David Ingram's photo of Me with very, very shallow depth of field...

 

Well, it's actually more a portrait of my little Leica DLUX 8 camera with an out of focus me in the background. This photograph was made after sunset one evening last week while we were sitting in front of Jo's Coffee on S. Congress Ave. discussing the fate of the world. And photography. 

David has been documenting downtown Austin and the neighboring environs for quite a while. See more of his work here: https://www.instagram.com/dingatex?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

He's so well read he makes me feel, at times, illiterate. 

On this particular evening he was using the Canon R5 camera along with the RF85mm f1.2 medium telephoto lens. He's very quick with that rig and often posts panned shots of fast moving motorcycles taken in low light levels. 

It's fun to have smart friends. Even more fun when they are good photographers!

Here's another one he took using the Westcott Ice Light....

Today was our first really cold day for swimming. It was 43° when I stepped outside this morning, but the thing that made it ... challenging ... were the wind gusts up to 40 mph. The combination made for an exciting wind chill factor. Especially notable an hour later as we exited the outdoor pool and ran back to the locker rooms. Our version of a cold plunge. 

We swam a little less than 3200 yards but all of it was fun. 

The remedy for our "cold plunge"? Coffee. Good, hot coffee. 

Finally ordered that Thypoch 75mm Simera lens for the M cameras. Waiting for delivery.

Funny stuff you can read on the web.

 "....There’s a simplicity to black and white photography that makes it one of the hardest or easiest spaces to explore visual storytelling. The removal of colour adds a layer of abstraction that can invite more scrutiny of an image’s context. Or, it can act as a safety blanket for the many men who like to cosplay as photography experts on the internet."

- Gajan Balan, from his review of the Leica M11 Monochrom. 

Balan is a Leica "Ambassador" and talented video maker, story teller and, of course, photographer.