Focus and Click: A Passion for Photography and the Leica M Rangefinders

Thank you, GRAIN magazine, for providing me with a platform to express my deep affection for the Leica M rangefinders. As a contemporary photographer with an analog soul, your magazine’s tagline resonates with me on a personal level.

My Photography Journey: Origins and Personal Significance
My dad’s passion for photography shaped my journey. He is the reason why I became a photographer. It all began at 16, when he gifted me a red Canon Snappy 20. I explored more with my first SLR, a Nikon N8008 (F-801), but the shift to digital in 2004 with the DSLRs, a Nikon D70 and later a D200, that I truly immersed myself in this art form. 

Photography serves as therapy, offering an escape and creative outlet. It provides me with a unique way to frame the world, allowing me to be me at my truest and express myself most authentically. It is a testament to my life experiences, incorporating what I’ve lived, read, and witnessed while sharpening my perception and empathy towards my subjects. I am an observer of life; I find beauty in the mundane and see different faces of humanity scattered across the urban landscape. Through the viewfinder, I become a visual storyteller. 

During COVID, I prioritized safety and stumbled upon a unique shooting style – capturing photos from the car, with drive-bys and stop-and-shoots. I have adopted this method as an integral part of my shooting technique, as seen in all the outdoor photos featured in this article.

The Allure with Leica and its Mystique
After years of shooting with a DSLR system, I felt unfulfilled. This set up, though very capable, had become too cumbersome and intrusive. It weighed me down, both physically and creatively.  It felt too automated, too fast, too effortless, and while the results were good, they lacked the soul I admired in the Leica M images I saw.