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The December Experiment
The beauty of the everyday - an experiment on Instagram and on our blog: take a picture every day for 33 days with a fixed focal length lens and post it
One camera, one fixed focal length lens, one picture per day. That's the idea of the December experiment. As with the Airport project I would like to keep the technology as simple as possible this time too.
The lens
The APO fixed focal length series for the Leica SL is some of the best you can mount on a full frame camera. The set includes the focal lengths 21 mm / 28 mm / 35 mm / 50 mm / 75 mm / 90 mm. My pictures in Uzbekistan (see the posts “Plov”, “fairground” and “52 pictures from Uzbekistan” Virtually all of them were created with lenses from this fixed focal length series. For the project I will limit myself to this APO-Summicron-SL 1:2/50 ASPH. The image quality of all focal lengths in this series is outstanding, the difference between sharpness and blur is very striking, and the resolution is well above the 60 megapixels that the Leica SL3 sensor delivers. And with that a word about the camera:
The camera
Since the Leica SL came onto the market in 2015, I have been an enthusiastic user of this system. In November last year my friend Christian Habermeier and I were with a prototype of the SL3 - the latest model from the series. for testing in Iceland. The package of ease of use, excellent image quality, massive robustness and photographic and filmic versatility is crucial for me. That's why it is Leica SL3 set as a camera.
Stay tuned
Wherever I am between December 1st, 2024 and January 1st, 2025, I will do my best to post a picture every day - here and also on mine Instagram account. The newest image is always at the top:
Wednesday, January 1st, 1:06 p.m
I end the December experiment with this symbolic image: In the background, symbolic of the old year, is a slope in which traces are buried. Traces that we have left in the lives of others and traces that have been dug into our lives. Beautiful and painful traces. In the foreground the still completely untouched slope as a symbol of the new year that lies ahead of us. May we have the wisdom to leave a good mark in the lives of those around us and also in our own lives. I wish that for you and me.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/250 sec, f 16, 200 ISO
Tuesday, December 31st, 7:35 p.m
Together with myriads of stars above our little alpine hut, I wish you all a good, richly fulfilled 2025. Even if I'm not superstitious, you can make a wish because at the moment the photo was taken, a shooting star flew past to the left of the house. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.
TIP: Because I didn't bring a tripod to the hut, a small wine box served as a tripod. That can also be done in a pinch ;-)
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 10 sec, f 2.0, 3200 ISO, wine box as a tripod
Monday, December 30th, 6:46 p.m
After walking on snowshoes for around an hour, we arrive at our small alpine hut, whose wooden wall you can see in the background. We traditionally spend our New Year's Eve here. Ursula notices that there were some visitors – but only four-legged friends. We are actually where the fox and the hare say good night to each other (a German expression that could be translated somewhat profanely as “We are at the ass of the world”. But it is a very nice ass ;-).)
TIP: As you can see, sometimes a headlamp is enough as a light source. The snow reflects the light on Ursula's face, which I brightened a little in Lightroom.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/30sec, f 2.0, 3200 ISO
Sunday, December 29th, 9:05 a.m
What at first glance looks like a city at night is part of the Christmas decorations: a string of lights that I photographed and then rotated the image 90 degrees. I changed the white balance towards blue and the abstraction is perfect.
TIP: When taking photos, always remember that you can rotate an image for amazing effect - be it 90 or 180 degrees.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/100sec, f 2.0, 400 ISO
Saturday, December 28th, 12:18 p.m
Our niece Angi wants to revolutionize the textile industry together with a team. That's what they have for Turns fiber circuit founded. We met her over the Christmas holidays and at my friend's studio Christian Habermeier did a portrait shoot with her. This also gave me the opportunity to test my new LED light Parabolixlight . The result speaks for itself. I wish Angi and the whole team that their project succeeds - for environmental protection, for a better quality of life on our planet. And by the way, the question also arises here: color or black and white?
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/100sec, f 3.2, 200 ISO
Friday, December 27th, 9:30 a.m
After a cold night with frost, the first rays of sunlight hit this fascinating prickly plant (as already mentioned, I'm a bad botanist and don't know what the plant is called ;-)). I deliberately chose my viewing angle so that the background is dark and the light rays flow into the picture. In my opinion, this motif looks better in black and white. I closed the aperture so far that the plant itself is completely in focus, but the background is still pretty blurry. By holding down the stop button, you can visually assess the effect of the selected aperture when taking photos.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/2000sec, f 4.5, 200 ISO
Thursday, December 26th, 6:01 p.m
We have the great privilege of having our nephew Florian present his circus show to us every year around Christmas time. It is becoming more mega-sized every year and the number of spectators is continually increasing. I shot most of the images with the SL 21mm, but I shot some photos with the 50mm for a tighter crop. The picture appears denser. And which version do you like better - black and white or colored?
A little tip for circus photography: choose a fixed aperture and shutter speed, spot metering and ISO on auto, AFC with face priority, continuous shooting - this will help you achieve the best results.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/160sec, f 2.0, 400 ISO
Wednesday, December 25th, 8:48 p.m
I love showing young people photography. Sophia, the daughter of one of my brothers-in-law, is very talented and documented Christmas with my Leica Q2. I photographed her while she was taking photos, but I definitely don't want to withhold from you one of the great photos of Sophia that she took. It shows three of her sisters and my wife Ursula opening presents.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/30sec, f 2.0, 5000 ISO
Sophia's image: Leica Q2 with Summilux 1:1.7/28 mm ASPH, 1/30 sec, f 1.7, 3200 ISO:
Tuesday, December 24th, 10:17 a.m
When I plan an exhibition, I print out the images in smaller sizes and position them on our magnetic wall to assess the effect. Today's picture is a little spoiler: I will be exhibiting at photoSCHWEIZ 25 from February 7th to 11th, 2025, and the picture gives a small preview of my part of the exhibition. Of course I don't want to give everything away yet, so I chose a small focus area. But this much can be said: The focus will be on a lonely bus from Iceland. Information about photoSCHWEIZ 25 is available here: www.photo-schweiz.ch
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/200sec, f 2.0, 200 ISO
Monday, December 23rd, 10:41 a.m
It's raining and snowing again – or how much sharpness does a picture need? Personally, I find the view through the wet windshield attractive. I took the photo while crossing on the ferry from Horgen to Meilen. I knew the blue railing would make an exciting color combination with the red taillight. The driver in front of me only started the engine at the very last moment, and I was only able to take two pictures before I had to drive off myself. Capture the moment... I closed the aperture a lot to give enough structure to both the water on the pane and the subject itself. I slightly increased the contrast and clarity in Lightroom.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/40sec, f 11.0, 200 ISO
Sunday, December 22nd, 12:41 p.m
This piece of stone is something very special because it combines all four elements in one image: FIRE, for it is not a normal stone, but a piece of lava, formed in the fire of Iceland. WIND, because the wind blew the moss seeds onto the lava. WATER, for the water brought forth the moss. EARTH, for the moss is vegetable and becomes earth. It's crazy what you sometimes notice when you take out the green waste in the pouring rain...
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/13sec, f 22.0, 400 ISO, tripod
Saturday, December 21st, 8:15 a.m
This morning at the hairdresser's I asked Giulia if I could photograph her for the December experiment. She spontaneously agreed. Giulia is not just a great hairdresser Kopfsache Schaffhausen, but also Coach.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/100sec, f 2.0, 640 ISO
Friday, December 20th, 3:10 p.m
After I photographed the main rehearsal at the Altra Theater yesterday, the performance today was met with much applause. Theater and concert photography are a challenge. My tip: set the white balance manually to artificial light so as not to dilute the colored light, use a telephoto zoom (e.g. 70-200mm) on one camera for detailed shots and on the other a fast fixed focal length (35 or 50 mm, depending on the distance to the stage). Mount overview photos. It's better to make the neckline a little too wide than too narrow, because thanks to the high sensor resolutions you can easily crop something.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/50sec, f 2.0, 1600 ISO
Thursday, December 19th, 1:41 p.m
Today I accompanied the main rehearsal of the Altra Schaffhausen Christmas theater with my camera. Thomas, one of the main actors, uses a brief moment before the start of the rehearsal to take a selfie. A perfect moment for me to take a picture of him taking a picture. The colors of his costume match the red chairs of the empty city theater in Schaffhausen (a beautiful location) perfectly. Tomorrow the stands will be full and I'm already looking forward to the performance.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/50sec, f 2.0, 500 ISO
Wednesday, December 18th, 12:21 p.m
The resilient tomatoes: A few small, cheeky cherry tomatoes escaped being harvested by my wife Ursula. And although the tomato bush has long since faded, the five little rascals are presenting themselves in their most beautiful splendor. Now I don't know whether I should still harvest them or keep them hanging on the bush 😉. I took the shot with the aperture almost fully open in order to blur the background.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/800sec, f 2.5, 200 ISO
Tuesday, December 17th, 9:03 a.m
Ursula baked cookies again yesterday, and to make room, she placed two egg cups upside down in an aluminum tray. With my imagination, I saw a face in it - especially when I put a leek stalk underneath. The still life reminds me a little of WALL-E, the lovable robot from the film of the same name.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/40sec, f 6.3, 200 ISO
Monday, December 16th, 11:47 a.m
A little tip for the holidays: Edit older pictures with newer program versions. I'm currently doing this with photos that I took in India a few years ago and am discovering that I can get a lot of subtlety out of the data, especially using Lightroom's masking techniques. The prints show: It's worth it! Maybe I'll post the results in the new year.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/100sec, f 2.0, 200 ISO
Sunday, December 15th, 1:29 p.m
Schaffhausen is probably the only city that has crocheted water drainage pipes. At least one... And then it could be that a partygoer is missing a shoe. In any case, someone lovingly placed a shoe on the mailbox so that it would be clearly visible when the person who missed it returned. I gave the image a suitable vintage effect in Lightroom.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/60sec, f 2.0, 200 ISO
Saturday, December 14th, 9:15 a.m
I love shopping in the beautiful old town of Schaffhausen on Saturday mornings. One of my favorite shops is definitely Daniele Palatinate: the finest Italian specialties and the best salami in the city. Marco Peruch, second-generation boss, is also a photography enthusiast, and when time allows, we talk a little about photography. Today I asked him if he would be a model for my December experiment - which of course he was happy to do, because he and the whole team are always super friendly.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/125sec, f 2.0, 200 ISO
Friday, December 13th, 7:29 p.m
It’s mulled wine and – here in Switzerland – fondue time, of course. Not a spectacular image in and of itself, but how nice it is to have friends with whom you can gather around a fire, have conversations and enjoy a delicious fondue. And by the way, it should be noted what great equipment the photography industry provides us with, with which you can take great photos without a flash using just the glow of the fire...
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/25sec, f 2.0, 5000 ISO
Thursday, December 12th, 5:08 p.m
The fire juggler was the undisputed highlight of the Christmas market in Stein am Rhein. Everyone was thrilled, including me. I chose a slightly slower shutter speed to show the dynamics of the flying torches while also getting the juggler's face somewhat sharp. And then the juggler should look relaxed 😉. Series of recordings are always necessary for this. Here is my favorite picture.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/40 sec, f 2.8, 1600 ISO
Wednesday, December 11th, 9:45 a.m
“Don’t crack under pressure” – this advertising slogan came to mind when this clothespin broke in my hand last night. However, many people are broken under the pressure of their living conditions, and things are often difficult for them, especially at Christmas time. Let us listen to one another and show compassion to those who are brokenhearted. And if you have a broken heart (and believe me, I know what it's like), seek help, talk to someone you trust. And if you can, then seek closeness to God as he sought closeness to us. That's what we think about at Christmas.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/1000 sec, f 2.0, 200 ISO
Tuesday, December 10th, 4:35 p.m
It is always a great honor when someone orders a framed fine art print. And if there are three of them, then that's great. Thanks David for the great assignment and thank you Dani Arnold that you will frame the pictures perfectly. In the photo you can see David and Dani looking at the pictures and discussing how we will frame them. Every picture is an individual creation and you can use every photo purchase as a Limited Finartprint.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/80 sec, f 8.0, 2500 ISO
Monday, December 9th, 1:04 p.m
So, the cookie baking project is complete. And I don't want to put the bacon - sorry: the cookies - in your mouth (a saying that we use in German and that you surely understand), but I do want to share a photo with the stylish boxes that Ursula has filled.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/80 sec, f 2.0, 400 ISO
Sunday, December 8th, 11:43 a.m
Cookie production in our house is still in full swing. The smell of lemon lured me into the bakery and made me create a picture of the lemon grater. I find it fascinating when you see the signs of use on an instrument - not to mention the little crumbs of lemon peel, whose yellow I enhanced in Lightroom.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/15 sec, f 7.1, 400 ISO
Saturday, December 7th, 1:28 p.m
You can be annoyed by the rain or enjoy how it draws beautiful circles on the water. The coot definitely doesn't seem to mind the rain. And the silver water drops on the black plumage are also very photogenic.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/1000 sec, f 7.1, 3200 ISO
Friday, December 6th, 9:52 a.m
Photography is always about light and its reflections. This morning while making coffee, the sun lit up the sieve of our Zuriga for a moment. I captured this fleeting moment. A few minutes later the sun disappeared behind the clouds - and I was enjoying my cappuccino 😉.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/1600 sec, f 9, 250 ISO
Thursday, December 5th, 12:53 p.m
At lunch I noticed the bent petal of this withering flower, which glows in the backlight. I stuck semi-transparent baking paper on the window behind the flower, took the photo and created the vintage look in Lightroom. Almost a painting. Unfortunately, I have very little knowledge of botany and can't tell you what the plant is called, but maybe one of you can?
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/50 sec, f 7.1, 500 ISO
Wednesday, December 4th, 11:40 a.m
I always find abstract images particularly fascinating, where at first glance you can neither see the scale nor immediately understand what it is. Like this picture. Is it a wave game? Are they landforms? No - it's an excerpt from the beautiful Totem lamp by Steve Lechot, which is in our living room. The play of light from the individual layers that make up the lamp always fascinates me. And of course the picture looks special in black and white. I deliberately underexposed to capture the full spectrum from black to white.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/250 sec, f 10, 200 ISO
Tuesday, December 3rd, 9:42 a.m
Another picture of sweet treats, but this time of a very special cake: It's a "chocolate bomb" that Ursula only bakes one day a year - on my birthday. The cake is so delicious that I always wish it was my birthday more than once a year... 😉
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/80 sec, f 2.2, 640 ISO
Monday, December 2nd, 3:44 p.m
You shouldn't just see the cookies, but also the master baker 😉. So here is a photo of my wife Ursula in action. Even though she is not completely fit, the cookies still need to be processed...
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/100 sec, f 6.3, 4000 ISO
Sunday, December 1st, 3:02 p.m
My wife Ursula has been baking Christmas cookies since yesterday. This usually takes on large proportions and the process offers many photographic possibilities. Here is my favorite picture from today: the sea of chocolate.
Leica SL3 with APO Summicron 1:2/50mm ASPH, 1/40 sec, f 9, 4000 ISO
40 years of the BESJ Unihockey Club Schaffhausen
I was astonished when an invitation recently arrived: “Dear Peter, the BESJ Unihockey Club Schaffhausen, which you founded, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. You are cordially invited to the celebration. Please bring a floorball stick and gymnastics equipment.” A lot of things go through your head...
I was astonished when an invitation recently came to my house:
Dear Peter, the BESJ Unihockey Club Schaffhausen, which you founded, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. You are cordially invited to the celebration. Please bring a floorball stick and gymnastics equipment...
A lot of things come to mind:
Wow, yes that was a great time.
Am I old enough to have founded a floorball club 40 years ago?
Will I even hit a ball anymore?
I'm looking forward to the celebration and hope to meet many old and new friends.
The party was well organized by my nephews, my niece and their friends. There was an interview with the founder (me ;-)). My nephew Nicola asked the questions. Afterwards, of course, there was a lot of playing. And yes, I also hit one or two balls ;-).
All coaches who have coached the club over the 40 years then had to face intense competition. Well, at least I came second behind the current trainer, my niece Angela. But only because I had great team members who I was able to motivate to achieve top performance with my coaching.
It's great to see that many young people are still involved as trainers today, that the kids have fun and can learn important things for life through sport. A big thank you to my sister Gisela, her husband Edi and their kids Angela, Marco and Nicola, who have floorball in their blood and continued to run the club with a lot of enthusiasm after I left. Thanks also to all the other coaches and the trainer who continued to run the club after I resigned. Floorball is probably still a fringe sport, but it has developed enormously in recent years. The sport is now called “floorball” and there are now games that are broadcast on television.
A big thank you also to my wife Ursula, who documented the event with the camera.
Children's Week 2024
One of the highlights in the village: the children's week at the Thayngen Reformed Church. Every day we play some impressions of the already legendary theater performances.
A definite highlight in village life is the children's week at the Thayngen Reformed Church. This year, too, many helpers are working – behind the scenes or on stage. The kids really get involved, especially in the theater, which this year has the theme “Magnificent Hours with Abraham”.
We play some impressions every day.
April 26th
April 25th
April 24th
April 23rd
Magnolia 2024
My long-term photography experiment with the magnolia tree in our garden is entering its eleventh round.
For the eleventh consecutive year I wanted to photograph the blooming magnolia tree. The aim of my long-term project is to find out whether the way I look at something changes over the years and whether the camera I work with has an influence on the result. Well - some people find it hard to believe - I haven't bought a new camera in over a year and I haven't bought a test camera here either. I didn't buy a new camera, but that's not entirely true, as I discovered after thinking about it a little more deeply. I bought a new iPhone. So I photographed the magnolias with it. My conclusion: On the one hand, it's fascinating what high image quality smartphone cameras now have. On the other hand, I had to admit to myself that when it comes to conscious photography, I still prefer to take photos with a “real” camera. But take a look for yourself. Here is the gallery with all the pictures back to 2014. For the camera freaks, I wrote down which camera I took the photos with.
2024
iPhone 15 Pro max
2023
Leica SL2 with the two fixed focal lengths SL 35 mm and SL 90 mm
I limited myself to two fixed focal lengths.
2022
Leica S3, Leica SL2, Sony a1
For the first time I took photos with more than one camera. Variety is the spice of life ;-).
2021
Leica SL2
In 2021 I missed the time of flowering. Therefore the yield was relatively poor.
2020
Leica SL2
2019
Fujifilm GFX100
2018
Leica CL
2017
Panasonic GH5
2016
Leica SL
The Leica SL was definitely a boost for my photography. Mirrorless photography with targeted overexposure and underexposure was (and still is) a brilliant experience. In addition, the only lens available at the beginning - the SL 24-90mm - has a quality that I previously only knew from fixed focal lengths in the 35mm DSLR sector.
2015
Nikon D810
2014
Nikon D810
Leica SL3 – a first experience report
My friend Christian Habermeier and I were traveling with the Leica SL3 back in November. We subjected the pre-production model to a real endurance test with cold-water surfers in Iceland.
Last November, when the rumor mill didn't have anything specific to report, my friend Christian Habermeier and I traveling in Iceland. In the luggage were two Leica SL3s from the pre-series. We wanted to put the camera through its paces and push it a little to the limit. The cold water surfers of Iceland seemed like a brilliant project for this. And so one early morning we stood in the north of Iceland at minus 7 degrees Celsius with numb fingers and watched as the surfers enthusiastically and apparently immune to the cold forced themselves into their neoprene.
Tough guys. Leica SL3, 1/320 sec., f 1.4, 320 ISO, Summilux-SL 1.4/50 mm. Image editing and b&w conversion in Lightroom
We were introduced to the cold water surfing scene by Elli Thor, who is not only a very good surfer but also an excellent photographer. It's well worth taking a look at his homepage, and if you want to implement a film or photo project in Iceland and need a local photographer/filmmaker, Elli is certainly a top address.
Elli. Leica SL3, 1/200 sec., f 2.2, 250 ISO, Apo-Summicron SL 2.0/90 mm. Image editing and b&w conversion in Lightroom
What are the main differences between SL2 and SL3
What does the SL3 bring compared to the SL2? In my opinion, these points speak for the latest model in the SL series:
Foldable screen. Leica refused to make the screen foldable for a long time. Now it is there with the stability that is important to Leica
High-resolution sensor with 60 Mpx with the possibility of recording the images in both RAW and JPG in three resolution levels. Dynamic range and noise behavior have been further improved compared to the SL2
Faster image sequences (up to 15 images/second)
Improved autofocus compared to SL2
Case a little smaller, but not as small as the cases from other providers, which in my opinion no longer fit well in the hand because they are too small, at least for me
Video in 8K
The previously ingenious operating concept and menu navigation have been improved again
Elli and his wife Rachel. This picture would not have been possible without the folding screen because I held the camera just above the surface of the water. Leica SL3, 1/250 sec, f 4.5, 2500 ISO, Leica Vario Elmarit SL 2.8-4.0/24-90mm on 56 mm. Image editing and b&w conversion in Lightroom
How does it work with the SL3
Unrivaled ingenious: the operating concept of the Leica SL3 (Leica press photo)
The camera is entirely at the service of the photographer
What I appreciate so much about the Leica SL series is the fact that the camera is entirely at the service of the photographer. Not a lot of fancy buttons and levers, but a concentration on the essentials. In my opinion, the interface on the screen is quicker and more intuitive to use than many different levers and buttons. My friend Christian, who only worked with the S3 before our trip and didn't know the SL cameras, said approvingly: "After half an hour you have the camera under control. Everything is structured logically.” I was very pleased that the Leica developers gave the SL3 a third wheel. This means you can adjust the shutter speed, aperture and ISO with a separate wheel without having to press any buttons first. The new on/off switch took a bit of getting used to for me at the beginning, but with the option to put the camera in standby, you gain time when switching the camera on. It is ready to work in a flash from standby mode.
The SL3 is tough
We were traveling at minus 7 degrees and the SL3 also got a few splashes of water. But it always worked perfectly and without any problems. I've had occasional misfires in extreme weather conditions with camera models from other brands, but the SL series cameras have always worked without any problems. For me, the reliability of a camera is an important criterion when making a purchase decision.
The lenses are a dream
For me, the SL lenses - namely the ones that are produced in Wetzlar - are fantastically good. In my opinion, the three SL zooms 16-35mm, 24-90mm and 90-280mm are the best zooms for full frame cameras on the market. I find that they have a level of quality that other systems can only achieve with fixed focal lengths. The fixed focal length series for the SL with aperture 2.0 (21/24/28/35/50 and 90 mm) are so incredibly good that in combination with the 60 Mpx sensor you can work almost at medium format level. I have the SL 2.0/35 and the 2.0/90mm and I really enjoy working with both of these lenses. Thanks to the L-Mount Alliance, lenses from Panasonic and Sigma can also be connected to the SL3, although - as already mentioned above - I prefer the original Leica SL lenses. But, I admit it, this is a question of cost.
I like the color management
With other camera manufacturers I often find the colors to be a bit over-exaggerated. The Leica cameras are more reserved in this regard. Of course, some things can be corrected in post-production, but the closer the colors are to my optimal feeling, the less time I have to spend on image editing.
A special function for architectural photography
First introduced in the Leica M series, automatic perspective correction has also been available in the SL series since the SL2. When perspective correction is activated, Leica provides each image with the information to correct the falling lines in post-production with Lightroom at the push of a button. If you shoot in RAW, you have both an uncorrected image and, with the push of a button, a perfectly corrected image in which all the falling lines are absolutely straight. I always had the impression that the perspective correction in Lightroom didn't work 100%. In my opinion, the Leica perspective correction is better.
Is there anything that speaks against the SL3?
In my workshops I often let the participants take photos with my SL2. There is great agreement: the operating concept and the image quality are top of the notch. Of course, Leica is not cheap, and not everyone is willing or able to invest so much money in a camera system - even if everyone agrees that the high-quality materials and the well-thought-out operating concept are worth the money. One point of criticism comes here and there from my “testers”: the camera and lenses are heavier than the competitors’ models. Here you essentially pay a price for the robustness of the system, and each person has to weigh up individually whether he/she is prepared to accept the extra weight in exchange for more robustness.
And the autofocus?
In practically all test reports and forums it was/can be read that the autofocus of the Leica SL2 lags behind in performance compared to the competing models. That is so correct. The SL3's autofocus has now been significantly improved, and the eye tracking works perfectly. But I don't want to hide the fact that when it comes to autofocus in extremely fast sports, the SL3 has to admit defeat to cameras such as a Sony a1. It's quite possible that Leica can improve the AF performance through firmware upgrades, but if you photograph Formula 1 or other fast-paced sports, you may be better off with a camera like the Sony a1. In “normal” situations and even in sports that are not ultra-fast, the SL3 is a wonderful tool. When filming, the autofocus on our preproduction model wasn't entirely problem-free. It's quite possible that this is now better in the production model. If you focus manually when filming, the SL3 is a camera that delivers very nice video files with - as already mentioned - up to 8K. I think it's also interesting for filmmakers that you can create different profiles for filming. Once you've done this, you can switch back and forth between different film settings in a flash. I created a “normal” profile with 4K 30fps, one with 4K 60fps, an 8K and a Slomo profile. Switching back and forth while working is then lightning fast.
The autofocus of the SL3 has been significantly improved compared to the SL2. Leica SL3, 1/1000 sec, f 6.3, 3200 ISO, Sigma 100-400mm 5-6.3 DG DN OS on 288 mm
A small picture gallery of the cold water surfers
And finally a little movie
I put together a small film clip especially to visualize the quick sequences of images. All stills were created with the SL3. Have fun diving into the world of cold water surfing.
Special thanks to Elli Thor and his friends. It was an honor to be out and about with you. © all images and video clips by Christian Habermeier and Peter Schäublin.
And the winners are...
The voting for the cover of the SAH annual magazine is closed. These are the results and the winners...
Many thanks to everyone who... Voting for the cover of the new SAH annual magazine have participated. We were happy about the many participants and the feedback. All three covers received votes, but there was one design that emerged as the clear favorite of the voters. Here is the result of the vote:
Variant 1 // 24.7%
Variant 2 // 64.9%
Variant 3 // 10.4%
And the winners are
The winner of the essKultur voucher for CHF 30 is Doris Gamper
The winner of the essKultur voucher for CHF 20 is Hermann Augustin
Congratulations to the two winners and a big thank you again to everyone who voted. If you didn't win anything, don't be discouraged and take part in the next voting. The chances of winning in a 720 degree voting are massively higher than in most other competitions and raffles ;-).
The new Munot Bridge
42 companies submitted ideas for the new Munot Bridge. A company had a very special idea, namely to make the bridge virtually invisible with mirroring. We were able to realize the photographic implementation for the competition...
42 companies took part in the ideas competition for a new bridge over the Munotgraben. It was advertised by the city of Schaffhausen. One of these 42 competition participants is the company IHT from Schaffhausen. Markus Zimmerman, Joshua Krebs and the IHT team had the revolutionary idea of building a bridge that isn't actually a bridge at all - because you almost can't see it. This can be achieved by covering the bridge with mirrors. But how can you visualize this for the competition entry?
There is enough software for 3D visualizations in the architectural world. They create amazingly real images of buildings, bridges or similar structures that do not yet exist. But in this case the challenge was to show that the mirroring actually makes the bridge almost invisible. But how can you simulate a mirroring using software so that it corresponds to the facts? That is rather difficult. In this case you can get further with a little manual effort and Photoshop:
The IHT team had the idea of building a two-meter-wide mirror module so that it could be latched onto the existing Munot Bridge and moved. Together with the company Of course, master wood species from Thayngen the IHT employees implemented this. They were also involved in the planning Dost Architektur GmbH, Schaffhausen and the “Learners Building Future” association, Schaffhausen. And so one morning I stood at the Munot with a camera and tripod to photograph the module: The IHT people hung the mirror unit and moved it by almost two meters from shot to shot. Then I had precisely registered individual images, which I put together in Photoshop and retouched the slight offsets.
I took the whole thing from three different positions to show that the desired effect doesn't just work from a certain angle, but that the illusion of the disappearing bridge is a fact from all angles. The whole team has put in a lot of effort:
The end result
After carefully assembling the individual images, three image montages were created that do not simulate the effect of the mirror bridge, but rather visualize it in real life (click on the images for an enlarged view):
In the one picture that IHT submitted for the competition, we virtually constructed a delicate steel frame in anthracite and eliminated small imperfections. We also added fine ribs to the mirrors. This is so that the birds don't fly into the bridge. This point was very important and was tested beforehand with experts. The result is fascinating – the bridge that is (not) one:
Unfortunately, the project didn’t win. A more conventional solution of a delicate bridge was chosen. We find the idea of the mirror bridge impressive. It would actually have been something completely new and a bit cheeky.
Vote and win
Vote by March 3rd and win one of two esskultur vouchers: Which cover would be your favorite?
The SAW Schaffhausen does a great job in integrating refugees. Every year we are allowed to create a magazine in which the SAH reports on its work. In interviews and articles, readers also learn about the lives of the people who had to flee. We are now in the process of giving this publication a gentle redesign.
And this is your chance to get one of two vouchers eating culture to win:
The magazine is now called “Courage” and is in contrast to the previous editions, which had no photo on the cover, will now appear with a photo on the front page. Since this issue contains a report about two SAH participants in their sports clubs, a photo from one of these reports would be suitable as the cover photo. We have that Boxing Club Schaffhausen visited where Nasib trains and the Table tennis club Neuhausen, where Nathalia trains. There are three possible cover variants to choose from.
Vote by March 3rd which cover would most motivate you to pick up the SAH magazine and leaf through it. We are giving away a voucher for all participants eating culture worth CHF 30 and a voucher worth CHF 20, donated by SAH Schaffhausen.
These are the three cover variants:
Variant 1
Variant 2
Variant 3
And you can vote here:
I would choose the following cover variant:
Once on the other side of the camera
Once on the other side of the camera: Window's great report on Sunday about us on the topic of "discovering slowness" and our new "Silence" book
Ursula and I were amazed when that happened Sunday window asked us if you could make a short film report about Ursula and me on the topic “Discovery of slowness”. The trigger for the request was ours Silence book, which has the theme of silence and thus the escape from the hectic everyday life.
We wouldn't exactly describe ourselves as masters at clearing out temporal spaces of slowness. But we are very aware of the importance of these breaks. And we are practicing taking time out again and again. Because as paradoxical as it may sound: a lot happens, especially in times of silence. Internal processes take place, important thoughts get space, unprocessed things become present and can be processed and processed. New ideas pop up in front of our inner eyes.
The film crew visited us in our small alpine hut while it was snowing. That was a bit logistically challenging, but Christof, Piet and Michi mastered it brilliantly and made a great feature. In the off-peak times there was room for great conversations, and it was also an exciting experience to be on the other side of the camera ;-).
Anyone who missed the article on SRF can watch it here from Youtube platform of the Sunday window look:
And if you would like to purchase one of the “Silence” books, which are limited to 299 copies, You can order your copy in the online shop. Here's a little look into the book:
Schaffhuuse shows heart
When Raúl Bobadilla doesn't play football for once, but starts throwing in the style of a top handball player, then it's time for the charity game "Schaffhuuse shows heart". Impressions from the game.
When Raúl Bobadilla doesn't play football for once, but starts throwing in the style of a top handball player, then it's time for the charity game "Schaffhuuse shows heart": FC Schaffhausen plays against the Kadetten Schaffhausen. Football is played for one half and handball for half. There's also a lot of show and fun involved, and the audience gets their money's worth because the stars act with a lot of humor.
The event was held for the second time. The proceeds are donated to a good cause - this year the Lindli Huus. As a photographer for the Lindli Huus, I was there first hand. Here are a few impressions of this great event, which will hopefully be held again next year.
AI second round
AI-supported generation of AI images...
In my first article I thought about the fascination and dangers of AI-generated images. Now I have started a small experiment to create better AI images using AI. That sounds a bit strange at first. It's going ok:
In order to generate an image via AI, you have to formulate an image description - the so-called "Prompt". On Midjourney, the platform on which I enter my prompts, I formulated the following text (English produces better results):
Photograph of old buses in a bus station with a woman sitting in one of the buses looking out of the window with waterdrops on the window. The woman has black hair and a face with a sad expression, industrial area, night, cold colors except inside the bus with the woman, the photograph should look like a painting of Edward Hopper but ultrarealistic. The picture is taken from outside the bus. In the picture you can see the whole bus and other buses in the background. drone shot on dji mavic 3.
Midjourney generated four images from this text:
Visually appealing results, but they don't correspond to my intention. So I called on the AI to help and asked Copilot from Microsoft (many thanks Jannik for the introduction) to formulate a more detailed ten-sentence version of my text. The following text came out:
The photograph is an overview of an old bus station taken from outside the bus. The station is located in an industrial area and the photograph was taken at night. The photograph has a cold color palette except for the inside of the bus where the woman is sitting. The woman has black hair and a sad expression on her face. She is sitting in one of the buses and looking out of the window. The window has water droplets on it, which adds to the melancholic mood of the photograph. The photograph is taken from a drone using a DJI Mavic 3. The photograph is ultra-realistic and looks like a painting by Edward Hopper. The photograph captures the whole bus and other buses in the background. The photograph is a stunning example of how a photograph can capture the mood of a place and the emotions of a person.
With this description, Midjourney generated new, different images:
I tried again:
The photograph is an overview of an old bus station taken from an aerial perspective. There are five buses in the bus station which is located in an industrial area and the photograph was taken at a rainy night. All buses are empty, except one bus in which a lady is sitting inside the bus. The photograph has a cold color palette except for the inside of the one bus where the woman is sitting and looking out of the window. The window has water droplets on it, which adds to the melancholic mood of the photograph. In this one bus, a warm light illuminates the inside of the bus. The woman has black hair and a sad expression on her face. The photograph is taken from a drone using a DJI Mavic 3. The photograph is ultra-realistic and has a style like an Edward Hopper painting.
Now the bus station came out better, but the scene was shown from so far away that the individual person is no longer visible:
I gave up the idea of taking an aerial photograph and formulated a new text together with my copilot:
The photograph is an ultra-photorealistic image captured with a Leica M camera and a 21mm lens. The photograph is a strong wide-angle shot that captures the entire bus station. In the foreground, you can see a bus that is illuminated from the inside. A young woman with black hair is sitting at a window in the middle of the bus, looking sadly out of the window. The photograph was taken during the blue hour, which gives the photograph a cool color palette. However, the interior of the bus where the woman is sitting is bathed in warm light, creating a stark contrast with the cool colors outside. In the background, you can see other buses parked in the bus station. They are all empty, and no other person can be seen in the whole picture except for the one woman sitting in the illuminated bus. It is raining, and you can see drops of water on the windows of the buses.
Here is the new result:
Still not what I imagined in my mind's eye, but better. I liked the image at the bottom right the best, and I had Midjourney generate four versions of this photo:
I didn't really succeed in implementing what I had in my mind's eye. The picture below at least somewhat captures the mood I had in mind:
Addendum
Midjourney has just been updated and version 6.0 is now online. With this version I managed for the first time to generate an image that is much closer to my text description. Above all, the system has now correctly recorded that the image was taken from outside the bus. Technology is advancing rapidly, and in just a few months we will see even more accurate results.
The Pope and the Dalai Lama drinking coffee...
... or: Don't trust any image that you didn't generate yourself.
What has been true for a long time, because you have been able to manipulate images with Photoshop for some time, becomes even more obvious with AI: Don't trust an image that you haven't faked yourself. That's why it should be said right here at the beginning: All images in this news report were generated using artificial intelligence.
AI (Artificial intelligence) or in German KI (Artificial Intelligence) is on everyone's lips. I was seized by curiosity and I brought something with me Mid-journey experiments, one of the leading tools for converting an image description into a photo. You enter as detailed an image description as possible in English, and the system uses it to generate four variants of an image. The source for this is apparently five billion photos circulating on the Internet. The whole thing is currently still in a legal vacuum because, with the exception of one provider, the tools use images for which they have no right to use. This isn't a problem for experiments (yet), but what happens if a company or brand uses AI-generated images in which one or more of the original images are still clearly visible? It is only a matter of time before courts have to address the question of whether an image generated by AI is a completely new work or whether a license fee must be paid to the authors of the photos used.
Depending on the subject, the images or at least parts of them still look very artificial. Sometimes everything isn't quite right - for example, take a closer look at the hands in the last picture (click on the picture for an enlarged and complete view). I'm pretty sure that this will improve in the future, and my limited knowledge of AI image generation probably also has an impact on the image quality.
Why the Pope and the Dalai Lama?
I have taken the liberty - and may I be forgiven - of using the Pope and the Dalai Lama as a starting point for this article. I wanted to create an image that could exist like that. This earned me criticism from a dear friend who I respect very much. Because he rightly says that this image could spread further on the Internet, and at some point the image is taken so out of context that people no longer know that it is an AI-generated image. He suggested labeling the image as an AI photo, but unfortunately the AI is very capable of eliminating any annotations in an image. The latest versions of Adobe Photoshop show how frightening and fascinating the image editing programs have already become in this area. Another acquaintance thought the idea with the two spiritual leaders was very good and suggested generating a similar image with Putin and Zelensky - as a contribution to the peace process... This feedback shows the great danger of this technology. Nobody knows anymore what is real and what is not. At the moment, the AI-generated images still look a bit artificial, and here and there - as mentioned above - they have small errors. Therefore, upon closer inspection, you can often determine whether the image is a real photograph or an AI image. But in my opinion it is only a matter of time before the AI-generated images can no longer be distinguished from an original photograph.
What does this do to us as a society?
When I talk to friends about AI-generated images or show them how to use AI to generate photos, I feel two emotions: fascination and frustration. Fascinating because it's exciting that you can describe a scene in words and the AI generates an image from it. The sky (or your own imagination) is the limit - a trite saying that also proves true here. We take the wings of technology to fly higher and higher. But after a little thought, the Icarus effect often occurs with my conversation partners: they crash. They then formulate sentences such as “Now I can no longer trust a picture”. Image editing programs have already greatly reduced the belief in the photo as a reflection of reality. And it seems to me that the AI completely destroys what faith was left. In a society that is already unsettled by the events of the last few years and the tense world situation, this new technology further increases the uncertainty. Due to the abuse of extremist groups, absolute values are also frowned upon, but now that everything is becoming relative, we feel a loss because there no longer seems to be anything to hold on to. Maybe that's a bit dramatic, and AI-based images are perhaps just one piece of the mosaic in this whole web of uncertainty, but it seems to me that this artificial generation of images suddenly makes the uncertainty more tangible and real. As a society, we are facing major challenges, and technology – which also brings a lot of positive things, which should be explicitly mentioned here – certainly cannot be stopped. We must not lose authenticity as people and as a society. A lot has been and is being written about this, and it challenges each and every one of us to confront the question of authenticity. Interestingly, the photography industry saw this development coming and launched an exciting initiative:
Content credentials
Content credentials is an organization that, as I understand it, provides the RAW file in the camera with a code that allows the original file to be recognized as an unedited original. This means you can prove at any time whether an image has been manipulated or not. In the future, photographers will have the option of having the content credentials code added to their images when taking photos. The first company to incorporate content credentials into a camera is Leica in the Leica M11P. How the whole thing works you can find out here.
The results of my experiment
As a curious and open person who works in advertising and photography, this technology is definitely important enough for me to pursue. The art lies in formulating the so-called “prompt”. “Prompt” is the name of the image description that you enter. My first attempts with AI-based image generation showed me that even small changes in the text can have a big impact on the image. “Prompting” is a kind of programming language in which you describe the images. The crux of the matter is that sometimes you have one image in your head and then the AI generates something completely different. You can upload your own images as a style template to Midjourney, but my first test with an uploaded image showed that the style of the image was adopted to some extent, but otherwise I didn't recognize my photo in the AI-generated version (which is for sure the copyright issue is very good for users...).
Here are the first results of my experiments with Midjourney:
None of these images are real. They are all works that the AI created based on my input.
And special thanks to Christian Habermeier, who introduced me to the midjourney world.