Photo Walk – A One-shot story

There’s a strong welcoming film group here in Birmingham Alabama and one of the leaders, Nathan Watson, has invited me many times to join in for their monthly film walk. I did attend one a year or more ago. But I’ve never been much of a joiner or wanted to shoot with a crowd. That probably goes back to my early days as a news photographer where we never joined any groups to avoid accusations of conflict of interest. I guess that’s not part of the world today.

A couple weeks ago the group met at a local brewery to celebrate three years of monthly walks. They held a print-swap and even had a band playing. I wanted to be part of the shenanigans and to share (show off) my just-the-day-before acquired Leica M3.

I had wanted a M3 for a few years but wanted an early serial number, one that reflected its birth year of 1954, same as me. I also love a 50mm and the M3 is well known as a great one for the 50. The one I finally found was a good price and is in great shape. So I loaded its first roll of film Tri-X headed over to the event. It would be the first time I used the camera.

At the event there wasn’t much to shoot. But it was so fun to see the broad array of film gear everyone had in hand. And the print swap allowed people to see others work as prints instead of on line.

I wasn’t seeing much of interest to me to shoot until I spotted the young daughter of another photographer. She was leaning on a table with a calm cool expression, a been there, done that look. I asked her if she would let me take a photo and she said yes but backed up and stood. I asked her to resume the same stance as before. She did but gave me the smile a mom would demand for a photo. I asked her to just look at me but have a quiet face, not a big smile. She turned into a little Mona Lisa for me. That was the second frame in the new body and with an older summicron f.2.

I only shot 7 frames in total but this is the one that feels most compelling.

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