay his respects to the men he killed. One of the most powerful images I had from one of those years is when Abe was at the Memorial wall on the Arizona Memorial...he bowed and prayed at the wall. At the end he reached out and touched the names with his gloved hand and looked away. Powerful indeed.

If you can imagine, the vets knew they were killing each other, propaganda aside. Years later when the piss is gone, the memories...and pain...still exist. It was Abe's way to heal himself. He died a few years back but his daughter still attends the ceremony. She and I remain friends and from what I understand, my portrait of her father remains on their alter at their home for him.

As far as the leica goes, I've only started to use that format about five years ago. Its still a new tool to me but I am seeing how to make it work with my images. I just wish I could make it autofocus, matrix, and take about a dozen pictures with just one touch...wait...uh...well never mind.