Have you read part one?
Oddly, the initial excitement of a new toy — regardless of how impressive — invariably dies down, becomes muted with the deeper realisation that the true greatness of that toy lies not in the immediate acquisition, rather it deepens with familiarity.
I’ve had the Q for two months now, and during the first proper shoot, I felt that deeper realisation. Yet subsequent outings have proved more challenging. Call it beginners luck, but I don't believe in that word. Luck is a human construct that denies intention — even lack there of — that leads to consequences which shape one’s life.
No, I'm certain the issue lies with the complacency that I somehow avoided on my first outing. This is a 28mm lens, where previously I shot with a fifty. You develop habits, habits that you inadvertently repeat for comfort. Simply put, I saw things a metre too soon, firing off earlier when two steps more were required to capture the shot.
To me, this speaks more about style. Forever a hunter, not a fisher, the predatory style of shooting and walking away is losing its relevance. At 50mm, there is enough distance somehow for that to work. I'm just far enough to evade, but at 28mm, I need to be closer.
Perhaps a different type of fishing is the answer, to practice mindfulness before taking the shot; that meditative release eulogised by the fisherman (I'm killing this analogy).
Staying present within the bustle, within the scene is the acme of the street photography experience. Somehow lost in your own presence, the outside world slows down, and yes, you are clocked, but that slips by the wayside. Instead, you are immersed in capturing that next shot.
Movements appear faster, more slick. Intention taken as one’s eyes sharpen to the people drifting in and out of one’s frame. It is this, more that anything else, that my Leica has enabled. This is not a new sensation. Like I said, it is a state I have found myself in countless times during the eight years I have shot street, but more and more, I am realising the necessity to facilitate that state by slowing down.
Shooting with a Leica demands this and I am happy to acquiesce like so many before me.