I almost bought a Leica M246 Monochrome camera this morning. But after I saw some conversions from color to black and white, from the little compact DLUX8 I changed my mind...

There's no question in my mind that if your art depends on the very best black and white images in the universe you'll probably want to end up with a Leica M10 or M11 monochrom (only) camera. Every serious black and white photographer I know who has picked one up and really shot with it is totally addicted to the quality of the black and white file. Just more or less permanently addicted. But Leica has made monochrome versions of their rangefinder M cameras all the way back to the time of the M9. Their first monochrome camera, built around the M9 body configuration, was equipped with an 18 megapixel CCD sensor. People who used them raved about them but there were a few operational issues. No live view. A loud shutter mechanism with a re-cocking step that also made noise. A less reliable rangefinder calibration system, and a skimpy battery. 

Leica fixed all the issues with the next generation of M cameras; the M240. A couple years after the launch of the M240 they came out with a CMOS sensored Monochrome version complete with a quieter shutter, a more reliable rangefinder calibration, a bigger buffer, a faster processor and 24 megapixels instead of 18. Sapphire glass on the LCD.  Oh, and live view plus video... It was named the M 246 M. 

Since Michael Johnston embarked on making a stock fp camera into a black and white only camera I've been on again, off again interested in whether or not a "monochrome only" camera would really deliver an additional measure of quality and unique-eosity  to my own black and white photography. Then my friend at ATMTX bought one of the previous model M monochromes and seems to be absolutely delighted with the results he's getting from that predecessor of the M246. He seems to be driven to use it about 80% of the time even though he has lots of other significantly great cameras from which to choose.

So, this morning I found myself doing what gear addicted photographers seem to do on a weekly basis; I opened an email from CameraWest and followed the link to their latest "drop" of used gear. A weekly listing of interesting cameras and lenses that have come into their San Francisco stores. And there it was: A Leica M246 M. All black. No red dot. No logo on the top of the camera. A stealthy camera capable of, supposedly, delivering black and white (only) files elevated from the basic, converted color files from other similar cameras. The price was low for this camera. It was rated as a "9" by the store --- and they are usually pretty accurate --- at least as I've experienced. 

I put it into my shopping cart. I checked my "budget" and while I can afford the camera I hesitated. Did I really want to spend $3500 just to experiment with a black and white only camera that's at least ten years old? A camera for which extra batteries are as rare as unicorn teeth? Did I need a fourth M240 variant to keep other cameras company? Am I that driven to focus like a collimated beam only on monochrome photography? Was there a reason (yes, and very practical) for why we would carry two cameras in the film days? One with black and white film and the other with color film --- because different applications demand color while others can skate by in black and white. Because sometimes your eye is attracted to color contrasts in a scene while at other times reducing a scene to its graphic parts works better for some people's aesthetic or taste. 

I took a break to go and ask my spouse for guidance. She said to do whatever makes me happy. The issue of money is off the table. I was just looking for logic about the whole idea of yet another camera for yet another snipe hunt in photographic practice.... She said, "buy it if you really want to try it. You never really lose money on Leicas if you decide it's not for you and you want to sell it..." That was no help...

I sat at my desk and pondered. Then I realized that I have a buying pattern. At the outset I try to find a solution that's completely affordable and meets the basic criteria I'm looking for. The M246 meets that standard. The next step is hitting the limits of the new purchase and beginning the rationalization leading to an upgrade. In this instance, probably to an M10 M. Newer sensor. Better viewfinder. Third generation renovations. So I would upgrade at some point to the M10 M and be happy until I read a series of reviews from photographers smitten with the M11 M. Which I would probably buy new, dropping $10K. But if I started with the M11 M instead of working my way up the catalog "ladder"  of past versions I'd save nearly the price of the M11 M. That is, if you factor in the purchase of the two previous cameras. 

I took a break. Made an espresso. And absent-mindedly looked through a folder of images I'd taken in Chicago with a small sensor, color mostly, compact Leica DLUX 8. And I came across these images which I had taken in color and then converted in Lightroom to black and white. Not my finest camera. Not the biggest sensor. The least expensive Leica in the inventory. And I realized that I was happy with the files. Not kinda happy. Or mostly happy. Just happy. 

I emptied out the shopping cart. Already started forgetting the M246. Realized that it was someone else's dream to own a black and white only camera - not mine. Instead I bought two more of my favorite $20 camera straps from B&H. Then B. and I went out to our favorite restaurant and had a delightful lunch. 

If you can make totally fun and good black and white images from a small point and shoot camera with an older m4:3 format 17 megapixel sensor why would I ever have a need for yet another pricy rangefinder camera?

And that's how I ended up ordering the red snapper with capers and bok choy for lunch. Delicious. 

The desire for something new hits from time to time but I'm more ambivalent to it now. 

After all, it seems more fun to take up the challenge of using

a less prodigious camera to take good monochrome images with.

The friction of trying harder makes it more fun...

If I hit the edge of the performance envelope in the small camera, or the other cameras around the office,

I might reconsider.

 Some thoughts from black and white camera shooter, Paul Reid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX80tK6F1qk

It's been a while. Heading into the holidays and spending time organizing family stuff. But never too busy to pass up some photography outings.

 

Photographer finds a handy mirror at the hat store.

Commenter and VSL V.I.P., Stephen Biro kindly sent me a link to a Wall Street Journal article about the dire human effects of A.I. content creation and how the consolidation of online media into the hands of Amazon, Google and Meta is quickly and profoundly affecting professionals throughout the advertising industry. It's not good. And it's getting worse. The big three are bundling royalty free, A.I. derived images, video and writing along with very precise and accurate consumer targeting. It's very effective packaging. As a result traditional advertising agencies are already hemorrhaging employees and casting off freelancers at a record pace. And it's not going to get prettier as time goes by. 

If you've been paying attention you've probably also heard about an actress named, "Tilly Norwood" who is currently roiling the creatives and actors in Hollywood. It's not the entry level people only who are afraid that "Tilly" and her crew are coming for their jobs; their livelihoods, but also "A" list movie and television stars. What's causing this panic? Well, "Tilly" is not a real human, she's an A.I. construct who has been constructed to be indistinguishable from a human actor. She is currently being shopped around for various movie and TV roles and will probably soon "break into" print and web advertising as well. She's a construct. A virtual human. A chatbot who happens to be, on screen, gorgeous, and better yet, she never flubs her lines. Well, I guess unless she's programmed to flub her lines. 

This time around technology is once again coming for people's jobs but in this instance it's not affecting every demographic evenly. This time around it's the well paid, professional content creators, marketers, photographers, writers, cinematographers, illustrators, and even actors who are metaphorically taking it on the chin. Or, in reality, getting hit in their wallets. Big time. 

Once lifelike A.I. actors take over the marketing world as we know it is gone. Everything becomes royalty free and efficient beyond return. I think I may have stumbled into the perfect year in which to retire and leave the field of content creation. Maybe just in time... Or something like that. 

If you aren't working in the creative services industry and aren't watching this tsunami first hand you'll probably fall back on the usual arguments. That everyone will be able to tell the real from the wholly fabricated. That human ingenuity will win out. That clients will want the authenticity of real models or real products or real locations. But you would be wrong and you are probably even now seeing video advertising with virtual casts. Ads with virtual backgrounds. Print materials like brochures filled with skinned CAD car renderings and "talents" who are completely digital. You just aren't inside the content factory and didn't notice the new technologies hit the point at which they equalled or exceeded traditional, actual, processes. But the idea that we'll know better, or not be fooled by fabricated "models" and "actors" is just plain hubris. You mostly just don't have a front row seat in the factory, watching how the "sausage" is being made...

So, where does that leave photographers? Well, if you are a hobbyist you'll be just fine. You'll keep on making images that please you and, hopefully, delight your family, friends and fans. But if you are working as a full time, professional photographer I think the future is plainly unknowable. Hope for the best but plan for the worst. And, maybe have a backup plan...

The inflection point that led me to understand how cataclysmic this change will be was when my friend, James, did a deep dive into A.I. image generation and brought with him his 40 years of experience as a video director, editor and photographer. He created a series of photographs that made fun of social media. The images were on very realistic locations, with very, very realistic humans engaged in very real looking actions. I was totally convinced that he'd found a client with deep pockets who facilitated an ongoing project to go around the country and set up photo shoots to illustrate the concepts. Only it was all done with generative A.I. tools. I've been into Photoshop for nearly three decades and had toyed with A.I. constructs for client and I was completely fooled by James's constructions. And that was nearly a year ago.... Go here, see 80 images and see what you think: https://jameswebb.smugmug.com/GenAI-Images

As a reformed advertising creative director and former agency head I'm conflicted. I know clients will want to have agencies make images from scratch which do not require: model releases, royalties, time limited licensing, stock images that might be used by other clients in similar industries, re-use fees, budgets for exotic travel, budgets for any travel, expensive prop rentals, pushy photographers who want to get paid: right now. Copyright issues.  And so much more. Chat GPT, Gemini and other programs are here now. They are working. They are enough (to quote Ken from the Barbie movie). To think that agencies and their clients demand perfection is ludicrous. They demand perfect enough. And no matter how big or profitable a company might be they are all demonically obsessed with spending as little as humanly possible for the actual production of creative work. It's just the way of the capitalist world order. 

So, if you are lucky enough to have turned 65, grabbed onto Medicare, and Social Security and done a good job with your SEP investment accounts you don't need to worry in the short run. Sit back and enjoy the programming. Crack open that beer and be fascinated by how much crazier the action scenes in movies are getting and how butch Optimus Prime is in the Transformer movies. And how lifelike the reconstruction of Princess Leia via CGI is. But if you aren't quite ready to retire it's time to come up with a strategy for battling the virtual competition. 

So, how was your week?  

I spent too much time this week working on everything else but photography. By the time today rolled around I was ready to get out of the house and make photographs. I've been going back and forth between three cameras recently. They are: the Sigma fp, the Leica SLS-2 and the Leica M240. Most often used with 28, 35 and 50mm lenses. These days mostly shot in a raw format. 

Earlier in the week I headed to a favorite, independent bookstore across town. I took the Sigma fp and the Voigtlander 35mm Nocton with me. The last seven images in today's gallery are from that combination. The rest are from this afternoon when I went out to shoot with the Leica M240 and the Voigtlander 50mm APO lens. I recently decided that casual photography, if you enjoy it, is a lot like golf. You hit some great shots and you hit some into the rough, but if you are doing it correctly what you really accomplish is pleasant time out walking and improving your game for "next time." That was me today. No caddy, no cart, just a camera, a couple bucks in my pocket and an extra battery. Oh, and all the time in the world. That works.

funny to me that Kendra Scott, a fashion and jewelry designer of note, decided to name her shop on South Congress Ave. "Yellow Rose." Why? Because that was the name of a very big and very successful gentleman's  club (strip club, exotic/erotic dance club, lap dance club, etc.) here in Austin back in the 1980s and 1990s. Weird. 

Custom hat includes small art artifacts as well as a crystal. Nice.

Me? I like the color combinations.  I stopped the woman wearing the hat and asked for permission to photograph. She turned to face me but I explained that I wanted just the hat. 

She was understanding. 

I think I finally found a hat even I think is ugly. At Maufrais, the tony hat shop on S. Congress. 

Motel mural embarrassingly intersects with holiday decor. 

Seems just right for a hipster motel in South Austin...

Ah.... bokeh. I think. Maybe it's just punctum. 

Supervisory Mannequin. Keeping a close eye on the photo riff-raff. 

Window art at the local Hermés shop. Home of the $1200 camera strap. Now that's Veblen!!!

Time out. Savoring a mocha poolside. 

Everything below the bike gears I found in an alley is from the Sigma fp and the 

version II of the Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 Nokton Classic MC lens. Fun to see the differences

between the Sigma and the Leica...

Christmas is in less than a week. 

I have no idea of what I want Santa to bring me. 

I've already shopped for family. 

Now just cruising until we run out of pool hours. 

Not evil pool. Swimming pool. 

Cue up the outrage.

Playing around with a camera, a warm jacket, a fun lens and a neighborhood full of people having...fun.

 

Camera: Leica SL2-S, Lens: Thypoch 75mm f1.4, Jacket: Kuhl. Coffee? Yes please. 

Mostly photographing within a 300 foot area around Jo's Coffee on South Congress. Austin, Texas