Tulip Frenzy

Conscience? Misplayed hand? Wondering when his agent will call with a real part in a real town?

Leica Monochrom, 50mm Noctilux @0.95

Leica Monochrom, 50mm Noctilux.

Last fall, when the Leica Monochrom was issued, we spent hours in The Bishop’s Garden at the National Cathedral, documenting the people who visited everyday.  Our collection of images was meant to convey a unique urban oasis in black and white, which given how riotously colorful the flowers are there in September, was a lesson in reducing what our camera saw to luminosity, not chroma.  After spending part of an early afternoon taking pictures of tulips in their most colorful (after)frenzy, we took a monochrome-only camera to The Bishop’s Garden, and were reminded, once again, of how black and white photography reduces images to their essentials.

We don’t know what that smile, or smirk, really is, but we love it!  Georgetown Flea Market, Sunday, February 24th. Leica Monochrom, 50mm Noctilux f/0.95, ND filter.

Leica Monochrom, Noctilux, ISO 320.  Click on photo to get a sense of the tonal range, even in an image down-rezzed for Internet posting.

Good Lord, this Leica Monochrom is fun.  Taken last night after sunset.  Still enough light shining on the daisies below the National Cathedral to get some highlights. Noctilux, ISO 640.  Processed in Lightroom 4, then a quick swing over to Silver EfEx Pro2.  Total elapsed time in post-processing: two minutes?  Fun.