Daily Inspiration #228 by Carl Valiquet

June 11, 2011 Daily Inspiration 38

Hi Steve, last September, I finished shooting images for a short film I was doing in Indonesia. After spending almost a year traveling around the islands on a motorbike, carrying a large Video camera, a Nikon D700 with 3 zoom lenses and a tripod with a pan head, I decided that I needed to take a «light» photographic vacation. At first I thought of bringing my Leica M6 with the 50 Summilux and the 21 Elmarit but after a lot of thinking, I decided to get myself an M9.

After all, I did deserve this after that hard year of filmmaking! It took me a while to get back to creating images with the rangefinder but once I got the hang of it, I began enjoying my trip. With the M9, I would slowly take my time, look at my subjects, smile at them, bring the «9» to my eye and click the shutter. I did not have the impression I was invading the people’s space with a large DSLR and a telephoto lens.

Since that trip to India, I now carry the M9 with me everyday, everywhere. (This idea,I borrowed from you.)

Here are 3 of many of that trip.

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Thank you for your web site. Your postings are entertaining, creative and technical at the same time. By the way, those are great images you did during Seal’s shows.

Thanks for reading

Best regards

Carl Valiquet*

 

p.s. here is a link to a trailer of the film I shot in

Indonesia.http://vimeo.com/22462024

and to my blog.http://carlvaliquet.blogspot.com/

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37 Comments

  1. Love your images.

    The first looks apocalyptic

    The second takes me back to my days in Eritrea.

    The third says so much about the status of women in the third world.

    • Hi Al. I am happy to read that these images convey these feelings to you. Your comments about the first and the third image are « à propos». I agree with you. Your comment about Eritrea is personal to you. It is a wonderful thing when images convey different feelings and memories to other people. Thanks for writing these words.

  3. fantastique !!! autant les 3 photos de l’Inde que les 2 films sur viméo ! superbe film sur Bali ( vous êtes très chanceux d’avoir assister a un combat (armer) de coques.)) j’ai bien hâte de voir le film complet d'”à bout de bras”. Vas t’il être projeter dans une salle a MTL ?
    merci beaucoup de partager cela avec nous tous…

    • Merci Olivier. J’ai envoyé une dvd de À BOUT DE BRAS au festival du Nouveau Cinéma à Montréal. J’espère beaucoup qu’il sera choisi. Si oui, alors vous pourrez le visionner au mois d’octobre prochain.

  4. Beautiful photos; Can I ask which focal length lenses you used for the three shots? Thanks

    • Thanks Peter, the first and third images were done with the 21 mm Elmarit. 2:8/21mm.Asph
      The portrait of the man with a 50mm.Summilux 1:4 pre-asph.

    • Thanks rolle. This portrait brings back fond memories. I guess that what photography is all about: capturing a moment.

  6. Inspired work my friend. Is that fog in the first photo or smoke? Seems like you are making great use of your new tool, I hope you enjoy it for years to come!

    • Thanks johnloumiles. The image was taken before the sun had risen. The people, half awake, were warming themselves next to open fires that burnt here and there. The fog and the smoke give the image that soft look. It was a peaceful and magical moment.

  7. beautiful journeys !
    the “Day-in Day-out” trailer looks very promising (where can we see the movie?)
    what lenses did you used for the 3 photos shown here – the 50 Summilux and the 21 Elmarit that you mentioned ?

    • Thanks g_eu. The first and last images where shot with the Elmarit 2:8,21 mm. asph. The portrait, with the Summilux-M 1:4, 50mm. The BW was processed using Alien Skin Exposure and a bit of burning and dodging. DAY IN. DAY OUT, has just been shown at the Brooklyn film festival. I have sent it out to other Festivals. Hope it will be presented elsewhere. One day, after doing the festival circuit, I will upload it to Vimeo.

  8. These shots are really good, but the short movie and images on your blog makes me want to get out there and see that part of the world.

    I look forward to seeing more on your blog.

    • Thomas, for the moment, I live in Bali from where I travel to other parts of Indonesia. This Country is varied as many people celebrate ceremonies that are intriguing and visually interesting. As an example, in center Sulawesi Island in Toraja during the months of July and August are held extravagant funeral ceremonies. Yes, do visit Indonesia, an unknown Country.

    • Dear Hien, I thank you. I wish to add that all the comments I received have given me the encouragement to continue to take photos. This is my first posting on the web ( apart from my blogs). I really appreciate you taking time to respond. Steve’s web site is a wonderful creation.

    • Ross, thanks. I am happy to read this. So many photographers have inspired me, Avedon, Salgado, HCB, Frank, and many more. Photography is a great art for personal expression and those who inspire are very important. Thanks again.

    • Thanks David. I am enjoying the 9. I carry it with me….most of the time…most everywhere.

    • Merci Yien. Que répondre! Le M9 me «re connecte» avec le photographe d’antan que j’étais. Je retrouve le plaisir de créer des images.

  13. Great images! Asia seems such a photogenic place again… or as Steve McCurry said about India: “Cleveland and Germany are visually inter-changeable: everyone looks the same, dresses the same, carries the same cellphones, drives the same cars. But India remains unsurpassably unique.”

    • Dear aadb. Thanks. I agree with you and Steve McCurry about the uniqueness of India. Having never been to Cleveland or Germany, I do not know if they are visually interchangeable but I think every place is visually special. But you are right: India sure is photogenic.

  15. Cher Carl,

    Les trois photos sont superbes. J’aime tout particulièrement la première qui restitue parfaitement l’ambiance du petit matin à Pushkar. Que de souvenirs !

    Ernesto

    • Ernesto, I loved Pushkar. I would love to return there soon and spend a few weeks. Living close to the action and the people.

  16. Amazing images! These could be in National Geographic any day. You should be proud of your talent. Thanks for sharing!

    • Dear Sas, Like the man in the second photo, I am shy when I read your comment. Thanks so much.

  17. I absolutely love the second picture. It really caught my attention the moment I saw it.

    • Dear Torkild, thanks very much. This man was very shy and I am grateful to him for letting me take his photo.

    • Thank you cidereye. When I showed this man his picture on the ground glass of the M9. He smiled, squinting his eyes and thanked me. I had the feeling he could not see the image clearly. I lent him my reading glasses. He took a second look at the image and immediately his eyes lit up. Later, that afternoon, the photo group* returned to the village to give the man reading glasses.
      The photo group leader was Karl Grobl.

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