Downtown with a Leica M3

I hike, kayak and snowshoe as a lot as I can.  I actually take pleasure in getting out within the backcountry on my own.  Typically, although, I discover nice satisfaction within the city panorama, wandering across the streets of a metropolis, reacting to what I see with my digicam.  Such was the case not too long ago after I made a number of mid-winter forays into downtown Portland, Oregon, about 10 miles north of my suburban residence.

One of many main causes for my visits was viewing an exhibition of Paul McCartney pictures taken by the legendary rock star through the top of Beatle mania in 1964 and 65.  Portland Artwork Museum hosted the show of McCartney’s work.  I took the chance to {photograph} within the museum and within the surrounding environs.  One other journey befell on a sunny January day after I was simply within the temper to {photograph} in a metropolis.

I shot primarily with Kodak 400TX and Ilford HP5 movie.  A number of of those photographs had been taken with shade movie with the developed and scanned outcomes transformed to black and white.  Many of the following pictures, nonetheless, had been taken with black and white movie.  The frequent denominator was my trusty Leica M3, which continues to amaze me with its picture high quality.  It’s such a pleasure to make use of in nearly any location.

In an city space, or on most images expeditions for that matter, I often don’t have something specific in thoughts when selecting photographic topics.  I favor to simply reply to what I see.  Being restricted to 36 exposures on a roll, I’m rather more selective in what scenes I seize than I’m with a digital digicam.  I prefer to suppose my images advantages from that.

With all of the above in thoughts, let’s dive into the product of my efforts, starting with just a few photographs taken contained in the museum.  The primary picture is my {photograph} of Paul McCartney’s {photograph} of photographers taking pictures of him.  I’m certain there’s something profound about images in all of that however I do not know what it’s

The remainder of these photographs had been merely of areas of the museum that most individuals would by no means consider photographing.  Doing one thing completely different with the museum was what I had in thoughts as I wandered about.

The subsequent two photographs had been taken within the museum peering out home windows.

After all, if you wander the streets in a metropolis, there’s a lot to see above you.  Although I like the pure world, structure has at all times fascinated me.  The geometry and mathematical precision of skyscrapers, the allure of older buildings, are there in all their glory.

Typically there are fascinating issues above you that aren’t associated to the buildings.

On a pedestrian degree, there isn’t a finish to the photographic potentialities.  There’s loads to see and seize alongside the streets, in parks, on bridges and on the perimeters of buildings,

I finish this sequence of pictures with a self-portrait of kinds.  It captures what I need to be when taking pictures, a ghostly spectre, observing and recording what surrounds me as unobtrusively as doable.

A metropolis is certainly a target-rich setting in the case of images.  There’s seemingly no finish to what will be photographed:  folks, buildings, parks, home windows, automobiles, shadows, reflections, bridges, museums, the gorgeous, the ugly.  I burn by way of rolls of movie so shortly downtown.  Should you haven’t given a metropolis, or a small city, for that matter, a strive, you would possibly contemplate doing so.

I hope you loved this temporary photographic journey in Oregon’s greatest metropolis.  Maybe it conjures up your artistic juices not directly.  Thanks for studying this.

Extra  of my work could also be seen at curtisheikkinen.smugmug.com or on Instagram at @curtisheikkinen.  Pleased taking pictures!

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