Midwestern Winter Lighting Thoughts

Two days before Christmas the electric power in my neighborhood was

off for twenty one hours. The candles reminded me of an image I had

made as a teenager using my father's Leica D (also known as the Leica

II, manufacturered in 1932). I photographed the flame of a candle.

While this may not be a remarkable subject, the equipment involved

was. This happened forty years ago. The lens was a 90mm Elmar. The

film was Panatomic X, rated at about 50, or as the Weston meter used,

40 Weston. The lens and extension tube were screwed into a U shaped

cradle. The cradle held a metal tube with a groundglass on one side.

Once the image was framed and focused, the tube was removed and the

camera inserted. The setup worked remarkably well, although it was

considered almost as primitive by 1964 standards as is would be today.

The image remains one of my favorites even today. Modern equipment is

certainly easier and quicker to use. However, I dould be hesitant to

describe modern equipment as "better". After all, my present 4x5 gear

works essentially the same as the old Leica closeup rig, and it seems

to do all right.

Enjoy the light.