Inspiration

If You Are to Bloom.

Inspiration
–
I’m thinking of your failing green eyes
Smiling as they greet the day
(But they can’t see me)
–
And now I’m picturing us opening up wide
Drinking down our days in haze and bliss
Together till it stumbles aside
But I just sit and wait for a rhythm in a perfect little
…Feeling
–
And you need watering if you are to bloom
–
—Hum, If You are to Bloom.

The Cyclist.

2018, Beyond 200 feet of My House™, Favourite, Inspiration, Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH f/1.4, Leica M10, NYC, Portrait, Q&A, Sports, Street, Teaching point

This is an uncropped image.  Technically, it’s a difficult sort of shot to achieve focus, not just because of the motion of the cyclist and the small margin of error involved in photographing at f/1.4, but also because the cyclist is situated a little to the right of centre, away from the focus patch of the rangefinder.  To deal with this, some experience and (admittedly) luck, is involved.

Incidentally, the same three issues (quick motion — especially with the subject coming towards the camera, shallow depth of field, and hitting critical focus at the periphery of the frame) can equally frustrate even the most sophisticated autofocus systems.  Interestingly, in these situations I seem to have more success with rangefinders.

Now, if only the distracting car behind her wasn’t there, I might have been satisfied with this image.

—Peter.

↑ Leica M10 + Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH f/1.4.