Leica M rangefinder cameras are easily my favorite type of camera. Mostly manual, they harken back to a time when you had to be rather deliberate about one’s photographic technique. Even their M8 and M9 digital equivalents today require a degree of engagement that is anathema to most DSLR shooters. Exposure? What’s that? What do you mean it doesn’t have an autofocus button? You mean I have to actually focus the lens by hand?!
I also like Natalie Merchant. I liked her music long before I found that she herself is a connoisseur and practitioner of the fine art of rangefinder photography. I liked her even more once I discovered that little bit of personal trivia!
Here’s a shot I took a few years back, while she was out with what I think was her M3. I’m not sure what kind of film she was shooting – but the shot of mine was on Tri-X, developed in Xtol.
And, no, it’s not what you think…
Natalie Merchant & Her Leica M