Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm f1.5

Erik van Straten said:
gelatin silver print (heliar classic 50mm f1,5) leica mp

Erik.
Click to expand...

Erik, whenever I see your pictures, an interview with the great Bill Brandt comes to mind. The interviewer asked him why he never places the main subject in the middle of the frame and Brandt was so surprised to hear it that he started going through his pictures - he never noticed it before but it was sort of his photographic signature.

When I was reading photography magazines in the 90, they were urging people to use the "Rule of thirds" to make composition more interesting. I never managed it as AF SLRs had the AF sensors mostly in the centre. All my pictures therefore have the main subject in the centre of the frame.

You have been using rangefinders for so long that gave you this freedom to compose and you have mastered it without knowing. For me, it is kind of your signatures when I see a picture.
 
Thank you, Pan. Focusing and composing are automatic with me. I try to do it without thinking, as a kind of meditation. Only when I want lines parallel, I carefully compose. I don't like it when photos are skewed especially as this is very distracting when you see the photos online. I also don't like it either when the negative is cut off when printing,

I like the statement of Robert Capa: "Get close. Then, get closer."

Erik.
 
gelatin silver print (heliar 50mm f1.5) leica mp

This is my first shot with the lens stopped down a bit.

51711881343_52f8ed4d5e_b.jpg
 
raid said:
Wonderful image, Erik. Simple composition, but powerful effect. I can "feel" the stretching out in the cold.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Raid; the strong light from the left on the white clothes gives a striking effect on the original print that unfortunately cannot be copied on the scan.

Erik.
 
Which exact model of the 50 1.5 Heliar are you using? There are several CV 50 1.5 lenses now.
 
Raid, I do have the Heliar 50mm f/2 (collapsible black); I really like the lens optically (no distortion at all), but I hate the way the shade is mounted (bayonet in bright chrome), so I didn't use it very much. I keep it because it is the only collapsible Leica lens in black. This lens does not have the - consciously applied - quirk of the 50mm f/1.5 of imperfect correction for use at full aperture wich makes the 50mm f/1.5 unique amongst modern lenses.

Erik.

gelatin silver print (heliar collapsible 50mm f2) leica mp

48012498418_697d7557d1_b.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom