The December Experiment
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
