All rights to this photograph is reserved the photographer
I live in Toronto and I took this photo during a winter outing with a friend of mine. We were walking around the City’s Harbour front on a very cold day, when I saw this old man on a bicycle carrying a bag full of bird food, which he damped on the boardwalk for the seagulls… Suddenly, out of nowhere, a full flock of birds came by, and the man sat on a bench watching the frenzy. The ear-covers of his hat were flapping in the -22°C wind. It seemed to me that he was flying with the birds he came to feed…
Shot with a Leica M4-P; Summicron 50mm f 1:2 at 1/1000 sec. f 1:16. Ilford HP5+ in Ilfosol 3 @ 1+9 for 6:30 min.
Why I use a Leica:
I am an M4-P user, and I prefer it to anything else Leica made or makes. To me it’s the logical camera. Nowadays, the monitor screen on a digital camera is the most popular way of looking at the world around us. This causes alienation from the subject and lack of empathy, as it is its artificial image that we look at, not the subject itself. Things are very different with my M4-P. The act of taking a photograph becomes true to its original essence, making rangefinder photography an exciting and sensual experience in our world of digital imagery.
As a purely mechanical alternative to all other photographic equipment, my Leica leaves all decisions and settings to me. It is the very essence of precision mechanics, a masterpiece that opened my eyes to a world of memorable experiences from the very moment I owned it. I’m also very glad that it hasn’t a built in light meter, for I find such a device detrimental: It makes the photographer fiddle with the settings rather than looking at the picture. Metering separately before exposing and framing, or better yet, getting to know your light and film, allows to really concentrating on the subject without any distractions. And I wouldn’t change this for the world!
For more of Mauro Metallo’s work, take a look at his blog, his Flickr photostream or his album at Leica Fotografie International.
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I love this shot. I think this is a good example of time frozen,which afterall is what we do when taking a picture. The way the gulls just hang in the air. An everyday sight becomes art.
Thank you very much, David!
What an outstanding photo, Mauro. It seems odd to see a bicycle in use on such a cold day. I also agree with the first comment, about the ‘frozen in time’ aspect of the shot. Very nice work.
I appreciate, Dave. Thanks.