KENT CONNECTICUT – We had lunch with friends in Kent. I took my Leica S2, which is a very large camera – eccentrically so in an era of iPhones and professional photographers moving to mirrorless compacts. People didn’t seem to mind. Interestingly, even at web resolution you can see that the medium format S2 offers an advantage in three dimensionality and texture.
RobertPeterMariaHousePaella Pan
NEW HAVEN CONNECTICUT – We drove down to New Haven for the day – Maria is speaking at a publishing symposium and I’m catching up on the culinary wonders of New Haven and the redone Yale Art Gallery. Food-wise I decided to go for historical significance – I had lunch at Louis’ Lunch, where the Hamburger sandwich was invented in the late 1890s – there seems to be some confusion over the date. It’s still in a parking lot on Crown Street, but its now a tourist destination. No kidding. A tour bus was standing in front of it when I arrived. There are exactly three places at the counter, one table that seats six (that seemed to be occupied permanently by locals) and three pew-like contraptions with tiny tables. The burgers are still cooked on unique vertical cookers and served on lightly toasted wonder bread. The meat quality was indifferent. Not a place to return to.
Louis’ LunchLouis’ Wonder BreadLouis’ Lunch Cookers
TODI – Another good day for photography here. The only sunflower in Umbria (they are late blooming this year); road signs; a cemetery; Malaysian junk food; and our host in Todi. All taken with my Leica Monochrom and 50mm lens.
The only sunflowerIzzaliniMemorialSquid snacksKimball
SAN CASSIANO – We’ve stayed two nights in this lovely town – in major part because of the marvelous hotel here, Rosa Alpini. We had a chance to get to know the owner, Hugo Pizzinini and his family, and Norbert Niederkofler, the Michelin two star chef who runs the restaurant in the hotel. All images taken with my Leica Monochrom and 50mm Summichron Asph. lens.
Hugo at a lunch that he provided in his family’s hut on the alp above San Cassiano.
NEW YORK NEW YORK – I spent the morning working from home and getting myself sorted for our trip to Italy tomorrow. Photographically I used the quiet time to test my new Leica 50mm Summicron asph lens. We know that it’s very sharp at all f-stops shooting distant subjects. I confirmed that with some shots out my window which I haven’t posted because the difference doesn’t show up at web resolution. Around the apartment I shot a bunch of subjects close and wide open, test the character of the lens’s rendering of the out of focus background, the so-called “bokeh” of the lens. It turns out that the bokeh is neutral and rather pleasing (this is sometimes not the case with highly corrected lenses(. Here’s an example taken with my Leica M:
Best lens
NEW YORK NEW YORK – Wine dinner tonight with some college classmates and other friends. Photographed with my Leica Monochrom and Dual Range Summicron lens. The cab ride (on a horrible night) to the dinner; some participants; and the wines.
Ride to wine eventWine dinnerThe wines
NEW YORK NEW YORK – A foodie day. A friend and I sponsor an annual Edwardian dinner so here we are after a great deal of wine. Still standing at least. Leica Monochrom and 35mm lens.
Edwardian dinner
