Life and Lecia - an analogy

Like me, my Leica camera is well worn! It shows the scuffs and scars of everyday life.

However, it has kept its sharpness over the years. I, on the other hand, have tried to soften some of my edges as I grow older - it is a work in progress. It takes thought and deliberate intention. I am grateful for life. And yes, I am grateful for my Leica. It slows me down. I have to think about light, shutter speed, ISO, and aperture. Every shot is deliberate, it is composed, considered.

This is not an action camera. It is a tool that invites reflection. When the picture is taken it has a story - some moments in history, accumulated experiences captured in time.

Why the return to my camera in recent months? Well, for the past three years I have been working on a big research project - a second PhD. It has been a wonderful journey! I have learnt so much. However, for those who have ever undertaken such a task you will now that hardly a moment goes by where you do not feel guilty that you are not reading, thinking, and writing. Such a project is started with an end in mind - it is teleological. The end invites action in the present. That can create pressure.

My PhD is done. The manuscript was completed and sent to my promoters at Radoubd University. I am not awaiting feedback from one of them (I already had feedback and the final 'sign off' from one). Once that is done the manuscript will be prepared for examination and defence in Holland.

So, that pressure has lifted. It has given me a bit of a psychological 'margin' - some space to think, to reflect, and to pick up my camera again without feeling guilty! It is a gift. 

I hope to post pictures here from time to time. However, you can follow me on Instagram - @digitaldion to see almost daily pictures under the hashtag #Leica365 

Update on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at 7:39AM by Dr Dion Forster

I am currently in Berlin, Germany (June 2017) to speak at some conferences, participate in the G20 meetings, and work on a joint research project with Prof Torsten Meireis, a senior colleauge in Ethics and Public Theology at the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin.

It is a magnificent summer - and of course the city of Berlin does not dissapoint with beauty, diversity, and wonder!

On Sunday the 18th of June (not the 17th as I say in this video! Sorry!) I went for a photo walk around 'Museum Island' near where I am staying along the Spree river. I took my lovely old Leica with a 40mm Voigtlander f1.4 lens and took some photographs.

Here is a video of the walk and some of the photographs I took. It is such a beautiful place to shoot - and I see it so differently when I am looking with anticipation of capturing the 'decisive moment' as Cartier Bresson would say.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, suggestions for better photos, and your experiences either with photography, or in your city (perhaps even Berlin!)