Dear rangefinder enthusiasts and classic photographers,
The summer that seemingly never was, is rapidly fading away. Autumn and its hubbub around school, work and the creative scene will soon replace those lazy days.
Thank you for allowing us to share some news and random thoughts with you.
Thursday, September 14: Rencontre with Larry Towell, the Quintessential Raconteur
Advocates and admirers of humanist photography are well-acquainted with Larry Towell and his adeptness at marrying spontaneous creativity with well-documented research.
On Thursday, September 14 at the Boutique, I’m honoured and thrilled to be hosting an evening with this most eminent Canadian photographer. He’ll be speaking on his past, present and future projects including the 374-page tome The History War: One Person’s Book on Ukraine for which he has a Kick-Starter campaign going on.
The gathering starts at 17:00. There is a $10 attendance fee that will go towards the purchase of the recently updated edition of his seminal work, The Mennonites.
Please click on the link to reserve your place.
In Praise of Older Gear
As camera and lens manufacturers are busy preparing their fall lineup, this is a good time to consider a pre-owned item from our pre-owned section.
As many of you already know, we love anything and everything connected to the meaningful photographs from the past. New cameras with their perfected sensors, can rightfully be expected to produce a clinically superb image when mated with a contemporary lens. If, however, character and signature are what you are looking for, an older Leica, Canon or Nikkor lens might unlock your creative potential.
Vintage or slightly used, pre-owned items can be exactly what you need to reinvigorate your photography. We are extremely strict in what we accept as trade-ins, and every item is closely examined and tested. You can purchase at a fair price, with confidence.
The Unsurpassed SL2 System
Diversified, flexible and capable of producing images on par with medium format, the SL2 system has the most technically accomplished cameras in the Leica universe. One of the great advantages in using SL2 cameras is their extreme flexibility. From native Leica SL glass thru L-mount Sigma lenses to M lenses, the selection and options are endless and will help fine-tune your vision.
Starting now, Leica is making it easier to experience these peerless mirrorless cameras by offering a $2000 discount voucher that can be downloaded here.
R U in the Q?
Photographers of all genres have weighed in with one voice: the Leica Q3 is the perfect tool for anyone with a keen eye who wants a compact camera guaranteed to deliver extraordinary results.
The unprecedented demand has created a backlog the likes of which even Leica has not seen before. As our clientele know, we work assiduously with Leica to secure the highest allocation of their products for the Canadian market. If you’re waiting, we assure you that we strive to deliver your Q3 in a timely manner.
Dystopia Down Under
With his classic book Minutes to Midnight Australian Trent Parke took the photo world by storm. Shot on film with his Leica M6, the images push the limits of black-and-white photography. Light and shadow are intense protagonists in the story unfolding in front of you.
We now have his long-anticipated new book, Monument. Tumultuous and turbulent, it is a consequential work that will become a sought-after classic. We have secured several copies at the Boutique.
Inclusive and X-Pan-sive
Friends and clients of the Boutique know my infatuation with the X-Pan film camera and its ability to take beautiful, distortion-free panoramic photographs. When looking at an image in landscape format, the vertical is as the eye sees it while the horizontal is wide, expansive and distortion-free.
Two of the most compelling photographers who recently put this camera to work are Martin Gros and Hubert Hayaud.
Martin took his X-Pan loaded with black and white and travelled from the Atlas Mountains to the deserts of Morocco and northwest Africa. His pictures are respectful and impart a timeless beauty.
Hubert selected this unconventional camera to be his traveling companion on a most unusual road trip. Run and Drive is a personal long-term project documenting and accompanying drivers from Central America as they shuttle back and forth, picking up damaged and totalled cars from the United States to repair them and resell them back at home.
It's a story of modern cowboys, recycling and international borders, in which our love/hate of the car is a vehicle to talk about freedom and independence. These photographs were taken in Detroit, Cleveland and the Texas-Mexican border. The next leg of the road trip will go from San Diego to Guatemala.
To see all Martin's photos click here, for Hubert's photos click here.
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The long overdue Gallery section is finally back. The contents is still limited, but it’s a work in progress. If you would like to showcase your work, please send us a dozen images (2000 pixels on the long side) with a short text about the essay. We’ll be happy to consider it.
Always looking forward to your comments.
Photographically yours,
Jean Bardaji and Daniel Wiener