Category: RF / Leica Blog

ERNST HAAS – HIS 100TH BIRTHDAY

Ernst Haas, the pioneer of color photographic essays, would have been 100 years old yesterday.

He created the first magazine color photo-essay in LIFE in 1962. He became the first color photographer to have his own exhibit at MOMA shortly thereafter. He made this photo of a fall leaf in 1964.

A very good friend of mine, and a fellow student of Haas, Arthur Meyerson, posted this on Facebook today. I was there at the Ernst Haas Worksop in Japan with Arthur in 1984. I couldn’t have said it better.

Arthur Meyerson’s tribute to Ernst Haas

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FROM 50 MM TO 28 MM

It’s interesting when you think about it. In the 1950s and before that, people saw the world with what artists called a “normal” perspective. It resembled a 50 mm focal length composition on a full-frame 35 mm format camera.

You see that perspective when you travel to European cities. The streets and buildings are narrow and complement that field of view. Continue reading “”

IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF GOING

From this day forward, all images on this site will be 550 pixels or wider, so you can better see the differences in quality.

“Actions speak louder than words.”

I’ve always believed in that. Yet, in today’s world, more and more, made up images and words are often believed over actions that are actually true. Continue reading “”

RETRO VINTAGE STILL LIFE

Now’s a great time to photograph still lifes indoors.

For this photo I chose a camera I purchased in 1979. It’s a 1958 Leica M3 and my first rangefinder. Before that I bought my first SLR, a Canon AE-1. Those cameras started me down the photographic path. Continue reading “”

SELFIES

The subject was sure to come up sooner or later.

I avoid well-known scenic overlooks, unless I need to photograph them on assignment. Fortunately, I spent my early travel photography career hanging out at the best spots before they became widely discovered. Continue reading “”

ALEX WEBB

When I mention the name of this pre-eminant street photographer today, I am often met with blank stares. In our disparate world, that reaction really shouldn’t surprise me. Yet, a part of me says, “How can that be?” Continue reading “”