[Leica] LATE-AUGUST POTPOURRI

[r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard S. Taylor)]

Late-July and early-August were cruel in New England this year.  We 
suffered almost four weeks of continuous high heat and unbearable 
humidity.  It made us all a bit cranky.

Late last week, though, New England came through with the kind of 
weather that makes us all mystified at why anyone would live anywhere 
else.  The temperature settled into the high-70s, the humidity stayed 
low and the air was clear as crystal.  In a month or so, these 
conditions will come with a sharp bite in the air that signals the 
beginning of Fall, but there was none of that last week.  We had five 
beautiful, languid summer days in a row and couldn't believe our luck.

These were taken in the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in 
Concord MA last Friday.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/BOSTON/R0010734_web

http://gallery.leica-users.org/BOSTON/R0010738_web

http://gallery.leica-users.org/BOSTON/great_meadows_pano_5_web

The wind was honking on Vineyard Sound and the chop running 3-4 feet 
on Sunday.  I went sailing with friends on their 23 footer:

http://gallery.leica-users.org/SAILING/R0010763_web

http://gallery.leica-users.org/SAILING/R0010792_web

Power boaters like to pound through heavy chop.  This guy hit a wave 
at about 20 knots and just about buried himself in water.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/SAILING/R0010811_crop2_web

This is a tight (about 50%) crop from the original 28mm equivalent 
image and there's some image motion here despite it having been shot 
at about 1/750th.

All Ricoh GR Digital.  Program Mode.  SNAP focus.

The more I use this camera, the more I'm convinced it is the proper 
digital analog of the earliest Leicas.  With its small size, small 
sensor, and excellent optics, it's the kind of digital camera Leica 
should have produced first.

-- 
Regards,

Dick