Quite a challenging feat being nearly 2m/6’4″ tall.Ī milestone I would point out in developing my photography was the arrival of the Leica D-Lux 5. It took a long time to feel more comfortable taking pictures of strangers, and still I find myself trying to be as discrete, dare I say invisible, as possible. But I was hooked, right from those early attempts onwards. My first attempts at it led to little: pictures of people’s backs or interesting ‘characters’ portrayed from tens of meters away with my favorite lens (at the time), the 70-200mm. It was only about two years ago when I first learned of street photography. Over the years, I have shot many different types of images, from landscapes to portraits and from architecture to macros. So what motivates me, a student, without rich parents I might add, to aspire to own one of these cameras? Let me tell you. Many people know of Leicas, of the brand, of the old-fashioned-looking bodies, of the high quality lenses, and, in particular, most know of the high price tags attached to anything with a red dot. If you have ever browsed around on our forum, you will inevitably know I am in the process of saving up for a Leica M9-P and a 50mm f/1.4, or 50mm Summilux as it is normally referred to within the Leica community. Recently, Gordon Laing (Editor of Camera Labs) approached me to write up my ‘Leica story’. He’s always dreamt of owning a Leica camera, so his mission here should make it his best Christmas yet! Besides shooting street, Bjorn is a student at RSM Erasmus University.
He’s a Moderator on the Camera Labs forum and produced our guide to Sigma lenses.
: Leica factory tour and my first shots with the M9-P!ījorn van Sinttruije is an aspiring street photographer from Holland. If you’ve experienced any kind of consumer desire you’ll appreciate this story and like everyone here I look forward to seeing what Bjorn achieves with what could arguably be the best Christmas present ever. He’ll then follow-up with his pilgrimage to Leica HQ, followed by a review of the camera itself. This was too good a story not to publish, so I’ve asked Bjorn to tell his story, starting with the first time he held an M9-P and his reasoning behind the purchase. Bjorn is finally nearing the position to purchase the camera of his – and many other’s – dreams and has arranged to collect it at none other than the Leica factory and headquarters in Solms, Germany, just two days before Christmas. Over that time I’ve come to respect his decisions and drive as much as his style of street photography, so when he expressed a desire to own a Leica, I knew it would happen one day.Īs I write at the beginning of December 2011, that day is just around the corner.
I’ve known Bjorn van Sinttruije for several years through the Camera Labs forum, first as a member, and later as a colleague when he accepted my invitation to become one of our moderators. He’s a University student who’s simply made it his mission to work hard and keep saving until his ambitious dream becomes a reality. This is exactly why I admire the man in this story as he’s not a wealthy adult at a stage in his life where he might justify such a significant purchase. Owning a high-end Leica camera is the dream of many photographers but the financial reality keeps it that way for most. Foreword: this is a story of passion, obsession even: one man’s journey to acquire one of the world’s most respected and coveted luxury items, a Leica M9-P.
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