jeffreyhughes.net

2012 PAW (Picture a Week)

My 2008 PAW is here

My 2009 PAW is here

My 2010 PAW is here

My 2011 PAW is here

And here on this page is my fifth year of this PAW...

Every year the small town I live near hosts a "First Night" celebration on New Years Eve. I've come to enjoy those little celebrations. And I've grown to expect that my first PAW image of the year will probably come from it. This year I debated whether to use my 35/1.4, as I have in years past, or my Noctilux. Focusing in the dim light can be a real challenge and the 35 is a faster handling lens. The Noct, of course, is a stop faster and is what I've used all year for my nighttime excursions - and half my daytime excursions as well. In the end I chose the big, fast Noctilux. Ironically, the image I chose here was more of a set piece - and had little to do with the New Years Eve celebration happening up and down the street. The photographer was using a DSLR and conventional zoom lens (ergo, slow; ergo, the need for a tripod) to shoot the front of the small diner. I focused, composed, and then waited for a couple of pedestrians to walk into the frame in order to give the image the balance I envisioned. (Leica M9, Noctilux, iso 2000, 1/60 at f1)

Week 2 (1/2/12 - 1/8/12)

It's strange... I've gone down to Old Town Alexandria many times to take pictures - as it's a very rich venue for street photography. And I've likewise made many visits to Old Town Warrenton - including countless nighttime strolls. But I've never gone to Old Town Alexandria at night. I suppose the distance just made it seem a bit far to go, that late. Well, on Saturday night - following a day that remarkably reached the low sixties - I decided to go down there. I'm glad I did. It was even more fun than my typical afternoon walkabouts. The temperatures remained, if not balmy, unseasonably comfortable. It was a fine hour or so I spent walking from darkness to light and back to darkness.

This shot here, of a lovely girl having dinner with her date, was simply a bit of serendipity. It was the second of two shots. The first - which I also like - was of her smiling at her gentleman friend. Then she turned and glanced my way, and I was able to get this one. (Leica M9, Noctilux, iso 2500, 1/125 at f1)

Week 3 (1/9/12 - 1/15/12)

The security guard sidled up to me. "Are you a pro?" he asked, glancing at my Leica. I smiled at him. "No, just a fellow who likes good light," explaining my lack of flash. This was a moment from the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 1000, 1/125 at f2)

Week 4 (1/16/12 - 1/22/12)

This was a shot of a couple of young fans at a Caps vs. Islanders game. Although certainly not the DSLR-plus-long-telephoto one normally expects to see at a venue such as this, I managed a handful of shots with my diminuitive Leica and 50mm prime lens. I liked the simple composition of the two girls, juxtaposed against the vertical sense of falling-away in the background. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 1000, 1/90 at f2)

Of note... this week I passed the 10,000-image mark on my Leica M9. (The actual frame number for this week's selection was '10,003.') That works out to right at 385 frames per month over the 26 months I've owned the camera. Or just a bit under 100 images per week. That gives a pretty accurate portrayal of my actual shooting pattern. Unlike many digital photographers, I deliberately refrain from 'machine-gunning' my subjects. I tend to shoot very much like I did (and do) when shooting film - with a fair degree of reflection. That's not an indictment of those photographers who go out for an afternoon of shooting and come back with 500 or 1000 images, many nearly duplicative of each other, but that's not a style that has ever attracted me. I mention it only because one of the frequently-cited 'disadvantages' of digital photography is the promiscuous collection of numerous images.

It need not be so.

Week 5 (1/13/12 - 1/29/12)

I drive past this every morning on my way to work. And every evening on the way home. Today, I stopped. (Leica M9, Noctilux, 6-stop neutral density filter, iso 160, 1/350 at f1)

Week 6 (1/30/12 - 2/5/12)

My mom died this week. So instead of posting an image from this seven-day period, I decided I would rather post this image from last summer, taken at my son Josh's wedding. Mom was already struggling back then (she was in a wheel chair and on oxygen), but I have always been touched by this quiet moment between her and Ginny (my wife). (Leica M9, Noctilux, iso 160, 1/25 at f1)

Week 7 (2/6/12 - 2/12/12)

"After their Mother died they carried life more gently and left an empty space for the birds and other creatures..." (Leica M9, 35 Summilux ASPH (ver 1), iso 800, 1/250 at f2)

Week 8 (2/13/12 - 2/19/12)

I guess most homes have a stairwell similar to this, where pictures of the family are hung. I like this one because of the lines, the geometry, the lighting, and the elements at the top. (Leica M9, 35 Summilux ASPH (ver 1), iso 800, 1/180 at f2)

Week 9 (2/20/12 - 2/26/12)

A found shot at our annual Trout Unlimited chapter fly fishing show - angling being another passion of mine. (Leica M9, Noctilux, iso 800, 1/750 at f1)

Week 10 (2/27/12 - 3/4/12)

A casual observer watching a chess tournament would be struck by how quiet it appears. Row upon row of tables with contestants just sitting there. They'd be wrong, of course. Those who understand the game can easily see the chaos, the savagery, and the pyschic drama which abounds. If chess were a blood sport you'd need a fire hose to wash the room between rounds. This image was from the 44th annual Virginia State Chess Open. (Leica M9, Noctilux, iso 800, 1/500 at f1)

Week 11 (3/5/12 - 3/11/12)

I drove down to Old Town Alexandria on Sunday. Walking down the street from where I parked my truck, I came upon this gloriously restored MG. The bright sunshine was super contrasty and for once I knew it would give me the kind of light I wanted - blocking up the shadowed background and letting the car live by itself. (Leica M9, Summicron 50/2.0, iso 160, 1/4000 at f4)

Week 12 (3/12/12 - 3/18/12)

A classic bar scene captured on my Saturday evening walkabout in old town Warrenton. (Leica M9, Noctilux, iso 2000, 1/60 at f1)

Week 13 (3/19/12 - 3/25/12)

This year, on my annual sojurn down to the Tidal Basin to shoot the cherry blossoms, I spent as much time photographing the photographers as I did shooting the flowers themselves. As in this one. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/750 at f2)

Week 14 (3/26/12 - 4/1/12)

A quiet moment captured, in the midst of an otherwise energetic family get-together. (Leica M9, Noctilux, iso 800, 1/750 at f1)

Week 15 (4/2/12 - 4/8/12)

An image found in the mostly-rural county where I live. Technically, there are numerous things wrong with this picture. But in spite of the blown highlights- actually because of them - the light emphasizes the crosses, injecting a hint of mystery. I thought it was apropro as an iconic Easter image. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/4000 at f2)

Week 16 (4/9/12 - 4/15/12)

It was a pretty day, so I rode the Harley down to Old Town Alexandria. I like this image because all the people are either doing or reacting to something different. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/350 at f4)

Week 17 (4/16/12 - 4/22/12)

I stopped by old town Manassas for an art exhibit given by Ginny's art instructor (she's taking a class in oil painting). When I turned from the car and looked back at Town Hall, I was struck by the dramatic lighting. I had the Noctilux mounted on my M9, as I was thinking of getting some shots inside the gallery. I hurriedly screwed on the 6-stop neutral density filter I had in my pocket, and quickly grabbed a couple frames. (Leica M9, Noctilux, iso 160, 6-stop ND filter, 1/500 at f1)

Week 18 (4/23/12 - 4/29/12)

Arlington Cemetery and the Iwo Jima Memorial remain near the top of my list of local photography destinations. They are so rich with possibility I think one could never mine them dry. And so it was under overcast skies, with rain rolling in, that I made my first trip there in a couple months. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/180 at f8)

Week 19 (4/30/12 - 5/6/12)

I passed this young girl while wandering through Old Town Alexandria. I'm not sure what her deal was - she was heavily made-up, with lots of white powder set off by the red makeup and red lipstick on her face. Beyond being innately pretty, I was intrigued by the her dark hair and how her made-up face contrasted with her white dress and the white makeup she had applied to her arms and chest. Walking towards her, I raised my Leica and squeezed off a single frame, from what in this picture would be several feet to her left. Not satisfied with that, I walked in front of her, turned, and framed her against the white building, looking for that contrast to illuminate what otherwise would be an all-highlights scene. It came out pretty much like I hoped. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/3000 at f2)

Week 20 (5/7/12 - 5/13/12)

I captured the shot of this young woman on a lunchtime stroll down to Dupont Circle. And, yeah, I know I'm almost a week late posting it. (Leica M9, Summicron 50/2.0, iso 160, 1/4000 at f2.8)