Archimedes once said, “Give me a lever and a long enough fulcrum which to place it and I shall move the world.” And that’s exactly how I feel about the Panasonic GF1. Forthcoming is not a review of the GF1 but just some sentiments that are ruminating upstairs.
There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs. – Ansel Adams So about this image. I had “One Time” from across the street and I knew he was coming my way. I had seen him before around my previous photo walks but this time the setting was just right. My GF1 was around my neck and as he approached(I was on the corner of the street) I began pressing that shutter until this last frame, he was right there, then tells me if I wanted to buy a chain, which I politely told him “no thanks” and then he replied “one time”.
These past two weeks have been filled with lots of emotions. First, I said good bye to a friend I only met for a few days – the Olympus EPL2 and secondly I greeted a new one – the Panasonic GF1, admired and coveted by many, and thirdly I got to photograph a small section of Little Havana. Photography for me is a very emotional craft If I feel like photographing, which more often than not I do, then its a therapeutic break which I often seek, but if I don’t, then I don’t try to go out just for the sake of photographing but today all engines were running. Just to open, I must say that if you get a chance to visit Miami and you’re a fellow tog, then its a pit stop you must do. From my own personal experience, I can tell you that the culture is not to conducive towards roaming around or better said, veering off Calle Ocho and just going on random photo walk because it …
We photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing, and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth can make them come back again. We cannot develop and print a memory. – Henri Cartier-Bresson
I’ll make a confession. Most days I feel the urge to photograph, its just something inside that tells me “go out there, just go” and time permitting, I often do as that voice tells me(figuratively speaking). I could be having a not so good day but photographing the faces, the drama, and the scenes that unfold on the streets makes me feel incredibly sedated and instantly better. Today, was one of those days. The weather in Miami is incredibly unpredictable. One moment it will be the “Sunshine State” and just out of no where, the skies will turn black and torrential rain will pour for hours.
We all have moods. sometimes they swing up and sometimes they swing down, its just a way of life, and still other times we just wake up that way. Yesterday, one of the greatest visionaries of modern day history passed on – Steve Jobs. As a lover of all things “apple” I must say I was deeply saddened. I never met him, never even saw him in person anywhere, but I remember catching his live product announcements with a childish enthusiasm, they were just that powerful.
I had a huge realization today. What could that be you may ask yourselves? Well, I must say or more like a confession that I enjoy shooting manual lenses. I would never have thought this to be the case, but so far this has been my experience. I’ve tried several manual focus lenses including the Hexanons and the Olympus OM series and I must say I enjoy the latter more. So much, that I recently added the OM Zuiko 28mm f/3.5(purchased at KEH). Still, some of you may remember I also have the 28mm f/3.5 Hexanon as well. Talk about an obsession with this focal length ah, but after having what I consider to be decent results with with OM Zuiko 50mm f/1.8, I decided to give this lens a go so I ordered it yesterday.
The more I photograph and the more I learn to post process, the more I realize I have so much more to learn. Just when you think you’re getting there ( not that I was) or at least feeling a bit more comfortable because I have to perfectly honest – I am feeling more comfortable with my photography, boom, a wrench is thrown into the mix and a blinding flash of the obvious strikes, well at least that’s how I feel. Anyway, I’m enjoying the ride and continue to learn as I go. I get emails asking me how I did this or how I did that, setting, etc. and all of that is important to a certain extent but most of the time its not. Its one’s own style to determines the actual rhythm of your workflow and now I understand why togs are so hesitant to divulge their presets. Do I agree with those, well to each its own. If you want mine, I’ll reply back, its really not that out of this world but …
Ledesma Photography 