All rights to this photograph is reserved the photographer
This photo was taken at the main train station in Bratislava in February 2009. Many old trains are still in use in eastern Europe and their age creates an interesting surface to photograph. What I like about the photograph is the visual texture as well as how the openness of the image allows the viewer to construct their own narrative about the train and the person to which that hand belongs to.
Why I use a Leica:
For me shooting with a Leica is the culmination of a long journey as a documentary photojournalist. For most of my career I photographed with SLRs and I only came to the realization that Leica was the camera for me after I visited the factory in Solms two years ago to photograph as part of my project, The Europeans. All of a sudden lugging around three big SLRs didn’t seem to make much sense when compared with a small rangefinder like a Leica. Combined with the incredible lenses available for Leica cameras I was hooked. Within three months of my visit to Solms I had my first Leica and I haven’t looked back since.
Shooting with a Leica is photography stripped down to its essence. There’s nothing extra to distract you from capturing the moment you’ve been waiting for. The compact form and solid metal construction combine to create a solid piece of equipment, one that challenges you to be the best photographer you can be. What more can you ask for in a camera?
Damaso Reyes was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and is currently traveling around Europe documenting how it is changing as the European Union expands. Visit his project website at theeuropeans.net and his personal website, damaso.com.
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You do great and important work, Damaso!!!
Great photo. You can get the feeling of the passenger, who has finally made it, and is now relaxed going to that final destination.