The Thrashers | Washington Square Park

The Thrashers is a collection of photographs made of the skateboarders who practice their skills in New York City's Washington Square Park.

 
A 2009 report found that the skateboarding market is worth an estimated $4.8 billion in annual revenue, with 11.08 million active skateboarders in the world. In 2016, it was announced that skateboarding will be represented at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, for both male and female teams.

I also found an interesting article on Tony Hawk on The Guardian, which goes into the evolution of skateboarding over the years.

Readers can scroll on the right side of the above cover photograph to view the gallery in large format. Alternatively, here are the photographs in sequential order.

And others of "Salem" and "Jo Asia" using masking technique:

POV: Leica's Fiasco: "The Hunt" :

What a major cock-up! It was reported that Leica Ag got itself into hot water in China because of a five-minute promotional video that bears the catchy title of "The Hunt".

The Hunt follows a Western (aka white) photojournalist in various conflict zones; one of which is inside a Chinese hotel in 1989 as he tries to go outside to document the shooting of student protesters by the army, but is confronted and chased by Chinese soldiers.

Here's the problem...as of 2017, China was Leica's top growth market, and it was planning to open 20 to 30 new stores in the country. Naturally, this advert has given rise to nationalistic outcries from the Chinese public - especially because of its reference to the events of Tiananmen Square - and many have already called for a boycott of its products.

Forgive me for using the crudity, but this can easily develop into a shit storm for the German luxury camera maker. Unfortunately for it as well, many of the Western media have caught on the potential implications of this cock-up, and have written about how China has reacted to it.

Predictably, Leica has tried to distance itself by saying that the ad (which ends with the Leica logo) was "not an officially sanctioned marketing film commissioned by the company". Ridiculous, no? There is simply no way that an advert for Leica would've been released unless its executives have approved it.

Leica no longer makes cameras for photojournalists and/or photographers that work to make a living. Although very well made, its cameras and lenses are too expensive and they lag behind its Japanese competitors in terms of innovation, price and affordability.

Its cameras are for wealthy individuals, socialites, and collectors...and those eager for the "red dot" cachet...akin to wearing designer clothes with labels well in evidence.

And this is why China is such an important market for Leica. It'll be interesting to see how it extracts itself from the mess it created for itself.

And a word to Leica..focus on making cameras, and leave politics and human rights to the professionals.

Rosalynn Tay | Ethiopia

Photo © Rosalynn Tay | All Rights Reserved

I had seen Rosalynn Tay's photographic work on Ethiopia some months ago, and thought that it reminded me of Sebastiao Salagdo's style; black and white, stark and contrasty. 

Her 2014 gallery of images made during a photography trip to the south of the country are devoid of the artifices that are favored by many travel photographer who visit that region. 

In contrast to many photographers who feature images of tribes in south Ethiopia and the Omo Valley, depicting them in elaborate (and contrived) headdress, Ms Tay photographs her subjects in a natural setting...without having recourse to artificial props.

The Lower Omo River in south west Ethiopia is home to eight different tribes whose population is about 200,000 and it is there that they've lived there for many centuries. The tribes such as the Daasanach, Kara (or Karo), and the Mursi live along the Omo river and depend on it for their livelihood. The annual flooding of the Omo River feeds the biodiversity of the region and guarantees the food security of the tribes especially as rainfall is low and erratic.

Rosalynn Tay is a travel and fashion (as well as editorial) photographer based in Singapore, and is a peripatetic traveler whose fondness of travel led her to photograph in countless countries. She travels to Sri Lanka, Japan, Mongolia, Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, Siberia, Morocco and even ventured to North Korea. She is a graduate of Spéos, the internationally recognized photography school in Paris. She's also a committed Leica user, and has exhibited her work (Ethiopia -solo- and LeicaXhibition -group). 

She also has given photo talks in Singapore including Leica Women in Photography; an initiative founded to celebrate and showcase outstanding women who brought their unique perspectives to the field of photography.

Cira Crowell | Koyasan

Photo © Cira Crowell - All Rights Reserved

Koyasan is one of the most important Buddhist temple complexes in Japan. This monastic complex of 117 temples is dedicated to the study and practice of esoteric Buddhism. It's the center of Shingon Buddhism, an important Chinese-influenced Buddhist sect which was introduced to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi, one of Japan's most significant religious figures.

It is one of the best places to experience an overnight stay at a temple lodging pilgrims and visitors can experience a monk's lifestyle, eating vegetarian monk's cuisine and attending the morning prayers. Around fifty temples offer this service to both pilgrims and visitors.

The history of Kobo Daishi is interesting. In 816, after years of study in China, it is said he climbed the holy mountain of Mount Koya and created the first temple of the Shingon sect of Esoteric Buddhism among its eight peaks, said to resemble a lotus. He was regarded as a saint by the time he fell ill at the age of 62, when his followers believe he passed into a state of eternal meditation rather than death. Along with his body, the spirit of Kobo-Daishi, as he became known, is believed to reside at the end of a forest path in Koyasan.

Cira Crowell's Koya-San Procession is a monochromatic gallery of the monks and their rituals at this revered site. 

Her website's biography tells us that she is a third generation Leica photographer whose work includes fine art, adventure landscape, cultural studies, portraits and humanitarian documentary themes. She's a black and white photographer who started her career twenty-five years ago with her grandfather’s Leicaflex SL2 film camera and she still uses many of the same forty-year-old lenses on her Leica SL.

Don't miss her lovely work on her galleries of Nepal's Kumbu, Kathmandu, Kalachakra, Ladakh and Bhutan.

As a footnote: The New York Times has an article on the Koyasan experience.

Alfred Weidinger | The Last African Kings

Photo © Alfred Weidinger | All Rights Reserved

"The most important thing is to find one king -- when I have one, he will guide me to the others." - Alfred Weidinger

With a couple of exceptions, African kings are traditional rulers who often derive their titles from the rulers of independent states or communities that existed before the formation of modern African states. Although they do not have formal political power, in many cases they continue to command respect from their people and have considerable influence.  There are only three African countries with constitutional monarchies – Morocco, Swaziland and Lesotho -- but there are several hundred traditional monarchs dispersed across Africa in urban, semi-urban and rural communities in independent countries.

It is estimated that there are about 70 such African monarchs as well as some 500 tribal leaders, whose dynasties and fiefdoms marked the history of Africa until the middle of the twentieth century. 

Austria-based art historian and photographer Alfred Weidinger spent over 5 years searching for the surviving monarchs of Africa's grandest kingdoms and for tribal leaders and important clan chiefs. Traveling from Nigeria to Ghana, Zambia to Cameroon, and from the Ivory Coast to the Democratic Republic of Congo, he photographed these rulers and leaders who are still committed to their old traditions, and are revered and respected by their people.

The biggest threat to Africa's last remaining monarchs isn't local governments, but modernity. The threat of globalization has disturbed the influence and social standing of many of his subjects.

The Last African Kings is a voluminous gallery of -mostly- monochromatic portraits of these rulers which were made over repeated trips to Ghana, Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Mali, Sierra Leone, Niger, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

Alfred Weidinger is an Austrian art historian, museum manager and photographer. He currently is the director of the Museum of Fine Arts Leipzig. Since 1980, he has been touring Africa as a freelance documentary photographer and recording portraits. He photographs both digitally and with film, preferring black and white. From 1985 to 1998 Weidinger studied art history and classical archeology at the University of Salzburg. He wrote his diploma thesis in 1992 on the landscape paintings of Gustav Klimt, his dissertation in 1998 on the early work of the Austrian painter Oskar Kokoschka.

Beyond The Frame | Vietnam's Bac Ha | Leica M9

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy | All Rights Reserved

One of my favorite photographs was made in the market town of Bac Ha of northern Vietnam, known as Tây Bắc (literally "Northwest"). It consists of six provinces, which include the province of Lào Cai.

Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups, giving it the richest and most complex ethnic makeup of Southeast Asia. The majority of the ethnic minorities live in the hilly regions of the Northwest. The region is home to the Hmong, Zao, Nung, San Chay, Cao Lan, Giay, and Lolo, as well as the Tay, and Muong.

The photograph was made at the Sunday market in Bac Ha, which hosts around 10 of these ethnic tribes who come to sell or barter their produce and products. Bac Ha itself is a sleepy town that comes alive during the weekend, and when the bartering, buying and selling is done and the tourist buses from Sapa have left, it goes back to bed for the rest of the week.

In common with markets all over the world, "pop-up" eateries spring to life on Sundays to feed the hordes of vendors and visitors who descend on Bac Ha for the day or even for a few hours. 

Aside from photographing the colorful Flower Hmong women who were busy selling their handicrafts, eating ice cream and haggling over bolts of cloths, I chanced upon a group of Black Hmong men eating in silence under a tarp at one of the rickety folding tables. I stood there motionless for a few minutes, and none of them as much as looked up at me from their bowls of pho. I realized that their conical hats (non la) were obscuring their peripheral vision, so they could not see me.

I took the opportunity to hover over one of the men, and snapped a couple of quick shots. They heard the shutter, looked at me for a few seconds....then returned to their bowls of soup. 

I guess they were used to tourists, and were unconcerned about another one taking their picture. Two years later when I returned to Bac Ha, I saw first-hand how the continuing influx of tourists negatively impacted this sleepy little town. 

Even though there are no faces in the photograph, it's unmistakably 'Vietnam'...the conical hat, the bowl of soup, the chopsticks all point to Vietnam.

For my audio slideshow of the Tây Bắc region which includes ambient audio recorded at the Bac Ha market, visit Hill Tribes In The Mist.

Technical details are: LEICA M9 + 28mm. 1/25 Hand Held. f2.8. iso 200. Pattern Metering. Date: 2012-09-22 at 11:49:00 (Vietnam time). Post Processing using Color Efex Pro.

Lidia D’Opera | Venice

Venice by Lidia D'Opera on Exposure
After so much focus on Southeast and South Asia on the pages of The Travel Photographer blog, I think my readers and I are ready for a change of geography...and Venice and its famous carnival is probably one of the most jarring, but visually breathtaking- segue from one region of the world to another.

The Carnival of Venice (known locally as Carnevale di Venezia) ends with the Christian celebration of Lent, forty days before Easter, on Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday. To make it simple, it will be held between the dates of February 11-28, 2017.

It is known for its elaborate costumery and masks. While it is uncertain as to the reason for the earliest mask wearing in Venice, it is said by some that covering the face in public was a unique Venetian response to one of the most rigid class hierarchies in European history back in the 13th century.

There are distinct types of masks with names such as Bauta, Colombina, The Plague Doctor, Moretta, Volto and Pantalone to name just a few. Venice during the Carnival is full of  masked party-goers - posing and preening, dancing and enjoying themselves, reinventing a great tradition of the city.

Lidia D'Opera (what an evocative name!) describes herself as an enthusiastic street photographer and a traveler which, in my view, is another definition for a travel photographer. Her images of the Venice party-goers in their finery are some of the best I've seen. I much prefer the color images over the monochromes as they emphasize the wonderful costumery and masks.

Her Exposure gallery also tells us how she managed to capture her images using the flashes from other photographers (I do that as well when I am in similar situations.)

Apart from a more extensive website gallery of Carnival of Venice photographs than on her Exposure gallery, she has photographed in the streets of New York, India, Istanbul, Paris, Egypt, Hong Kong and her own Australia. 

She has also quite a number of photo books on her website, some of which she published on Blurb and other publishing houses.

POV: Is That For Real, Leica?

I've mentioned this on my Facebook page, but I thought I just had to mention it (for posterity, you know) on my blog.

Here's what it's all about: "Leica has officially announced a new limited edition “Correspondent” version of the Leica M-P digital rangefinder, designed by Lenny Kravitz. The musician, actor, and designer came up with a styling for the camera that offers a luxury product in an artificially aged package."

But easy things first. I have no idea who Mr Kravitz is; I never heard of him nor have I seen his photographs...so his input insofar as a camera is concerned is totally lost on me.

Reading the press release, I stopped at this gem of prose: "The Leica M-P ‘Correspondent’, a desirable collector’s piece in the style of legendary reportage cameras, was created in collaboration with the artist. Thanks to deliberate, carefully executed wearing by hand, it appears as if it had been in constant use for decades and would have countless stories to tell."

I am pretty much convinced that no self-respecting photographer (even those able to fork out the $24,000 price tag on this baby) would want to be seen with this "artificially aged camera." They'd be the brunt of endless jokes and jibes.

I wonder what type of person would buy the LEICA M-P ‘CORRESPONDENT’? The legend is that orthodontists are the main buyers of high-priced Leicas, but I think in this case it'd be collectors with money to burn. Possibly Russian oligarchs, Chinese real estate tycoons, oil sheikhs...and the like.

That said, if these characters are interested in buying a well-used naturally aged M9, I have mine to sell at a price a little less than the $24,000 price tag of the Kravitz' model.

POV: Leica M9 Monochromes "Outta De Box"

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy/Leica M9+Voigtlander 40mm

Let me say it up front so there's no misunderstanding: I'm not a "fanboy" of any camera beyond considering them as utilitarian tools I use to make photographs. Some are better suited for particular photographic work, others are better ergonomically suited to my hands and way of thinking, etc. I have the exact same attitude to cameras as carpenters have to their hammers or pliers.

That out of the way, I have an admiration for the Leica M9's monochrome image quality. I frequently use a setting that allows it to shoot a monochrome jpg and a color DNG at the same time, and I am quite amazed at the quality of the monochrome jpgs right 'out of the box'. The  above photograph is an example...nothing but in-camera conversion.

Yes, the majority of the monochromatic jpgs out of the Leica M9 are -at least to my eyes- just right. Unless I specifically want to enhance these jpgs by adding some vignetting or burnt edges, there's no need for spending any time on Silver Efex, Photoshop, Lightroom presets...nothing. Boom!

Does it mean that the Leica M9 (and a quality prime lens) is my primary camera? No, it isn't, but when I need (and feel like it) to shoot monochromes, I choose it over my other cameras. When I was in Sa Pa a few weeks ago, I deliberately chose it with a Voigtlander 40mm for a bout of monochrome photography in its streets and market. I did the same in Ha Noi.

There are many aspects of the M9 that are, in comparison to the X-T1 and the X-Pro, outdated...even primitive. It's widely recognized that its ISO is almost unusable above 800, that its LCD sucks and its battery life is a little better than abysmal. However, its CCD sensor (when coupled with quality glass) churns out admirable jpg monochromes.

I gripe about the M9...but despite its annoying limitations, it has become analogous to the well-balanced well-worn hammer that fits in the hand of the carpenter as if it always belonged there.

Ah! If only it had auto-focus! But using -when possible- the zone focus system resolves this to a certain extent, provided the ambient light allows the use of f8 or f16.

I'm not as sanguine about the M9's color images though. I realize I'm amongst a tiny minority perhaps, but I'm not as enamored with the color images I've seen out of the Leica M9. The images produced by the Fujifilm X-T1 are -to my taste- superior in color rendition than what I'm able to get with my M9.

Seeing where I am photographically at this time, I would buy the Leica M Monochrom if I could, and use it whenever I needed to produce monochrome images, and then rely on the Fuji X-Pro1, and X-T1 for color...or on the Canon system that's been gathering some dust in my closet.

Verdict | The People of Tây Bắc Photo Expedition

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Having had more than a week to mull over what worked and what didn't on The People of Tay Bac Photo Expedition-Workshop, I come to the conclusion that it earns a B....not a B+, not a B-...just a plain B.

However, the trip's logistics and accommodations were faultless, and all the credit goes to the travel agent I work with in Hà Nội. They were responsive and on the ball at all times.

I think the prevailing extraordinary high humidity levels we faced all through the trip played a significant role in dampening our energy levels (certainly mine were), especially in the streets of Hà Nội. That said, and set aside...here's what I thought were home runs (or third base hits).

1. Hà Nội Street Photography:

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

A definite home run.

Hà Nội's streets are just ripe for the taking of photographs...whether monochrome or color. The scenes are there and are sometimes too numerous to choose from. Visual (and aural) overload besieged my senses for the first one or two days, but then it passed and I immersed myself neck deep in the flow of life.

The Hà Nội Noir assignment to the group participants was especially well received, since it introduced them to the street photography's 'on the fly' element that they were not entirely familiar with. The shooting from the hip technique was experimented with, and provided an inventory of interesting images to each participant.

2. Hội An Fishermen:

Traditional Fisherman. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Another home run.

I had pre-arranged through Eviva, my local travel agents, a dawn-time trip on a local boat to photograph the fishermen using traditional netting systems. We boated to the mouth of the Thu Bon River to photograph these large fishing nets (see top photograph and the one above). These large contraptions are lowered into the water to catch fish during the night. They are slowly raised and lowered by the fishermen using foot-powered winches.

These must have been the most photogenic 4 hours of the entire photo expedition. The weather was just perfect, with the sun rising on cue and the whole experience was phenomenal. The subsequent hour-long visit to Hội An's main fishing harbor/market was also interesting, and offered many photographic opportunities.

3. Hầu đồng Ceremony:

Medium in a trance. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Home run, because it's a ceremony I've never witnessed (nor heard of) before.

Hầu đồng is also known as lên đồng, and is a ritual of spirit mediumship practiced in Vietnamese indigenous religion and Đạo Mẫu, a Vietnamese mother goddess religion, in which followers become mediums for various deities.

It was by pure serendipity that we witnessed and photographed such a hầu đồng full ceremony in Bac Ha, and a rehearsal in Sa Pa. The full ceremony may last up to seven hours, and it begins with petitions to Buddha and to the deities for permission to carry out the ritual, after which the medium sits in the middle of four assistants, whose job it is to facilitate the medium's incarnation of different deities and spirits. It's a fascinating spectacle during which the medium (dressed in pink in the above photograph) chants, dances and changes in no less than 6 or 7 costumes of different colors during the ceremony.

Due to a misunderstanding, a member of our group committed a grave offense during the ceremony in Bac Ha, but a sincere apology to the temple's authorities (after which I was offered glasses of rice wine to drink to help the reconciliation along) allowed us to continue photographing. It's a testament to the generosity of the Vietnamese temple's congregation that the incident was so promptly forgiven.

4. Hội An Streets:

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Yes, Hội An is a tourist town. What can we expect from a small town recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO? But setting that aside, it's a wonderfully atmospheric place with an incredible wealth of stunning backdrops for street photography, for travel photography and for fashion/model photography.

I would definitely consider staying in Hội An for a week or so. Rather than stay in the lovely and posh (but sort of generic) Hoi An Hotel, I'd stay at the Vinh Hung Hotel, an upscale but tiny heritage hotel located in the heart of town. And have Cao Lau, the local signature noodle dish  at Miss Ly every day!

It'd be wonderful to take my time...and indulge in slow street photography. In other words, pick a spot (preferably with a cup of coffee or a La Rue beer), wait and cherry-pick whatever happens in the street. As I wrote in a different post, I'd also enjoy fusing travel photography to ethnic/modern fashion photography. The style can be posed...with static portraits, or can be pseudo environmental-street portraits.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

There's no limit to the willingness of eye-catching persons, whether locals or tourists (such as the lovely Vi in the above photograph) to pose for photographers. Hội An is a magnet for newly-weds (or about to be married) who come here with their make-up artists and photographers.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

The pretty and lively bride in pink loved my suggestion that she pose under the bird cages...I told her that it'd be an appropriate setting since they were lovebirds. She left her photographer, and ran to the spot I indicated. Nothing is set up in this photograph...the brooms, the bird cages, the bicycle...all was left as is. That's Hội An.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

A bride-to-be is being dolled-up by her make-up artist, just around from the famous Japanese Bridge. It's these quotidian scenes that attract me visually to places like these. Yes, here the bride saw the photographer...but I'd wait for as long as it took to become just part of the background, and for a scene (a story) to develop.

Have I said that Hội An was a home run? If I haven't yet, then yes...it is.

5. The Tây Bắc Region:

Flower Hmong in Bac Ha. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

I need to be quite emphatic about this: I resent blue tarpaulins, motorbike helmets, motorbikes and baseball caps photo-bombing my photographs.  

So no home run for the northern region of Tây Bắc, which for us mostly meant the markets of Bac Ha, Can Cau, and Coc Ly. We had to pass on Xin Cheng market due to Typhoon Kalmaegi. The exception was Sa Pa, which is a nice little town with some opportunities for street photography and ethnic photography of the H'mong.

Bac Ha market is the largest of the region, and perhaps because I had been before, it didn't have the visual umph it had when I was there in 2012. One thing for sure has changed...the area where the Flower Hmong, Dzao and others ate their breakfasts and lunches was moved by Bac Ha municipality (or whatever it's called) from the center of the market to the right of its entrance. It's now more orderly, but it removed the ad hoc feel that the market had before the move.

And because of the threatening rain, blue tarpaulins were stretched all over the stalls...giving out a rather nasty light to faces and clothes. 

That said, Bac Ha is still the granddaddy market of the region. As we had spent the night at the nearby Sao Mai hotel, we had the market almost to ourselves until 10:00 am. When the tourists arrived with their GoPro and heavy cameras, we left for breakfast.

Flower Hmong Matriarch in Can Cau. © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Can Cau Market is held on Saturdays, and is predominantly frequented by the Flower H’mong. While not far from Bac Ha, it took us about 3 hours to drive from Sa Pa. Much smaller than the Bac Ha market, it doesn't have its 'charisma'. It'd be easy to blame the humidity, but it was quite high...and it drained us of energy quite rapidly. The locals seemed to take the humidity in stride, carrying umbrellas and sometimes fans.

Flower Hmong family in Can Cau-© Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Coc Ly market is held weekly on Tuesdays, and is also crowded with Flower H’mong. Only 35 kilometers from Bac Ha, the roads are quite nasty and bumpy...and were probably made worse during the rainy season. It's perched on a hillock, and it struck me as one of the least interesting. I was amused when a meddlesome American woman kept watching me photographing a very amenable Flower Hmong for a while, and then told me to stop because I was "harassing" her.

In short, there indisputably were some interesting photographs to make in these markets, but group tourism's tentacles have reached these markets, and they've lost some of their authenticity. I suspect many of the implements and products sold to to the locals are made in China...while the handicrafts presumably made by the local minorities seems to be shoddier than usual.

In a future iteration, a People of Tây Bắc Photo Expedition will continue to be based in Sa Pa but will venture to markets and villages further afield...as far as possible from tour buses, it that's possible.

6. Sa Pa:

Hmong in Sa Pa market. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

I like Sa Pa. The Victoria Hotel is great...although their staff can be somewhat impersonal. But that's what happens when your guests are mostly tour groups. The restaurants are welcoming, all have free wi-fi and the food is quite good. Not as good as Hoi An...but good.

Yes, I like Sa Pa...it wasn't misty nor cool as it was in 2012, and the main square is now empty of the Hmong vendors that had taken it over in the late afternoons. They've been chased away, and given a dreary space above the market to sell their goods. Presumably to have them pay a permit fee or something like that.

Along with the group, I enjoyed doing some monochrome work in the tiny market; exploiting the chiaroscuro of its alleys, and the black dress of the Hmong as best I could. It was in Sa Pa that I also stumbled on a Hầu đồng rehearsal ceremony, which in a way prepared us for the real thing in Bac Ha.

Hoi An Lanterns. © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

So what would I do differently?

If I was omnipotent, I'd change the weather. It affected the attendance of the Tet Trung Thu street festival; it prevented us from attending the least touristy market in the northern region and it exhausted us.

But within my direct control, I'd reduce the number of days in Hà Nội and increase the stay in Hội An. I'd still stay in Sa Pa, spend a day in Bac Ha, but travel much further in search of traditional small villages that are not on the tourist trail.

Red Dzao in Ta Phin. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Tights Reserved

Now, the finale for the those who like statistics. My estimated usage of my cameras was as follows:
Fuji X-T1 + Zeiss Touit 12mm f2.8: 75%
Fuji X-Pro1 + Fujinon 18mm f2.8 : 10%
Leica M9 + Voigtlander 40mm f1.4: 15%

(I used the Fuji Zoom XF18-135mm f3.5-5.6 for the fishermen photo shoot, and another time in Hà Nội around Hoàn Kiếm lake.)

Did I miss my Canon 5D Mark II and my panoply of primes and zooms? 

No. Not once.

Hà Nội Noir | Audio Slideshow

Street photography has almost become an obsession. Arriving Hà Nội with my body clock completely out of whack didn't stop me from taking a quick walk about the streets of its Old Quarter.

As the oldest continuously developed area of Vietnam, Hà Nội's Old Quarter has a history that spans 2,000 years and represents the eternal soul of the city, and walking along some of its more than 36 streets, I remembered their names: Hang Gai, Hang Quat, Hang Bac and Hang Ma.

A majority of the street names in the Old Quarter start with the word hang, which means merchandise or shop. Hang Gai, where my hotel The Golden Silk Boutique is, offers silk clothing ready-made and tailored, embroidery, and silver products.

One of the assignments given to the group participants was Hà Nội Noir; a series of monochrome street photographs depicting the teeming life found in the small streets of this capital city. Over the course of the few days I spent in Hà Nội, I walked its 36 streets (well, almost all of them) and shot mostly from the hip as is my custom to capture impromptu scenes and candid expressions.

Most of the photographs were made with my new favorite combo: Fuji X-T1/Zeiss 12mm f2.8. Others were made with a Leica M9 and the Voigtlander 40mm f1.4.

 

A Life With Leica | Thorsten von Overgaard

ZITE has introduced me to a multitude of interesting articles on photography and otherwise, including this short documentary featuring a Danish photographer named Thorsten von Overgaard.

As a preamble, let me say that although I own a Leica M9 and have the utmost regard for its capabilities as a tool, I'm far from being a Leica fanboy, realizing (and grudgingly accepting) its shortcomings, and periodically ranting at Leica's blatant ostentatious marketing and pricing.

Nonetheless, I have just returned from leading a photographic expedition-workshop to Viet Nam where I used the M9 (with a Voigtlander 40mm) on a number of occasions during street photography jaunts in Ha Noi and Hoi An, and readily confirm that (1) its images (whether monochrome or color) have a distinct 'feel' to them, and (2) its ergonomics are just right.

This is a lovely documentary filmed in Rome with Thorsten who shares his photographic 'philosphy' with us. I found myself in full agreement with him on most of his points of view...which ranged from "there's always stuff happening" in the streets, that each one of us has a unique visual viewpoint, that cameras (whether Leica or otherwise) are just tools and that he never photographs people unless to show them off in the best of lights. The latter also echos Sebastião Salgado's philosophy.

A minor point: I was surprised to see Thorsten resting his Leicas on their lenses instead of on their bottom plates. I do that as well. Weird.

Hanoi: The People of Tay Bac Photo Expedition

Relaxing & Tai Chi On Hoàn Kiếm Lake (Hanoi)

Despite the long grueling flight from New York City to Hanoi via Hong Kong, the inevitable accompanying jet lag made it not too difficult for me to walk around Hanoi's Hoàn Kiếm Lake for an early morning spot of photography.

It's here and at this early hour that the older generation of Hanoians come to exercise individually or in groups, and to play badminton or do tai chi. Some bring their boom boxes and dance to the tune of Vietnamese love songs. Others just practice the ancient art of people watching, and gossip about the latest news, read newspapers or have their morning bowl of pho.

If the humidity in Hanoi isn't 100%, it sure feels like it. Walking a few hundred feet, and I was drenched in sweat...a reminder that I needed to take it slowly during the first few days.

For the above photograph, I used my new Fuji X-T1 fitted with the 18-135mm lens, and it was made by shooting from the hip so as not to disturb the scene unfolding in front of me. I haven't used a zoom lens for quite a while, and while it felt a little sluggish compared to my other prime lenses, I reckon (or hope) this will improve once I get used to it.

In the afternoon, after a long walk in the Old Quarter, Huyen (my interpreter and minder in Hanoi, and I walked to the lakeshore, where I saw a number of pre-wedding photo shoots as well as aspiring models posing for their friends, usually sporting the enormous Canon DSLRs and the ubiquitous 70-200 lenses.

The one who caught my attention with her beauty and grace was Tu. She and her photographer happily agreed that I poach a few photographs of her, and this short opportunity made my day. I suspect that many of the men reading this post will agree that it was an unmissable opportunity.

If I tried to do the same in New York's West Village photo shoots, I doubt I'd be treated with such generous alacrity. Tu also agreed to pose for my group of photographers the following day should we wish to do so.

Returning to the haven of the Golden Silk Boutique hotel, its air conditioning was particularly welcome after Hanoi's humidity. Although the weather forecast called for thunderstorms, I have yet to see a drop of rain since arriving.

Leica M9 vs Fuji X Pro1 | New York's Chinatown

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Juggling a Leica M9 and a Fuji X Pro1 during my few hours yesterday in New York City's Chinatown during the celebrations and parades for the Year of the Horse,  resulted in having two virtually identical versions of the same scene, as the one above.

I wonder if my readers can tell (without peeking at the EXIF) which of the two photographs was made using the Leica M9 or conversely, the Fuji X Pro1? The Leica was coupled with an Elmarit 28mm f2.8, while the Fuji X Pro1 was coupled with a Fujinon 18mm f2.0.

There are no prizes...and it's not a poll. It's just a question that I pose...

The Portraitist Of Phố Hàng Ngang

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Whenever I think of Hanoi, I especially miss its 36 meandering 13th-century streets of its storied Old Quarter. I read that these streets are almost 1,000-year old, and have a hefty history. They became crowded and lively in the 15th century, and most of them retain their original and ancient architecture.

In Vietnamese, phố means street, and Hanoi's 36 streets carry the names of the professions (or guilds) that used to be carried out in them, For example, Phố Hang Bun is the street where vermicelli was made and sold, Phố Hang Ma is where paper was made, Phố Hang Bac is where silver jewelry was found.

However, Phố Hàng Ngang means 'horizontal street', and it's where I found Nguyen Bao Nguyen. This artist specialized in drawing and copying old (or damaged) photographs in exquisite details; a painstaking task that takes him many days.

I walked over to his store (or atelier) about three times while I was in Hanoi, and on each occasion, I spent an hour or so photographing and watching him draw, paint and fuss about his framed pictures...as well as occasionally meeting with a client. He was very amiable and welcomed my being there with the attitude of one who's used to that kind of attention.

The Portraitist of Phố Hàng Ngang is a series of photographs made with a Fuji X Pro-1/Fujinon 18mm and Leica M9/Elmarit 28mm. It's the sort of short and concise photo narrative that appeals to me...especially that it documents a dying traditional craft such as this one. 

The Girls of Tết Trung Thu

A year ago, I was walking the streets of Hanoi's Old Quarter during my Vietnam North of the 16th Parallel Photo Expedition-Workshop, carrying my street photography gear: a Leica m9 and a Fuji X Pro-1. Hanoi's streets are replete with extraordinary life moments, ready for the taking by anyone with an interest to do so.

My group and I were there in late September just before the Mid Autumn Festival, which is known in Vietnam as Tết Trung Thu festival. Traditionally, this festival celebrates harvest and is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar. In recent years, it’s an occasion for young women (and men) to walk the streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter to show off new clothes, and to wear over-sized fake eyeglasses, and Minnie Mouse ears or antlers on their heads.

I thought it would be timely to feature a gallery of photographs showing the youthful, fun and innocent exuberance that envelops this time of year in Hanoi. The Girls of Tết Trung Thu was just added to my The Leica File (& X Pro-1) website, and is one of many featuring my work out of Vietnam.

The adorable young women parading the street were very keen to be photographed, and seeing my cameras, asked to be photographed, making the well known Asian ‘V’ sign and tilting their heads in a sweet way. 

POV: Monochrome...A Phase In Life?

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

A Facebook "conversation" touching on the merits (or lack thereof) of the Leica Monochrom with my friend Pierre Claquin triggered many thoughts in my mind. First off, the ephemeral thought of selling some or all of our photo gear to acquire the $8000 Monochrom crossed our minds...but after pushing away the temptation, I reflected on the reasons behind my recent interest in making monochrome photographs.

It started off during my Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo~Expedition & Workshop™ in October 2011 during which I asked all its participants to produce their projects in black and white in order to bast capture the grittiness of Kolkata's Durga Puja.

I started to dabble with the various techniques in Photoshop or Lightroom; sometimes using presets in some cases. I also tried shooting in black and white with my M9 and the X Pro-1. The latter was used quite a lot in that mode in Sa Pa and Hanoi during my North of the 16th Parallel Photo-Expedition/Workshop, resulting in The Indigo People, and Hanoi Streets among others.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

More recently, I caught myself converting some of my most colorful photographs (such as the one of the Rajasthani shepherd and the Kathakali performer) to black and white, and was glad in seeing that these were equally powerful and pleasing to my eyes. I continued this trend over the past weeks, and started sending some of my conversions to be printed at Adorama.

In my office, I have about two dozen of some of my Cibachrome photographs made about a decade ago, already framed and mounted, and I've now decided to replace them with more recent photographs in monochrome. I already have switched 3 or 4 and these adorn one of my walls.

So is this infatuation with monochrome a function of a maturing phase in my photography timeline...or is it just an aesthetic phase that will subside? I don't know, but I wager that I'm not the only one who's passing (or has passed) through it.

It might also be a partial consequence of having downloaded the Nik Collection with its Silver Efex 2 software. The ease to use this software, and its results are really worth its $150 price tag.

In fact, its suggested workflow is what I use...not necessarily on all my conversions, but with a little tweaking, I found it works for me:

1. Apply Raw Presharpener using Sharpener Pro 3.0.
2. Apply noise reduction using Dfine 2.0.
3. Control color and light using Viveza 2.
4. Apply filter enhancements using Color Efex Pro 4.
5. Convert to black and white using Silver Efex Pro 2.
6. Apply output sharpening using Sharpener Pro 3.0.

Finally, will I desert color photography for monochrome? No...how can I when there are many instances where color photography is just perfect for the scene?

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy- All Rights Reserved

POV: Addicted To Auto-Focus

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy- All Rights Reserved (Leica M9/Elmarit 28mm. f2.8 1/750)

I'm not sure how other photographers and photojournalists feel, but I've become addicted to auto-focus, and it's an addiction I find extremely difficult to shake off.

When I'm in the mood, I roam the streets of New York City and try to capture something of its essence. When I do this I generally shoot from the hip to catch the candid moment, the posture, the fleeting expression...sometimes I'm successful, and many times I'm not; but that's what candid street photography is all about. The probability of catching these candid moments is quite low.

It's for that reason that I favor the Fuji X Pro-1. There's a lot to favor in the X Pro-1, but its (relatively) good auto-focus is one of its advantages. Yes, it goes to "sleep" once in a while and makes me miss the shot...and yes, its AF is not as quick as a DSLR, but it performs as well as I expected it to.

My other street camera is the Leica M9 that has no auto focus, and I struggle to choose it over the Fuji X Pro-1 when I'm off to the streets. Don't get me wrong. Its image quality is fantastic, and although I'm not exactly a Leica fan-boy, I still think it's a phenomenal camera with phenomenal lenses...and is perfect for candid street photography (among other uses, of course).

But I hesitate when I reach for it.

Yes, I know all about zone focusing, and I practice it whenever I can. But it frequently lets me down, partly because of my addiction to auto-focus (ie using my X Pro-1) and partly because the nature of the type of shooting from the hip photography is a hit and miss process.

I've thought of an analogy to this addiction..and it's like learning to drive with a stick-shift car versus an automatic. It's been said that the former makes you a better driver, so when I reach for the Leica, I comfort myself by thinking that shooting without the auto-focus has its merits sometimes, despite rueing that decision when I see the eventual results.

Now, where's my iPhone? :)

Manuel Gomes Teixeira | Platinum Palladium Printing

Produced by Luís Oliveira Santos, this gem of a 12 minutes documentary video may help decrease your blood pressure rate quite significantly because it exudes calm and deliberate movements...and is a must for all fans of monochrome photography. Yes, it's a quasi fluff piece for the new Leica M Monochrom, but it will also interest (perhaps even thrill) those who are interested in traditional photographic printing methodology.

Manuel Gomes Teixeira is a photographer and a platinum palladium printer, who usually uses traditional methods, with photographic film in medium and large format cameras. He was asked by the exclusive distributor of Leica cameras in Portugal to test the Monochrom, and demonstrated how platinum printing combined with the quality of the Leica's image files result in beautiful photographs.

Platinum prints are photographic prints made by a monochrome printing process that provides the greatest tonal range of any printing method using chemical development, and are the most durable of all photographic processes. It is recognized that Platinum-Palladium prints convey detail even within the darkest shadows, and reveal a range of inviting tonal warmth.

The documentary was chosen as a Vimeo Staff Pick.

Daniel Maissan | Streets of India

Photo © Daniel Maissan-All Rights Reserved

I recently was directed to Daniel Maissan's A Man With A Leica blog in which he writes of his love for the Leica Monochrom whilst photographing across the length and breadth of India. He tells us that he was tempted to use his M9 to capture the powerful colors of the country and its streets, but when he did, he ended up converting the photographs to black & white with Silver Efex Pro.

As I chose to do during my workshop during Kolkata's Durga Puja in October 2011, the absence of color from his photographs made in India frequently make them more compelling, and less distracting...of course, it all depends on what's being photographed.

Also take a look at Daniel's Streets of Old Delhi (which include a few photographs made in Varanasi and Amritsar) which are mostly in monochrome. His imagery is wonderful, but the one I really found fantastic is of the woman in a white sari (possibly a widow) on the banks of the Ganges.

I like his gallery's layout...large photographs with a horizontal scroll bar. I've read somewhere that this is the minimalist web gallery layout preferred by photo editors/buyers as it's simple and very effective.

Daniel Maissan is a freelance photographer based in Haarlem, The Netherlands, who's in the process of exploring the transition from a DSLR camera to a Leica M9 (and a Monochrome) with only a 35 mm Summicron f2.0 and a 75 mm Summicron f2.0 lens.