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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 ENGLISH EDITION
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Gonçalo Fonseca Mary Ellen Mark Payman Hazheer Frédéric Stucin
Luca Locatelli
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Virtual ROADSHOW on 6 th November 2020
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LFI 8. 2020
P O RT F O L I O L I G H T B OX
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Over 30 000 photographers present more than 700 000 pictures at the LFI Gallery. This issues includes a lonely biker, a lookout tower inspired by M.C. Escher, and a young James Bond
Three Leica full-frame cameras have already eclipsed the Leica S (Typ 007) in terms of image resolution. Now the medium-format camera has reclaimed its crown as Leica’s flagship model
P H OTO
8 0 | L E I TZ AU C T I O N At the 37th Leitz Photographica Auction, a daguerreotype camera from the year 1840 seems bound to generate the highest revenue – followed by a Leica Gun Rifle made in 1938
1 0 2 | I N T E RV I E W Dr. Matthias Harder, Director and Curator of the Helmut Newton Foundation speaks about Newton’s photographic legacy Luca Locatelli, from his Future Studies series
84 | LEICA WORLD This year marks Zegna Group’s 110th anniversary – as well as the fashion brand’s creative partnership with Leica. We interviewed the Italian company’s artistic director, Alessandro Sartori
Mary Ellen Mark 8 | LEICA CLASSIC
Five years after the great photojournalist passed away, her work is being presented in three, beautifully-printed photo books
Frédéric Stucin 2 2 | P U R E H AU T E C O U T U R E
While photographing the Zegna Spring/Summer 2021 collection, Stucin’s characteristic speed converged with a sustainable world of fashion The Leica S3: medium-format photography with the usability of a full-frame DSLR
Luca Locatelli
106 | BOOKS New publications by Sibylle Fendt, Paul Bellaart, Monika Fischer, Mathias Braschler, Orhan Pamuk and the collector book, Belichtungszeit 108 | EXHIBITIONS Infinite Identities, Amsterdam; Zanele Muholi, London; Lee Friedlander, Madrid; What Does Democracy Look Like, Chicago; and Giovanni Gastel, Rome 110 | LEICA GALLERIES The new Leica Gallery in Munich and the program of Leica galleries worldwide, including: Alan Schaller in Los Angeles and Tina Trumpp in Stuttgart
36 | FUTURE STUDIES
The 2020 LOBA winner travelled the world, visualising the possibilities that may be key to ensuring the future survival of humanity
Gonçalo Fonseca 52 | NEW LISBON
114 | MY PICTURE Pascal Dusapin was shocked when he learnt that the room where he taught his students music was once Hitler’s office… 114 | IMPRINT
The 2020 LOBA Newcomer winner documents the dramatic housing situation for many in his home town of Lisbon
Payman Hazheer 64 | US BETWEEN
The street is his habitat: with his empathic street portraits, the Swedish photographer gives strangers a unique form of expression
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LFI EDITORIAL
T H E C O N S E Q U E N C E S O F C O RO N A T H E I M PA C T O F T H E PA N D E M I C O N L F I
Brian Hart: Coronaflor (Lightbox 5/2020)
We are fortunate to be able to say that no one involved in the production of LFI has been infected with SarsCoV-2. Even so, the pandemic caused by the virus has had an impact on us as well. Due to economic considerations, issue 4/2020 was only distributed in digital format. This time around it is not quite as bad; even so it is annoying and represents a further imposition on our readers. What happened was that the issue was already at the printers when we received news that the premiere for the 25th James Bond movie, No Time To Die, had been pushed back again – from November 2020 to April 2, 2021. This issue was due to carry two articles directly related to the film: a portfolio and a report on a new Leica product. Luckily, we did have a replacement portfolio on hand; but we had no alternative for the other article at such short notice. As a result we were obliged to repeat a piece that already appeared in issue 3/2020. We ask you to accept our apologies.
CONTRIBUTORS
The Italian photographer travelled the world to create his LOBA-winning series, Future Studies. The works he submitted for the Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2020 were predominantly captured in Europe, and include a number of photographs taken with the Leica S during a trip through Germany. Having returned the LFI loan-pool camera with a rather heavy heart, he is bound to be all the more pleased with his LOBA win – which, in addition to the prize money, also includes a Leica camera. 4 |
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G O N Ç A LO F O N S E C A Shelter should be a basic human right. During the global lockdown, the importance of having your own four walls became even more apparent – and yet, housing insecurity remains a problem the world over. In his poignant series, New Lisbon, LOBA Newcomer Award winner Gonçalo Fonseca reveals how gentrification is changing his home city’s neighbourhoods and impacting its most vulnerable population. The emotion behind this ongoing project goes beyond a purely documentary approach.
FRÉDÉRIC STUCIN
With a Leica S and an assortment of strobes, French photographer Frédéric Stucin transforms any warehouse or woodlands into a functional studio. He generally shuns long-winded arrangements, and positions his tripods in the blink of an eye. After a few more adjustments, the set-up is usually complete. “It’s like a sport,” he says. In spring 2020, a collaboration between Leica and Ermenegildo Zegna took Stucin on a trip to Piedmont, in order to capture the spirit of the Italian fashion brand.
Photos: © Brian Hart, © Luca Locatelli, © Gonçalo Fonseca, © Frédéric Stucin
LU C A LO C AT E L L I
Break the rules. Change their view. Tell the bitter truth. Challenge the status. Stand strong. Don’t look back. Find the spark. Risk. Fail. Repeat. Succeed.
LEICA M10-R Whatever it takes - be original. beoriginal.leica-camera.com LEICA. DAS WESENTLICHE.
L E I C A C O L L A B O R AT I O N
LEICA & ZEGNA N E W AC C E S S O R I E S
The unifying force of design and quality: Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG and Ermenegildo Zegna (right), CEO of the Zegna Group at the Milan headquarters
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“Cultural values are considered the elixir of life for European countries; culture is what makes Europe great, and is the foundation for the western way of life. Well-made products with outstanding design are long-lasting and sustainable,” Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG, explains. This part of the brand’s philosophy is based on an appreciation for quality
and sustainability, and fits perfectly with the message conveyed by the Italian fashion label, Zegna. Consequently, it is not surprising that both family-run, traditional brands began a collaboration in January 2020. Ermenegildo Zegna, CEO of the Zegna Group, sees it as follows: “2020 marks the 110th anniversary of the founding of our company. Established as a cloth manufacturer, Zegna has evolved into an international, luxury lifestyle concern, that is run by our family to this day. The vision of the founder, the company’s DNA, have been passed down from one generation to the next, ensuring that the Zegna brand is true to its legacy. Leica’s legacy is very similar to Zegna’s. We share the same ideals: respect for quality, extremely sophisticated research, and a very unique approach to innovation. I consider fashion and photography to be artistic languages, belonging to the same world of creativity.” This collaboration has given rise to a new collection of top-quality accessories for Leica lovers (see page 92); but it also goes beyond the world of products. Back in Spring, Zegna commissioned Leica photographers to take pictures of the Winter 2020 Fashion Show in Milan. More recently, three colleagues had the chance to apply their different approaches to the Italian brand’s creativity and solid craftsmanship: Frédéric Stucin captured the 2021 Spring/Summer Collection in contrast-rich portraits (page 22); Dominic Nahr took a look at the production side (starting page 84); and William Daniels combined models and landscapes. It will be interesting to see how this fruitful relationship continues to flourish.
IT‘S YOUR CHOICE Leica SL2.
Photography is about choices. Seeing when others simply watch, slowing down when others rush, persevering when others give up, standing out when others hide. Photography is about your choices. Your story, your perspective, your reasons, your camera. Find more inspiration at SL2.leica-camera.com
Red rope strap is not included in delivery scope.
LEICA CLASSIC
Mary Ellen Mark THERE IS NOTHING M O R E E X T R AO R D I N A RY THAN REALITY
With great empathy and passion, Mary Ellen Mark succeeded in capturing more emotionally intense portraits than almost any photojournalist of her time. A new publication – encompassing the most comprehensive collection of her work to date – now honours the late photographer’s exceptional oeuvre.
The photographer met nine-year-old Amanda (pictured with her cousin Amy) in North Carolina, while documenting a school for problem children on behalf of Life magazine
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Miss American Teenager beauty pageant; Palisades Amusement Park, Cliffside Park, Fort Lee, New Jersey 1965 (top). Kissing couple at a pro-Vietnam War march; New York 1968 (left)
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Bodybuilder at the Mr. America contest of the World Body Building Guild; Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, New York 1968 (top). Laurie in the bathtub; Ward 81, Oregon State Hospital, Salem, Oregon 1976 (left)
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‘Rat’ and Mike with a pistol. From a Life reportage on street kids in Seattle, a project the photographer started in April 1983
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Federico Fellini with a megaphone on the set of Fellini Satyricon; Rome 1969 (top). Brooke and Billy at the Gibbs Senior High School graduation ball; St. Petersburg, Florida 1986 (left)
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Mother Teresa feeding a patient at the Missionaries of Charity Home for the Dying; Calcutta, India 1980
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Photos: © Mary Ellen Mark/The Mary Ellen Mark Foundation. All quotes taken from: The Book of Everything, Steidl 2020
M A RY E L L E N M A R K Born on March 20, 1940 in Philadelphia. Studied Painting and Art History at the University of Pennsylvania (1958 to 1964). Freelance photographer in New York from 1966 onwards. Her first publication, Passport, was released in 1974, followed by her first exhibition in London two years later. Member of the Magnum Agency from 1977 to 1981. Married film director Martin Bell in 1981. Numerous awards, including the Leica Medal of Excellence for her Falkland Road series on prostitutes in Bombay. Her most important publications include Ward 81 (1979), Streetwise (1988), Indian Circus (1993), Twins (2003), Exposure (2005), and Tiny: Streetwise Revisited (2015). Mary Ellen Mark passed away from cancer in New York City on May 25, 2015.
TH E B O O K O F EV E RY T H IN G
Edited by Martin Bell, Julia Bezgin, Meredith Lue, 3 volumes in a slipcase; 880 pages, 624 colour and black and white images, 24.5 x 32.2 cm, English, Steidl
A pretty girl, all spruced up in a ruffle dress – confidently holding her pose for the stranger with the Leica: the year was 1965 and Mary Ellen Mark, who was exploring eastern Turkey on a Fulbright scholarship, had just crossed paths with Emine. “I saw this child and thought she was beautiful. She took me to her small house, where we had tea with her mother, and I made this photograph in their back courtyard. She was extremely seductive for a child so young,” the photographer remembers. There is another reason why this encounter has stayed etched in her mind: “This was probably the first strong photograph I made. It was a turning point for me.” Even this early example reveals some core characteristics of the photographer’s approach: nothing is rushed; the composition, background, framing and details are well thought-out in order to create the perfect image. Despite the many large-scale projects she completed throughout her career, Mark always remained a master of the single frame. “A portrait is a single image that captures the essence of a person,” she once explained. “Even when I did documentary stories for magazines, I tried to capture single iconic images that stood on their own.” Five years after Mark’s death, the new publication comprises a unique selection of images compiled by her husband, Martin Bell, together with two long-time confidantes and experts of her work. “Mary Ellen would never have made this book,” Bell reveals in his epilogue. “She would have nixed the idea because, although she did frequently revisit subjects and themes covered over her many years of projects and assignments, she rarely revisited her contact sheets and chromes. Her energy was fuelled by a need to constantly produce stories, and a deep emotional force that drove her into each new project. There was never enough time to reflect on what was – it was only: what’s next?” Bell’s preparations for this monumental endeavour began four years ago. “I started choosing images from her thousands of contact sheets
and chromes. I looked at every frame – more than two million. I noted her 63 110 selects, which included neverbefore-published images, publishedonce-and-lost-in-time images, and iconic images that have been continuously published. To this I added 5977 images I thought she had missed.” In collaboration with Mark’s archive manager of twenty years, Meredith Lue, and her studio manager of twelve years, Julia Bezgin, Bell created The Book of Everything, “a testimony to what we believe Mary Ellen achieved during her remarkable life”. The three beautifully printed volumes seem to encapsulate the very essence of Mark’s work, and clearly illustrate the passion with which she immersed herself in her chosen themes. Her images are characterised by a profound empathy for her subjects, especially those on the margins of society. More than 600 works – spanning from the early 1960s to the year of her death – are arranged in loosely chronological order, with memories written by friends, collaborators and people she portrayed. A moving collection of special moments from a long career – or, in Bell’s words, “a visual diary of her life experiences, revealing the breadth of her curiosity as well as her ability to intimately enter the lives of the people she brought to us, no matter their circumstances”. The expressive power of Mary Ellen Mark’s portraiture is undiminished even to this day. Whether she photographed celebrities or unknown contemporaries, she always looked at the reality beneath the surface. With a keen sense for context and composition, she created subtle images that are at once moving and full of tension, without ever compromising her subjects’ dignity. Her photographs are far more than documents of everyday life; instead, her work is the embodiment of a humanistic perspective that is well worth rediscovering. ULRICH RÜTER
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LEICA S
Frédéric Stucin
P U R E H AU T E
COUTURE FR ÉD È R I C ST U CI N PHOTOGRAPHED THE ZEGNA S PRING/SUMMER 2021 COL LE C T I O N : A C LO S E E N C O U N T E R B E T W E E N H I S C H A RAC T E R I S T I C S P E E D A N D T H E I TA L I A N B RA N D ’S WO R L D O F S U S TA I N A B L E FAS H I O N .
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FRÉDÉRIC STUCIN Born in Nice in 1977, Frédéric Stucin studied Photography at the École supérieure des arts décoratifs de Strasbourg and at the École nationale supérieure Louis-Lumière near Paris. The photographer is very passionate about portraiture and is also keen on further developing fashion photography. He prefers to work in nature, as it continuously inspires him. Stucin always has flash devices in his backpack, which allow him to quickly turn any location into a cool set. FRE D E R I C ST U C I N .CO M EQUIPMENT: Leica S3
with Elmarit-S 1:2.8/45 Asph (CS) ZE G N A .CO M COLLABORATION: This year the Italian fashion label, Ermenegildo Zegna, celebrates its 110th anniversary, which sparked a collaboration between Leica and Zegna. In the spring of 2020, four Leica photographers followed the presentation of the Zegna Winter Collection, and now three colleagues have photographed the 2021 Spring/Summer Collection. In return, Zegna is designing and manufacturing camera bags and other accessories for Leica.
You can read an interview with Zegna’s Art Director, Alessandro Sartori, on page 84.
Making use of the conditions and opportunities available on location without taking up too much of anyone’s time, yet still managing to take appealing pictures – this defines a true artist, and this is what Frédéric Stucin does. His speciality is portraits. Fashion photography is a genre he got into somewhat later, little by little. Stucin has developed a spontaneous approach to his fashion work – he takes the models wearing the clothes to be shown off, gathers them together in a studio, asks them to turn slightly this way and that, and, hey presto! The photo shoot is in the bag. None of this particularly concerns him. Above all, he does not want the models, or himself for that matter, to become bored. Experience has taught him that producing dozens of shots of the same motif never end up producing a better picture. “I work super fast,” he clarifies. His speciality is to work with different types of flash devices, which – similar to the way in which street photography legend Bruce Gilden works – he sets on tripods stationed around the model. When he sets them all off, he then takes the picture at virtually the same time. The series shown here is the result of a collaboration between Leica and the Italian fashion label Ermenegildo Zegna. The brand was founded in 1910 by Ermenegildo Zegna in Trivero in the province of Biella in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. Stucin shot the pictures in the spring of 2020 for the Spring/Summer 2021 collection. In his uncomplicated yet professional manner, he took them in just over two days, in the area directly around the factory complex and at the Zegna family’s villa. It was, above all, the setting that inspired him. “Nature in Trivero is so powerful that it is impossible not to photograph it and link it with the creations of Zegna. One does not go without the other,” he explains. “The quality of their fabrics is linked to the quality of nature specific to Trivero.” As a result, Stucin creates dramatically lit backdrops, reminiscent of the sets put together by US photographer Gregory Crewdson. In a similar manner, Stucin dissolves the borders between
film and photography. He considers his work to be more like that of a Director of Photography on a film, an approach that he wants to develop even further. Rather than rigid sets, he prefers situational work. For his fashion series, Stucin allows the models or sometimes dancers, to leap around the studio, photographing them the moment when they are in the air; though he actually prefers working in nature rather than in a studio. “Trees inspire me, I perceive them as personalities,” he says. “My imagination is stimulated by them; I think about what they have already experienced. The environment in general allows the imagination to go further.” When speaking of his photographic inspirations, he mentions names such as Charles Marville, Richard Avedon, Harry Callahan, August Sander, Joel Sternfeld, Paul Graham and, above all, the Dutch photographer Bertien van Manen, whose snapshotlike way of working and unpretentious style, sent a fresh breeze through documentary photography in the mid seventies. “Bertien Van Manen in particular taught me that the accidental in photography could be a key. But they all taught me that taking a photograph is above all telling a story, and letting the viewer guess or invent it,” Stucin says in summary. Even though, at first glance we are writing about a fashion spread, it would not be a Stucin shoot without considerable advance thought and planning: “The world is darkening politically. The world is darkening ecologically. The crisis we are going through is not helping. Our modern world is disturbing.” When he hears himself saying this he has to agree that it all sounds rather pessimistic. “Seeing the bad in everything, these are probably my Slavic roots,” he admits with a smile. “The garment can offer armour, protection against it. Clothes make the man. This is what I am trying to show with this series.” CARLA SUSANNE ERDMANN
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L E I C A O S K A R B A R N A C K AWA R D 2 0 2 0
Luca Locatelli FUTURE STUDIES
It would be hard to find a more timely subject for the winning series of the LOBA 2020. The photographer takes part in the debate about the relationship between humanity, nature and technology, visualising the possibilities that could mean survival in the future.
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Workers have been taking apart this Soviet-era nuclear power plant, near Greifswald in eastern Germany, since 1995, cleaning radioactive surfaces with steel grit so the metal can be recycled. Germany plans to shut down all its reactors by 2022; 10 March 2015
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Previous page: The Greifswald nuclear power station was the largest in East Germany before it was shut down shortly after German reunification. The plants were of the VVER-440/V-230 type, which was the second generation of Sovietdesigned plants. In late 1989, the nuclear regulatory bodies of countries operating VVER plants found the need to fit many with new safety systems, which were discovered to be necessary in almost all areas. All East German reactors were closed soon after reunification, with restarting conditional on compliance with the stricter West German safety standards. Convinced that upgrading to the new safety standards was not economically feasible, the new unified German government decided in early 1991 to decommission the four active units, close unit 5, which was under testing at the time, and halt construction of the rest of the units; 9 March 2015
The nuclear reactor at Kalkar was finished just before the 1986 explosion at Chernobyl, Ukraine – and never used. It is now an amusement park with a ride in what would have been the cooling tower; 24 May 2015
Renewable energies are booming, but Germany’s use of lignite, the dirtiest coal, has not declined. At Vattenfall’s Welzow-Süd mine, some of the world’s largest machines claw 22 million tons a year from a nearly 14 metres thick seam. How long will that go on? “Very long, I hope,” said Jan Domann, a young engineer. “We have enough lignite”; 16 March 2015
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An aerial view of the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group in TucsonArizona, USA. This is the largest aircraft storage and preservation facility in the world and handles nearly 3,300 aircraft. The arid climate of the region prevents corrosion and weather damage. The process to optimize the life cycle of such resource-intensive machines is a leading example of circular economy in the heavy industry sector. The so-called Boneyard re-manufacturing and repurposing technology makes the most out of planes that sit at the airfield. Precious parts are dismantled and reused, and entire aircraft can be reassembled and put back into service. At the end of the life cycle, they can be scrapped for steel and aluminium recycling; 29 October 2019
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Professor Ruth checks the harvesting quality at the algae bioreactor at the Wageningen University Algae Park in the Netherlands. The university is working on a fifteen year roadmap project (2010–2025), that aims to develop a commercial and sustainable production chain for food, feed, chemicals, materials and fuels from micro-algae; 20 February 2017
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Flying over the Westland in the Netherlands, the most advanced area in the world for agro farming technology. Furrows of artificial light lend an otherworldly aura to the greenhouses. Climate-controlled farms such as these grow crops around the clockand in every kind of weather; 3 March 2017
A portrait of Stephanie in an experimental net chamber room for insect farming at Entocycle, a start-up company in London, UK. To incite insects to lay eggs, rotten material is scattered around the floor, making it difficult to breathe without a gas mask. Here different spectra of lights are tested to measure their effect on flies and their reproduction. Entocycle is a young British company developing technology to farm insects on a large scale for industrial protein production. Representing a more sustainable and less polluting alternative to meat, these flies are fed in their larval state using organic waste coming from coffee and beer production. �The farmers of tomorrow are the engineers of today� is Entocycle’s motto. It expresses the belief in the scaleability of their technology and its potential to change the protein market and reduce the amount of food waste in landfills; 10 October 2019
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Inside this jungle of tomato plants illuminated by LED lighting, Henk Kalkman, a leading world authority for growers, inspects the plants. This picture is taken at Delphy, a research and development centre in the Netherlands, where academia and the private sector join together for experimental research. What could the future of sustainable farming look like? How is the world going to front the hunger crisis in the next decades? These questions took Lucatelli to the Netherlands on an assignment for National Geographic (@natgeo), to document this small country that has become an agricultural giant, proposing the most advanced high tech agro farming solutions to grow more with less; 17 October 2016
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Wind energy is a fundamental aspect of the energy turnaround. For his documentation on the renewable energy sources of the future, Locatelli visited wind farms and also photographed in a factory in Denmark where wind turbines are manufactured; 13 March 2015
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The great indoors provides optimal growing conditions for lettuce and other leafy greens at Siberia B.V. in Maasbree, Netherlands. Each acre in the greenhouse yields as much lettuce as 10 outdoor acres, and cuts the need for chemicals by 97 percent; 1 March 2017
Clouds rising from geothermal wells in Hellisheidi Power Station in Iceland. Iceland obtains approximately 87 percent of the energy for hot water in households and urban street lighting from geothermal sources. At 303 megawatts of energy and more than 100 wells, Hellisheidi is Iceland’s largest geothermal power station and the third largest in the world. It has been designed with a strong attention to the environment — green painted pipes minimise the visual impact on the landscape. A circular water system has been put into work to extract and pump back water underground. Energy production is the main cause of the climate crisis; therefore, finding a way to produce cleaner energy around the globe is one of the main challenges for the future. Geothermal is one of the most circular ways to produce energy while respecting the environment. It might be applicable in many countries that could rely on volcanic activity instead of burning coal or oil; 6 August 2019
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Two automated grab cranes inside the Amager Bakke wasteto-energy plant’s collection chamber in Copenhagen, Denmark. Here, trash is dumped directly into the massive silo, which has a total height of 36 meters and can hold approximately 22 000 tonnes of waste. As it burns through trash at a rate of 70 tonnes per hour, Copenhagen has to import rubbish from Britain and Germany to make up for the Dane’s efficient recycling scheme, which leaves little landfill waste. Their hope is to one day run out of waste, as the plant has been designed to be powered by biomass instead of trash; 5 October 2019
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Looking to the future of energy production? A Captain looks out from the bridge of a wind farm in the German North Sea. In 2015 Locatelli photographed numerous images with a Leica S, documenting the energy turnaround in Germany; 8 June 2015
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L U C A L O C AT E L L I was born in Italy in 1971. After studying Information Technology, he worked as a software developer before beginning his career as a freelance photographer in 2006. Within the framework of his work as a photographer and film maker, Locatelli produces his stories in collaboration with journalists, environmental activists and scientists, to better contextualise his research. Locatelli lives in Milan. LU C A LO C AT E L L I .PAG EF LOW. IO LO BA W I N NE R 2 02 0: With the Leica Oskar Barnack Award, Locatelli not only receives prize money, increased this year to 40,000 euros, but also Leica camera equipment valued at 10 000 euros. Within the framework of the Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2020 exhibition, his series, Future Studies, will be on display until February 7, 2021, at the Leica Gallery Wetzlar.
The full series and further information: www.leica-oskar-barnack-award.com
“You cannot imagine how important it is for me. It’s really great. There are no words to say. It’s a boost of confidence!” says the photographer, finding it hard to contain his happiness after being told he won the LOBA. Speaking with LFI, Locatelli remembers his long journey with this project, which has now reached a delightful high-point of public awareness. Already working on the series for seven years now, he has converted a diversity of subjects into future-oriented global questions and published some of the motifs in previous years. This means he is no longer an unknown in the field of photojournalism, and it was the US American picture editor Alice Gabriner who, acting as one of this year’s LOBA nominators, proposed his Future Studies series for the competition. When asked what first triggered the series, Locatelli looks back in his career to when his interest in technical innovations inspired him to study Information Technology and then work for ten years as a software developer. “I was already 33 or 34 years old when photography came into my life. From that moment, I fell so much in love with it that I left my employer and my field of work,” he explains. Breaking into professional photography was not easy, yet he remembers a key experience very clearly: “I was in Beijing, trying to capture motifs to reflect the enormous growth in China. In 2006 I was living near the location for the Olympic Stadium, the so-called Bird’s Nest, and through a friend I was able to get closer to the construction site. At that moment I found something even larger than what I had been shooting before. It made me interested in this huge relationship between human, machines and the environment. From then on I tried to discover stories that were related to this theme.” Future Studies is the outcome of that search and it aims to sharpen awareness about the environmental issues of the 21st century. It centres around future food production, the expansion of cities, garbage reduction, solutions for efficient recycling management and the future supply of
renewable energy. From this diversity of subjects, Locatelli compiled his LOBA series with images related primarily to issues around nutrition and the transformation of the energy sector. The majority of the pictures were taken in Europe because “when you start to dig, looking for possible solutions and the most promising examples of how to confront climate issues, you discover that the north of Europe, in particular, is really like another world. The epicentre is in Europe.” Consequently, he travelled repeatedly to Iceland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Great Britain; and spent over sixty days in Germany in 2015, on assignment for National Geographic, documenting the energy turnaround. “It was a huge assignment. One of the most industrialized countries in the world has a government scheme based on ‘let’s change the way we produce energy’ – with all the errors, mistakes and struggles that implies. I was impressed.” His images are more than simple documentation: with their compositions and strong colour schemes, they offer unusual insight into otherwise hidden places. Locatelli sees his work as a contribution towards an urgently needed debate about how we want to live in the future. He is convinced that true progress and development are only possible with the lowest possible impact on the environment. “Never before have we had such an opportunity to reflect on what our attitudes should be in the future as we have had during this difficult time of Covid-19, which has brought the world to a standstill. This allows us to consider what our efforts must be in order to re-establish a healthy relationship with nature and the planet,” the photographer concludes. For himself personally, lockdown gave him the chance to take a new look at his subjects, and to start to develop a photo book. He still needs to work on further chapters, meaning that the subject of the future will continue to resonate. ULRICH RÜTER
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L E I C A O S K A R B A R N A C K AWA R D NEWCOMER 2020
Gonçalo Fonseca NEW LISBON
The right to a home – not a matter of course in Europe: in his series, Portuguese photographer and this year’s winner of the LOBA Newcomer Award, reveals the dramatic housing situation in Lisbon and the consequences of the progressive gentrification.
Prata, a luxury development in Marvila, was designed by Pritzker Architecture Prizewinner Renzo Piano. In this area, property prices have gone up by 80%
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Clockwise from the top: Joana, with her children and grandchildren, has been squatting in this apartment for over a year. The view from Joana’s apartment. The 78-year-old Maria is currently living with relatives; her eldest son looks at her things where the landlord had dumped them after her apartment was emptied
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Nelita is threatened with losing her apartment (above); Sunday afternoon at Zona J (top left); during the corona crisis, the city administration threw thirteen families out of the apartments where they were squatting in Alfredo BensaĂşde (left); washing dries out front of a house taken over by squatters (next double spread)
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Clockwise from the top: empty apartments being demolished with the aim of scaring the last tenants away; a mobile phone offers the only lighting during dinner for a couple who have been squatting in an abandoned house; 87-year-old ZĂŠ was born in this apartment. He has been threatened with forced eviction since 2017
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A man takes things out of his home in Quinta de Santo António. He was part of a group of 30 people who had been occupying these abandoned houses and were evicted by Lisbon’s City Hall
GONÇALO FONSECA was born in Lisbon in 1993. After studying Journalism at the Catholic University of Lisbon (2011 to 2014), he decided to focus fully on photography. He completed post-graduate studies in Photojournalism at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He has been reporting from Spain, Portugal, China and India, for numerous international magazines, since 2017. He received a World Press Photo Award in 2016 and in 2019.
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Many popular tourist destinations are currently unusually devoid of visitors. In particular, the old town districts of Europe’s major cities, overflowing with visitors for many years now, are noticeably less crowded during these times of pandemic. Will the experiences over these last months change the way we think and behave in the future? Not only in the travel industry, but also in how administrations market their cities? What will happen to city planning and the use of public spaces? Will the housing industry once again look out for the local citizens of a beloved place? The consequences of an uncontrolled housing market, coupled with inconsiderate methods of dealing with long-term tenants, are clearly revealed in the winning series for this year’s LOBA Newcomer Award. With Lisbon as an example, Gonçalo Fonseca views the city as more than just a place to live. “I was born and raised in Lisbon,” he explains. “Growing up I felt it was kind of a forgotten treasure, with its beautiful weather, amazing food and distinctive personality. I often wondered why people didn’t visit the city as tourists.” It was in 2016 that he first noticed the fundamental changes taking place. “With increased popularity came investment funds that treated people’s homes like assets, keeping entire apartment blocks empty as they bought and sold the properties.” Speculation on the housing market was fuelled to a large degree by the boom in tourism. At the end of last year and for the third time, the World Travel Awards chose Portugal as the best travel destination. Global competition crowned the capital of Lisbon as the best cruise ship harbour and the most popular place for a city break. In 2019 alone, six million tourists visited the capital, which has a population of only 500 000. The more the tourists came along, the more the local housing market changed. For a long time, many of the city’s districts –
particularly in the old town – were barely noticed or cared for, and local home-owners ignored the need to renovate or restore their buildings. Then, with the liberalisation of the housing market that resulted from the financial crisis, a wave of extreme speculation spread throughout the city. Rental prices began to soar; houses were sold or turned into holiday apartments without the city administration intervening in any way, leaving evicted tenants unable to find any kind of alternative housing. Fonseca became aware of these radical changes in his city after spending time abroad: “For a big part of 2018 I was in India working on a project, but when I returned I was struck by how fast my city was changing, due to its booming popularity worldwide. I would see my favourite restaurants and shops closing down, replaced by businesses that cater exclusively to tourists, often in the same locations. Inequality was on the rise and it was becoming harder and harder for low income families to pay their rent. I felt like I was struggling against time because there were so many things happening: but the city was changing so fast that the effect of these changes needed to be documented.” This understanding became the starting point for Fonseca’s New Lisbon series. His pictures, that were taken last year and this year, are imbued with empathetic imagery and reflect a keen sense for the decisive moment. He gets close to people most affected by the situation; the colour schemes, light and compositions of the photos turn every motif into a haunting example of the difficult, overall situation. To do so, the photographer concentrates on documenting individual stories, because numbers alone can barely convey the reality of the consequences of the tourism boom, housing speculation and progressive gentrification. It was quite a balancing act to gain the necessary insight into the everyday lives of the people portrayed. Fonseca manages to give faces to the displaced tenants: Nelita, Fabiana, the 93-yearold Emília, the 87-year-old Zé,
Joana, Maria, and their children. In many cases they have lived their whole lives in the old houses, that have now turned into objects of speculation. Many of these former tenants have become homeless or have been forced to become squatters. The role of the photographer merges with the role of a committed activist: “I am often the person the people call when they have issues, and I try my best to assist them and point them towards the right organizations that can help them. At the end of the day, things are easier for the photographer. We get to come home to our privileges, while the people we photograph have to deal with their problems on a daily basis. So I feel it is my duty to be there for them when the photo shoot ends, and I have become friends with some of the people. This creates its own sets of challenges; but in my opinion the key to great images is often great connections.” Fonseca plans to continue with the series – all the more so now in times of Covid-19. “The pandemic has laid bare systemic inequalities in our societies and the economic crisis that is already starting to be felt will have a deep impact on our lives. I hope to be able to document that process.” Even though the travel industry and city tourism have suffered set-backs at this time, the housing emergency in Lisbon will not disappear in the short term. The situation may well change, but for those affected it will surely not get any easier. ULRICH RÜTER GON C ALOFON S E C A.N E T LOBA N E WCOME R 2020 : In addition to the 2020 Newcomer Award, Gonçalo Fonseca receives a Leica Q, as well as a photography assignment and two weeks of tutoring at Leica Camera AG headquarters. The Leica Gallery in Wetzlar is presenting the New Lisbon series as part of the exhibition on the occasion of the 2020 Leica Oskar Barnack Awards. It runs until February 7, 2021. The complete series and further information can be found at: leica-oskar-barnack-award.com
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LEICA Q
Payman Hazheer US BETWEEN
The street is his habitat: whether participants of the Black Lives Matter movement, a homeless person, or a pedestrian on the streets of Stockholm – Hazheer’s camera is an instrument that turns strangers into familiar faces.
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Hazheer’s work is defined by intimate portraits that convey silent messages to the viewer. He describes the moment when he takes the pictures as very emotional
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“My experience is that shy eyes have more to say. I like to think that they carry so much emotion that they can’t hold back once you interact. I think shy people are the most beautiful to photograph”
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“Photography has changed my perception of beauty, which is different from the norm that society forces upon us. Above all, it has taught me to respect and interact with all types of people, regardless of their situation�
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“Music is instrumental to my process,” the photographer says. “I use music to help me shape visions or images that I want to portray, and I search for subjects that can help me bring it to life”
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Hazheer approaches his subjects by telling them what caught his attention, rather than just asking to take a picture. “To gain trust you have to be open and meet people at their energy level,� he explains
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LFI: What motivates and fascinates you about photography? Payman Hazheer: I think photography is such a powerful, beautiful and important tool. Just the fact that photography enables you to revisit moments that are gone forever is such a beautiful thing. This is what motivates me to always put myself in front of people or situations, and to capture moments that people can experience and connect with. Could you describe your first steps into portrait photography? It was not until I left my small hometown in the northern part of Sweden to study journalism in Washington DC. It was the first time I met with and talked to homeless people, and one thing I learned was that they all had a normal life, but at some point something tragic happened to them. This new knowledge had a huge impact on me, and so I started to take their portraits and tell people their stories. Could you tell us what types of people attract your attention? I’m constantly looking for eyes and how they behave, because they tell me something about the person. It also gives me a preview of what kind of expressions I will be able to portray. My experience is that shy eyes have more to say. I like to think that they carry so much emotion that they can’t hold back once you interact. I think shy people are the most beautiful to photograph. You don’t take a shy person’s portrait: he or she is taking it for you. How do you connect with people you want to photograph? For me it is instrumental to create a moment of trust, and to gain trust you have to be open and meet people at their energy level. Instead of just asking to take a picture, I often approach my subjects by telling them what caught my attention, whether it was their eyes or the expression
on their face, and what story I would like to portray. This way I let the subject be part of creating their story. What do you think, does your work have any political connotations? I find satisfaction in photographs that create a connection that makes you look at different subjects through a new lens, and hopefully eliminate prejudices – whether it’s about homelessness, social injustice or religion. So I guess for some my photos are very political, and for others not at all, depending on who the viewer is and what his or her values are. What was working with the Q2 like? I didn’t grow up with film cameras or manual focus, so the Q2 was a natural step into the world of Leica. Having a small camera, with such great rendering, is perfect, because I can carry it with me everywhere without having to compromise on the image quality. In addition, having only a fixed, wideangle 28mm lens really encouraged me to be creative and to develop my imagery by focussing more on my compositions. I think shooting with a Leica camera has taught me the value of simplicity as well as being very aware and in the moment. My imagery is divided between before and after I started using Leica cameras. What is the most important thing that photography has taught you? Photography has taught me to see more, and to appreciate the simple things around me that many don’t pay attention to. I think it has changed my perception of beauty, which is very different from the norm that society forces upon us. Most importantly, it has taught me to respect and interact with all types of people, regardless of their situation. I think taking photos of people and being very aware of who you are portraying will bring you more perspectives in your daily life. I think that is one of the reasons why people who are genuinely interested in photography are, in general, very open minded and inclusive. INTERVIEW: DANILO RÖSSGER
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PAY M A N H A Z H E E R
The Swedish photographer, based out of Stockholm, focuses on street portraits and photo journalism. His work has been published in various Swedish magazines, and he has been promoted by Fotografisca, the museum of photography in Stockholm. Payman Hazheer combines his photography with running one of the largest Scandinavian design firms, with offices in Stockholm, Paris, and Amsterdam. PAY MAN N E N .COM LF I-ON LIN E .DE /B LOG: SLIDESHOW WITH FURTHER IMAGES EQUIPMENT: Leica Q2, Summilux 28 f/1.7 Asph
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R E C L A I M I N G T H E C ROW N LEICA S3
With a new image sensor offering an impressive 64-megapixel resolution and significantly improved video capability, the S3 is reclaiming the crown as Leica’s top camera model.
It has often been said that you cannot rush perfection. This sentiment undoubtedly contributed to the delay in the S3’s release date – after all, in the field of medium format photography, perfection really is everything. On the other hand, the time was ripe for Leica to take action: the S (Typ 007) may only have been on the market for five years – an almost negligible age for a medium format camera; however, in that time Leica’s other systems overtook the flagship model with their exceptional sensor resolution. While the previous S (Typ 007) recorded images at 37.5 million pixels, the new Leica S3 is equipped with a 64-megapixel sensor – which offers not just a significantly higher resolution, but also reduced noise, a higher maximum ISO, 76 |
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and greatly improved video capabilities. Remarkably, the S3 accommodates all of these improvements in a virtually unaltered camera body with the exact same operating concept as its predecessor. If the S system was aimed at amateur photographers, this might be interpreted as a lack of progress and Leica would have ensured that the evolutionary leap is also reflected in the camera’s exterior. Professional photographers, by contrast, tend to value the benefits of continuity, combined with the best possible image results. N EW S EN S OR. The Leica
S (Typ 007) already featured a video-capable CMOS sensor, whose 37.5-megapixel resolution (the same as that of the original S2) is still more than respectable.
However, especially more recently, there has been a meteoric rise in sensor resolution across the camera industry. In Leica’s case, this has taken the form of the SL2 and M10 Monochrom with their respective 47 and 41-megapixel sensors. This fact alone would not necessarily have required Leica to take action – especially as the difference, in real terms, is still relatively minor. However, the S3’s 64-megapixel sensor offers all of the benefits of stateof-the-art technology. As a result, the S3 produces lower levels of image noise, despite the 71-percent boost in resolution. This is reflected in the camera’s new ISO ceiling of 50 000, which is two stops higher than that of the predecessor model. Leica also promise a dynamic range of 15 stops – suggest-
ing an exceptionally broad exposure latitude. The sensor’s high sensitivity proves especially useful when it comes to handheld shooting: even without a tripod, the photographer is now able to use slower shutter speeds, or stop down for compositional purposes, without the instant risk of camera shake. This emphasises one of the core strengths of the S system, which is to combine the image quality of the medium format with the handleability and ergonomics of a full-frame camera. →
With its new, ultra-high-performance sensor, the Leica S3 delivers a vastly improved image quality in a virtually identical exterior. In the professional world of the S system, continuity is considered a valuable asset
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M OTI ON CAPT UR E . The
S3’s ability to record moving images is another vital advantage. The Leica S (Typ 007) was the world’s first medium format camera equipped with a video-capable CMOS sensor. The camera used the full width of its sensor to record HD videos, but only a cropped section for the more contemporary 4K format. The Leica S3, by contrast, captures Cine 4K video across the entire sensor area – producing highresolution films that are imbued with the aesthetics of the medium format. These appear to be in high demand: Leica’s sister company, Ernst Leitz Wetzlar (formerly CW Sonderoptik) caused a stir among cin-
ematographers with its ‘Thalia’ lens range, which essentially comprises cinematic versions of the lenses of the Leica S system – the only difference being that their PL, LPL and XPL lens mounts make them compatible with professional cine cameras. Of course, the S3 is primarily a tool for still photography and cannot take the place of a high-end movie camera. However, in carefully managed ambient conditions, it can deliver films characterised by a distinctive aesthetic and cinema-level quality. LIVE VIEW. Naturally the
S3’s CMOS sensor also facilitates Live View which, in sufficient light, is displayed at a frame rate of up to 60
fps. This allows for precise image evaluation, especially as the camera also supports Tethered Shooting with the aid of a plug-in for Adobe Lightroom – an extremely important feature for many of those working with the Leica S system. But there is also much to be said for using the optical mirror reflex viewfinder, a component that seems almost antiquated these days. Most manufacturers increasingly turn their backs on the elaborate, space-consuming mirror mechanism in favour of mirrorless systems – including Leica, with their full-frame SL. However, an approach that works perfectly well in the 35mm format can be somewhat problematic in a larger
format. This is because an electronic viewfinder requires a sensor that operates on a continual basis – which not only uses up energy, but also causes the sensor to heat up. The impact of this is far more noticeable in the medium format than with smaller sensors. The raised temperature leads to increased image noise and a decreased dynamic range – resulting in a lower-quality image. Photographers who are keen to tease out every last ounce of quality will therefore forfeit Live View in favour of the mirror reflex finder. The optical viewfinder offers yet another advantage: the blackout time between two exposures is minimal, and the camera
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immediately regains its readiness to shoot – a convenience many medium format cameras without optical finder are unable to provide. Camera lag can be frustrating: this makes the S3’s fast and fluid operation – which is on par with the almost seamless performance of full-frame systems – all the more welcome. CONCLUSION. Not everyone would have wagered that Leica were going to expand the S system with the S3; some might have expected the medium format system to be made redundant by the slightly smaller and faster Leica SL. However, the S system has a faithful following, and has been a substantial contri-
butor to the company’s revenue. Its target market consists of professionals whose working tools are a longterm investment – and who will welcome the fact that both camera body and operation have remained practically unchanged. With its 30 x 45mm sensor, ergonomics that equal those of a full-frame SLR, and its truly superb lens portfolio, the S system embodies a concept that continues to be extremely attractive. The larger sensor facilitates a wider scope of creative possibilities, without the instant need for enormous amounts of light that is normally associated with even larger recording formats. Most lenses of the S system are available with a central
The new sensor’s 64-megapixel resolution facilitates higher light sensitivity and significantly increased image quality
shutter, allowing for higher flash sync speeds, while the camera’s focal plane shutter is ideal for shooting in natural light. In essence, the Leica S3 represents a welcome upgrade of the S system. Its new sensor offers across-the-board improvements over the previous model, without any drawbacks. From a technical point of view, there is no reason to favour the previous Leica S over the S3 – though economically, the new camera is undoubtedly a major leap. However, for those in search of uncompromising image quality, it is a more than worthwhile investment: as of now, the Leica S3 is the uncontested top model among all Leica cameras. HOLGER SPARR
“America’s Premier Leica Specialist”
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RA R I T I E S & C U R I O S I T I E S 37 T H L E I TZ P H OTO G RA P H I C A AU C T I O N
A daguerreotype camera from the year 1840, a Leica Gun Rifle, and a previously unknown prototype of the Leica CL – these are just some of the auction highlights that will make collectors’ hearts beat faster this November.
On November 21, 2020, the 37th Leitz Camera Auction takes place at the Hotel Bristol in Vienna. As always, the auction catalogue includes a number of especially rare treasures – some of which we shall introduce here. At the time of writing, new consignments are still being accepted. However, at this stage it seems fairly certain that the most expensive auction lot will be a camera that did not originate in Wetzlar. DAG UER R E OT YPIE CAM ERA. Louis Daguerre
(1787–1851) was not the first person to carry out photographic experiments. However, on August 19, 1839, the physicist François Arago presented the French artist’s technique, the daguerreotype, at a joint meeting of the Parisian Academies of Sciences and Fine Arts. 80 |
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Since then, this day has been considered to mark the birth of photography. Just one year later, the Viennese company founded by Johann Christoph Voigtländer in 1756 (which produced optical instruments, among others) released a daguerreotype camera. This was the first camera to feature an all-metal body and a mathematically calculated lens. Under the leadership of Johann Christoph’s grandson, Peter Wilhelm Friedrich (1812–1878), Voigtländer was also the first company to manufacture Petzval lenses, which were based on the calculations of German-Hungarian mathematician, Joseph Maximilian Petzval (1807– 1891). With their maximum aperture of 3.7, they were around 15 times faster than the lenses Daguerre used
in his own constructions – thereby enabling exposure times of under a minute. Of the reportedly 600 cameras sold up until 1842, only ten are known to exist today. The autumn auction marks the first time a camera of this type – representing one of the most important milestones in the history of photography – is offered in a public auction. The estimated sale price is 200 000 to 300 000 euros. L E I CA I “CA L FSK I N” .
Only 180 units of the Leica I (Model C Standard) with a light calfskin trim were produced in 1930/31. In many cases, the leather coverings became worn and were replaced at the Leitz factory with regular vulcanite trims – making an original calfskin Leica an extreme rarity. The offered model
(#67074) from the year 1931 is expected to be auctioned for 32 000 to 36 000. L E I CA G U N R I F L E. In
1938 E. Leitz, Inc. New York launched the Leica Gun Rifle, one of the rarest and most unusual Leica accessories ever made. It was produced for only one year (1938/39). Inspired by Attilio Gatti – an Italianborn explorer known for his numerous African expeditions – the ‘rifle camera’ was developed by E. Leitz, Inc. between 1935 and 1937, and introduced to the public in July 1938. Leitz Photographica Auction believe that only 12 to 14 Gun Rifles still exist in various collections worldwide. The offered unit was manufactured in 1938, and is in excellent original condition. →
Daguerreotype camera produced by Voigtländer in 1840 with the world’s first mathematically calculated lens. With its maximum aperture of 3.7, it enabled exposures of under a minute
The Leica M2 with Summicron 50 f/2 previously owned by the conceptual artist Sarkis
Leica rarity for wildlife photographers: the Leica Gun Rifle from 1938
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The set is comprised of a modified Leica IIIa (#230908) from 1937 with a specialist viewfinder (#117), a Telyt 20cm f/4.5, and an extremely rare camera bag (RIFUN). The auction estimate is between 200 000 and 250 000 euros.
group exhibition Passages at the Parisian Centre Pompidou, presenting a selection of works described by the artist as his ‘trophies’. The word ‘Kriegsschatz’ (German for ‘war trophy’) has been engraved in capital letters on the camera’s back panel. LEICA CL PROTOTYPE.
L E I CA M 1 “ BU NDE SE I G E NT U M ” . The Leica Previously unknown prototype of the Leica CL from the early 1970s
Rare olive-green M1 with MP top plate and “Bundeseigentum” engraving
M1 “Bundeseigentum” (#980467) from 1961 is one of approximately 200 German Military-issued cameras with an olive green, coarsely patterned vulcanite trim. Only 75 of these models were equipped with a Leica MP top plate, the camera on offer being one of them. The lens is an Elmar 5cm f/3.5 (#1335755); the camera is in excellent original condition, and comes complete with its matching leather case. Camera, lens and case are each engraved or stamped with the lettering ‘Bundeseigentum’ (Federal Property), as well as individual inventory numbers. The estimated sale price is between 20 000 and 24 000 euros. L E I CA M 2 “SA R K I S” . The
Leica I (Model C Standard) with calfskin trim, produced in 1931
The last Leica M5 ever made – assembled from old stock components in 1992
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black-paint Leica M2 (1961, #1031843) was once owned by French conceptual artist Sarkis Zabunyan (born 1938 in Istanbul). Distinguished by a wonderful patina, the camera is offered complete with a Summicron 50 f/2 (#1474808), as well as the artist’s book Blackout Leica Museum (Berlin, 1976, almost new condition) and a letter of provenance. The auction lot is estimated to achieve a bid of 24 000 to 26 000 euros. In 2010, Sarkis participated in the
This auction lot consists of a previously unknown prototype (#1020609) of the Leica CL, whose production spanned from 1973 to 1975. The camera body has been heavily modified, with the flash shoe being used to attach a 28mm external viewfinder. The prototype features neither an optical finder nor a rangefinder, suggesting it was most likely designed as a snapshot camera. It is accompanied by an M-Rokkor 28 f/2.8 (#1016620) with a blackened front inscription. The camera is in good working order, and is expected to reach a hammer price of 60 000 to 70 000 euros. L E I CA M 5 C H RO ME . The
‘last of its kind’ can also be very appealing to collectors. The actual production period for the Leica M5 spanned from 1971 to 1975. However, in 1992 the remaining parts were used to assemble a small batch of 20 cameras. The model offered at the auction – featuring a chrome body with black controls – is the very last M5 ever constructed. Marked with the final serial number 1918020, the camera is estimated to sell for 6000 to 7000 euros. BERND LUXA
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The blue-sensitive layer is then deloped in a colour developer containing a yellow coupler, which accordingly produces in this layer a positive silver image and a yellow dye image. The third exposure is made with diffuse white light. This causes the third, greensensitive layer to become devolopable. This is developed in a colour developer containing a magenta coupler, giving besides the positive silver image a positive magenta dye image. Finally all the developed silver in all three layers is bleached and dissolved out by fixing, so that all that is left is three dye images.
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The Kodachrome (II) film is similar in construction to other multilayer films except in that the emulsion contains no couplers. Exposure produces in the first place a negative silver image in all three layers. Each of this images constitutes a negative colour separation. The next stage is to expose the film, through the base, to diffuse red light. Only the bottom, red-sensitive layer is affected by this. Colour development then follows, using a colour developer containing a cyan coupler. This reduces the residual silver halide in the bottom layer, so that in addition to the already existing negative silver image there is now a positive silver image and a positive dye image. All the residual silver halide in the bottom layer must be completely developed at this stage. (…)
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A L E S SA N D R O SA RTO R I LEICA WORLD
In the course of the collaboration between Ermenegildo Zegna and Leica Camera, the Italian fashion giant’s artistic director spoke with us about joint projects, the inspiration behind his designs, and his long-standing passion for photography.
Ermenegildo Zegna and Leica Camera have a lot in common: just like the Wetzlar-based optics specialist, the Italian fashion house for luxury menswear is a family business with a more than 100-year history of highquality products. The companies share a commitment to sustainability and local networks – and both were founded by visionary entrepreneurs who were far ahead of their time. So it was almost inevitable that the two brands would enter into a creative dialogue. Zegna’s 110th anniversary presented a perfect opportunity to embark on a multi-faceted partnership. Last January, four Leica photographers explored the theme of modern-day masculinity from a female perspective, as they accompanied the runway shows 84 |
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for Zegna’s fall/winter 2020 collection. A further three Leica photographers have been chosen to go behind the scenes of the label’s spring/ summer 2021 show. The partnership has also resulted in a range of camera bags and accessories designed by Zegna’s artistic director, Alessandro Sartori, which will soon be available in Leica and Zegna Stores worldwide. LFI: Mr. Sartori, you are a successful fashion designer, but you also have a great passion for photography. How did you develop an interest for this medium? Alessandro Sartori: My adventure with photography began when I was a little boy. I loved looking at black and white family photos, and found it exciting to try and fathom the emotions
of the people portrayed in these images. I was fascinated by the thought of who this people might have been. What did they do? Was this person a baker, a labourer, a teacher, a designer? Was it coincidence that this particular person ended up in this picture, or was there more to it? Those were the kinds of questions that captured my imagination. By immersing myself in such details, I was gradually able to unravel the emotions behind these photos. LFI: Can you think of an especially memorable experience that has stayed with you? Alessandro Sartori: I do remember my first meaningful encounter with photography. It was in the early days of vintage markets, I must have been around ten
or twelve. My father had taken me to Pavia, and there were vendors selling old photographs. I remember we bought an entire stack. They were, of course, photographs of families I didn’t know. I spent hours studying them, one by one, with full concentration. LFI: How did your photographic journey unfold after that? Alessandro Sartori: When I was a bit older, I discovered the work of Irving Penn and a young Stanley Kubrick, who was a photographer before he became a director. His subjects were boxers, street fighters, funfair travellers and circus artistes – obscure oddballs with an often unusual appearance. They weren’t perfect. They fitted the requirements of their professions, but →
Photo: courtesy of Ermenegildo Zegna
Alessandro Sartori (born 1966) is an Italian fashion designer. In 2016 he was appointed Artistic Director of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, overseeing all Zegna brands and creative initiatives
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The innovative PelleTessuta™ technique combines the supple feel of fabric with the distinguished character of leather. The protector for the Leica Q2 will be available in two variations, Nero and Vicuùa
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Photos: Dominic Nahr; product photos: courtesy of Ermenegildo Zegna
The functional Insta-Pack cross-body bag for the Leica D-Lux, produced with the PelleTessuta™ weaving technique, comes in the colour variations Nero, Cedro, Vicuùa, Sprea Blue and Loden
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Photo: Dominic Nahr; product photos: courtesy of Ermenegildo Zegna
Another example of the PelleTessuta™ technique: the calfskin wallet (above) in the shape of a lens quiver will be available in Nero and Vicuña. Right: A holster for the Leica Q2, also offered in Nero or Vicuña
not the beauty ideals of their time. They were wonderful characters! This is what inspired me to buy my first photo books. When I was around twenty, I got my hands on a book with mugshots of murderers. Well-dressed men who were photographed shortly after they had been arrested. There were some incredible images in that book. LFI: Did anyone in your family share your fascination with photography? Alessandro Sartori: Yes, my brother was a real photo geek who taught me a great deal, and inspired me to try my hand at photography. My first camera was a Nikon, but as soon as I could afford it, I bought my first Leica. Today I own four of these ‘beautiful babies’ [laughs]. Leica has stayed my brand of choice to this day. In my work, for example, I use the M (Typ 240). I used Leica cameras and read LFI long before this collaboration, and I’m an avid fan of the Leica brand. It’s an enthusiasm that only people who have devoted themselves to a passion will ever understand. Never mind those who buy a Leica because they think the brand is ‘cool’. There are plenty of cool brands out there. These cameras are about something completely different. If you’ve never learnt to take pictures in manual mode and have no understanding of focus, exposure and light, you cannot take a good photograph. But once you have mastered them, these tools will enable you to create wonderful images. That’s my opinion, anyway. Leica cameras are incred-
ibly responsive – they’re like an extension of your body. They’re just extraordinary! LFI: Were Kubrick and Penn your main role models, or are there other artists that have inspired you – perhaps even people you have worked with? Alessandro Sartori: Kubrick is a given – he marks the beginning of my journey. But there are, of course, other photographers whose work I admire. In the course of my career I have worked with so many photographers, including many famous names – it’s part of what I do. Matthew Brookes is someone who never ceases to impress me. His portraits are fantastic, and he is exceptionally skilled when it comes to close-ups and light. I would probably list him alongside Kubrick. LFI: Photography seems to play a major role in your life. Would you say that it has also influenced your work as a designer? Alessandro Sartori: Very much so. Anyone who works in a creative profession will have their sources of inspiration. For me, they are multifaceted – it could be art, literature, cinema, travel, even my own previous work. But photography, and I genuinely mean that, is the most important of them all. I can create whole storyboards in my mind by drawing on past visual references. That’s something I also did in Paris, where I lived for six years. I would get up early in the morning and just go out with my camera. I would take pictures along the Seine, or visit the city’s monuments – the stones of these buildings
look stunning in the first light of a summer’s morning. The research involved in photography also feeds into other areas of my life. That’s why it really is the greatest source of inspiration for my fashion work.
“IF YOU’VE NEVER L EA R N T TO TA K E P IC T U R E S IN M A N UA L M O D E A N D H AV E N O U N D E R S TA N D I N G O F L IG HT A N D EX P OSU R E, YOU C A N NOT TAKE A GOOD P HOTOG RA P H. ”
LFI: Would you say this is also true in a broader context? In other words, is photography still an important part of fashion, or has this changed? Alessandro Sartori: Photography has always played a major role in fashion, and I would say that its significance is actually increasing. Let’s say you’ve created a campaign for one of your collections. However, if your Instagram isn’t going well – or if your message isn’t coming across, because maybe the lighting or the atmosphere aren’t quite right – your professional image could be ruined on a global level. Equally, however, small companies are now able to create wonderful brands with the aid of good artwork, because they choose the right focus points and use photography to convey a coherent image of their vision. Which, in my opinion, is more important today than it has ever been before. LFI: Does this also hold true the other way around? Can fashion be a source of inspiration for photographers today? Alessandro Sartori: I do think that there are various interesting fashion trends that influence photography with their multitude of innovative forms and ideas. Many new phenomena first develop on the street, becoming increas- → LFI
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ingly popular until they eventually reach the stores. Very often, the people involved have no idea that they acted as initiators. These days, we are able to watch crazy action videos of random guys in the Kuwait desert, or look at artworks by Korean and Japanese teens that have gone viral. None of this would be possible without the medium of video and photography. Both play a vital role in capturing these visual trends, and spreading them across the world. So I believe that photos and videos have become more important than ever. Of course, the same can happen with regard to fashion styles, if a good photographer manages to record them.
LFI: Speaking of good photographers: on the occasion of Zegna’s 110th anniversary, the company comissioned three Leica photographers to capture next year’s spring/summer collection – namely William Daniels, Frederic Stucin (see page 22) and Dominic Nahr. How did this come about? Alessandro Sartori: There is a backstory to this decision. We had already invited four Leica photographers – Queenie Cheen, Roselena Ramistella, Hélène Pambrun and Veronique de Viguerie – to accompany the show for our fall/winter 2020 collection. We wanted to document the fruits of our labour, so we were looking for accomplished pho-
tographers to capture moments and details, as well as portraits of the models, the backstage team, and so forth. And, of course, we wanted them to convey the bigger picture of what Zegna stands for. Following the success of this project, we decided on a similar collaboration for the presentation of our spring/summer 2021 collection. And I certainly feel that each photographer produced absolutely wonderful images. If you look at the collective body of their work, it seems even more impressive, because while the photographers speak the same language, they each do so in their own way. The reason we chose these three artists was that they perfectly complement each
WITH JOSH LEHRER & DAVID FARKAS OF LEICA STORE MIAMI
TO WATCH PAST & UPCOMING LIVE LEICA DISCUSSIONS VISIT
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/REDDOTFORUM
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other – and I have to say, these three really were fantastic together. LFI: Is that why you took photographers such as de Viguerie, Daniels and Nahr, into consideration rather than limiting your choice to purely commercial photographers? Alessandro Sartori: Yes, absolutely. Their instincts are more aligned with a non-studio environment. I’m certainly not questioning the skills of fashion photographers, but when it comes to capturing unstaged moments, you are more likely to choose someone with a background in reportage or nature photography, rather than the world of fashion. That person will
have a completely different perspective – which can, in fact, translate well into fashion photography. LFI: What led to the collaboration between Zegna and Leica Camera? Alessandro Sartori: I have great admiration for the Leica brand, particularly regarding its integrity and the quality of its products. I also have great respect for what the company has built in the course of its history, and how it has developed its own language. Leica is among the few digital camera manufacturers today that enable photographers to cultivate their own style and implement their ideas. That was the link between the collection and these
projects. It feels very natural to collaborate, develop ideas, and enjoy seeing the first results. I can’t wait to walk into a Leica Store and see strangers discuss, try out and buy the products I designed. It’s a fantastic feeling when you get this kind of organic feedback on your own work. LFI: You are also a passionate photographer. Was this an important factor when it came to developing your Leica accessory designs? Alessandro Sartori: Yes, absolutely. We have created products whose purpose is not just to protect and transport your camera, but also to facilitate a connection. Our holders, straps, and especially our cross-body bags, are
“LEICA IS AMONG T H E F E W D I G I TA L C A M ERA M A N U FACTURERS TODAY T HAT EN A B L E PHOTOGRAPHERS TO C U LT IVAT E THEIR OWN STYLE AND TO IMPLEMENT T HEIR IDEAS. ”
designed to make you feel at one with your equipment. You can have your hands free when you’re out walking or travelling – but anytime you want to take a picture or change a lens, everything is close at hand. These crossbody bags are exactly in line with my idea of modern photography. It’s not about storing your camera, but about having a relationship with it, keeping it on you and having instant access whenever you need it. I had a lot of conversations with my photographer friends, and tried to be as practical and pragmatic as possible. Throughout the design process, I was always thinking about my own wants and needs as a photographer. INTERVIEW: DAVID ROJKOWSKI
M3 1038893 available at our shop
the peninsula hong kong
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B E S T O F L F I . G A L L E RY
L O N E LY B I K E R “This photo was taken when the Covid-19 infections in New York had reached an apex. Under normal circumstances, it is quite impossible to take a photograph of just one person in front of the Oculus. Consequently, I see this image of the lonely biker as a sad symbol for the power with which the pandemic has impacted our daily life.� Vijay Nanda Leica Q, Summilux 28 f/1.7 Asph
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L IG H T BOX
O N B OA R D T H E N AU T I L U S “The Arts et Métiers metro station in Paris is something special, because it was designed with motifs taken from one of Jules Verne’s novels. I noticed the man on the opposite train platform because of his melancholic expression, so I quickly hit the trigger before the train drew into the station.” Tomoyuki Aoyama Leica M (Typ 240) with Summicron-M 50 f/2
D RA M A B A BY! “Everything came together perfectly for this picture: an approaching cold front and a storm in the area around the Great Lakes in Michigan, together with a fiery sunset, gave rise to outstanding weather and lighting conditions. All these elements brought together resulted in a rather dramatic picture.” James Bzdawka Leica Q, Summilux 28 f/1.7 Asph
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IN THE CROSSHAIR “It was a quiet day in Belém, Lisbon. I was playing around with a broken steel pipe, because I liked the shadows in its interior, as well as the spiral effect. Then came a moment when a young boy walked by and I was able to capture a real James Bond motif – but in a youth version, so to speak.” Luis Carballo Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) with Summicron-M 35 f/2 Asph
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SOCIAL D I S TA N C I N G
N AT U R A L B E AU T Y
“This photograph stands for the loneliness we are currently experiencing as a collective, and shows that we are perceiving the world as though through a veil. As a psychiatrist, I see on a daily basis how many people are emotionally impacted by this situation.”
“I was in my studio and had just been taking some photos of my favourite model, Romana, for a project about the natural beauty of women, when an amazing light suddenly shone through the blinds in the window. I immediately continued taking pictures.”
Wulf Rössler Leica Q2, Summilux 28 f/1.7 Asph
Martin Krystynek Leica Q, Summilux 28 f/1.7 Asph
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PERFECT B AC K D R O P “When we’re travelling, I always walk behind my wife so I can take pictures of her. This particular one was taken during a trip to South Korea, in front of the Korean National Museum in Seoul. I find that the horizon she is heading towards looks like the screen in a very large cinema.” Tadashi Nishimura Leica M9 with Summicron-M 35 f/2 Asph
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ENDLESS STEPS “I came across this view when visiting the observation tower inspired by M.C. Escher. Known as The Vessel, the construction is located at Hudson Yards in Manhattan. Because I was one of the first people to climb The Vessel, the picture I took received a great deal of attention.� Peter Willemse Leica M10 with Summicron-M 35 f/2 Asph
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P H O TO – B O O K S – E X H I B I T I O N S – F E S T I VA L S – AWA R D S –
“C O M P E T E N C Y C E N T R E F O R N E W TO N ’ S O E U V R E .“ I N T E RV I E W
Shortly before his death, Helmut Newton and his wife June established a foundation to care for and represent his estate. Dr. Matthias Harder, the foundation’s Curator and Director, speaks about Newton’s photographic legacy and future exhibitions.
LFI: What would you say is Helmut Newton’s greatest legacy? MATTHIAS HARDER: He showed us that virtually anything is possible if you really want to live your dreams. Newton left his home town of Berlin in 1938, fleeing from the Nazis. He was only carrying one suitcase, and was completely on his own; but he went on to become one of the best known and best paid photographers in the world.
Photos: © Helmut Newton Estate
LFI: Helmut Newton called himself once a “professional voyeur”. How would you describe him? HARDER: That describes Newton very well. From my perspective he is, furthermore, a great, visual seducer.
His fashion pictures – which, in fact, make up the bulk of his work – are extremely ingenious and excitingly staged, mostly both elegant and provocative. Newton shaped the Zeitgeist, the spirit of the times, and was often even one step ahead of it. LFI: Helmut Newton would have been 100 years old in 2020. How will you you be celebrating? HARDER: The great retrospective that I had been preparing for months on the occasion of his centenary, had to be postponed till the summer of 2021, for reasons we are all well aware of. As an alternative there will be a great outdoor exhibition on a 85m-long wall on Köpenicker Straße in BerlinKreuzberg, accompanied by 250 large advertising spaces in the most diverse places all over Berlin. LFI: Newton himself established the
Helmut Newton Foundation just a few weeks before he passed away on January 23, 2004. What is it that makes the foundation’s archives so special? HARDER: The Newton archives are practically complete; the foundation has a few thousand prints and hundreds of thousands of negatives. After presenting a first collection of →
Above: Helmut Newton, Rue Aubriot, French Vogue, Paris 1975; left: Helmut Newton, Untitled (Chicken), French Vogue, Paris 1994; left page: Helmut Newton, Mario Valentino, Monte Carlo 1998
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From the top: Sheila Metzner, Rebecca, Diamond Necklace, 1984; Helmut Newton, Elle, Paris 1969; Joel Meyerowitz, Darrell, Provincetown 1983
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Photos: © Helmut Newton Estate (3) , © Estate Evelyn Hofer, courtesy Galerie m, Bochum, © Sheila Metzner, © Joel Meyerowitz, courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
Above: Evelyn Hofer, Policeman, 59th St., New York 1964; left: Helmut Newton, Madonna, Vanity Fair, 1990; below: Helmut Newton, Elizabeth Taylor, Los Angeles 1985
original images on the occasion of the foundation’s establishment, there were successive, complete exhibitions produced while he was still alive, then later all the Polaroids, work prints, contact sheets, negatives and slides brought from Monte Carlo. Furthermore, the archives include thousands of publications where photo series by Newton appeared – mostly fashion and lifestyle magazines. We are, the competency centre for Newton’s oeuvre, so to speak. In addition, we have generously-sized gallery spaces for our alternating exhibitions. This makes the foundation quite a unique institution in the world. LFI: Following Newton’s wishes, the foundation was not to be a “dead museum”. How can you achieve this?
LFI: What relationship did the other photographers featured in the America 1970s/80s exhibition have with Newton? HARDER: Sheila Metzner was a close friend of the Newtons; there are wonderful portraits they took of each other, that we’re exhibiting here for the first time. Their imagery may be very different, but interestingly enough they worked in the same genres. In turn, Joel Meyerowitz portrayed Sheila in Provincetown, and this series of pictures, that the photographer recently rediscovered in his archives and that we’re presenting for the first time, is, at a first glance, spectacular and modern – we see an incredibly liberal America, without racial or gender exclusion. In turn, the early, colour pictures of New York by Evelyn Hofer,
press clippings books on display. After the retrospective, however, we will also completely re-plan it. LFI: How is Newton’s relationship to
the work of his wife June (published under the name Alice Springs) established? How do you create a context for both photographers’ oeuvres? HARDER: With their joint exhibition, Us and Them, at the end of the nineties, they started something very novel as an artist couple, with self-portraits, portraits of each other, and portraits of famous friends and other companions along the way. We put this great project on display on the occasion of the inauguration of the museum in 2004, and repeated it in a new format ten years later. Some of its essence may well find its way into the new perma-
“ H E S H OW E D U S T H AT V I RT UA L LY A N Y T H I N G I S P O S S I B L E I F YO U R E A L LY WA N T TO L I V E YO U R D R E A M S . ”
HARDER: Newton had jotted down his wishes on a piece of paper, namely that his foundation should offer a platform to other photographers. Initially it was June Newton who selected the other photographers, but now it’s I who invite them to our group exhibitions.
who like Newton had to leave Germany as a young photographer, reveal that she was a real pioneer of poetic street photography. I think that the four very diverse positions come together to create a surprising and exciting narrative.
The current exhibition on display is America 1970s/80s: Hofer, Metzner, Meyerowitz, Newton, which also includes the fashion and nudes pictures Newton took in the USA in the 1970s. How did you design the exhibition? HARDER: Newton and his work are always the starting point for any group exhibition. In this case I focussed on his early days in the USA when he worked, for example, for Alexander Liberman at US Vogue, or later for Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine. The pictures are indeed different from those taken in Paris at the same time.
LFI:
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A permanent Newton exhibition is always on display at the Helmut Newton Foundation. What is the common thread? How are you able to rearrange his work time and again? HARDER: The permanent exhibition on the ground floor continues to be well attended. Most visitors come a number of times, when, for example, the come back from abroad, and they want to see a new special exhibition on the first floor. Consequently Private Property often ends up being the final stage of a comprehensive visit to the museum. From time to time, I might complement it with an object in a showcase, or change the motifs in the vintage magazines, calendars or Newton
nent exhibition being prepared. We have also exhibited two retrospectives of her work in the gallery space on the first floor, and, of course, I’m planning something new for June Newton 2023, in celebration of her 100th birthday. INTERVIEW: Carla Susanne Erdmann
DR. MATTH IAS H ARDE R was born in Kiel
in 1965. He studied History of Art, Classical Archaeology and Philosophy in Kiel and Berlin. He is a member of the German Photography Society and member of the Board of the European Month of Photography. He has been working as Head Curator at the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin, since its establishment in 2004. He has been the Director of the institution since 2019. OU TDOOR EXH IB ITION Helmut Newton
One Hundred, until November 8, 2020; Kraftwerk Berlin, Köpenicker Straße 70 EXH IB ITION America 1970s/80s: Evelyn Hofer,
Sheila Metzner, Joel Meyerowitz, Helmut Newton, until May 16, 2021; Helmut Newton Foundation; www.helmutnewton.com
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EXPOSURE TIME A PHOTOGRAPHIC E N C Y C L O PA E D I A O F M A N
B RAS C H L E R | F I S C H E R D I V I D E D W E S TA N D
Of course, it is very risky to describe a whole nation on the basis of 66 portraits. However, as in the tradition of series by the likes of August Sander or Richard Avedon, this collection manages to capture an impressive portrait of a moment in time. The Swiss photography pair, Mathias Braschler and Monika Fischer, set out from New York City in April 2019, and travelled through 40 US States. They did a 15 000 mile road trip in a number of months, driving a delivery van converted into mobile home – which included a pop up photo studio. Along the way, they portrayed, interviewed and filmed Americans from every walk of life, and with very differing opinions about life, politics and the country. There were factory workers, farmers, salespeople, investment bankers, politicians, students, teenagers, pensioners, fathers and mothers, of all ages, ethnicities, professions and genders. Taken as a whole, it clearly reveals the dissension within the people and their nation, which stands before a decisive moment this November. “America, for me, is everything. It’s life. It’s love. It’s beauty, it’s sadness, it’s hatred, it’s war. It’s chance for advancement and opportunity, but it’s also oppression and sadness,” Californian Walmart employee Jamie says, sharing her feelings about the USA. The portraits and corresponding texts are impressive: the viewer sees things that often leave them at a loss for words, while also asking for understanding. 160 pages, 66 images, 23 × 30 cm, English/German, Hartmann
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This is much more than just the catalogue for an exhibition: it offers insight into the enormous collection of Swiss collectors Ruth and Peter Herzog. In just over five decades they have gathered together around 500 000 pieces, located in Basel since 2015. This selection is a subjective history of photography accompanied by well-informed texts: surprises and new discoveries guaranteed. 360 pages, 359 images, 24 × 32 cm, English, Christoph Merian Verlag
PAU L B E L L AA RT LAST YEAR’S NEST
Dreamy memories of a carefree summer: the Dutch fashion and portrait photographer made use of the early summer lighting close to Amsterdam, for this black and white photo book. Together with eight models discreetly followed by his camera, the photographer produced an intense series made up of still lifes and nudes. 156 pages, 74 images, 24 × 32 cm, English, Distanz Verlag
O R H A N PA M U K ORANGE
As day turns to night, the warm glow of twilight is gradually replaced by the orange glow of city street lamps. With this wistful realization, the Turkish Nobel Prize winner for Literature set out with his camera time and again, to capture the gentle atmosphere of life bathed in nocturnal orange, which he feels expresses a peaceful attitude to life. Today, however, aggressive white lighting is increasingly taking over. The fixtures may well
be energy savers, but have little to do with the author’s familiar memories of Istanbul. Orange is much more than just a series about lighting; it is a melancholic farewell to a beloved city that is becoming more and more alien. 192 pages, 350 images, 17.6 × 25 cm, English, Steidl
Photos left: © 2020 Mathias Braschler, Monika Fischer; unknown, © as a collection by Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron Kabinett, Basel; © 2020 Paul Bellaart; © 2020 Orhan Pamuk; right: © 2020 Sibylle Fendt
I N T H E I N D U ST R I A L AG E
S I BY L L E F E N D T H O L Z B A C H TA L , NOTHING, NOTHING
The next village a long hike away, no occupation, very little distraction. Waiting. Maybe drinking a cup of tea or cooking. Smoking. Staring at a mobile phone. And still waiting. The atmosphere in this house in the middle of nowhere is oppressive: for over twenty years, this former hostel, hidden deep in the Black Forest, served as community lodgings for refugees and asylum seekers, until finally, in December 2018, the last twelve occupants were distributed to other houses. For three years, the Berlin Ostkreuz Agency photographer repeatedly spent time with these African, Afghani and Syrian men. Sibylle Fendt will never forget her first impression: “Outside, the beautiful Black Forest scenery was so familiar to me, but of complete insignificance to the inhabitants. They built themselves dens, small shelters covered by fabrics.” The photo book opens with a sequence of images of the same piece of landscape at each season of the year. Next comes the series of powerful, respectful and intimate portraits. The photographer took her time: sensitive images capture the passing of time, the representation of nothingness in that run-down place. The series gives faces to some of those who would otherwise be overlooked or only seen as statistical factors for a global refugee problem. Here they are real. 168 pages, 78 images, 20 × 24 cm, English/German, Kehrer
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INFINITE IDENTITIES H U I S M A R S E I L L E , A M ST E R DA M
F U N DAC I Ó N M A P F R E , M A D R I D
For his series, America by Car, the photographer travelled through almost all 50 U.S. states over a period of ten years – capturing his home country straight from the driver’s seat. The windscreen, dashboard and rear-view mirror of his rental car became part of his impressions of the roads, meadows, forests, deserts, churches and oil fields of this vast nation. This is America, the Land of the Free – and there are few who have explored it as thoroughly as Lee Friedlander. “It fascinates me that there is a variety of feeling about what I do,” the American photographer once said. “I’m not a pre-meditative photographer. I see a picture and I make it. If I had a chance, I’d be out shooting all the time. You don’t have to go looking for pictures. The material is generous. You go out and the pictures are staring at you.” With this approach, the now 86-yearold has been collecting images for over a half a century, using every opportunity to record what he saw: children at play, the face of a passer-by, shop windows, or even just asphalt, stones and gravel. With the exhibition, Lee Friedlander, the Fundación Mapfre in Madrid now presents a selection of 350 images, offering a chronological overview of the prolific artist’s oeuvre – his series and books, thematic and stylistic associations. The result is a rich compilation of portraits, self portraits, family pictures, nature scenes and urban impressions. Despite the sense of irony that runs through much of the street photographer’s work, Friedlander’s black and white images are, at their core, an affectionate tribute to his home country. October 1, 2020 — January 10, 2021; Photo: Lee Friedlander, Paul Tate, Lafayette, Louisiana 1968
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November 28, 2020 — March 7, 2021 Photo: Farah Al Qasimi, Noora’s Room, 2020
W H AT D O E S D E M O C R AC Y L O O K L I K E ?
ZA N E L E M U H O L I TAT E M O D E R N , L O N D O N
In 2006, South Africa became the fifth country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage. But this apparent tolerance is hardly reflected in everyday reality: openly gay and transgender people continue to face stigma, violence and exclusion. Zanele Muholi, a selfdescribed ‘visual activist’, uses art to take a stand against discrimination. For the past twenty years, the photogra-
M O C P, C H I C A G O
The Museum in Chicago has searched its collection for visual interpretations of democracy. 200 images by photographers such as Dawoud Bey, Dorothea Lange and Garry Winogrand convey moments of shared humanity, stories of perseverance and protest, struggles and achievements. Oct 1 — Dec 23, 2020; Photo: Darryl Cowherd, Stop White Police from Killing Us, St. Louis, MO, c. 1966–67
pher has documented the lives of black LGBT and non-binary individuals. This showcase of 260 images illustrates the artist’s sensitive fight to give these communities the visibility they deserve. November 5, 2020 — March 7, 2021 Photos: Zanele Muholi, Ntozakhe II, Parktown 2016; Busi Sigasa, Braamfontein, Johannesburg 2006
Photos: © Lee Friedlander, courtesy of the Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco; © Farah Al Qasimi, courtesy of the Artist and Helena Anrather, New York; The Third Line, Dubai; © Zanele Muholi. Courtesy of the Artist and Stevenson, Cape Town/Johannesburg and Yancey Richardson, New York; © Giovanni Gastel
LEE FRIEDLANDER
In this show, nine contemporary photographers and visual artists explore the nature of Photography in the Age of Sharing. They each illustrate how Instagram serves as their digital archive, studio, source of inspiration, presentation and networking platform. And yet, could social media channels ever replace physical artworks and exhibition spaces?
G I OVA N N I G A S T E L M AXX I , R O M
Photo journals, pin-walls, pictures hung up on a string: many of us decorate our homes with snapshots of our favourite people, and the adventures we have shared. Italian photographer Giovanni Gastel, however, has dedicated a vast public space to those who have had a positive impact on his life: his exhibition The People I Like is comprised of more than 200 large-scale portraits of leading figures from the world of culture, design, art, fashion, music, politics and entertainment. This extraordinary kaleidoscope of faces, poses and personal dreams represents an honest and intimate document of Gastel’s four-decadelong career: “The People I Like recounts my world, the people who have passed something on to me, influenced me, touched my soul... and to me, this does not depend on their origin, social background, group affiliation or anything else,” he explains. “The soul is something unique, independent, and, as such, it does not follow any predefined pattern, like the heart.” Whether he photographs Barack Obama, Zucchero or Monica Bellucci, Gastel always looks beyond his subjects’ external appearance. Instead, he seeks to capture that elusive, intangible essence that makes a person who they are. September 15 — November 24, 2020 Photos: Giovanni Gastel, Bebe Vio; Isabella Ferrari; Monica Bellucci; Marco Pannella; Germano Celant; Carolina Crescentini
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B RYA N A D A M S L E I CA GA L L E RY M U N I C H
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we are really looking forward to establishing a new hotspot for photography in Munich,” curator Stefan Huber explains. The gallery is part of the new Leica Store located in the centre of Munich. For this new meeting place for Leica friends, Leica has adopted an innovative design concept by Tobias Petri von Holzrausch, who has given the venue a modern, fresh look.
Visitors will be embraced by warm, natural wood and light colour schemes. The Leica Gallery plans to hold four exhibitions a year: “We hope to present international artists, as much as classic Leica photographers, up-andcoming newcomers, and representatives from the Munich area.” The Leica Gallery and Store will be inaugurated on October 29. An opening ceremony with the attendance of Bryan Adams, is still planned for this year. Bryan Adams; Kate Moss, White Coat, London 2013; Sir Mick Jagger, Green Shirt, New York 2008; Sir Ben Kingsley, London 2010 October 29, 2020 — January 31, 2021, Leica Store & Gallery Munich, Maffeistraße 4, 80333 Munich, www.leica-camera.com
Photos: © Bryan Adams
Kate Moss, Sir Mick Jagger, Sir Ben Kingsley – international stars photographed by an international star – Bryan Adams. Over recent decades, the musician and composer has also gained world renown as a photographer – a fact amply confirmed by his exhibition, Exposed. Elegant studio pictures alternate with eccentric portraits; intimate moments with moments in the spotlight. With seemingly little effort, Adams manages to walk the fine line to the perfect portrait. The new Leica Gallery Munich is extremely proud to open its doors with a show by this exceptional artist. “We’re happy to have managed to secure Bryan Adams for the first exhibition to be held in our venue, and
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LEICA GALLERIES SALZBURG
The Moment Makes the Picture. We support our Local Photographers AUT | 5020 Salzburg, Gaisbergstr. 12 November 13, 2020 — March 20, 2021 S ÃO PAU L O
Currently closed BRA | 01240–000 São Paulo, Rua Maranhão, 600 Higienópolis SINGAPORE
Currently closed
ARENBERG CASTLE
20 Jahre Gletscherschauspiel Hannibal – 40 Performances im Spiegel der Stills AUT | 5020 Salzburg, Arenbergstr. 10 November 11, 2020 — End of March, 2021 BOSTON
Best of Collection USA | Boston, MA 02116, 74 Arlington St. November — December, 2020 C O N S TA N C E
Not known at time of publication GER | 78462 Constance, Gerichtsgasse 10 DÜSSELDORF
Walter Vogel: Master of Diversity GER | KÖ Galerie, Königsallee 60, 40212 Düsseldorf September 11, 2020 — January 6, 2021 FRANKFURT
Not known at time of publication GER | 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Großer Hirschgraben 15 November 12 — November 28, 2020 KYOTO
Shingo Wakagi: My Garden JPN | Kyoto, 570–120 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku November 7, 2020 — February 11, 2021 LONDON
Not known at time of publication GBR | London, 64–66 Duke Street W1K 6JD October 5 — November 16, 2020 LOS ANGELES
The 6 x 6 Show: Neal Preston, Jesse Diamond, Maggie Steber, Deborah Anderson, Alan Schaller, Jeff Garlin
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USA | West Hollywood, CA 90048, 8783 Beverly Boulevard July 16, 2020 — January 10, 2021 MADRID
Not known at time of publication ESP | 28006 Madrid, Calle de José Ortega y Gasset 34 MELBOURNE
Currently closed AUS | Melbourne, VIC 3000, Level 1 St Collins Lane, 260 Collins Street MILAN
M’innamoravo di tutto – featuring originals from Werner Bischof, Richard Avedon, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Franco Fontana among others ITA | 20121 Milan, Via Mengoni 4 September 30 — November 21, 2020 MUNICH
Bryan Adams: Exposed GER | 80333 München, Maffeistr. 4 October 29, 2020 — January 31, 2021 NUREMBERG
SIN | Singapore, Raffles Hotel Arcade, #01-20/21, 328 North Bridge Rd., 188719 STUTTGART
Tina Trumpp: Seductions GER | Calwer Straße 41, 70173 Stuttgart November 6, 2020 — January 30, 2021 SUZHOU
Not known at time of publication CHN | Suzhou, Moonlight Dock, No.1 Guanfeng Street, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu TA I P E H
Not known at time of publication TWN | Taiwan, No. 3, Ln. 6, Qingtian St., Da’an Dist., Taipei City 106 TO KYO
Anju: Just Daydreaming JPN | Tokio, 6-4-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku November 5, 2020 — February 7, 2021 WA R S AW
Not known at time of publication POL | 00–496 Warsaw, Mysia 3 WETZLAR
LOBA 2020: Luca Locatelli and Newcomer Gonçalo Fonseca
Dr. Paul Wolff & Alfred Tritschler: Frankfurt to Nuremberg by Motorcar
GER | 35578 Wetzlar, Am Leitz-Park 5 October 23, 2020 — February 7, 2021
GER | 90403 Nuremberg, Obere Wörthstr. 8 October 5, 2020 — January 16, 2021
VIENNA
PRAGUE
Not known at time of publication TCH | 110 00 Prague 1, Školská 28 PORTO
Alfredo Cunha: Leica Years – 50 years career using Leica POR | 4000-427 Porto, Rua d. Sá da Bandeira, 48/52 September 12, 2020 — January 5, 2021
Not known at time of publication AUT | 1010 Vienna, Walfischgasse 1 November 12 — December 2, 2020 ZINGST
Nomi Baumgartl: Eagle Wings – Protecting the Alps GER | 18374 Zingst, Am Bahnhof 1 September 1 — December 10, 2020
Photos: © Tina Trumpp, © Alan Schaller
Tina Trumpp exhibits in Stuttgart (left); Los Angeles presents Alan Schaller(right)
Repeat Winner of the TIPA World Award 2013 | 2017 | 2020
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WhiteWall Media GmbH, Europaallee 59, 50226 Frechen, Germany © Photo by Insung Choi. All rights reserved. We reserve the right to correct errors.
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LEICA FOTOGRAFIE I N T E R N AT I O N A L
PAS C A L D U SA P I N MY PICTURE
This photograph was taken on a cold and gloomy day from Hitler’s former headquarters office in Munich – a place now filled with music.
72nd year | Issue 8.2020
LFI PHOTOGR A PHIE GMBH Burchardstraße 14, 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 A RT DIRECTION Brigitte Schaller EDITORIA L OFFICE Katrin Iwanczuk (senior editor), Denise Klink, Bernd Luxa, Danilo Rößger, David Rojkowski PICTURE DESK Carol Körting L AYOUT Thorsten Kirchhoff TR A NSL ATION, SUB-EDITING Robin Appleton, Hope Caton, Anna Sauper, Osanna Vaughn CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE Carla Susanne Erdmann, Katja Hübner, Ulrich Rüter, Holger Sparr, Katrin Ullmann M A NAGEMENT BOA RD Steffen Keil
View from the window of Hitler’s former headquarters office, Munich 2011
MEDIA SA LES A ND M A RKETING Samira Holtorf Phone: +49 / 40 / 2 26 21 12 72 Fax: +49 / 40 / 2 26 21 12 70 E-Mail: holtorf@lfi-online.de Valid ad-rate card No. 48, 1 January 2020 REPRODUCTION: Alphabeta, Hamburg PRINTER: Optimal Media GmbH, Röbel/Müritz PA PER: Igepa Profimatt
In 2011 I was teaching music composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich. Sometimes my class was held in the large, children’s orchestra room, where my students and I felt quite comfortable – until I was told that the room used to be Hitler’s office, and that the building had been built in 1933 for the “Führer”. It was there that the Munich Agreements were signed by Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler in 1938. I was shocked to learn this, yet at the same time almost relieved that children can play music there today. It’s like thumbing your nose at death and terror. Then I learnt that Hitler enjoyed standing in front of this window. So some months later, I took this picture, as if I was photographing and seeing what he was looking at. I remember it was an ideal day: it was very cold, it was raining sleet, it was horribly grim… Born in Nancy, France, in 1955, Pascal Dusapin studied Arts and Aesthetics in Paris, while also studying privately with the teacher of music composition, Olivier Messiaen. Dusapin has received various awards for his compositions. He lives in Paris.
LFI 1/ 2021 WILL APPEAR ON DECEMBER 18, 2020
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DISTRIBUTION LFI (USPS no 0017912) is published 8 times per annum. Subscription price per annum (including shipping) worldwide: 80 €; Digital subscription: 49 € LFI is also available as an app at the Apple iTunes store and at Google Play. LFI SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE P. O. Box 13 31, D-53335 Meckenheim Phone: +49 / 22 25 / 70 85-3 70 Fax: +49 / 22 25 / 70 85-3 99 E-Mail: lfi@aboteam.de All articles and illustrations contained in the magazine are subject to the laws of copyright. Any form of utilization beyond the narrow limits imposed by the laws of copyright and without the expressed permission of the publisher is forbidden and will be prosecuted. LFI prints carbon neutral and supports climate protection projects in Northern Germany. Please find out more at: climatepartner.com
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On Saturday November 14, 2020 Tamarkin Auctions offers the Leica MD Hammertone set, Leica MP 235 SP, Elmax and Anastigmat cameras, the 50mm Rigid Summar, Leica IIIc K Grey wartime cameras, the HANSA Canon, Nikon SP sets, the Leica Model B Compur, Leica M2 and M4 cameras engraved “Midland, Ontario” and much more fascinating photographica.
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