And this is one of the things that stays in the forefront of my mind. I've already had a bride at a consultation wag her iPhone under my nose and state disdainfully, "I have 150 friends with these. I don't need you." :angry::cussing:
Maybe I need to find that forest in Japan that elderly people walk into and don't come out. (Aokigahara Forest)
Nah, I'm too stubborn.
But, that is all off topic. Sorry, took an off ramp there.
2017 will hopefully draw back the curtain on a lot of Leica's plans. Hopefully, the new CEO will do a fantastic job.
Yeah Rick, nothing brought the shift in photography into sharp focus for me more than the demise of wedding photography. The proliferation of cell-phones, and propensity for brief moments of satisfaction with poor images on social media, combined to gut any recognition of craftsmanship and ability to tell a poignant story. Even brides with some taste and appreciation of good work would mix in horribly lit, badly composed, ill time shots with their paid images on FB, and not make any distinction. Nor did the viewers who bestowed a zillion likes on pics most of us would delete as mistakes. (sigh).
When I first started doing weddings I primarily shot B&W film with a few posed shots in color, and made books with hand-done B&W silver-prints. Back then, I predominately marketed myself to other creative people. Most all of the B&W work was shot with a pair of Ms (M6s then M7s).
IF I "sparingly" do any more weddings I am considering a return to that business model ... which is one reason why the new M-10 is of interest ... but more importantly the reliability and service has to be cleaned up in the USA so it can be something we can professionally count on. Hope the new "Leader of Leica" comes to grips with what is happening here.
- Marc