What have I gotten myself into?

[kipling]

Hi everyone, I'm not a regular on the Leica forum so I'd like to introduce myself first before

you guys get out your flame throwers. I'm an art director and advertising/still life

photographer in Hamburg, Germany. I've been working in this field for about 10 years

now. <p>

Well, the story starts off in Sweden, where I was invited by a friend of mine to visit and do

some documentary photography this spring. I've known this guy since college and after he

quit his veterinary education to become a viking black smith (no joke) he moved to

northern sweden to pursue his dreams of living on a farm with no electricity or indoor

plumbing and making damask knives and swords. <p>

Well, believe it or not, he's become very successful. He's selling knives and swords all over

europe and has been invited to the U.S. this year to build an authentic viking black smith

place in a viking town there. He's also doing the same thing in Sweden this summer and

has done the same for several museums in Germany. <p>

Anyway, he loved my documentary photos of his farm and a series I did for him on

slaughtering animals (again, no joke - he raises pigs and goats and slaughters them on

his own). <p>

Okay, so now it starts getting interesting. He wants me to do a photo essay on the making

of a viking boat, and the following one week authentic (except for me and my cameras)

Viking tour around Sweden through the Baltic sea. They're doing this for publicity for a

Viking village they are building on an Island in Sweden where tourists can take part in all

this stuff. They'll be using the photos for a brochure, posters and eventually in a book.

<p>

Help. <p>

Actually, I love this kind of stuff, I just get sea sick very easily. Oh well,

they're going to pay me good money and I always wanted to have a Leica system ( I used

my Hexar for the first job and will take it as a back up) and now I've got the reason to buy

it. I don't think there's anything more unforgiving on a camera than a sea sick

photographer on a boat in the Baltic sea with a bunch of drunken Vikings - the perfect job

for a Leica. Did I mention the swords? <p>

If any of you have done this before (!) and can give me some tips on what lens line up,

equipment and so on I'd be very appreciative. It's all going to be done in b/w.

I was thinking along the lines of a M6 TTL with a 28, 50, 90mm line up. I'll take a light

tripod, extra batteries and a lot of Tri-x and Delta, not to mention an assortment of filters.

Or am I crazy for doing this? <p>

Thanks, Kipling

[lutz]

Let me try to be the first to reply before you will most probably be flooded with opinions. I enjoyed reading your post, sounds like BIG fun ahead of you. But please explain the apparent paradox of your approach: a b/w documentary essay for a publicity purpose - that's quite uncommon if not contradictory. My impulse would be 1) colour 2) panoramic. Please clarify your approach, since I'm intrigued by the project.

[bob_eskridge]

A 21 focal length lens will be very handy on that Viking boat!

[ole_tjugen]

Sounds like fun ;)

 

Onboard a viking ship I would bring something wider than 28mm - a 16 or 21 mm Voigtländer should be great. I haven't taken photos in viking ships, only sailboats, and really felt the need for something very wide.

 

Forget about tripod for onboard use - they just get in the way. Bring a spare camera body, preferrably mechanical. A spare lightmeter, or some rolls of XP2 if the TTL fails. Seawater spray is not kind to electronics - not even the brackish water in the Baltic.

 

Come to think of it, I'd bring a FED-2 as backup, and make sure my wideangles were LTM.

[al_kaplan1]

I think you'll have a great time. I have a U.S. Coast Guard issued boat captains' license and I also tend to get sea sick. Take plenty of medication with you, either pills or patches. A little salt spray never seemed to hurt my Leica M2 or M3 bodies, but try to keep them from getting soaked! I'd suggest bringing a seperate light meter because the I'm not sure if the M6's electronics are as secure in a wet environment as the mechanical parts. I'd also take my 15mm Voigtlander lens, and/or my 21 Super Angulon, to get pictures including that big sail. Stick with Tri-X. It is all you'll need, and doesn't require such critical exposure as the newer style films. Also pack a small electronic flash.

[Aoresteen]

I'b bring a bunch of 1 gal ZipLock Baggies, freezer type and a Sharpie. The bags will keep your film dry and you can slip a camera body inside to keep them dry as well. Write notes on the film canister and bags.

 

Ditto on the 15mm & 12mm CV lenses. You can get a Bessal L body for $100 from Camquest. If it gets trashed no big loss.

[kipling]

"please explain the apparent paradox of your approach: a b/w documentary essay for a

publicity purpose - that's quite uncommon if not contradictory." <p>

Hi Lutz, we're talking ninth cetury here. There wasn't any color film back then ;-) <p>

No actually it's the clients wish, they want the "drama" and not the "beauty". I did the frst

job for him in b/w and he was blown away by the prints. The timelessnes, the intensity

and drama that you get from b/w prints is what hooked him on doing more and I'm not

fighting him on it, he' got a sword!

[sionnac]

Hi Kipling -

What your friend is proposing reminds me of Tim Severin's book "The Brendan Voyage," true story of historical reconstruction of an Irish oxskin curragh - an open boat - that crosses the Atlantic, in order to support the theory that Irish monks (St. Brendan or later) made the journey in such a boat from Ireland to Newfoundland. Great photos and illustrations. I recommend it if you can find it, it's wonderful.

[Rob F.]

I agree with all who said that a lens wider than 28mm is a good idea. I also think an XPAN would come in very handy. I might suggest picking up a Nikonos waterproof camera in addition to using a Leica. They most typically have a 35mm lens on them, but I think you can get a wider lens. I think I saw a 17mm on ebay recently.

 

I would bring a Leica body that isn't an M6 or an M4P, because the zinc bodies of these cameras are said to be attacked by the salt air, whereas the brass bodied M2/3/4 isn't. I think they went back to brass on the M7, too.

 

In addition to meds, I think there's a bracelet now to combat seasickness; I don't know if they are effective, or mostly a merketing gimmick, but you might check into it.

 

Let me put in another short plug for the XPAN. Lutz isn't kidding when he says a panoramic camera would be useful. The XPAN is so easy and intuitive to use, it's the obvious choice.

[will_wright1]

wider lenses! the 24 would be superb and the 21 as suggested,

maybe one of the V/C 15's. I've had my M6 throughly wetted and

it was fine..just dry it off at first opportunity. Ditto salt spray..wipe

the camera with fresh water asap. Sounds like a great trip...how

about a backup body...

[dick_gillberg1]

Hi Kipling,

I've done action photography for Greenpeace for about 12 years and I use Eos 1D when I'm

in a floatable when driving in about 30 knots and the salt water rushes over you. I use a

water tight bag to put my camera bag in, Ortlieb make my bag. And when you shoot you

put your camera in a strait ordinary plastic bag and only take the camera out of the bag

when you know you have a picture. And don't forget to take your sea sick pills.

 

cheers, Dick

[EricM]

Sounds like a very cool trip/adventure. But why the Leica choice? Have you used this system? This sounds like a risky and difficult situation to be learning new gear. It is something I�d do though, have fun!

[terry_rory]

On building Viking boats....

 

<a href="http://www.midnight-computing.com/Midnight/personal/Dan/images/boatbuild.jpg

">click here</a>

 

<a href="http://www.marthadon.com/images/Hagar%20the%20Horrible.jpg">click here</a>

[terry_rory]

And maybe a good quality Viking aspherical lens for the trip?

<a href="http://www.frojel.com/Documents/Document03.html">click here</a>

[moritz_nienburg]

Interesting story.

 

I would suggest a Leica M7 0,72, 2,8/21 ASPH, 1,4/35 ASPH and the 2/90 APO. Plus the Leica Motor M. The Auto-Mode of the M7 can be very useful. The camera is as reliable as the M6TTL. With this lens line up, you have the best you can get. I would not use the Voigtländer 15MM, it's a nice lens, it's cheap, I have it myself but it's got a very extreme perspective. If you can afford the 2,8/21 ASPH get it. The 1,4/35 ASPH is an outstanding lens, I even have the first version, you can use it as fast standard lens. The 2/90 APO is excellent for portraits even if it is tack sharp, some people don't like this.

 

Call Leica, tell them your story, they might be interested in some sponsoring.

 

As you live in Hamburg, there is a Leica-Mekka there: www.leicabeimeister.com.

 

Regards Moritz Nienburg

[brambor]

Isn't XPAN the camera Jeff Bridges uses in his photography? Sounds like a good choice to take along. I would take it as a second body though. You might drop things into the ocean or something like that.

[kipling]

"But why the Leica choice?" <p>

Like I said, I always wanted one. And I need a camera that I can depend on 100% in harsh

conditions. And I can't take a lot of bulk.<p>

"Have you used this system?" <p>

Not very often. Used one about ten years ago for a shooting, borrowed it from a

photographer friend and was stunned with the prints. Also used a mamiya 7ll a couple of

times and I own a Hexar and use it a lot. But like I said I'm a studio still lifer and use a

Sinar most of the time or my Rollei 6008. Anyway, I like rangefinders and I've always done

everything in manual with a handheld lightmeter when it was for a job. I think I'll be

allright with it. The M7 sounds good too.<p>

"This sounds like a risky and difficult situation to be learning new gear." <p>

I'll have about two months to get used to it before I go. That's enough.

[socke]

<i>Hi Lutz, we're talking ninth cetury here. There wasn't any color

film back then ;-) </i><br>

Vikings? Thats more 9th century, no film at all then :-)<br>

 

I shot a lot at sea when I was in the navy from 1980-88, I used a

Rollei 35TE and a Yashica FX-D then, both cameras survived

temperatures below -40°C, saltwater, waves as high as the bridge (14

meters!) and general mistreatment.<br>

I usualy overcame seasickness standing on the bridge and looking at

the horizon, but I served on a ships with some 3500 metric tons

displacement. The time I spent on a sub, I hadn't much oportunities

to snap a shot :-).<br>

I'd try to escort the dragon from a more comfortable yacht so you

get pictures of the boat, climb into the crows nest an shoot from

high up.<br>

And have a look in this month profifoto, they've got an essay from

Gerd Wagner where he reports about his assignment on the Sea

Cloud.<br>

 

<br>

Have fun<br>

Volker

[erik_asgeirsson]

As an Icelander by blood, I'd love to see the results of this project. Would you have any reservations against posting some of the pictures on this forum when you're finished?

[o fragasi]

Kipling-

 

In my occasional forays into Viking ship photography, I've found an XPan with a 30mm to be the perfect setup.

 

Have fun!

[dan flanders]

From the logistical point of view it would appear that being at sea with a bunch of drunken Vikings is the equivalent of being in an Alaskan duck camp with a bunch of drunken waterfowlers. In either instance, the greater risk (aside from personal injury) would be to the equipment. Thus considered I would recommend a Nikonos or similar waterproof rig, but even that is in jeopardy of being thrown overboard. Admittedly the Leica outfit would produce the best images, but a Lomo with a supply of ziplock bags is more likely to survive the ordeal.

[kipling]

Hi Erik the Icelander! No problem with that, I'll definately post some shots when it's all said

and done. <p>

My goodness, where are all the Leica diehards on this forum? Those cameras weren't just

made to collect dust with people. My gear will be insured for this shooting. What has the

world come to when the people on Leica forum are afraid to get their camera wet?

[al_kaplan1]

Anything short of a total dunking won't hurt them! Ignore the fondlers. They'd be afraid to shoot a Viking ship inside a museum without protecting their precious camera with a half case and a UV filter. The worst that can happen is you can tell your great-grandchildren that "This is the camera I took with me to photograph the Viking voyage way back in '04!" as you continue to use it. They won't care if there are a few nicks and scratches on it.

[h._p.]

Some good advice (and some silliness as usual). I've not been in a longboat but I have done a certain amount of photography of and from boats and one thing I've always found - water moves!

 

Take the picture below that I shot (about thirty years ago) for the RNLI. Dead flat sea, working from a forty foot lifeboat. Harvey goes to change lens. Large and somewhat fast ship passes us about three hundred yards away. Bow wave expands and hits lifeboat. Lens slips out of hand and heads for water to be stopped (amazingly) by bumper on side. Harvey grabs lens and vows never, ever, to change lens in boat again.....

 

Seriously, I find it safest not to leave anything to chance on water because if you drop it, you've probably lost it. Carrying three bodies so you don't need to change lenses is worth considering. If you must use a Leica, you might consider running a piece of cord through the release lock on the base plate and attaching it to the camera strap as some insurance when you change films.

 

Another piece of insurance is a plastic bag with the end glued to a UV filter or better still, one of those Ewa Marine housings which is the same thing, only professionally executed. Look at it this way: no matter how good the picture in front of you is, if the camera isn't working, you can't get it.....<div></div>

[Allen Herbert]

Take the picture below that I shot (about 120 years ago before i was in the Boer war)

 

Harvey's been around a while.