Monochrome with the Leica X1

As the new year approaches, I look fondly back at my photographic year, it started with my ’50mm for fifty days ‘ project, a way of keeping my gear to a minimum , while challenging my creativity.

The minimal idea worked very well until August, that’s how long it took to reach the fiftieth day, then I decided to ‘adopt’ and use some older cameras bought for bargain prices, this is where my collection started to grow quite rapidly.

One such camera to find its way into my collection was a Leica X1, my first foray into the world of the famous ‘red dot’, some purists may argue this camera is not a ‘true’ Leica but I care not a jot, I have come to really love using this camera.

Just as the Fujifilm Xpro 1 and the original Fujifil X100, the X1 was described as slow and clunky but the images produced by its fixed 23mm (35mm full Frame) are exceptional.

Known for it’s exceptional monochrome rendition, Leica cameras are legendary, so I thought I would explore for myself as I took just the X1 for a camera walk around the River Exe yesterday.

The remnants of the earlier rain showers were perfect for shooting monochrome, so no better time to see exactly what the X1 could do.

If I decide to embark upon some sort of project in 2023, there is a good chance the X1 may form a part, for now, I will continue to enjoy the gems I acquired in 2022.

Perhaps I could set myself the goal of buying no more gear in 2023, I think there would be a good chance that I might fail miserably!

As a final word of this year, I wish all my followers and fellow bloggers a very happy and creative 2023!

Getting my mojo back

As the Christmas cold bug from hell finally consigns itself to a back stage role, today was the first time in a couple of weeks that I have felt like getting out with the camera.

It may have just been a gentle stroll along the banks of the River Exe but it was the perfect tonic from a constant feeling of lethargy and a complete lack of creative spark.

Not wishing to lug a huge camera with me, my Lumix GF2 with a 20mm (40 mm for those that like equivalence figures) was the perfect tool to capture a few images along my route.

My walk was accompanied by some late December sunshine, a welcome visitor after seemingly endless days of grey skies but there was a keen chill to the air, to give enough incentive to keep a brisk pace.

Today’s walk was more about getting a few miles under my belt and getting back to a sense of normality but it’s always good to capture a few images and feel that my creative mojo is on the mend.

December malaise

December 21st, my first blog entry for this month, which even by my own irregular posting patterns is somewhat tardy.

While I have taken plenty of photos, I seemed to have lacked the spark to weave the words around the images, the story behind the picture, you get my drift, we shall call it a December malaise.

The majority of December’s images have been from my walk back from work, taking in the Christmas market and the high street as the festive season gets closer, there are also a few out of town shots, my walk via the canal side back home for that welcome post work brew.

Most of these shots are taken with either my GF2, GF6 and canon s95, g11 , or Lumix LX5 cameras, the stars of my 2022 photographic year