900-910 North Lake Shore Drive - Chicago, Illinois, USA (architect Mies van der Rohe)

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Horseman SW612P + Rodenstock Lenses

 

 

 

Facing the beauty of Lake Michigan, The Esplanade Apartments on North Lake Shore Drive − not far from the famous Navy Pier − designed by architect Mies van der Rohe, probably enjoy the most beautiful situation of all his works.

These seminal and innovative buildings used unprecedented construction technologies, which became the standard used by Mies in all his future high-rise projects.

Completed in 1951, 860-880 Lake Shore Drive were the first towers in the world to exhibit the promise of glass-and-steel-frame construction, while the 900–910 towers, finished in 1955, were the first to totally accomplish the aluminum and glass curtain wall which became the hallmark of Mies’ oeuvre.

On the neighbourhood of The Esplanade Apartments is the John Hancock Building – which you can admire on the first photograph −, the Magnificent Mile portion of Michigan Avenue and Oak Street Beach. Also not far from here, you can go for a walk in Lincoln Park, which I also showed on a previous post about Mies' Commonwealth Promenade Apartments. 

I have used the Horseman SW612P, with Rodenstock lenses and a 6x9 roll film back, to produce these photographs on Kodak Ektachrome E100S film.

My son Jorge, assisted me on this rewarding task, in 1999. I think that we will never forget the days we have spent in Chicago.

 

 

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Memphis Slim - Heidelberg, Stadthalle, November 1976 (Minolta SR-T 101)

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I was lucky enough to have the chance of watching a concert by Memphis Slim, back in the days I lived in Heidelberg, Germany.

Together with fellow singer/pianist Champion Jack Dupree − whom I had the chance to see in Münster a couple of years before, unfortunately without having a camera with me −, he was one of those blues singers/piano players which records I used to listen to, over and over again.

Like all the other great blues performers from that era – John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Sunnyland Slim, Bukka White, Otis Spann, B.B. King −, Memphis Slim had such a distinctive voice, such a unique style!, you were bound to instantly recognize who was coming out of those loudspeakers!

So many styles, so many voices…

Nothing but the blues, the whole blues, blues for breakfast, blues for dinner, blues in the morning, blues at night!

 

 

 

 

 

Frenchman Michel Denis accompanied on drums.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the first rolls of film that I have ever developed! Back in 1976!

It was all new and magic, I was overwhelmed with enchantment!

Because of the poor light conditions, I had to rate my meter at iso 1600, a true nightmare in those days. Film – which rated speed was 400 − would need extended development, shadows would become underexposed losing detail, highlights would get too dense losing tone separation, grain would become coarse, contrast would sometimes raise out of control…

Ah, but what a fun it was to feel all those expectations!

No need and no chance to stare constantly at those LCD monitors! One had to be attentive to detail and have  a certain dose of luck and hope…

 

 

 

Photographs taken with Minolta SR-T 101

 

 

I wish to dedicate this post to my friend Fred, he and his wife celebrate birthday today.

We used very often to stay awaken the whole night through, we would jive and listen to a bunch of records, we would have a couple of drinks and wait for sunrise.

Our hearts were full of hope for a better world for everyone!

Happy birthday, and long live the blues!

 

 

 

Technical Data:

Camera - Minolta SR-T 101

Lenses - Minolta Rokkor

Film - Ilford HP5 (before the Plus version!)

Developer - Ilford Microphen

Date - November 11, 1976

Location - Heidelberg (Stadthalle), Germany

Scanner - Epson 4990

 

 

 

 

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Circus Busch - Roland, Heidelberg, 1986 (Rolleiflex 3.5F)

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Shot with Rolleiflex 3.5F

 

 

 

Technical data:

Camera - Rolleiflex 3.5F

Taking lens - Carl Zeiss Planar 3.5/75mm

Film - Kodak Tri-X

Developer - Kodak D-76

Scanner - Epson 4990

Location - Heidelberg, Germany

Date - September, 1986

 

 

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Au bord du lac Léman - Nernier, France, août 2012

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Merci Pakica et Fan-Fan!

 

 

 

Technical Data:

Camera - Leica M4

Lenses - Summicron 2/50mm + Elmarit 2.8/28mm

Film - Agfa APX100

Developer - R09, diluted 1+50

Scanner - Epson 4990

Date - August 2012

Location - Nernier, France

 

 

 

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Happy Birthday Helena

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“Coming Back To Me” – Jefferson Airplane (Marty Balin)

The summer had inhaled
And held its breath too long.
The winter looked the same,
As if it had never gone,
And through an open window,
Where no curtain hung,
I saw you, I saw you,
Coming back to me.

One begins to read between
The pages of a book.
The shape of sleepy music,
And suddenly, you're hooked.

Through the rain on the trees

That kisses on the run,
I saw you, I saw you,
Coming back to me.

You came to stay and live my way,
Scatter my love like leaves in the wind.
You always say you won't go away,
But I know what it always has been,
It always has been.

A transparent dream
Beneath an occasional sigh...
Most of the time,
I just let it go by.
Now I wish it hadn't begun.
I saw you, I saw you,
Coming back to me.

Strolling the hills
Overlooking the shore,
I realize I've been here before.
The shadow in the mist
Could have been anyone -
I saw you, I saw you,
Coming back to me.

Small things like reasons
Are put in a jar.
Whatever happened to wishes,
Wished on a star?
Was it just something
That I made up for fun?
I saw you, I saw you,
Coming back to me.

 

From the record "Surrealistic Pillow" (1967)

 

 

 

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Film Cameras For Lovers - Leica M5 (Photo Gear 16)

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The Leica M5 remains, after all these years, a controversial Leica.

Opinions about this camera tend to passionately diverge between love and hate.

Some people enjoy it precisely for the same reasons others despise it: a different shape and larger size than previous M’s, its vertical hanging from the two carrying-strap lugs at the left end of the body – later remedied with an optional third lug for horizontal transport −, rapid rewind-crank on the camera baseplate, are some of the grounds for the enthusiastic quarrel among the Leica rangefinder cognoscenti.

Paradoxically, quite a few of these changes in the characteristic shape of a Leica M are the direct consequence of some of the best and most innovative M5 attributes: through-the-lens spot metering (Cds cell), shutter speed and exposure information on viewfinder, are only some arguments impressive enough to treasure the Leica M5, which undeniably deserves a special status in the long Leitz/Leica tradition of manufacturing first-class tools for the discerning photographer.

 



 

 

 

Summicron 2/35mm

 

 

 

 

Tele-Elmarit 2.8/90mm

 

 

 

Elmarit 2.8/135mm

 

 

 

Four decades later, this groundbreaking camera is still capable of producing first-rate photographs on film.

No matter what criticism it may arise − or praise, for that matter −, in my opinion the Leica M5 is the last true classic camera from Leitz Wetzlar, a beautifully made apparatus and a great performer on competent hands.

I will make a small transcription from a book that I bought many years ago:

 

“The Leica M5, introduced in 1971, is still what Leicas have been since 1932 – a rangefinder camera that combines the highest optical and mechanical standards with the greatest ease of handling. It is the first rangefinder camera to combine interchangelenses with a through-the-lens metering system.

The M5 has a rugged die-cast chassis like those of earlier M Leicas, redesigned and slightly enlarged to accommodate the metering system. It remains a compact and handy camera that can use most of the earlier M-Leica lenses and accessories”.

Leica Manual – 15^th Edition (The Complete Book of 35mm Photography)

© Morgan & Morgan, Inc., N.Y., 1973.

 

I couldn’t say it better.

 

Long live the Leica M5!

 



 

Toquinho, Serpa, June 2009

(Toquinho is a wonderful guitar player who made countless memorable records with Vinicius de Moraes - Thank you for the invitation Fred and Ana!)

 

 

 

Crossing the river Sado from Setúbal to Tróia, March 2009

 

 

 

My best friend "Pakica", Évora, March 2009

 

 

(Photographs made with the Leica M5)

 

 

 

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