I am not a photographer by profession – I have a business job that can easily fill my day. I photograph because I enjoy to do it – I enjoy taking the photographs and how that helps me get into the place I am at, I enjoy the process of editing and finalizing my photos on the computer; and now and then when I mange to create a really good photograph, I take great satisfaction in the result.
Previously, I shot mostly Canon. Canon is a great and versatile system, and I created quite a few nice photographs with it that I am still happy about today. However, once I got introduced to Leica, I was hooked in another way. There is something about the soul of Leica that stands out from most other kinds of photography.
My first Leica was a Q2 Monochrom – my wife and I went and bought one each and decided to make that our thing together. From literally the very first frame I shot with it, it was clear to me that this was something very different from anything I could have made with my Canon.
And what somebody told me proved true – once I got a Q, I would be wanting an M. Fast forward – the Q2Ms have been sold, and between us, our portfolio is now M6, M9, M10 Monochrom, and M11. In addition to that, I am looking after my late grandfather’s old Leica Standard, Model E, from 1932.
I tend to carry a Leica with me more places than most people. But there are instances where it is just not practical or appropriate. For those situations, I have invested in a little Ricoh GR IIIx – a super-compact APS-C camera with a 40mm-equivalent prime lens and very strong performance for its size. It literally fits in a pocket and can come along anywhere.
Most of what I shoot would be categorized as ‘street’ or ‘citiscape/architecture’, although I do not really think too much in terms of fixed genres. When face with the opportunity, I also enjoy creating landscape images, and I have had a lot of fun with creating dramatic black and white landscape images.