All rights to this photograph is reserved the photographer

This was part of a set of portraits for the artist Dia Bassett. I love the flare and how it threatens to overtake the entire frame. I also love Dia’s posture – tender yet cautious. The tones in the walls also keep bringing me back. The dress? It’s one Dia designed for one of her characters.

Ths picture was shot with an M8 with a Canon 1.2 LTM lens.

Why I use a Leica:
I use a Leica because it, more than any other camera I’ve used, becomes transparent. It helps you anticipate the moment, and the fact that the camera is all-manual, it helps you connect with your environment.

I also love the fact that even in nearly complete darkness, I can focus fairly easily without hunting in vain. The Leica helps me focus and reframe and lets me make the picture I want to take, not the one the camera thinks should be taken. I use a variety of Leica systems, including the Digilux and the R system, but the M is in a class of its own for rapid, unobtrusive shooting. I don’t think I’ll ever abandon Leica.

Ivan Jurado is a native Texan that lives (and shoots) in San Diego, California. More of his photographs can be found at http://ivanphotos.com and at my Flickr photostream.

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