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ENGLISH EDITION
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Gaël Turine Emil Gataullin Lisl Steiner Jarle Hagen
L E I C A F O T O G R A F I E I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Ralph Gibson
© Stefan Müller
HELMUT NEWTON FOUNDATION / BERLIN UNTIL 19 NOVEMBER 2017 MARIO TESTINO / UNDRESSED HELMUT NEWTON / UNSEEN JEAN PIGOZZI / POOL PARTY FROM 1 DECEMBER 2017 GUY BOURDIN / IMAGE MAKER HELMUT NEWTON / A GUN FOR HIRE ANGELO MARINO / ANOTHER STORY HELMUT NEWTON FOUNDATION MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY JEBENSSTRASSE 2, 10623 BERLIN TUE, WED, FRI, SAT, SUN 11-7, THU 11-8 www.helmutnewton.com
Lfi 8. 2017
p o rt f o l i o l i gh t b ox
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1 0 2 | L f i . Ga l l e ry
8 4 | L e i c a CL
Over 23 000 photographers present over 300 000 pictures in the LFI Gallery. The topics in this issue: people, cities and street scenes
The Leica TL2 has a new sister: the Leica CL. The most important technical parameters are identical, but the design is classic. Also new: the super-flat ElmaritTL 18mm f/2.8 Asph
Ph oto
90 | Thambar The story of a rebirth: After its original introduction to the market in 1935, the Thambar 9cm f/2.2 soft focus lens returns with an M bayonet replacing the original thread-mount
112 | Books
Emil Gataullin, Dalmatian, Moscow, 2011
Current publications by Álvaro Laiz, Gianluca Galtrucco, Guy Bourdin, Sam Contis and Raymond Depardon 114 | Exhibitions
96 | Limoland The first special edition of the instant camera from Wetzlar has arrived: the Leica Sofort ‘Limoland by Jean Pigozzi’ who has encased the camera in an explosion of colour. Welcome, Mr Limo!
Ralf Gibson 6 | The Vertical Horizon
More tension, more dynamics: Ralph Gibson’s song of praise for the vertical format
Emil Gataullin 2 0 | T o wa r d s t h e H o r i z o n
A poetic collection of ‘moments of life’ captured in the rural landscape of Russia
Virtually the same silhouette as the first Leica: the new CL with APS-C sensor
Gaël Turine 36 | En bas la ville
Photographs from the crisis-ridden Caribbean State of Haiti: a declaration of love of life
George Tatakis 52 | Greek Customs
Rituals with tradition: a photographic journey to earthly weddings and heavenly name days
Stephen Shore, New York; Wim Wenders, London; Arrivano I Parazzi!, Turin; Malick Sidibé, Paris; Irving Penn, Paris 116 | Leica Galleries An overview of the programme of Leica Galleries worldwide, including exhibitions by Oskar Anrather, Marc Riboud, Ahmet Polat and Craig Semetko 1 1 8 | i n t e rv i e w A talk with the photo enthusiast and lawyer, Douglas So, about Hong Kong as a meeting point between East and Wes, F11 Foto Museum and f22 foto space 122 | my picture Traditional handicraft: While working on his The Afghans series, photographer Jens Umbach portrayed a baker 122 | imprint
Jarle Hagen 62 | A Proud SÁmi
Impressive portraits of the Sámi taken in the sparse light of the northern reaches of Norway
Lisl Steiner 7 2 | I m p r o v i s at i o n : T h e u lt i m at e f r e e d o m
From Fidel Castro to Martin Luther King: legendary images and the story of how they came about
Cover photo: from the The Vertical Horizon series by Ralph Gibson
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LFI W o r k s h o p s
LFI Wo r k sh o p s 2 0 1 8 the new programme
In March, Danny Wilcox Frazier will be in Hamburg to share his knowledge
Start off 2018 gaining new photographic knowledge by attending the LFI Workshops early in the year. Everything from filming a small video to completing a good portrait, from street photography to an evaluation by a professional photo editor: there is something for everyone’s preference. The series starts out with Ragnar Axelsson, who in January will be reporting on his work in the Arctic. In February it is Uwe Martin who will show participants how to tell a story about the Hamburg harbour, using small video sequences and images. In March we welcome Danny Wilcox Frazier, who will reveal how he gets up really close to the people he places at the heart of his pictures. The number of participants in limited to twelve, with places also available for students. All the workshops will take place at the LFI office in Hamburg. The complete programme for the first half of 2018 will soon be available online at: lfi-online.de/workshop
Contributors
Always with a Leica on hand. And it is worth taking note of the camera’s vertical position in this picture of a self-portrait taken in a mirror, as it reflects the preferred perspective of the US American photographer. The Vertical Horizon series that we are presenting in this issue, and from which the magazine’s cover picture is taken, was completed over the last two years, and reveals the exciting and masterful way in which Gibson combines colour, form and content. 4 |
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Lisl Steiner “It is the eye, not the camera, that takes the picture.” And this eye – normally positioned behind a Leica viewfinder – has seen the world. With a broad perspective, as well as good humour and plenty of passion, the Austrian-born, New Yorkbased photographer has spent many decades capturing the greats of the US music and literature, politics and society scenes, for the most renowned magazines. Even today she is still an exceptionally gifted and entertaining story teller.
Gaël Turine
The Belgian photographer’s original idea was to produce a photo-journalistic piece on the Haitian capital, but a visit to Port-au-Prince in the company of a novelist friend changed his perspective on the city and the approach to his work. “I had to step outside my comfort zone,” he explains. He has travelled to Haiti time and again, to work there on his project. For 2018 he is planning an exhibition where he will put the pictures up at the precise locations there they were taken.
Photos: Danny Wilcox Frazier/2017 VII Photo Agency LLC; H. S. Kim, Seoul, 2016; Aldo Sessa; Loïc Delvaulx
Ra l p h G i b s o n
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Leica TL2 A statement. The numerous innovations in the new TL2 expand your creative horizons. An APS-C sensor with 24 MP resolution and a Maestro-II series processor bring added brilliance and sharpness and also enable a continuous shooting rate of up to 20 frames per second and video recording in 4K resolution. The high-resolution, 3.7" touchscreen display lets you navigate intuitively through customizable menus and ensures that you very quickly have time to concentrate completely on what’s essential: the joy of photography in its purest form. tl2.leica-camera.com. LEICA TL-SYSTEM. Boldly different.
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Ralph Gibson
Ralph Gibson spent almost two years working on his vertical format series – in New York and Los Angeles, Germany and Brazil, Korea and Norway. Location inspires inspiration, Gibson claims, “but the photographs all look like they were taken around the corner from my studio in New York City.“
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Above all, colour and light define many of the motifs from the The Vertical Horizon series. The indiviÂdual pictures share in common a reduction down to a few details, a coherent graphic design and, not least, a dynamic composition. Consequently, the motifs come together to form an exciting series
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The photographer considers there are three steps in relation to viewing his work: “First you get their attention, they’re interested, they’re going to stop and look at it. First the attention, then the interest, awareness comes after they’ve studied a while.” explains Ralph Gibson
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According to Gibson, “Colour reflects the semiotics of a society. The language of signs, shapes or symbols. Black and white triggers an abstract referent and is immediately more dramatic. When people ask me if I prefer black and white or colour I answer that I like all three ...�
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Ralph Gibson discovered photography while doing his military service with the US Marines. Born in Los Angeles in 1939 he studied at the San Francisco Art Institute from 1956 to 1962, and after that worked as an assistant to Dorothea Lange and Robert Frank. In 1969 Gibson founded the publishing house Lustrum Press. He has so far published 40 books. He lives and works in New York City.
ra l phg i b s o n .co m LFI -O nl i n e .D E / B log : Slideshow with further images of the series
Equipment: Leica M10, Leica M240, Leica M Monochrom246 with Apo-Telyt 135 mm f/3.4
Finding colours in Ralph Gibson’s work is something of a new discovery, because it was his monochrome photography that made him famous. His pieces are defined by the perfect composition of line, surface, light and shadow. His seminal imagery found in countless books, series and motifs, and not least his elegant nudes, has earned him an enormous amount of attention. Gibson has photographed with a Leica camera for many decades now, but it took a long time for him to be convinced that digital photography could stand up to analogue. However, being honoured with the offer of a Ralph Gibson Edition Leica M Monochrom in 2013, made him reconsider his opinion (LFI 2/14). The photographer remembers: “I was highly skeptical of the digital imaging system. 60 years in the darkroom tend to influence one. However, the immediate results with the prototype of the Monochrom convinced me that there was a special language inherent in the digital lexicon and I wanted very much to expand my vocabulary. I was ready to learn a new language.” Gibson has also come to understand something he considers particularly important: “I hold the view that any form of digital processing includes compression. This is true of music, cinema/video, cellular communications, banking. I noticed that the 50mm lens was giving my images the impression that they were being taken with a slightly longer focal length. I believe that an essential component of the digital language is perspective foreshortening.” With his The Vertical Horizon series, Gibson opens a new chapter in the way he experiences the possibilities of digital. His technological starting point was an Apo-Telyt 135mm f/3.4 on a Leica M. For Gibson, visual reduction is an approach he associates with music. “I imagine the light rays being compressed during exposure. This idea is not unfamiliar to any musician who has a strong relationship to their instrument,” he explains. Gibson has a weakness for music, especially the guitar. “I divide my creative life equally between
composing for the guitar and generating new images. I consider them to be one and the same.” It becomes especially interesting when Gibson finds some essential parallels between the two. “This touches on my idea that reality is to photography what melody is to music,” he says. Recognisable references to reality are important to Gibson. “You can have photography without reality but you’ve taken away something very essential to the nature of the medium.” This explains why recognisability is important. The photographer elaborates, “I don’t want to make photographs that are so abstract that you can’t recognize the subject. Reality is a pretext for my efforts to achieve clarity.” However mysterious his images appear to be at a first glance, fragments of reality do remain recognisable. Gibson invites the viewer to go on an associative exploration of the photograph. Whilst providing a series title, the consistent use of the vertical format is rather unusual. The photographer explains, “I discovered years ago that I could get lots of tension and therefore more drama out of vertical compositions. I got further and further away from conventional notions of documentary photography, I didn’t want the horizontal frame particularly because for me, it was too referential to cinema and narrative and allegory. The vertical frame deconstructs certain pre-conceptions regarding the ‘golden means’ proportion. The vertical suggests monocular vision.” Gibson has been working consistently on this project for two years and it is close to completion. A selection of The Vertical Horizon has already been presented this past summer at the Thierry Bigaignon Gallery in Paris, and will be followed shortly by an exhibition in New York. At that point, it will also be accompanied by a new book – though Gibson remains quiet about the details. We look forward to what may come. Ulrich Rüter
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Emil Gataullin t o wa r ds t he h o r i z o n
His pictures have no titles. Most of the time the only thing that the viewer can identify is that Emil Gataullin’s preferred motifs are all located in rural Russia. The photographer does not regard his themes as providing information about an event, but rather as an invitation to viewers to search for their own meanings in his images.
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e m i l G atau l l i n Born in 1972 in Joschkar-Ola, about 750 kilometres east of Moscow, Gataullin studied Monumental Painting at the V. Surikov Moscow State Academy of Art Institute. His interest in photography began shortly after the turn of the century, finding his teacher and mentor in photography theoretician Alexander Lapin. His love is for black and white photography, with increasing excursions into colour. Gataullin lives in Korolyov near Moscow.
emi lgatau l l i n.ph oto she lt e r.co m Equipment: Leica M7 with Summicron-M 35mm f/2 and 50mm f/2 Asph E mi l Gatau l l i n: Towa r ds t he H o rizo n
His book was published by Verlag Lammerhuber in 2016. 256 pages with 129 photos, texts in German, English and Russian
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Emil Gataullin’s oeuvre – if one can call it an oeuvre – received little exposure in the West until 2014, when it caught the attention of the jury of the Alfred Fried Award. Gataullin submitted some of his black and white photographs of life in a Russian village to the competition: images filled with a gentle, wistful kind of poetry. His picture of two boys apparently suspended in the air, upside down on a double swing as it flipped over, was chosen as the Photograph of the Year. People were soon referring to him as the Russian Cartier-Bresson. That is a big statement, and a tough comparison to live up to. Yet it makes sense when looking at the photographs – images that also reveal inconspicuous details, making it virtually impossible for the viewer to turn away. The viewer searches to see a secret, seized in an emotion that is hard to decipher. Before subsuming a person into a legend however, it is better to get to know who he really is. Who then is Emil Gataullin? He was born in 1972, is slender and cautious, with slightly greying hair. When you first meet him it is immediately apparent how alien he finds all the excitement and plaudits conferred on him by the international photography scene. Gataullin speaks softly when he talks about his early years spent in Joschkar-Ola, 750 kilometres east of Moscow, on a tributary of the Volga. His father was a singer, his mother a music teacher. When the family moved to the large city of Kazan, the young boy retained his affinity for the rural province, the small town, the village
where he spent most of his holidays staying at his grandmother’s, looking after the cows, picking mushrooms and fishing. “It was the loveliest time of my life,” Gataullin says to explain why his photography takes him consistently back to the village. It provides him an escape from Moscow, where he lives with wife and daughter in a Khrushchev-era, satellite town on the periphery of the city. Gataullin studied at the Art College in Kazan, then later at the V. Surikov State Academy of Art Institute in Moscow. His field of study was Monumental Painting, which sounds like pompous, Soviet Realism, featuring heroic works in oil. But it was in fact, the quiet still-lifes by the Italian artist Giorgio Morandi and the works of French painters Matisse and Manet, that excited Gataullin and were responsible for his becoming a painter. Which is how he continues to earn his living to this day. The fact that photography became part of Gataullin’s life was thanks to a Zenit camera that his uncle gave him when he was 16 years old. The youngster used it to photograph stilllifes and landscapes, not yet daring to capture people. That all changed following an encounter with Alexander Lapin, one of Russia’s great photography theoreticians. Gataullin attended photography courses Lapin was running in 2003 and 2004, studying composition and the language of imagery. In addition, he learned about perception and seeing. Up until that time, he had only been full of questions, including the question of which direction he wanted to explore in his career: reportage photography, documentary, artistic? The fact that Gataullin considered Josef Koudelka, Sebastião Salgado and Henri Cartier-Bresson, who had also studied painting, as role models does not yet answer the question – even if they did help define his preference for black and white photography. The Russian colleagues he claims also influenced him – such as Vladimir Semin, Gennady Bodrov and Valery Shekoldin – are hard to place in a
specific camp: the only thing they all share in common is a fascination with the theme of rural Russia: sometimes in non-political, elegiac pictures of everyday life; other times, as in the case of Shekoldin, showing all the suffering in ravaged faces. It is certain that Gataullin has no intention of protesting about the conditions of rural life. When he travels to the village – generally without an assignment – he does so privately. He does not like the city he inhabits. The tempo is foreign to him, he does not like Moscow politics and he does not like to have to go through the doors of an editorial office. The things that move him find no resonance there. So, it is the village he returns to. Ivan Bunin – the first Russian speaker to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, also referred to as the Russian Proust – described the rural Russian village during the Soviet era as the tragic stage for human perfidy and avarice, despair and cruelty. That place in the shadow of modernity, where in Bunin’s early twentieth century stories, a character says, “We Russians do not know how to love”. The same place where Valentin Rasputin, hero and author of Russian village prose who died in 2015, celebrated the courage and dignity, patience and faith of rural folk in his Farewell to Matyora. It is also the place where the Russian soul drowns itself too frequently in vodka – so dramatically in fact, that the average life expectancy of Russian men today remains closer to 60 than 70. Does Gataullin romanticise the village? He knows about the ‘poor people out
there’. He is aware of industrial wastelands and the expanding roads, the emigration of the young and active, the collapse of the electricity supply and communal heating. But there, he says, in a land so distant from Moscow, is where he sees “that clarity, that honesty and that authenticity”. In his photographs, he is searching for another era, a bygone time when things were slower – not an idyllic world per se, but rather an era, a space in time where one makes do without resorting to aggressiveness. Gataullin also chooses not to translate into pictures what Bunin writes about the agony of those buried alive. He pre-
fers instead to make us aware of the author’s quieter passages: the gentleness of the observer of whom it is said that he had ‘written with his eyes’. In other words, rather than pitiless severity, Gataullin looks for the spring poem, the beauty of which is best suggested when winter reigns supreme, because that is the time when the landscape embodies a secret hope. Gataullin does not want to impose ‘obvious images’ on the viewer. This is why he avoids taking a position, and why he rarely takes on any photographic assignments and continues to be a loner. At 18 years old, he chose to be baptized. In 2006, he began following believers on procession routes passing by Kirov, Yaroslavl and Vologda. He observed the people, approached them cautiously, trying to get a sense of their inner life through photos. People doing penance, hoping for salvation, fulfilling a final wish. Just like he once photographed fire wood, orchards and the harvest in and around his grandmother’s house, so he remains a photographer of that which
is ‘simple’. He searches for it by taking one step after another. He looks for silent harmony with his camera, now a Leica. The camera gives him a voice. Otherwise he prefers to remain silent. But why does he speak in black and white? Because, according to Gataullin, rural Russia has no colour: Russia is not Brazil after all. He claims that shooting in black and white grants the viewer the freedom to invent his or her own colours, because he wants to dictate as little as possible. His images harbour no information, no event – they are a simple invitation to the viewer to find a personal meaning in the picture. This is – and here it is the artist in Gataullin who speaks – because the replication of reality is not what is important, but the way in which it is seen. The interaction of the elements that should lead to harmony. Just like a piece of text depends on the emphasis in the wording, so a photo and its framing comes alive in the relationship of the elements to one another – the geometry that turns something ordinary into poetry. Gataullin’s goal is to turn on a light, even when it appears as though nothing is happening in his pictures. The fact that Gataullin’s images are enveloped in a blanket of melancholy, also derives from the fact that he went to Kolyma, the shadow-land of the gulags. The same place where author Varlam Shalamov reported from, while surviving 17 years, exiled there by Stalin. Shalamov was admired for his ‘reductionism’, ‘abstinence’ and ‘spareness’ – and because of the fact that he did not moralise. Does this somehow fit to Gataullin’s pictures? A silent man who has not suffered, living in the kingdom of Putin. Yes, it does. Gataullin is a man who approaches people cautiously – in a reduced, calm and imperceptible manner. peter-matthias gaede was Editor in Chief of Geo from 1994 to 2014, as well as Editor in Chief and later publisher of Geo Wissen, Geolino, the Specials and further spin-offs.
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GaĂŤl Turine
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Welcome to Haiti, welcome to Port-au-Prince. Photographer GaÍl Turine visited the crisis-ravaged Caribbean state where the consequences of the 2010 earthquake are still visible. His colourful pictures go far beyond an inventory of the suffering – they are also a declaration of a love of life.
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In 2010 an earthquake shattered the area, destroying Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince. Around 230 000 people were counted as dead, while unknown amounts became homeless. Very little aid money has reached the country. Ruined and destroyed buildings still serve as reminders of the catastrophe
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The interplay of light and shadow, colour and contrasts, is characteristic of Gaël Turine’s work: “The region is defined by many colours, that are very intense and diverse.” He has been travelling to Haiti regularly for the last three years, working on his own projects as well as running workshops
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On the way to the business area of Port-au-Prince, you come across many people who have set themselves up in abandoned buildings – many of these buildings were damaged during the 2010 earthquake
Gaël Turine Born in Nieuport, Belgium in 1972, Turine studied photography in Brussels. In 2006 he won the Golden Clover Award and with the prize money was able to complete his project about the Vodou cult. His first book, Aveuglément, about blind people in West Africa, appeared in 2001, and was followed by numerous further book projects. The pictures from Haiti were published by Le Bec in 2017 under the title En Bas la Ville. Turine is a member of the Maps photographers collective.
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Photos: Gaël Turine/Maps
“Sun shines on the turquoise blue façade of the little church, a shutter throws its geometric shadow across a concrete floor, red paint on a house shines brightly: the colours of Haiti reveal much about the complexity of the country. Colour, light and shadow reflect the chaos, but also the more poetic side of life. These aspects have little to do with the pure beauty of exotic colours – on the contrary, visiting Port-au-Prince, the capital of the Caribbean island state, is an experience all of itself. The city has close to 1.3 million inhabitants and most of them live in slums on the hillsides. As a result of the powerful earthquake in 2010, which cost the lives of around 230 000 people, approximately 1.8 million of the country’s citizens became homeless and there are still many people who have yet to find a fixed abode. The official camps have largely disappeared, but many people continue to live in temporary shelters as they have done for all this time. People have set themselves up among the ruins and are waiting for their lives to take a turn for the better. Seven years ago, the talk was all about making a fresh start: about how the country, already poor before the quake, might find a way into the future with the help of international aid. Today, the problems Haiti faces are exactly the same ones that existed before the catastrophe: poverty, corruption, unemployment and political chaos. In addition, a rampant cholera outbreak followed the quake, causing the deaths of a further thousands of people. How then can you explain that this country, this city has not exploded? How is it possible that such an immense number of people haven’t erupted into a civil war? The failure of the state and all the social injustices people suffer would be explanation enough for violent escalation. Where do these people get the necessary dose of energy and hope to withstand
it all? These are the questions I ask, because life in this crisis-ravaged island state is so tough – especially in the capital, where the dreams of hundreds of thousands have turned into nightmares. They fled from the rural areas into the city and are now living under the most terrible conditions. I have come to get to know the country. Over the last three years I’ve been holding regular workshops for young, Haitian photographers. At the same time, I was also working on my own, personal projects in Port-au-Prince. I had travelled around the country for my reportage on the Vodou cult. Consequently, I already knew how to behave as a photographer, and also as a human being. Many people there react with anger when they see a photographer, because so many reporters have described the island as hell, when in fact, there are more sides to it. Every time I arrive in Port-auPrince I get the impression of a city in the throws of a high fever. The personal perception of reality becomes blurry and all senses are in a state of alarm. In any place and at any time, anything can happen. I walk and walk and walk. It’s the best way to explore the atmosphere in a city. Most of the time I have one of my students or a friend by my side, someone who is able to speak with people when it comes to explaining my wishes as a photographer. I do understand creole, but in many situations it’s better when a local can interact and deal with other locals. But, of course, I also spend a lot of time talking, laughing, playing and arguing with people on the streets. When I planned my project in Portau-Prince, I had the idea of producing a photo-journalistic series. Then I visited the island with Laurent Gaudé, a French author of novels. That changed the way I looked at the city. And it also changed the way I photograph the city and its people. I suddenly found myself having to question my comfort zone. I challenged myself and stepped outside that comfort zone, to give way to a new, visual vernacular that really
suited Port-au-Prince. I was now convinced that there was another way to speak about this city – its atmosphere and its moods. As a result, I soon had the idea of a book project in mind. The idea of giving the book the format of a leporello came from the graphic designer. When she suggested it to me, I was immediately convinced: it was like an echo of my own feelings that, up until that moment, I had been unable to give form to. During my travels, my Leica was the perfect companion. It’s discreet and, when I was out on the street, I didn’t look like a press photographer. As far as I’m concerned, the M system combines some very important properties: discretion, efficiency, stability, simplicity and mobility. Where will things go from here? I’m planning an outdoor exhibition of posters for 2018, where I hope to hang them in the different districts where I took the photographs. I have no idea how people will react. We’ll speak with people who may be able to influence the inhabitants positively. Sadly, I have to say that I’m not very optimistic about the future for Haiti. The political and financial elite show no signs of improving things in any way. Of course, the civil population protest loudly and many organisations are demanding authorities show more vision, courage and entrepreneurship. At the same time however, social and political tensions, as well as poverty, are on the rise. The same can be said for the trouble of corruption. I’m afraid the way the government deals with all these problems, will pull the country down even further – with all the inevitable consequences.” Recorded by katrin iwanczuk
gaeltu rin e.com LFI-On lin e.DE /Blog: photos behind the scenes can be found on the blog Equipment: Leica M240 with Summicron-M 35mm and 50mm f/1:2 Asph
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LeicA Q
George Tatakis G r ee k T r a d i t i o n s
George Tatakis shines a light on the customs and traditions of his home country, many of which date back to the Archaic period. Their origins may have become lost in the mists of time, but on many of the South Aegean islands, folkloric culture is still very much alive.
A day before the wedding, women in traditional dress display the bride’s dowry by carrying it through the village. Karpathos island, Olympos
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Below left: Together with his friends, the bridegroom serenades his future wife outside her house. Instruments (from left to right): laouto, lyre and bagpipes. Photographed on Karpathos island, Olympos. All other images: The dowry-procession on the day of betrothal, 24 hours before the wedding, counts among the central elements of a Greek wedding
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This and previous double page: The 77-square-kilometre island of Sifnos is home to 235 chapels. The name day of every saint is marked with a great celebration. On 19 July, Profitis Ilias – Elijah the Prophet – is honoured in many of the island’s chapels. Traditional dances that can go on until the next morning are also part of the festivities. All images taken at the Monastery of Profitis Ilias on Sifnos
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Top: The priest and his congregation must walk for one and a half hours to reach the Monastery of St. John. Father Ioannis puts on his vestment. Below: Dancing until sunrise. All images taken in Vrykous, Karpathos
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ge o r ge Tata k i s Born 1981 in Athens. After studying Technology and Electronics in Edinburgh, Tatakis worked as an engineer and sales manager for a solar systems company. With his first pay-check, he bought a camera and began to experiment with photography during business trips. Entirely self-taught, he studied photo books, took drawing lessons and turned his bedroom into a darkroom. He is the co-founder of the collective Reflex Photographers and the online platform Pculiar.
tata ki s.co m, pc u l ia r.co m, r e f l ex ph oto g ra p hers.co m LFI -O nl i n e .D E / B log : Slideshow with further images Equipment: Leica Q,
Summilux 28mm f/1.7 Asph.
LFI: As a member of the younger generation, how familiar are you with your country’s ancient customs and traditions? George Tatakis: In Greece we are very lucky to have a huge variety of customs and traditions, many of which have Turkish, Italian and Balkan influences, or stem from Dionysian and ancient Christian rites. I am familiar with many of them, as I actively seek them out. I enjoy finding unusual events, and keep discovering more and more. Some friends and I have created a web portal, pculiar.com, where we share our adventures and help people find out about traditional events. Which of your discoveries struck you as especially remarkable? Easter in Olympos, which is a fairly secluded village on Karpathos island. Its inhabitants consider themselves descendants of the Byzantine Empire. It’s one of the few places in the world where visitors can experience Byzantine traditions. Which parts of the country did you focus on in your search for the traditions of old? I decided on the island of Sifnos, and the village of Olympos on Karpathos island, both in the south of the Agean Sea. I spent a total of two months in Olympos, because I was so fascinated by the degree to which the villagers keep their heritage alive. Why did you work exclusively with available light? Because it suits my personality. I really don’t like controlled environments, and I prefer not to control anything around me, but would rather be surprised all the time. Natural light also represents an equation that must be solved anew for every scene. This makes you think more and act fast. I guess I like solving puzzles. I do use a flash sometimes. I really like using a straight, on-camera flash, especially smaller ones, for the spark and sense of spontaneity they add to the pictures. I am definetely not interested in achieving a polished look. But I believe that
whatever you do in photography must arise from a conscious choice, rather than a lack of knowledge. Why do you favour working in black and white? It just seems a better fit. I put a lot of energy into framing and composition, and black and white really lends itself to certain visual characteristics that I pay a lot of attention to, such as forms, shapes and geometry. It also makes the viewer participate in the image, in the sense that you have to imagine the actual scene by adding the colours in your mind. The surrealism of black and white is another advantage. I even set my viewfinder to monochrome, so that I would see my motives in black and white. Your work reflects the visual traditions of classic humanist photography. Can you tell us more about your approach? Any image you create as a photographer also encompasses a reflection of your own self. Everything you have ever read or listened to, the art you have experienced, your socio-political views, will impact the way you experience the world around you, and consequently the way you see it. I try to create images that express my perception of the scene at hand. So my view of the world is an integral part of the result. How has Greek society been shaped by the political and economical developments of the past few years? Many things have changed since the crisis hit our country, though the effect seems to be noticeable primarily in the cities. Places with a mostly tourism-based economy suffer a lot less, or not at all. In the cities, people are really struggling to find jobs, and salaries have dropped significantly – whereas the cost of living has gone up. Unfortunately, many people are living below the poverty line. interview: Carla Susanne erdmann
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L e i c A SL
Jarle Hagen A PROU D S Á MI
The Sámi – or Laplanders as they are often referred to in English – live in the northern reaches of Norway. They were happy to dress in their traditional costumes for Jarle Hagen. The outcome is a series of sensitive portraits, that speak of the strength and the vulnerability in this indigenous group.
After two weeks staying with indigenous reindeer herders, Jarle Hagen came to realise that, “in the modern world we are increasingly distancing ourselves from nature”. The photographer only had one or two hours of daylight for his portraits of the Sámi – a timeframe where the speed of the Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 Asph was put to the test
The Sรกmi musician, Elle Mรกrjรก, also agreed to be photographed in the bright, traditional outfits of her people. The portraits have a fragile beauty and speak of the Sรกmi connection to nature
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J a r l e H a ge n Born in Norway, and with an educational background from Central St. Martins in London and the Westerdals School of Communication in Oslo, Hagen began his career as a photographer’s assistant in the Norwegian Maritime Museum. Today he is booked as a travel, food, car, people and lifestyle photographer. He is inspired by the Scandinavian cultures, from graphic design all the way to nature. His clients include Toyota, Lexus, BMW and Leica.
ja r l ehagen .no LFI -O nl i n e .D E / B log : Check out a video of the photo shoot
Equipment: Leica SL with SummiluxSL 50mm f/1.4 Asph; Light Shapers by Broncolor; Elinchrome Octa Softbox
If the edge of the world exists anywhere, it is Kautokeino. The community in the Norwegian province of Finnmark has a population of 3000: three thousand people and 100 000 reindeer. The landscape on the edges of the North Polar region is harsh and lonely, winters are cold and long. Founded at the beginning of the 16th century as a settlement for the indigenous population, it is still primarily Sámi who live on Norway’s largest high plateau, continuing to follow their traditional lifestyle: herding reindeer across the wide expanses. With snowmobiles and motocross machines, modernity takes a foothold in the isolated north, yet the inhabitants of the commune retain their bond with animals and with nature. It is said that anyone who wants to get to know the Sámi culture needs to travel to Kautokeino. This is where Jarle Hagen visited the indigenous group that is part of his homeland. As a child of the seventies and eighties, the Norwegian photographer was captivated by the colourful and adventurous stories of American Indians. “In fact, I was actually living in a country where today we still have indigenous people,” says Hagen. “It’s strange how little we learnt about this at school.” It is a painful episode in Norway’s history: with the Reformation in the 16th century, the shamanic Sámi of northern Norway suffered from violent Christian evangelism and forced conversion. It was only after World War II that the government gave in – if hesitantly – to their efforts to attain autonomy. Regional and national parliaments now include official representatives of Sámi interests, and they have been granted a so-called common law right to use pastures that, from a purely legal perspective, belong to the Norwegian state. Conflicts arise however, when the government wants to impose infrastructure projects in Sámi settlement areas for example, or to mine mineral resources that promise lucrative profits. It was only on his first trip to Kautokeino that Hagen learnt about the injustices this indigenous group has been subjected to in the past. Two years
ago he took pictures for an article on reindeer rearing for a Norwegian lifestyle magazine. “During that trip I met some incredibly friendly people. I wanted to return one day to learn more about them and their lifestyle.” The photographer was fascinated by the centuries-old Sámi tradition and their close connection to nature. He planned another one-week trip to Kautokeino, but ended up staying for two. It was like the poetic, Sámi national anthem, “Icy winds blow in winter, snow flurries without end; but we Sámi love our country deeply, with heart and soul”, as it was a snowstorm that forced him to extend his stay. “It was lucky,” he says, looking back. “Friendships were made during my visit that will hopefully last a lifetime.” The photographer wanted to portray the inhabitants of Kautokeino as a proud people. The pictures were to be timeless and have the classic beauty of the group’s fine, traditional costumes. He considers the portraits of the Sámi singer, Elle Márjá, as representative of this intention. “She has an amazing inner strength, that is visible in her eyes; but those same eyes also reveal something fragile.” Even the clothes that play an important role in the portraits, speak of wounds and vulnerability. In some pictures, Márjá wears a hat of horn. Just a few centuries ago, the traditional, woody horn under red cloth was worn by Sámi women – until Christian missionaries judged against the striking headpiece, because they believed that the devil himself lived in it. Many horn hats were quickly burnt, and some women were killed for wearing them. “Even today the hats stir up mixed feelings among the Sámi,” Hagen acknowledges. That was something he also wanted to cover in this series. Consequently, his poetic portrait of the Sámi their lifestyle, also speaks of the oppression of a minority. A fact even recorded in their traditional clothing. jana kühle
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LeicA Classic
Lisl Steiner I m p r ov i s at i o n : The U lt i m at e F r eed o m
She is one of the most extra ordinary characters in the history of photography. Born in Vienna and now based in New York, Lisl Steiner is an extensively-travelled photojournalist, draughtswoman, poet and muse. Every one of her pictures has its own story. We present a selection of images in honour of Steiner’s 90th birthday.
A happy accident led to this double exposure with Fidel Castro, Buenos Aires 1959. Next double page: Extra editions on Times Square, 22 November 1963, NYC 1963. All of the following captions contain the photographer’s own commentary
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In the Fish Room at the White House. We all sat around on the floor. To the right, at the lectern, Jimmy Carter’s press secretary Jody Powell, a chain smoker. Every now and then I took his cigarettes and used them in an assemblage. Washington DC 1979
Richard Nixon and his wife Pat at the Waldorf Astoria New York. It almost looks as if they were about to start dancing. It is funny, he was a nice guy, really. But they are all nice in their private lives and then they go and do things that I can’t and won’t understand. New York 1960
Herbert Matthews of The New York Times was a major influence on Fidel Castro’s revolution. He drove into the Sierra Maestre and stated that Castro was alive. That was the turning point. From then on Castro was the revolution and the light. New York 1960
When I was working at the UN, Alfred Eisenstaedt, who shot more than 100 covers for Life, came up to me and asked, “What’s the exposure for this situation?” New York 1965 (right)
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The Ladybirds played topless in a club called The Blue Angel to a largely male audience. And every night the police came and arrested the ladies for an hour. This was the cue for the men to take the train home. New York, mid-1960s
The shoe shine boys of Rio de Janeiro. Their mother was a prostitute on the Morro, where they filmed Black Orpheus. I stayed with her for a week. These children have no childhood, enough said. Rio de Janeiro 1962
This is the receptionist at the Jockey Club in Buenos Aires. I always think he should be president of Argentina. People like him and taxi drivers know everything. In the Middle Ages men got on their horses and checked out what went on in town, important men, that is. Today it would be the taxi drivers and concierges. They have an opinion on everything, usually fabulous. Better than these politicians who roam about. Buenos Aires 1958
Inauguration of Brasilia. Oscar Niemeyer with his signature column: “Curves are the essence of my work because they are the essence of Brazil, pure and simple.� Brasilia 1960 (left)
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Norman Mailer – we worked together for the Village Voice – and his mother. In a letter he commented on my photograph, “For once it looks as if I’m telling my mother off. Usually it’s the other way around.” Miami Beach 1968
B.B. King in a motel room. I knocked on the door and, while he woke up, I walked in and took this photo. I sat down on his bed. We had a lovely morning chat. Pennsylvania 1967
This is the moment just before Martin Luther King gave a speech at the Democratic Party Convention. He somehow looks as if he wants to chat me up, but he did not flirt. He was known as a ladies’ man. I had a camera in my face, so I was not flirting either. But he looks at me in a certain way ... Miami Beach 1968 (right)
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Photographs: © Lisl Steiner, courtesy Edition Lammerhuber
In the dressing room at the New York Cosmos. Normally full of naked men, which I always enjoyed. I became friends with Pelé then. New Jersey 1976
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On 2 May 1959, 32-year-old Lisl Steiner was among the photojournalists covering Fidel Castro’s visit to Buenos Aires – rushing from place to place as she followed the Cuban revolutionary. Large crowds and difficult lighting, combined with countless cameramen and photographers competing for the best shot, made for challenging working conditions. At lunchtime, Castro was scheduled to visit the house of his uncle, Gonzalo Castro Argil. Once again, the place was surrounded by throngs of people. Steiner had already finished a roll of Kodak Tri-X by the time she was admitted into the villa. She quickly reloaded her Leica M2, but in the commotion mixed up the cartridges – accidentally re-using her previously exposed roll of film. This mishap led to one of the most exciting photographs of the day: the crowds she had captured outside the house were perfectly superimposed by the portrait of the two men inside – condensing a myriad of faces, personal histories and emotions into an image that far exceeded the original assignment, and which would go on to prove extremely fortuitous for the photographer’s future. When Steiner recounts this story, it does not feel as though it happened sixty years ago. Indeed, the subtitle of her retrospective volume, Lisl Baby (published in 2015), could hardly be more fitting: I am the Scheherazade of Photography. Just like the artful character in Arabian Nights, Steiner has an entertaining story to go with every photograph – many of which feature famous politicians, actors, musicians and celebrities. Even her publication debut was a real coup. With her first Leica, she captured Argentina’s President Pedro Eugenio Aramburu, successor of the dictator Peron, in an almost private moment whilst fishing in Usuahia in 1957. The picture was snapped up by agencies and printed in Life magazine – kick-starting
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Steiner’s career as a photojournalist reporting from South America for a number of U.S.-American magazines. Despite having studied art and subsequently established herself in Argentina’s film industry, Steiner decided that photography would give her a greater level of freedom. And so she turned into a photojournalist with unerring visual instincts. “By 1960, I realised it was time to move to New York,” she remembers – and life became even more turbulent. For a female photojournalist, it was not always easy to succeed in such a male-dominated field. Yet with the same charm and charisma she exudes to this day, she continued on her path: “Perseverance and humour. The way in which I worked back then would no longer be possible today.” In the years that followed, her media accreditation for the United Nations allowed her to photograph many of the world’s most notable personalities. What strikes her as especially remarkable about this era is how easy it was to gain access to those in positions of power. “Even to get into the White House, all I needed was my little press pass.” Is there such a thing as a résumé of Steiner’s life? “I have always been drawn to the unknown. This has continuously led to situations that drove me from one place to another, from one experience to the next, from one person or location to the next. This incessant momentum is where the beauty of life is revealed.” Serendipity was often on her side, and she frequently found herself in exactly the right place at the right time. This was complemented by her penchant for spontaneity and ability to improvise – echoing the sentiments of the Spanish painter Juan Gris, whose motto she adopted as her own: Improvisation is the ultimate freedom. “I am selftaught rather than technically-minded. The work in the darkroom has never interested me. I improvise and simply allow things to unfold. And I love mistakes.” After all, mishaps can give rise to truly extraordinary images – as Steiner has most convincingly demonstrated. Ulrich Rüter
Lisl Steiner
Born in Vienna on 19 November 1927. Emigrated to Buenos Aires together with her parents in 1938. Initially studied art and worked in the film industry, contributing to over 50 documentaries. After discovering her love of photography, she spent two years in Brazil. In 1960 she moved to New York, where she worked as a freelance photographer for publications such as Time, Newsweek, The New York Times and Life, as well as the Associated Press. In the early seventies, Steiner and her psychiatrist husband, Michael Meyer Monchek, moved to Pound Ridge, New York, where she still lives today. The photographer has donated a considerable portion of her archive of drawings and photographs to the Austrian National Library in Vienna.
lisl stein er.com LFI-On lin e.DE /Blog: Behind the Scenes With Lisl Steiner Exhib ition : As part of the Month of Pho-
tography, at the Austrian Cultural Forum in Bratislava, Slovakia, until 5 December 2017. rakuskekulturneforum.sk Book: The photo book Lisl Baby ,
published in 2015 by Edition Lammerhuber in a run of 1000 copies, is sold out.
f/ s top – Le i c a CL – Th a m b a r - M – Le i c a S o f o r t L i m o l a n d –
t he n ew Le i c a CL: INT E G RAT E D VI E W FIN D E R , AP S - C S E N S OR , CLA S S IC des i g n a n d a n INNOVATIV E OP E RATIN G CONC E PT
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a m o de r n c l a ss i c Leica cl
As a reaction to the market boom of mirrorless APS-C systems, it may be a little on the late side – but it still makes for a fantastic addition to the Leica family: the Leica CL – a classic yet contemporary camera concept.
How about a bit of a prediction: virtually every photographer to catch sight of the Leica CL will proclaim that this is the very Leica they have been waiting for – and wonder what has taken so long. The developers in Wetzlar have certainly presented photographers with a delightful autumn surprise. And, to give voice to yet another premonition: we would confidently wager that the CL is going to experience a far more streamlined beginning than the T and the TL, and that it is destined to be at least as successful as the Leica Q. Leica have announced the CL as an ‘addition’ to the TL2. As the ‘L’ already indicates, the two cameras (along with the SL) share the same bayonet mount – and, with that, the sum of
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an increasingly substantial lens portfolio. Incidentally, this has just been expanded by the super-thin ElmaritTL 18 mm f/2.8 Asph pancake lens. And, vitally, the CL is of course equally compatible with the entirety of M and R lenses via the relevant adaptors. t he reas on the CL was
announced under the banner of being an ‘addition’ is that Leica consider the sector of mirrorless APS-C cameras to be a growing market with plenty of scope for the introduction of another model, in order to meet a wider variety of customer needs. In the context of this product differentiation, the TL2 fulfils the role of the progressive model, while the CL is intended as the classic, perhaps even conventional solution.
In many ways, the 23.6 × 15.7mm dimensions of the APS-C sensor category could be considered the perfect basis for a digital camera aiming to combine great image quality with an especially compact construction – particularly considering that the camera body also has to accommodate the mechanism and motor for the autofocus. In fact, Leica pioneered this concept eight years ago, when they emulated the diminutive dimensions of Barnack’s historic camera in the Leica X1. The X family never did evolve into a camera system, and Leica eventually had the wind taken out of their sails by manufacturers such as Sony and Fuji. However, if the ingenious Leica inventor Oskar Barnack was around today, he would – forever
driven by his vision of ‘small negatives - large images’ – probably arrive at the APS-C format as the ‘miniature format’ of our current times. t h i s wo u l d m a k e the
X series (with the exemption of the X Vario) the modern-day equivalent of the Leica I A with fixed focal length, owing to their shared absence of a builtin viewfinder. The need to attach an external finder certainly contributed to the fact that the X family never achieved the kind of popularity Leica had originally hoped for, in spite of the great merits the cameras had to offer. If anything, the X models highlighted a vital gap in Leica’s product portfolio: the absence of a camera system that was positioned immediately below the Leica M. →
The new CL: an APS-C system camera with bayonet mount for TL lenses, built-in electronic viewfinder and a body that brings to mind the design of Barnack’s historic camera
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A small display on the top plate recalls the main settings at first glance, as soon as the camera is turned on. The form factor of the CL: classic Leica
However, the awareness of this gap and the desire for a product that would fill it, was not exactly new – neither in the company’s development departments nor within the Leica M community. In fact, the idea had been around since 1980, when a camera that had been developed in 1973 together with Minolta, was discontinued. Its name: the Leica CL. It was an especially compact viewfinder camera with integrated exposure meter, developed in the hope of establishing a sustained foothold in the amateur market during a time when the M system was in deep crisis, and the Leica R reflex system had not yet gained momentum. In light of the original CL’s inherent weaknesses, and the already extremely purist concept of the company’s soon-to-be-resurrected flagship product, the M, it is easy to see why it took so long before Leica could see a way to embark on an intermediate-level camera system, that would live up to their self-imposed quality standards. Even at the time when the X1 was launched, the idea of adding an actual camera system to the M and the S probably still seemed too much of a risk. Instead, Leica’s priority at that point was to consolidate their premier league players. t h e u nde rw h e l m i ng
The image below shows the rear panel of the TL2. The CL’s display is 0.7 inches smaller, and its control elements more traditional. However, the CL offers the advantage of a 2.36 MP viewfinder
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market response to the X series, much of which was based on a disappointment about its lack of systembased flexibility, led Leica to another – rather unexpected – conclusion: if the company were to develop a new camera system, it was
to be entirely based on a digital approach, from the lens design all the way to the interface; and if this involved shedding yet more traditional preconceptions of what a camera should be, then so be it. And with that, Audi Design were commissioned – setting in motion an endeavour that would result in the Leica T. t h e co nc e pt of the Leica
T was deeply ambitious. Its most prominent attribute is an almost impossibly beautiful camera body, completely unprecedented in its clear and pared down elegance. As outlined most recently in LFI 7/2017, it was the introduction of a very large touchscreen that actually made this design possible. The touchscreen allows for a hybrid-style operation of the camera: while all parameters can be adjusted via swipe and tap commands, the un-engraved settings wheels also come into play, providing the reminiscence of a familiar tactile experience. This concept works extremely well and has been implemented in a very coherent manner. Nevertheless, it is still subject to criticism. For one, because it is not as visionary as it could have been in terms of taking advantage of the touchscreen’s full potential; and secondly, because many photographers maintain that in order to offer optimal handleability, a camera must have a viewfinder – by which they mean an integrated finder, not an accessory that has to be bought separately, only to then (as is often the case) prevent the camera from
fitting into the camera bag or holster. So while the TL may well be known as ‘the progressive one’ in the Leica family, it is the author’s opinion that, with this selfproclaimed conventional classic, Leica have done both themselves and their clients the greatest favour since the introduction of the Q. the name CL clearly in-
dicates that the camera joins in the ranks of an established product line, consisting of especially compact viewfinder cameras with interchangeable lenses – making them the perfect tool not only for the occasional photographer, but indeed for any photographic occasion. Yet while the original CL was never going to win
a design award, this new Leica CL is certainly a far more likely contender. In many ways, it resembles the X – which, in turn, had a lot in common with the design tradition of Barnack’s groundbreaking camera: the latter was only a few millimetres smaller than the contemporary CL; viewed from the top and from the front, their outlines are very similar; both the amount and distribution of the CL’s operating elements are characterised by a pared-down elegance. The top and base plate design, along with the camera’s leather-trim body, seem to exude the entirety of Leica’s rich history and design tradition, which has in fact always been innovative
The launch of the Leica CL coicides with a new lens: the superflat Elmarit-TL 1:2.8/18 mm Asph, available in a silver or black finish for 1190 euros
– you might even say, progressive – in its own way. So in spite of its officially ‘conventional’ position, the Leica CL actually stands out from its competitors, with what can only be described as its singular beauty. Which is why there is a hint of wistfulness to →
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this description, as the CL’s arrival only now, in 2017, might well tarnish it with the perpetual air of a late developer. With Leica having invested in an extremely impressive L-bayonet lens portfolio, the CL is now expected to counteract what
The Leica CL will be priced at 2490 euros. To celebrate the launch, two set-offers are also available: the CL together with the 18mm Elmarit pancake lens for 3490 euros, or alternatively with the 18–56mm VarioElmar for 3650 euros
SINCE 1971 “America’s Premier Leica Specialist”
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has gone awry in the presentation of a concept that was, perhaps, too avant-garde for its target clientèle, and thereby failed to meet some very central needs within that demographic. Quite possibly, a more successful course of action would have been to make the CL the heart of the system to begin with, and then introduce the TL as a ‘progressive’ addition at some later stage. Nevertheless, the prediction made at the opening of this article still stands: the CL is sure to be very well-received among its target audience. a nd w h at i s the camera
like to work with? Leica have reserved the 32-GB memory for the TL2; the CL, by contrast, always requires a
memory card, though this hardly presents much of a hardship. The CL’s most distinctive feature is a builtin electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 2.38 MPs. Not only does it offer an exceedingly sharp rendition, but it also continuously underlines the feeling of working with an all-round high-quality system camera – even if you do utilise the 3-inch display every now and then to create your composition. Similar to the display of the Leica Q, the CL’s screen offers several touch functions. These let the photographer position the focus point on the image plane, release the shutter via finger-tap with the convenient focus-and-release method,
and replay videos (which can be recorded at quality levels of up to 4K). Other than that, it is a conventional camera display, used to scroll down and browse through the menu of available functions. i n addition, the camera has two configurable, unengraved settings dials, both of which are equipped with a pressure point. After briefly pushing down on the lefthand dial, you are able to choose – via dial rotation – between aperture or shutter priority, program mode, full auto mode including auto-ISO, manual mode or video. Alternatively, the dial can simply be turned to determine the exposure value. When the right-hand dial
is briefly pushed down, this allows you to choose from additional menus, which you can customise in advance via the main menu. For example, you can predetermine whether the righthand dial is to control the ISO or white balance, activate the AF or metering mode, switch between single-frame and continuous shooting, and so forth. The author certainly found the ability to see the ISO scale displayed in the viewfinder with just a simple tap on the right-hand wheel, followed by selecting the setting on the dial, to be a very convenient way of working – all without ever having to move the camera away from the eye. The same goes for the exposure compensation –
A n e rg on om ic a r ra n ge m e n t of f u n c t ion s in a c lassic a l lyin s p ir ed b ody – the Leica CL is an a l l- rou n d fa n tast ic c a m e ra .
a simply fantastic solution. One small irritation was that changing from aperture to shutter priority caused the exposure compensation to move from the left to the right-hand dial – but this might merely be due to the firmware still being in its early stages. t h e fac t r emai n s,
however, that the Leica CL is a fantastic addition to the family of L-bayonet camera systems – from the aesthetic exterior and range of functions, all the way to its pleasing and ergonomic design. There really is nothing that could conceivably stand in the way of this camera winning over a great many fans, right from the word go. olaf Stefanus
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lo n g t i m e n o see T h a m b a r - M 9 0 m m f/ 2 . 2
One of the most unusual lenses to have been developed for the Leica is experiencing a revival: the soft-focus Thambar 9cm f/2.2. Apart from an M bayonet replacing the original thread mount, the new Thambar is almost identical to its historical predecessor.
Even back in 1935, when it was first released and subsequently sold in a relatively small volume of 2984 units, the Thambar was an uncharacteristic addition to the Leitz product catalogue. The 9cm f/2.2 soft focus lens seemed not at all in line with the mission pursued by Max Berek, the ingenious engineer behind the early Leica lenses, which was to demonstrate that a 35mmformat camera such as the Leica was indeed capable of producing high-quality (in other words, razor-sharp) images. At the same time, however, an aesthetic movement was taking place, whose advocates had certain misgivings about the soberly dissecting nature of photography. They strove for a style almost reminiscent of a painting, particularly in the field of portrait pho90 |
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tography. And the way to achieve this was through the deliberate introduction of a soft focus. There are several ways to generate this effect. Berek decided to take advantage of Leitz’s extensive in-house knowledge about the nature and correction of optical flaws, and use it to design a lens that was intrinsically sharp, but at the same time capable of producing the visual effects of a spherical aberration in a controlled manner. Spherical aberration occurs because a single spherical lens (i.e. a lens whose surface is shaped like a section of a sphere) fails to consolidate the rays entering near the rim at the same convergence point as those entering near the optical axis. As a result, object points are no longer depicted as a punctiform
spot, but rather as a patch with decreasing intensity from the centre towards the edges. Usually, optical engineers strive hard to eliminate this effect, by creating skilful arrangements of lens elements with different curvatures and refractive powers – something that can now be achieved very successfully and cost-effectively thanks to asphere technology. With the Thambar, however, the halo effect was deliberately utilised as an image-defining aesthetic principle. The spreading of highlights into shadows is what gives the Thambar’s photographs their distinctive ‘sunny’ look – always characterised, however, by a clearly recognisable underlying sharpness. Despite their ethereal appearance, Thambar images therefore
never look like the result of an optical flaw. The soft focus effect can be intensified by applying the Thambar’s screw-on center spot filter. This works by blocking out the axial rays, which generate the sharpest rendition. However, without the center spot filter, a stopped-down Thambar will produce a perfectly crisp image. Last year Leica established a new product range dedicated to the re-introduction of historical lens designs – their first release under this banner was the Summaron-M 28mm f/5.6. Its purpose is to both celebrate Leica’s optical engineering history, as well as to expand the creative experience of today’s digital photographer with entirely optics-based lens designs. It is precisely because of
their meticulously calculated imperfections that these lenses, which are deeply rooted in the Leica brand identity, are able to generate such truly distinctive aesthetic styles. With the Thambar-M 90mm f/2.2, Leica have now introduced the second addition to this new product range. As previously mentioned, it only features some minor modifications compared to its vintage predecessor. These include the appearance of the lens body, which has become sleeker – or, as Leica would say, ‘reduced to the essentials’. Potential collectors will be interested to know that the glass elements are now single coated to protect them from environmental influences, in contrast to the entirely uncoated original. The Thambar of 1935 is a coveted collectors item, not only due to the relatively small number of units produced, but also because the lens hood and center spot filter were only sold as integral components of the lens, and were not featured anywhere else in the Leica M System. Also, many of the original units were retrospectively treated →
The stepless aperture ring of the new Thambar-M 90mm f/2.2 allows for a particularly sensitive adjustment of the soft focus effect. The red inlaid aperture scale marks the settings range within which the center stop filter can be applied
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The Thambar is characterised by an unusual, almost painting-style bokeh and ethereal halo effects – yet always in combination with a delicate rendition of details
with a protective coating. Consequently, a Thambar in truly original condition – from the black-paint finish to clean, uncoated glass elements and complete with all accessories – is almost impossible to find. Leica historian Lars Netopil (see interview on page 93) believes that due to the production volume expected in the case of such a specialist lens, the new Thambar could also one day become collectable, citing the silverchrome Tri-Elmar-M 2835-50 mm f/4 Asph as just one previous example: “This was not even a limited edi92 |
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The original Thambar 9cm f/2.2; the new Thambar-M; sturdy leather quiver to store the lens plus center spot filter
tion, but a lens that was for sale on the regular market. However, when it was discontinued, the total number of units to have been produced was so small that it turned into a genuine rarity. Today it usually sells for more than its original RRP.” Just like the vintage model, the Thambar-M has an extremely large focusing stroke in comparison to contemporary designs. When turning the aperture ring, it is best to hold on to the lens body in order to keep it from rotating as well. Also notable is the absence of the usual click-stop aperture –
instead, the stepless turning of the aperture ring is precisely what allows for the most sensitive control of the soft focus effect. 20 aperture blades ensure a consistently circular blur spot, which is why the Thambar creates one of the most strangelymagical bokehs to be found among all Leica lenses. If you look at the digital M’s Live View to watch the image change as you stop down, the darkening of the center is a clear sign that the center spot filter should be removed. On the lens itself, this is indicated by the two separate, red and white
inlaid aperture scales: the filter should not be attached beyond a setting of 6.3, otherwise a dark spot will become visible in the center. Having said that, it is almost tempting to keep the Thambar fully open and the filter attached at all times, to make the most of how exquisitely this lens lets highlights seep into the shadows – an effect no digital soft focus treatment comes even close to imitating. olaf stefanus
LFI: Mr. Netopil, what were Leitz and, more specifically, Max Berek envisioning when designing the Thambar? Lars Netopil: A great deal of Max Berek’s documents have been preserved, especially technical drawings, calculations, etc. But as far as I know, there are none in which he, for example in a letter to a colleague, discussed his thoughts on the development of the Thambar. And there are no longer any contemporaries of that time who we could ask. So all we can do in this regard is speculate. Having said that, you have already pinpointed a vital factor in your question: aesthetic movement. During various periods throughout the history of photography, there has been a trend to consciously turn away from the naturalistic, perfectly sharp rendition of objects by introducing a soft focus. In the 1930s, this became a real fashion. The Rodenstock Imagon, which many feel is the definitive soft focus lens, was also made in the 1930s. How was the Thambar received on the market, and who was its clientèle? Lars Netopil: Only around 3000 units of the Thambar were manufactured and sold from 1935 to World War II. But that doesn’t mean it was not well received. Those who bought a Thambar had their reasons for doing so, and are sure to have been extremely satisfied with the imaging results – as can be seen to this day by numerous examples in contemporary photo books and magazines. In addition to its classic portrait appli-
R o m a n t i c Lo o k I n t e rv i e w
We talked about the Thambar-M with Lars Netopil, vice president of Leica Historica e. V. (Leica Historica Association), and Jesko von Oeynhausen, product manager for the M System.
Jesko von Oeynhausen (left) and Lars Netopil talk about the new Thambar-M in Wetzlar’s Old Town
cation, still life images in the close focus range were another domain in which the Thambar excelled. Compared to the 90mm Elmar, the Thambar was an expensive lens, so a certain amount of orders are sure to have gone out to professional studio and portrait photographers, as well as photography artists. However, both then and now, the proportion of Leitz/Leica clientèle made up of discerning amateurs should never be under estimated. Mr. von Oeynhausen, Leica have established a new product line consisting of reeditions of classic lenses, which started with the release of the Summaron-M 28mm. Could you outline the concept behind Leica’s Classic Range? Jesko von Oeynhausen: With both products released in this range so far, we have chosen lenses that are unique in terms of optical design as well as areas of application. Each of them offers characteristics that are not covered by our contemporary portfolio. While they couldn’t be more different from each other, both lenses have had the same degree of modification. Exterior details such as knurling, engraving fonts and descriptive terms were brought up to date; the optical design was retained, in order to preserve the imaging aesthetics of the original lens. The mechanical construction was also largely adopted from the original design. But we consciously want these classic lenses to look like a modern-day product → lFI
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– they are not meant to be replicas. Nor are they primarily intended for Leica collectors. Their purpose is to be applied in practical photography for the sake of their exceptional imaging traits.
photo: Terje Abusdal
What prompted the decision to present today’s Leica M photographers with lenses whose style of rendition is essentially based on aberration? And how exactly is the soft focus effect created within the lens? Jesko von Oeynhausen: It’s certainly true that, had the Thambar been designed according to the ‘normal’ evaluation criteria of modern lenses, it would have very different traits. In optical
engineering, aberrations are generally reduced to an absolute minimum in order to achieve a crisp, clear and detail-rich image that is almost free of optical side effects. Therefore, the special character of a lens manifests itself more in the background, in the form of bokeh, depth of field, and detail rendition in the close focus range. In the case of a classic lens such as the Thambar, its unique effect is much more obviously apparent. The incredible plasticity offered by the Summaron is largely the result of strong vignetting in combination with high resolution and depth of field. The Thambar creates a bloom effect, particularly around coarser struc-
tures and surfaces, that lets the colours blur into each other. Yet at the same time, it allows the photographer to make fine details visible, even at open aperture. This results in flattering portraits with a romantic, dreamy look, which the trained eye will immediately attribute to the Thambar: the effect is very distinctive, and cannot be imitated with a digital filter. The soft focus is achieved by the deliberate preservation of a spherical flaw, which is normally corrected using complex optical calculations. Spherical aberration is caused by the lens’s perimeter rays – that is why it is minimised by stopping down. The Thambar’s screw-on center spot filter consequently offers
the opposite effect to stopping down, as it blocks the axial rays and only allows the perimeter rays to pass. We can see that the Thambar’s exterior has been very carefully adapted to the design language of the present day. But what about its inner workings? Was it possible to adopt the original optical design in its entirety, and perhaps even use the same glass types – which would imply that the elements are uncoated? Jesko von Oeynhausen: The optical design has been adopted in its entirety, as this ensured that the imaging traits of the lens could be completely retained. In fact, if you were to compare the new Thambar with
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an original from the 1930s, you would hardly notice any difference – provided the latter is in good condition. But obviously, the chances of finding a vintage Thambar that is in perfect order, untarnished and free of fungus, are very slim. In the interest of durability, we decided to treat the new Thambar’s glass elements with a single coating. This has no bearing on the image results in normal lighting situations, and the anti-reflection effect is not as strong as that of modern lenses. In the case of backlighting, an uncoated Thambar is practically unusable, because the image turns out to be covered in large, brilliantly white reflections. So the Tham-
bar-M offers a very tangible advantage over the original, further to its perfect, brandnew condition. What exactly do the red and white aperture scales indicate, and on what basis do I decide when to use the center spot filter? Also, which lighting situation should I be especially aware of in order to best emphasise the Thambar’s particular aesthetic? Jesko von Oeynhausen: The red scale marks the f-numbers of the effective aperture, which are applicable when you use the soft spot filter. The center spot blocks the axial rays, resulting in the effective aperture being smaller – which means higher f-stop
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numbers. The numbers also indicate up to which aperture setting you can use the soft spot filter. This is relevant because if you close the aperture too far while the filter is attached, the center spot becomes visible as a dark dot in the middle of your photograph. You should only apply the filter if you want the soft, washedout effect to really take centre-stage, and fine details are not of primary importance. Even without the center spot filter, the Thambar’s rendition is very soft. Something to be particularly aware of is the proximity of objects. If the highlights are heavily overexposed, they radiate far into the neighbouring image areas. This can lead to undesirable
effects, but can equally be purposefully used to create a dreamlike aesthetic. This leaves us with just one last question: what does the term ‘Thambar’ actually mean? Lars Netopil: Some Leica lenses are named using syllables derived from Greek or Latin. To name just one example, the prefix ‘Sum’ in ‘Summar’ was chosen in reference to the amount of light this lens was able to capture. The Greek term ‘thambo’ means ‘blurred’ or, when used as a verb (thambono) ‘to make something look blurred’. Its figurative meaning is ‘to be blinded by beauty’ (me thambose me teen omorfia tis). interview: olaf stefanus
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Le t The r e Be C o lo u r ! Leica sofort limoland
The first special edition of the instant camera made in Wetzlar is here: the Leica Sofort ‘Limoland by Jean Pigozzi’. Using the logo of his fashion label, the photographer, entrepreneur and art collector has encased the camera in an explosion of colour.
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Jean Pigozzi – also called ‘Johnny’ by many of the countless friends he has collected throughout a lifetime of travel – has given his name to the first special edition of Leica’s instant camera, consequently known as the ‘Leica Sofort Limoland by Jean Pigozzi’. In retrospect, you could say this was a match that was always bound to happen. But let us start at the beginning. Pigozzi (born 1952) is the son of Italian-French industrialist Henri Théodore Pigozzi – founder of the Simca automobile
company that reached great popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. Following his father’s sudden death in 1964, Jean found himself the young heir to a fortune. Jean Pigozzi was given his first camera at the age of seven. When he was ten, his father gave him his old Leica. Then, in the years that followed, Pigozzi continued to practice photography with the Leica M2 bequeathed to him after his father’s death. “Since then, I have worked with all of the other M models as well,” he explains. “I also had the
“A lt h ou gh I sh oot a l m ost exc lus iv e ly in b lac k a n d wh it e , I lov e colou r . L im ola n d is a Fash ion la b e l for r ic h ol d m e n wh o d on ’ t wea r b e ige . ”
Images taken by Jean Pigozzi with the Leica Sofort at his Villa Dorane in Cap d’Antibes. Top left: one of his Weimaraner dogs; below right: the famous pool with the inevitable fleet of inflatable animals
first Leica CL, a beautiful little camera that I loved taking pictures with.” Pigozzi’s affinity for photography is partly borne out of his personal history. “I am dyslexic, and my handwriting is terrible. I write something down and can’t decipher it later. This only changed once computers came in. That’s why I started to document my life in pictures from very early on. I photographed everything that appeared in front of my lens: my food, my dogs, my friends, literally everything.” In spite of his reading and writing disorder, he pursued his studies at Harvard – starting out in the field of economic sciences, but soon transferring to the subjects of film and photography. After getting his Bachelor’s degree, he worked for the French film studio Gaumont, as well as 20th Century Fox. During his student days, Pigozzi – who rarely missed an opportunity to immerse himself in the exuberant NYC scene – made the acquaintance of many photographers, pop stars and models, and frequently took their photographs. Once he started working in the film industry, he only intensified this pursuit. Especially during the Cannes film festival, Pigozzi’s villa in Cap d’ Antibes is a bustling meeting place for international stars from the world of art, film and music. He particularly likes to take pictures by the villa’s poolside – his book Pool Party was featured in LFI 6/2017. →
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Jean Pigozzi, taking pictures at C/O Berlin with a Leica Sofort Limoland – in the background, a photograph by William Klein (photo: Steffen Keil). Right: the camera’s rear panel. Below: the matching carrier strap featuring the Mr Limo logo, produced by Artisan&Artist
Pigozzi is not only a photographer, but also an avid art collector. Among his acquisitions is the so-called CAAC (Contemporary African Art Collection) – the world’s most comprehensive collection of African contemporary art. The ‘happy face’ that has become the logo of Pigozzi’s Limoland fashion label originally stems from this collection. It was licensed from an artwork created by George Lilanga (1934-2005) of the Tanzanian Makonde tribe, whose work has had a great impact on the late American artist Keith Haring. As for Pigozzi’s interest in fashion, there are several reasons. Despite his preference for shooting in black and white, he actually loves colour, and finds it deeply depressing to see so many people walking around dressed entirely in black. Equally frustrating for the 1.93-metre-tall entrepreneur is the experience of spotting an outfit in a shop window that he likes, but being unable to get it in his size. In response, he founded his own label in 2007, which is aimed at “rich old men who don’t want to wear
beige”. Many of the garments in the Limoland collection are in fact reminiscent of Lilanga’s style. Last year, wearing a jacket with a Mr Limo logo on its back, Pigozzi viewed the Leica production plant in Wetzlar. It was during this visit that the idea for the Leica Sofort Limoland was born. Produced in a limited edition of a few thousand units, it offers the same technical specifications as the serial model, but sports a premiumquality Limoland foil on the front and rear panels. A matching carrier strap made by Artisan&Artist is also included. The Leica Sofort Limoland was first launched on 19 October at the Colette concept store in Paris, together with Pigozzi’s latest book, titled Me + Co – The Selfies: 1972–2016 (published by Artbook). The camera’s introduction to the U.S. market will take place in conjunction with the opening of the Pool Party exhibition at the Leica Gallery Los Angeles on 9 November. bernd luxa
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Did you know ? Whether a flash, a second battery or a camera bag – at the LFI Shop you can find a large selection of original Leica accessories.
a p e r f e c t b lu r p ic t u r e c o m p o si t i o n
P e r f e c t i o n i s n ’ t e v e ry t h i n g – sometimes it is the skilful use of blur t h at b r i n g s a n i m ag e t o l i f e .
Photo: Paolo Pellegrin/Magnum Photos/Agentur Focus
Perfectionism has always been an issue in photography. This is especially true today, as we navigate our way through the digital age, where technological advancements make achieving ‘perfection’ so effortless. For the superficial photographer, sharpness, exposure and detail are the benchmarks of a good photo. Paolo Pellegrin, however, is no such photographer. In his unconventional, off-kilter images, Pellegrin shows us that humanity’s turmoil cannot be captured if one is constantly in pursuit of ‘perfection’. Here he is in the thick of an anti-Mubarak demonstration in Cairo at the onset of the Arab Spring. Facing the advancing protestors, Pellegrin creates a pulsating composition that encapsulates their anger. The controlled blur of a slow shutter speed cuts diagonally across the image, whilst ensuring that the faces are still definable. Is is apparent that Pellegrin’s objective was to communicate civil unrest not through clarity, but through confusion. Motion blur is a complex component of photography’s visual language, and you need to know how and when to make use of it. Pellegrin shows us its emotional and metaphorical implications. Depending on its extent, blur can render a photograph entirely abstract, or heighten our awareness of a fleeting moment. Making ‘perfect’ pictures is easy. Mastering imperfection is much, much harder.
O rd er n ow:
lfi-online.com/shop He nry C a r ro l l is the author of the bestselling
Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs series of books published by Laurence King.
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An exploration on Trust By Jess Bonham and AnnalFILomax 101 |
b es t o f LFI . G a l l e r y
D e v i l’ s Pe a k “This picture was taken on an outing to Devil’s Peak in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. On the top of a hill, at an altitude of 222 metres, stand the ruins of a fort belonging to the British Army. The man is walking there because the old fort offers a great panoramic view over the eastern part of Kowloon.” Debby Kwong Leica Q, Summilux 28mm f/1.7
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l igh t box
Bnei Brak, Is r a e l “The Purim holiday commemorates the salvation of Persian Jews. One of the customs followed on that day involves getting dressed up and taking part in one of the parades. My aim, however, was to take pictures that don’t reveal the context within which they were taken.” Felix Lupa Leica D-Lux, DC VarioSummilux 10.9–34mm f/1.7–2.8 Asph
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C a n n es f i l m Fes t i va l , 2 0 1 6 “You see lots of interesting people during the festival week in Cannes, even if you’re just wandering around the Croisette: younger and older festival visitors mingle with tourists, with people still looking to get tickets, or hoping to get a glimpse of a celebrity.” Nicole Struppert Leica Q, Summilux 28mm f/1.7
F o gg y Pe a k “Last year a friend of mine called me at ten o’clock at night to tell me that we absolutely had to drive up to Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, because of the foggy atmosphere. It was really a great view, the mist wafting through the city. To take the picture I used a tripod, and the M240 set at 1/32 s and ISO 400.” Jem Wong Leica M240 with Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 Asph
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S i l h o u e t t es a n d L i n es “This picture belongs to a series about people interacting with geometric shapes. It was taken at Brian Tolle’s monument in Battery Park City, NYC, commemorating the Great Famine that devasted Ireland from 1845 to 1849. It’s important to me that the people in this series are not staged.” Vadim Krisyan Leica M Monochrom246 with Elmarit-R 135mm f/2.8
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In Transit “I noticed this arrangement of the three colours, blue, green and red, while waiting for my train at an RER station in Paris. While I was still considering the composition of the picture, the young girl in the red jacket stepped into the frame. I pressed the trigger immediately, and shouted a silent ‘thank you’ to her.” Lu Wenpeng Leica Q, Summilux 28mm f/1.7
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Hamarikyu Pa r k “I visited the Imperial Gardens of the Hama Residence in the Chuo district in the east of Tokyo, while I was spending nine days working on a project in the Japanese capital, photographing the city and the people living there. The series resulted in a calendar.” Jan Scheffner Leica M9 with Summicron 35mm f/2
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Ox f o r d S t r ee t “I took this picture during one of my Sunday street photography outings in London. I usually convert all my photographs into black and white, but in this specific picture the colours of the Q look just fantastic.� Stephen Swain Leica Q, Summilux 28mm f/1.7
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p h oto – b o o k s – e x h i b i t i o n s – f es t i va l s – Awa r ds –
Hollywood – behind the scenes: taken from Gianluca Galtrucco’s new photo book For Your Consideration
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G i a n lu c a G a lt r u c c o f o r y o u r c o n s i d e r at i o n
G uy B o u r d i n Photos: © Gianluca Galtrucco, © Guy Bourdin, © Álvaro Laiz/Dewi Lewis Publishing, © Sam Contis/courtesy of the artist and Mack, © Raymond Depardon/Magnum Photos
Untouched
“Better five minutes of happiness than a lifetime of conformity,” Guy Bourdin (1928–1991) wrote on the back of his self portrait in Spring 1955. At that point in time, he was only at the start of a career that would see him become one of the most admired as well as controversial commercial photographers of the twentieth century. He revolutionised fashion photography with his erotically-charged imagery and use of intense colours. Bourdin’s early work, however, was not discovered until a few years ago. It was a sensation: unassuming envelopes with taped-on contact prints, filled with countless black and white images that already demonstrated his innate sense for striking forms and precise compositions. Using unusual perspectives and cropping, Bourdin captured atmospheric impressions of Paris – squares, bridges, shop entrances, as well as children and passersby – in condensed, often moody images. The artist’s son, Samuel Bourdin, now plans to release a total of eight volumes detailing his father’s formative years, in collaboration with Pascal Dangin and Steidl Publishers. This first instalment is dedicated to the period from 1949 to 1955 – the year in which Bourdin completed his first assignment for French Vogue. Inevitably, the feature caused a stir: models in haute-couture hats were shown posing outside a regular butcher’s market. Bourdin knew exactly how to draw people’s attention: his career was ready to take off. 256 pages, 200 four colour illustrations, 24.5 × 30 cm, Steidl
Mirage, reality or movie set – in the desert climate of Los Angeles, they can be difficult to distinguish. The L.A. based, Italian-born photographer takes us on a journey into a world where everyday life, mythos and orchestration converge: bizarre, fantastical, at times trashy, dismal and almost melancholic. 108 pages, 45 colour illustrations, 30.5 × 29 cm, Hatje Cantz
Sa m C o n t i s D e e p Sp r i n g s
In a desert valley, east of the Sierra Nevada, USA, an allmale elite college combines academic achievement with hard manual work. Interspersing her own images with historical photographs, the Californian photographer (born 1982) captures the institution’s mythos and masculine identity. 52 pages, 48 colour and 51 duotone illustrations, 24 × 28.8 cm, Mack
Á lva r o L a i z The Hunt
In this carefully designed book, the Spanish photographer (b. 1981) tells the story of the Udege hunters in Siberia, and their ancient connection with nature. The tiger holds a special status in their culture – with dire consequences for those who fail to respect it. A gripping visual thriller. 104 pages, 45 colour illustrations, 24 × 18 cm, Dewi Lewis Publishing
Ray m o n d D e pa r d o n BOLI V IA
Between 1997 and 2015, the French Magnum photographer and film maker (b. 1942) undertook five trips to Bolivia. The culture shock of his first visit turned into an intense relationship with the country and its people. This book captures both the harsh reality of everyday life in Bolivia and the stark beauty of its expansive landscapes. 144 p., 75 illustr., 20.8 × 28.7 cm, Engl., French, Spanish, Fondation Cartier
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W IM W E N D E R S The Photographers’
From the early seventies to the late eighties, the Oscarnominated German director shot thousands of Polaroids, both on and off his film sets. Instant Stories presents a selection of these scenes – offering a glimpse into the inspiration and thoughtprocesses of this extraordinary German artist.
S t e p he n S h o r e
20 Oct. 2017 — 11 Feb. 2018; Photo: Wim Wenders, Self-portrait, 1975
MOMA , N e w Y o r k
Stephen Shore was a child prodigy. At 14, he showed his pictures to photographer Edward Steichen, at that time head of the photography department at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Steichen was so impressed that he promptly bought three of the images. When Shore was 24, he was given his first solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He hung out with Andy Warhol during the seventies, and shot a series on Lou Reed and his band, the Velvet Underground, inside Warhol’s legendary Factory. Since then, the former boy wonder and one of the originators of American Color Photography has long become a star in his own right. The Museum of Modern Art honours the artist, who has recently turned 70, with a major exhibition anticipated to feature ‘hundreds of photographic works’ – spanning from the gelatin silver prints Shore made as a teenager to his contemporary works on digital platforms such as Instagram; because the photographer, who has so skilfully documented empty expanse in his series American Surfaces and Uncommon Places, is simultaneously a master of amplitude. Anything is possible: portraits, advertising signs, nature, food, cars and travel photography, digital and plate cameras, books and concepts, colour and black and white. An artist’s purpose, it would seem, is not to be bound to one practice – just as art is not bound by time. Seen in this light, the different elements of Shore’s oeuvre combine into an entirely coherent entity. 19 November 2017 — 28 May 2018, photo: Stephen Shore, West Ninth Avenue, Amarillo, Texas, October 2, 1974
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Malick Sidibé F o n d at i o n C a r t i e r , Pa r i s
They called him ‘the eye of Bamako’ and ‘the reporter of the youth’. The West African photographer was an integral part of Malian popular culture – documenting and participating in equal measure. When the country gained independence in 1960, Sidibé became the definitive photographer of Africa’s Generation X. He went to wild parties that went on until the early hours,
A r r i va n o i Pa pa raz z i ! camera, Torino
From the era of La Dolce Vita to the present day, the rich and famous have had to contend with paparazzi taking ‘stolen’ pictures of their private lives. The illicitly captured celebrities in this exhibition range from Brigitte Bardot to Silvio Berlusconi. 13 September 2017 — 7 January 2018, photo: Agenzia Dufoto, Sophia Loren, Rome, 14 November 1961
captured exuberant dances and documented a generation’s love of American music. The exhibition Mali Twist honours the photographer, who passed away in 2016, with a selection of 250 images. It also marks the origins of his career within Europe: in 1995, the Fondation Cartier presented the artist’s first solo exhibition outside the African continent. 20 Oct. 2017 — 25 February 2018, photo: Malick Sidibé: À la plage, 1974
Photos: The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Acquired through the generosity of an anonymous donor. © 2017 Stephen Shore; © Wim Wenders, courtesy of the artist; courtesy galerie du jour agnès b. Paris © Malick Sidibé
G a l l e r y, L o n d o n
Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, promised gift of The Irving Penn Foundation © Condé Nast
An exhibition that requires no title, just a name: Irving Penn. This is enough to know what is in store: a multi-faceted body of work spanning 70 years of photography; fashion, beauty, still lifes, portraits, nudes, cigarettes, litter. “The exhibition offers a comprehensive vision of the range of genres Irving Penn worked in,” the venue’s statement reads. “He developed a body of visual work that is defined by its elegant simplicity, a taste for minimalism and an astonishing rigour.” The exhibition,
I rv i n g Pe n n G r a n d Pa l a i s , Pa r i s
which is the first French retrospective of Irving Penn’s work since his death in 2009, marks the centenary of the artist’s birth with more than 235 images – chronologically tracing his career from the 1930s to the beginning of the new century. The exhibits range from images of Pablo Picasso and Mar-
lene Dietrich to travel portraits taken in Africa and Peru, and include over twenty photographs of cigarette butts. “A stubbed-out cigarette tells the character, it tells the nerves. The choice of cigarette tells the taste of the person,” Penn once said. It is hardly surprising that within the surreal nature and aesthetic beauty of his images, there is also a deeper meaning. 21 September 2017 — 29 January 2018, photo: Irving Penn, Girl with Tobacco on Tongue (Mary Jane Russell), New York 1951
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Os k a r A n r at he r L e i ca Ga l l e ry Sa lz bu rg
Looking back, the fact that the photographer enjoys the honorary title of ‘Doyen’ among Salzburg Press Photographers is due to a lucky stroke of fate: more than fifty years ago, Oskar Anrather (1932–2016) had the courage to send his Leica pictures to the editors of Leica Magazine. Although he was a passionate amateur photographer, he earned his living as a professional men’s tailor with an atelier in Salzburg. Heinrich Stöckler, chief editor at the time, recognised Anrather’s talent and granted him a ten-page picture spread in issue 5/1967. Stöckler also included him as the first amateur in 116 |
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a series titled Meister der Leica (Masters of the Leica). The selection of pictures was definitely special: from bellowing stags and portraits of actor Kurt Heintel and Queen Sirikit on visits to Salzburg, to a collapsed highway bridge. The article was an eye-catcher. In a further stroke of luck, Gandolf Buschbeck, Intendant at the Salzburg National Theatre, employed Anrather as an in-house photographer. In 1969, Anrather left the tailoring business and spent the following three decades as photographer at the History of Art Institute, University of Salzburg. He also worked as a press photographer
for various daily papers, including the Salzburger Nachrichten, and made a name for himself as a photographer for numerous books. The exhibition Mein Salzburg. Mein Leben (My Salzburg, My Life) is a rediscovery and a wonderful homage to the photographer, who died last year. Ulrich Rüter
Photographs: Model at the Kitzsteinhorn; three nuns in the Kapitelplatz. Both pictures Salzburg, Austria 1967 19 October 2017 — 6 January 2018, Leica Gallery Salzburg, Gaisbergstr. 12, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. www.leica-galerie-salzburg.com
S MAGAZINE ISSUE 9 20
Le i c a G a l l e r i es germany
It a l Y
Wetzlar
Milan
Kurt Hutton
At time of publication unknown
Am Leitz-Park 5, 35578 Wetzlar 29 November 2017 — end of February 2018
Via Mengoni, 4, 20121 Milan
Frankfurt
Magnum Photos at 70: Past, Present, Future Großer Hirschgraben 15, 60311 Frankfurt am Main 24 November — 2 December 2017
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Lars Beusker Mies-van-der-Rohe-Weg 1, 59302 Oelde-Stromberg 16 September 2017 — 13 January 2018
Portugal
Porto
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PHOTOGRAPHERS PAGES · 9,90
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L O
At time of publication unknow Rua d. Sá da Bandeira, 48/52, 4000-427 Porto Turkey
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i s ta n b u l
Ahmet Polat: The Myth of Men Bomontiada – Merkez, A, Birahane Sk. No:1, 34381 Şişli/İstanbul 8 September — 2 December 2017
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Nuremberg
Craig Semetko: Funny Business Obere Wörthstr. 8, 90403 Nuremberg 3 December 2017 — 24 February 2018
Z i n gs t
Heidi und Robert Mertens Am Bahnhof 1, 18374 Zingst 21 September — 13 December 2017 Austria
Salzburg
Oskar Anrather Gaisbergstr. 12, 5020 Salzburg 19 October 2017 — 6 January 2018
Arenberg Castle
Lambert Creyghton: Hindenburgline Project
USA
L o s A n ge l es
Jean Pigozzi: Johnny’s Pool 8783 Beverly Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90048 9 November 2017 — 9 January 2018
Boston
Jim Marshall: Jazz Festival
Brazil
At time of publication unknown Rua Maranhão, 600 Higienópolis, 01240–000 São Paulo
Vienna
To kyo
Per-Anders Pettersson: African Catwalk
Marc Riboud: The World of Marc Riboud
Walfischgasse 1, 1010 Vienna mid of October — mid of December 2017
6–4–1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 22 September 2017 — 14 January 2018
Ellen von Unwerth: Školská 28, 110 00 Prag 1 14 September — 19 November 2017
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S ão Pau l o
Ja pa n
Prague
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74 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116 2 November — 31 December 2017
Arenbergstr. 10, 5020 Salzburg 12 November 2017 — 20 January 2018
czech Republic
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Kyoto
Marc Riboud: Japanese Women as seen by Marc Riboud 570–120 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 23 September 2017 — 18 January 2018
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wa r s aw
Paweł Jaszczuk: Yesus Mysia 3, 00–496 Warsaw 27 October — 3 December 2017
Ian Teh
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Enrique Badulescu Joachim Baldauf Brix & Maas Bil Brown Arved Colvin-Smith Anna Daki Rui Faria Christian Geisselmann Esther Haase Marie Hochhaus Benjamin Kaufmann James Meakin Monica Menez Hector Perez Elizaveta Porodina René & Radka Christian Rinke Tristan Rösler Takahito Sasaki SPECIAL
Singapore
GUEST
Ellen von Unwerth
polAnd
Singapore
CUTTING-EDGE
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The Fullerton Hotel, 1 Fullerton Square, #01–07 9 November — beginning of December 2017
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LFI-ONLINE.COM/SHOP
“ I was k ee n to E sta b l i sh a u n i q u e s pac e f o r p h oto g ra p h y. � i n t e rv i e w
The photo-enthusiast and lawyer, Douglas So, founded F11 Foto Museum in Hong Kong in 2014. Now he has followed it up with f22 foto space. In addition, he collects rare Leica cameras. We talked about photography at the gateway between East and West.
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Photos: © Jing Huang (2), © F11 Foto Museum
LFI: Why is the city of Hong Kong a good spot for photography? Douglas so: Hong Kong is a symbol of East meets West. For over 150 years, Hong Kong was under British rule and western influence could be seen everywhere. Art and art collecting are developing rapidly in Asia; in China in particular. However, photography is lagging behind and there is still plenty of room to nurture a strong interest in photography as an art form. I sincerely hope that there would be more activities relating to photography happen-
ing, including exhibitions, education, fairs and international galleries with a strong photography offering coming to Hong Kong. This is how I see East meets West bringing positive and important growth for the local photo scene, which in turn would benefit the worldwide one. LFI: In 2014, you founded F11 Foto Museum in Hong Kong’s Happy Valley district. How did you get the idea? so: Whenever I travel to major cities in Europe and North America, it is never difficult to find a few high quality photo exhibitions to enjoy anytime of the year. A few years ago, I kept asking why it was so rare to find similar exhibitions in Hong Kong, also an international city. I decided that the best way would be to start a space devoted to photography. Through exhibitions and activities I hope to bring photo lovers from all over the world to see and appreciate high quality photo exhibitions, and for this community to get to know each other through
Left page and top: Jing Huang, taken from his series Colorless and Tasteless. The emerging Chinese photographer produces poetic impressions as a visual commentary on urban settings. Bottom left: inside the exhibition Classics We Love, which celebrates photography and the photographers behind some of the finest images captured in the last century
visits and via social media. F11 has been developing quite well and, since its founding three years ago, we have organised more than a dozen exhibitions and many educational courses. LFI: Thinking of the internet and social
networks, there is a flood of images these days. Where do you see the importance of photography, and what is its purpose? so: There are too many photos out there for sure. We need to ask →
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ourselves constantly what is good photography and we must always look for it. Once found, share with your friends and discuss it. This is the most direct way to discover, appreciate and learn about photography. LFI: Your museum is the first of its kind
“ we a l s o h o p e to p r o m ot e he r i tage c o n se rvat i o n . �
Exhibitions at F11: Hong Kong 1952 with work by Swiss photographer Werner Bischof (above) and Great Performers, the first solo exhibition in Hong Kong by Italian photographer Paolo Pellegrin (below), both represented by Magnum Photos
Very top: From the Colorless and Tasteless series by Jing Huang; above: In the China Since 1973 exhibition, F11 presented pieces by French Magnum-photographer Bruno Barbey. In the picture, the arrangement is seen in an exhibition window
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in the city exhibiting rare and vintage camera as well as prints. Tell us about this concept. so: While contemplating the vision and mission of F11, I was keen to establish a photo space which is unique. By combining photography, cameras and heritage it offers an interesting experience to visitors, not just to appreciate photography, but the equipment used to produce many of the iconic images. As F11 is housed in an artdeco heritage building, we also hope to promote heritage conservation and revitalization. LFI: Tell us about the rare Leica cameras you are showcasing. so: We are showing a range of Leica cameras, from the Leica I Anastigmat released in 1925 to modern classics such as the Leica M 60 set of 2014. In this display there are a number of prototypes and rare fine vintage items. Cameras previously used by famous photographers such as Elliott Erwitt are also in the collection. LFI: What is your strategy behind your print collection? so: F11 has a growing photo collection. Our initial focus was documentary photography, but we have now added fine art, fashion and other contemporary works to our collection. We would also like to expand on our China and Hong Kong collections. LFI: At F11 Foto Museum, you have
exhibited works by Robert Capa, Elliott Erwitt, Werner Bischof, Bruno Barbey and Paolo Pellegrin. Who did you collaborate with? so: We have tried different models, including curating the shows myself or in collaboration with overseas curators. The next F11 exhibition by Alexander Rodchenko will be curated
by Mr Jean Martini of Paris and myself. For every show, we also engage designers to ensure that all the works are presented professionally and with a refreshing perspective. What will your exhibition programme look like in the future? Will you also show Chinese photographers? so: Our exhibition programmes at F11 and f22 are almost full till the end of 2018. Other than showing more established photographers, such as Rodchenko, we will be showing works by Chinese photographers, including Huang Jing, Simon Go, and Yan Kellon; and we are interested in identifying further talented, emerging photographers. It is my dream for F11 to ‘import’ renowned international photographers for the Hong Kong public to enjoy, and for f22 to ‘export’ emerging talented Chinese photographers for the world to see, at f22 and at different photo fairs. LFI:
Leica Rope Straps Anything made for mountaineering must be durable and robust. Leica and COOPH have once again teamed up, this time to create a selection of hard-wearing camera straps made of genuine mountaineering rope. The result is a characterful accessory to carry your camera safely, comfortably and in rugged style.
LFI: f22 foto space is the name of
the gallery you opened this year in Wanchai. Compared to F11, what are your aims there? so: While F11 focuses on classic photography and heritage conservation, f22 foto space will dedicate itself to photo art and contemporary design. The first exhibition we are currently showing is Jing Huang’s III III II II. In Chinese, it means the small things in life. Next will be Simon Go’s Hong Kong Old Shops, which is equally attractive and interesting. The exhibitions to follow are all contemporary and cover a wide range. Please stay tuned! Interview: Carla Susanne Erdmann
Photos: © Jing Huang, © F11 Foto Museum (3)
D o u g las S o Born in Hong Kong in 1964, the
solicitor in Hong Kong, England and Wales is also founder and director of F11 Foto Museum. F11 has organised a number of exhibitions featuring Robert Capa, Elliott Erwitt, Bruno Barbey and Paolo Pellegrin. So also collects and exhibits cameras and photo books. f1 1 foto M use um : Alexander Rodchenko,
Everything –– Experiment, 7 Oct, 2017, until 31 Mar, 2018; Happy Valley/Hong Kong; f11.com f2 2 foto s pac e : Simon Go, Hong Kong Old Shops, 20 Nov, 2017, until 6 Jan, 2018; Wanchei/Hong Kong; f22.com
j e tzt Best e lle n :
l f i- onl ine.com/Sho p
Leica Fotografie I n t e r n at i o n a l
J e n s U m b ac h mY Picture
Honest craftsmanship: With a focus on the everyday lives of the Afghan population, Jens Umbach portrayed a baker in his traditional work set-up.
69th year | Issue 8. 2017
LFI PHOTOGR A PHIE GMBH Springeltwiete 4, 20095 Hamburg, Germany Phone: +49 / 40 / 2 26 21 12 80 Fax: +49 / 40 / 2 26 21 12 70 ISSN: 0937-3977 www.lfi-online.com, mail@lfi-online.com Editor-in-Chief Inas Fayed, Frank P. Lohstöter (V.i.S.d.P.) A rt Direction Brigitte Schaller EDITORIA L OFFICE Carla S. Erdmann, Michael J. Hußmann, Katrin Iwanczuk, Bernd Luxa, Edyta Pokrywka, David Rojkowski, Holger Sparr, Olaf Staaben, Olaf Stefanus, Katrin Ullmann Photo Editor Reportage Carol Körting layout Thorsten Kirchhoff Translation, Sub-Editing Robin Appleton, Hope Caton, Anna Sauper, Osanna Vaughn CONTRIBUTORS to this issue Henry Carroll, Peter-Matthias Gaede, Katja Hübner, Jana Kühle, Ulrich Rüter M anagement Board Frank P. Lohstöter, Anja Ulm
Baker in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan 2014
Media SA LES A nd M arketing Kirstin Ahrndt-Buchholz, Samira Holtorf Phone: +49 / 40 / 2 26 21 12 72 Fax: +49 / 40 / 2 26 21 12 70 E-Mail: buchholz@lfi-online.de holtorf@lfi-online.de REPRODUcTION: Alphabeta, Hamburg Printer: Optimal Media GmbH, Röbel/Müritz PA PER: Igepa Profimatt
In the autumn of 2014, I was working on The Afghans, a project documenting the daily lives of the population in the area where the German Army wasstationed around Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. One morning, when we were on our way to our location, we passed this small bakery. It sits opposite a former Russian bread factory, which, with its 14 floors, is still one of the largest buildings in Mazar. This bakery is obviously much humbler. To the left of the owner is the Afghan version of a tandoor made of clay. In the bottom part of the picture you can see the pipe to the gas bottle that heats the oven. The dough of the ‘naan’ flat bread is pressed against the walls of the oven to bake. Once the bread is ready it is pulled out with an iron hook, laid in a woven basket, then either sold directly or taken to market. Born in Homberg/Efze in 1973, Jens Umbach graduated from FH Darmstadt in 1999. While still studying, he moved to New York in 1997. He works for British Vogue, New Yorker, brand eins, among others, and advertising campaigns. He lives in Hamburg and New York.
LFI 1 / 2 0 1 8 w i l l App e a r o n 1 5 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7
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