All rights to this photograph is reserved the photographer

I was walking around in a park, and saw that wonderful tree with huge roots. The weather was sad, and I wanted to make that sad ambience broken by the richness of those roots. For the right angle, I was on my knees to have the entire tree in the viewfinder, as I was looking for the right angle.

Then a father and his kid was passing behind me, the kid was very excited , and was running everywhere around, but I was not disturbed finding my angle. Then he jumped on a small rock close to the tree very shortly, and was looking down (probably 4-5 seconds). Then i said to myself : THAT’s the shoot; the kid, teenager, being attached to his roots, but want to jump into the jungle of adult life, hesitation, hard decision, all was there and for a very short time, thank God i had the right angle at the moment !

This photo was shot using a Leica M8, and the Voigtlander 15mm Heliar lens. – f8 (i guess), 1/180s.

Why I use a Leica:
Why live your dream? Further more, there is a partner, a real friend which in some way understands both my eye and mind all in one, I used to think like that camera is shooting : things are black or white, no cheating with it, what you see deep inside is what you get on the pic. M8 is also kind of a “sexy” camera, discreet, but efficient, the feeling of quiet force in a small camera. Definitely a partner and a question of feelings. Most people who wants to get a camera are spending their time reading hundreds of technical pages, number of pixels, number of ISOs, number of frame per seconds, instead of asking “show me what this stuff can get ! “, most of time Leica has The Answer : You!

I also shoot using a Nikon D3 but it’s just for night shooting, and I admit in that case I need a high ISO camera. But Leica is almost a question of being a couple; you love it with strengths and weaknesses whatever happens.

Jerome Leon lives in Paris, France. Please visit his personal web site jerome-leon.com for more Leica greatness.

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