Dave Beckerman Returns to Film and Leica

[larry d.]

I just visited one of my favorite web sites after a long spell away.

 

Surprise! It seems that Dave Beckerman has returned to Leica film equipment. An old M3

to be exact. Take a look at his wonderful work. What a talent! <davebeckerman.com> LD

[oceanphysics]

I don't really see the appeal. A lot of photographers I look at and think I could never do work like that. This one I look at and think if I lived in New York and shot black and white, my photos would look exactly like that.

[andrew_hull]

Dave B. switches cameras, OMG! That is a shocker.

[jerry_lehrer]

Larry-- Good Lord! He has pictures of my old neighborhood in the Bronx. But no pictures of the Bronx H.S. of Science! Or NYU.

 

Jerry

[todd frederick]

The website is too difficult to navigate. I'm lazy! Hope that gives you a clue about website design! (^U^)

[EricM]

agree with Ocean; average.

[john_spiers]

I misread the title and thought it said David Beckham!

 

I'd be more than surprised if he ever started using an M3, although his wife was recently spotted using a Digilux with the lens cap still on.

 

http://www.amateurphotographer.com/news/Posh_weilds_Leica_shoots_and_misses_news_69092.html

[joseph_wang3]

I am not surprised at all. After more than 50 years, there is no other rangefinders

good enough to compete with M3.

 

A good M3 has the most accurate focusing mechanism. It is superior as well in its

mechanics.

[andrew_hull]

No rangefinder can compete, huh? There are a lot of ways many can compete. Hexar AF...quieter. Contax G2...faster focusing. M7 is quicker at reading light for metering. It really is an issue of taste, and not "competing". What a Leica board thing to say.

[larry d.]

Ocean, I believe it's easier said than done. I don't think I have the the guts, or the talent to

quit a full-time job (stop working for the man) and just concentrate solely on photography

in a studio apartment in NY. Build a web site and run a daily forum for several years. For

that alone I give him my full respect. Yes he's in NY, a content rich area, but that doesn't

replace talent.

 

The point I found interesting is that after using a M6 for many years, then a 2-3 year

digital stint, he prefers a simple Leica. Not his ability to design web sites. Not the fact that

he switched camera systems. But his own personal process and a growth.

 

Oh yea, we've exchanged emails on occasion and he is truly a nice person. At least nicer

than most...

[Troll]

Ocean Physics, you're all wet as usual. You probably think that if you lived in Paris that your pictures would be as good as Cartier-Bresson. Dave Beckerman is an extraordinary person, and a great photographer.

[jerry_lehrer]

Bill Mitchell-- You are correct. David's photos are excellent, AND his

website is a pleasure to navigate even with my antiquated computer.

 

I just wish that he had photos of Arthur Ave and 187th street, (the Little

Italy of the Bronx).

[eliot_rosen1]

I don't really see the appeal. A lot of photographers I look at and think I could never do work like that. This one I look at and think if I lived in New York and shot black and white, my photos would look exactly like that.

 

Those who can, do. Those who can't, criticize.

[larrybc]

Some of Dave's work is pretty good and he seems like a very nice person and I find him interesting to read, as well. What I particularly like is that he is candid about why he goes from camera to camera and isn't afraid to change his mind.

 

Like another person has posted, I respect him for the courage to trust in his abilities as a photographer to earn himself a living. And I acknowledge his generosity in giving us a candid and entertaining look into that enterprise.

 

larsbc

[vic_.]

Thanks! This is huge. I'm a fan of his and was there when he went digital, and now he's back to film. He had a great blog on the Christo's Orange Curtains (whatever it's called!) in Central Park a while ago.

[jay bee]

I am a daily visitor to Dave's site and find his insights into photography as a profession most interesting. As one who lives in the NY metro area, I find his subject matter compelling as well. His talent is certainly in the eye of the beholder, but as others have noted his courage and generosity to those interested in learning more about photography are unquestionable.

[john_r._fulton_jr.]

<I>I misread the title and thought it said David Beckham!</I><P>Great picture of

Beckham's wife with the digilux with the lens cap still on. Usually that's a mistake that's

more commonly made when using an M3.

[._._z]

He switched cameras again? Leica, Contax, Nikon, Canon, Rollei, LF.... You get the

idea.

 

So he's switched again. Yawn. every time he switches he talks up the current system

as the best yet for him. You can even find his paen to the Contax G system on his

site. And a year ago he was singing the praises of his Canon 7 body and lenses.

 

What's amusing is seeing how someone moving (temporarily?) to Leica gear is seen as

noteworthy enough for a post here. OTOH, I guess AMC Pacer forums fill up whenever

an old model is briefly seen on a TV show too....

[._._z]

I guess I'm the only one who remembers when someone in this forum breathlessly

reported a couple of years ago that Beckerman sold his Leica. This is simply Leica-

fanboy niche nutsiness.

[rj]

Doesn't Beckerman say, himself, that he changed from a leica to other cameras and now coming back to leica? What's the big deal?

[EricM]

geez Bill, this thread is filled with praise for Dave, what are you talking about "sour grapes"?

 

i said they look average. and they do. looks like no final manipulation was taken during the printing process and appear as a high production site with straight scans from the neg.

[oceanphysics]

<i>Ocean, I believe it's easier said than done. I don't think I have the the guts, or the talent to quit a full-time job (stop working for the man) and just concentrate solely on photography in a studio apartment in NY. Build a web site and run a daily forum for several years.</i>

<p>

Courageous, yes. But that doesn't make me like his photography any better.

<p>

<i>

You probably think that if you lived in Paris that your pictures would be as good as Cartier-Bresson. Dave Beckerman is an extraordinary person, and a great photographer.

</i>

<p>

No, I certainly don't think that. But if you think this guy is anything like HCB, you should probably give up photography altogether, and/or see the eyecare specialist of your choice. I'm happy to know he's an extraordinary person, but again, that doesn't make me like his photos any better.

[._._z]

Earlier this year, Beckerman said that uppon reflection he thought his photos aimed

for the look of a cover from the old Saturday Evening Post. Personally I do not find

that, or his work, especially extraordinary, but I don't begrudge him his interests, and

he does post the occasional nice shot.

 

But it's sad when, as we all too regularly see here, fanboys feel the need to collect

names of Leica users, or

bemoan when someone 'leaves the fold,' or rejoices when someone buys a Leica (and

actually uses it).

[joseph_wang3]

Mr Hull said,''No rangefinder can compete, huh? There are a lot of ways many can

compete. Hexar AF...quieter. Contax G2...faster focusing. M7 is quicker at reading

light for metering. It really is an issue of taste, and not "competing". What a Leica

board thing to say.''

 

I don't think Hexar AF is quieter, it's electronic shutter is the same as G2, it is louder

and more prone to vibration than M3.

 

G2 certainly has faster focusing, but it fail to focus reliably,particularly at f2 for G45

at short distance.

 

M7 has internal meter, M3 uses external meter, why is M7 quicker in reading light ?

 

M3 is superior in many ways, no other rangefinders can compete.

[jay bee]

What I find funny is that here is a guy who isn't a slave to Leica (evidenced by his transient use of different cameras) and this post gets knocked by the usual "Leica worship is rubbish" absurdities. To me it doesn't matter what he uses. Its his blog that keeps me coming back for more and his sincere effort to share his knowledge that I appreciate most of all.

 

Was I offended when he went digital? Heck no. Am I happy he's shooting with Leica again? Maybe, in that his site was one of the first I discovered when I bought my M6 because his insights on the system useful. Perhaps now that he's back to film and Leica I'll learn even more.

 

The fact that anyone deeply cares about any of this is silly, but is that why we post here at all? Photography isn't about curing cancer after all. The need of some here to constantly render critiques of other's work in an attempt to denigrate their qualifications or other's admiration is whats most unfortunate here.