[Leica] Where are the people?

[Lawrence Zeitlin]

I was requested by several local papers to review a photoshow in one of the most prestigious galleries in the Hudson valley. The juror was Dr. Bernard Kessler, a noted photographer who is on the faculty of several colleges and has won more than his share of awards and prizes. Sixty five photos, including two of mine, were selected of the several hundred submitted. What is notable about the show is that only two photos had discernible people in them. Photos of people are left to the ubiquitous cell phone. It appears that photographers using modern digital or film cameras don’t take pictures of people any more. They shoot landscapes and close ups. I must admit that I fall into the same trap. One of my pictures was taken with a Leica CL, the other with an Olympus DSLR. I take snaps of my wife, kids and grandchildren with a pocket sized P&S camera. It is so easy to use and the recipients won’t appreciate the quality of a larger camera.