feel kinda bad i couldn't tell some of my friends the complete truth about a certain camera that i was shooting the last couple of months ... but ...i signed an nda so ... i had to wait until the rest of the world was told about it.
i'm gonna do a full report on the leica m9 in due time. i made a lot of photos with that camera and couldn't really do anything with them except share them with people who i was able to share them with. sounds cryptic but ... well ... ya' know.
i just noticed that moving a 600mb+ file, streaming another video to check it and ftp'ing really f*ck with one's connection.
let me tell you how funny it's been watching all of the "leica rumors" flying around over the past few months. certain of us were laughing ... wholeheartedly. a canon sensor. a full-frame could not fit in an m8 body. puhlease. ;)
oh, shit i just pissed off the "forum boys."
not that i care.
just so you know ... the photos from the last blog ... at the end ... were all m9 ...at the time the m9 had a codename. very stealthy. i just had to strip the exif info. ;) sneaky. i know.
honestly, without giving away from the m9 mega-post i'll do soon ... this camera ... is beyond exciting. i mean ... unless you're my lab. :( poor lab. sorry, guys.
um ... what else ... well ...
besides doing whatever it is that i did in that project ... with the help of some friends ... i made a little video:
Street Photography: Documenting the Human Condition - Part One of Three from Chris Weeks on Vimeo
Street Photography: Documenting the Human Condition - Part Two of Three from Chris Weeks on Vimeo.
Street Photography: Documenting the Human Condition - Part Three of Three from Chris Weeks on Vimeo.
had to break it up into three parts. tell ya' what ... video ... as pretty as it is ... is a bitch.
had fun, though, shooting with this ...
i couldn't have done the video alone. well. i could have ... i guess. but i didn't. although i've already thanked my friends in the video at the end ... couldn't have done this without mario, laith, patrick, hossein, frank, the incomparable sev, richard, j ...
that was human part ... the equipment part ... i have to thank cinevate and smallhd. you guys rock. i guess cavision, too. seriously, the rest of the "players" in that market are so over-hyped it's not even funny. flashy videos don't really mean shit; how shit works means everything.
another thing i just laughed out loud .. i don't like LOL ... was this cough-cough-cough-image-gallery. jesus-h-christ. um, really?
i have no idea what h stands for, though. holy? i tried to look at every photo but got too damn bored.
do you have any idea how happy i am that the docu-project is done?
um ... i'm very happy.
that was way more work ... than i ever thought. the project with transcoded video and original video files ... is 400mb+. i need a render farm. like 2 8-core mac pros! doing this project on the most recent mbp was ... not as daunting as i thought ... but ... wouldn't want to do a 120 minute feature. this was only 42 mins ... and ... well ... rendering ... you just basically set it up and walk away.
or go to sleep.
i wanted to do my dj am tribute blog ... but ... every time i look at his photos i get ...
well ...
um ...
sad is one word but it doesn't even come close to how those events made me feel.
miss you, homie.
he would have loved the m9.
how about some photos?
that's the napoli-biyatch taking a break from "taking complete creative license" during some shooting. when we do the "out takes" and "making of" you'll see and hear me call him "taliban." i know. not politically friendly. i thought it was funny.
and that's all that counts. ;)
was walking 'round with sev in vegas when i made this. i think the exif has a different name for my new full-frame-friend. ;)
i just don't get the fascination with mj. i mean i know his music but ... seeing hollywood turn into a giant mj shrine was a bit much.
i love the looks on all of the people's faces.
pretty little chi-chi. the dog show we went to before ... we were with sev. i think he should have gone to this one as well ... alas he was back in vienna. think he would have enjoyed shooting some more with the 1.4/24.
um ... i just saw that wank posted an m9 review. wtf? i guarantee he's never had it in his hands. ya' know he's like a forum-f*cking-troll that posts opinions never having used anything he's posting about. such a wank. when i saw that it immediately made me think "wtf was canon thinking when the gave the 5dm2 to the luminous landscape guy?" he's sure to be an ace-dp. ace.
the internet is wonderful.
when i was out shooting with frank ... i was doing video with the 5dm2 wondercamera ... we saw many pretty things ... i mean ... photos ...
i love that the colours are so different than the canons. grazie a dio.
i haven't used the b/w mode much as ... i kinda think that shooting colour files is the way to go and process them in either aperture or ps for b/w later.
frank tells me he's seen homeboy before.
i like that frame.
that one, too.
went to the beach as well. don't "go to the westside" but this summer was a bit hot.
cannot believe how long they've had this memorial up. and the crosses and stars of david ... just keep growing and growing...
even clown guys get off work.
used the m9 on a red carpet as well.
this guy works a lot.
took a walk with my friend flipo around hollywood.
nhat, too.
homeboy got himself a leica, too.
:)
mj's death has spawned a cottage industry of people selling unlicensed stuff.
we saw some nice lounge singing at an open mike night. this was not planned. just happened.
so did the heartburn.
so did the.
i'll leave that at that.
with the nocti this time. it's homage to my friend frank. his work is amazing.
our little friend quincy -- who's on his way to london to be with his moviemaking parents -- enjoyed posing as well.
not really, actually.
love love love the old 2.0/35 gandy got me a while back. think it's ver. 3. yes, ver. 3.
okay ... it's shower/leaving time.
hope you guys enjoyed the ride.
i know i enjoyed it.
more to come about the m9. :)
cheers from a mildly temperate los angeles!
-chris
Awesome Awesome images!
they look so good!
-james
Posted by: james | 09 September 2009 at 02:17 PM
Well done bro.
Good mix of action, stills and thoughts about the genre. Really enjoyed it.
And from my mum .. thank you for the picture of her little son.
cheers
p.s. waiting for some m8 pics to add em to the collection... haha ... never mind ;)
Posted by: flipo | 09 September 2009 at 02:31 PM
Damn, I knew it!
I'm frantic here in Denmark because I haven't been able to get an M9 chrome confirmed yet and I just don't believe it. I have to get one tomorrow, and I have the 35/2 waiting for it here. The M4 will get stripped, ha ha!
Anyways, love the first part of the video which I just saw and have sent left, right and center to editors and camera store owners.
Proud to know two of the 12 people who got an M9 before everybody else. That video could start a boom in street photography. I'm actually sure it will. Much better than drugs and television.
Posted by: Thorsten Overgaard | 09 September 2009 at 02:36 PM
great to hear from you chris, so sorry to hear about your mate, very sad.
i've been looking forward to this video, all i have to do now is hold it on pause for an hour 'cos my connection is so shit out here!
the colours in those shots are wonderful, and i just love the sidewalk photographer shot, nice to see a few uberists too ;)
hope everyone's well
Posted by: christian rollinson | 09 September 2009 at 02:47 PM
Hey Chris! It's great to see your stuff again mate. I certainly look forward to seeing more
Posted by: Conrad Duroseau | 09 September 2009 at 03:03 PM
oh, wanker's review on the m9 is amazing... he copied the info from the brochure very well!
Posted by: Aldo | 09 September 2009 at 03:13 PM
I am one of those who read the PDF three years ago, convinced me to get a Leica and never looked back. Amazing. Thank you for making this video. It makes me want to go out and shoot right now!
Posted by: Mike | 09 September 2009 at 04:04 PM
I loved the videos.
And - although I know I'll never be able to own the camera - I'm really looking forward to more of your M9 stuff.
Posted by: Robert | 09 September 2009 at 04:11 PM
Chris finally you got it done, video ain't easy eh.
Thanks for having me be part of this, was a pleasure always. Congrats on your first doc brother.
Posted by: Laith | 09 September 2009 at 04:52 PM
i bet i will have to pay a mortgage for the m9...sigh. i haven't even saved up for the 50/1.4! I love my M6 classics though...getting serious mileage out of em ;)
Posted by: Tyler (jtf-5128 on DA) | 09 September 2009 at 05:22 PM
Wow, great stuff, it looks like the m9 is a hell of a camera. From the images, it looks like the camera just lets the lens' do the work that it should. The m9 files seem to have a clarity and a depth that is unlike traditional digital files.
The files also seem to convert to black and white very well, in a similar manner to very slow film in a high accutance developer. I hope that this camera is a big hit for Leica.
Could you speak a bit to the dynamic range of the M9, I noticed that shot you took at the Santa Monica pier with the crosses, i was there last may with my Canon 1D MkII and a freind's Nikon D700, and the dynamic range was very tough (white crosses, reflective sand, harsh shadows, strong sunlight... It looks like the M9 handled itself well.
So are you using the 24mm lux on the m9?
Great post and looking forward to the next one!
Posted by: Sam Oksner | 09 September 2009 at 05:23 PM
Great stuff as always! The video is amazing, and to think it was shot with a fucking dslr . . . insane! Well done my friend. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Jonesy | 09 September 2009 at 05:27 PM
The M9 looks great. How do you feel about it in the hands of non-pros? Phrased another way, do you think a non-pro could justify it?
Posted by: keston | 09 September 2009 at 05:37 PM
It was a great little treat to see the dedication to Adam, I bet he would have loved it. The whole thing is fantastic, and I know everyone is hoping you release it as a DVD. Are you shopping it around to docu-specialists like discovery?
I was in a rut for feeling up to shooting street lately, but this has got me psyched again, thank you. I have a little Russian Rangefinder I am hoping works, with an old roll of film to throw through it.. heres hoping :)
Cheers mate
Posted by: Scott Alexander | 09 September 2009 at 05:59 PM
The vid is really awesome!! gave me more drive to shoot in the streets! thanks for sharing the video chris! you guys are the best!
Posted by: Mathew Wong | 09 September 2009 at 06:12 PM
F.C. 0 times. Really, fucker, you need to get on with the program.
Anyhow, I realllly lovee the open mic night photograph. Hope all's well! Come on Facebook, like Thorsten!
Posted by: Tabish Bhimani | 09 September 2009 at 07:51 PM
Geat work
Posted by: Olivier | 09 September 2009 at 11:12 PM
Great entry, finally the video.
I'd rather watch than read... :)Visual person here.
Great timing too, I was on a live action set assisting with the stills and shot in 5 minute windows while the live action guys took smoke breaks. We shot a total of 15 minutes in about 5 hours, luckily I had this entry to keep me busy.
Cheers from Wet n Wild Manila
Posted by: Sonny Thakur | 10 September 2009 at 02:29 AM
chris, the video is so good. it's interesting to actually see how you guys could disappear into what's around you and not seem sneaky at all.
Posted by: tina | 10 September 2009 at 03:14 AM
Heh! I just *knew* you'd be involved in the m9!
The last few months of silence were a dead giveaway.
Anyways: awesome is too short a word for this camera. Almost makes me give up film. Won't, but almost.
I thought I'd share with you my comment in the dpreview forums that about sums up my opinion of all "forum experts":
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1038&message=32977433
yeah. "experts". sure...
Anyways: can't wait for more stuff.
Posted by: Noons | 10 September 2009 at 05:05 AM
So many thanks for sharing Chris. Fascinating work!
Posted by: Wouter Brandsma | 10 September 2009 at 08:27 AM
Neat images, my preferred one being the one with the bike in the front and the shops with red walls on the back. Nice atmosphere.
Seems that this fabled M9 is doing well! I mean... really all the photos from the previous post are all M9? Wow, B&W from this M9 looks really good (at least from the internet...).
If now you do not want the 24/1.4 anymore I have an old film-frame M that could make a use of it... ;)
BTW, the most important thing: thank you and everybody who partecipated for the videos. I will watch them as soon as I will get off work! Can't wait! (is there a way to download them also or only streaming?)
Cheers from strangely-today-we-have-sunshine Dublin!
Posted by: Carlo | 10 September 2009 at 08:29 AM
i remember watching tv the night DJ AM died, couldn't believe it. All this shit about MJ i could care less about, then i heard this and my heart sank. Started thinking about you and the shots you posted of him, had always been a fan of his. Sorry for the loss Chris.
The M9 shots look amazing, btw. Can't wait to see more.
take care.
Posted by: Josh Ripple | 10 September 2009 at 09:19 AM
well done - congrats for making this... and thanks for sharing!
man, I probably have to sell the bulk of my gear to get an M9...
Posted by: Markus Hartel | 10 September 2009 at 05:31 PM
Fantastic post as usual chris. Loved the video, congrats. I hope it'll prove to be quite the eye opener. Like you said, there's nothing that compares to shooting street with a rangefinder and nothing ever will. I truly wish I would have also discovered one much earlier. I'm very glad I did though eventually. It's all thanks to you and the many others who are active in bringing awareness about them. I owe you a big one dude...
Posted by: Lorand | 11 September 2009 at 12:38 PM