I spent an entertaining couple of days last weekend at The Leica Society’s annual get-together, this year at the Holiday Inn at High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Even though the venue less than an hour away from base, I decided to stay the two nights and take the opportunity to meet members. I didn’t quite know what to expect, never having been to one of these events before, and I had been hoping for a little outing with the opportunity to take photographs. This wasn’t to be since we were too busy attending presentations, viewing the photo exhibition and chatting — not to mention eating.
Leica UK
Kicking off the proceedings last Saturday was a short talk from Leica UK’s managing director, Jason Heward. It’s always good to meet Jason and he gave us an overview of the current Leica range and hinted at some (undisclosed) developments that could come later this year.
Both Saturday and Sunday brought impressive keynote presentations from two noted photographers, Leonard Neumann and the larger-than-life Danish Leica guru Thorsten von Overgaard. I found both seminars fascinating and inspiring.
Leonard Neumann
Lennie Neumann, born in South Africa and now resident in London has spent over fifty years photographing life in the USA, South Africa, England and France. His favourite tool is the Leica, using 35mm, 40mm and 50mm Summicrons on cameras ranging from the M3 to the M6 and including the little CL. He acquired his first camera at the age of eight, and he has been snapping away ever since.
During the presentation, he gave us a fascinating insight into his genre — photography in the street as opposed to the current overused tag of “street photography”. From the early days in South Africa to recent images from Notting Hill, his photographs display a rare talent for identifying a subject and capturing that elusive decisive moment.
Thorsten von Overgaard
Thorsten von Overgaard needs little introduction to Leica photographers anywhere in the world. He is a Leica enthusiast and a leading exponent of the 50mm lens as his “standard” focal length and also a prolific Noctilux shooter. I remember the first time I met him I was immensely impressed by the way he throws around his camera (then an M240) and Noctilux. Both showed signs of hard use, and I admired his chutzpah in trowing the rig lens downwards on the table top.
Sunday was no different. He started by distributing his “toys” to the 70-strong audience. They consisted of a couple of M9s, one with the ever-faithful Noctilux attached, one with a 1964 Rigid Summicron. The third camera, however, was in pristine condition, as was the lens. It was the latest M10 with a gleaming black-paint LHSA APO-Summicron mounted.
Treasure trove
This little treasure trove — with a conservative value of £25,000 — was blithely despatched to the audience without heed or hindrance and not seen again until the presentation ended. Would you do that? There was some method in this apparent madness, however. No one could resist taking a picture, and who better to photography than TvO himself? So, presumably, he ended up with a collection of self-portraits made by some of the leading Leica photographers in the country.
Thorsten demonstrated the results of his 50mm dedication over the years, and the accompanying talk and discussion were inspiring. It made me want to rush out with a Noctilux and work the streets of High Wycombe. But it was raining.
Old friends, new friends
Apart from these highlights of the weekend, I welcomed the opportunity to meet old friends and put faces to names that I know well. It was my first opportunity to meet Paul Glendell of Classic Cases, for instance.
We’ve worked together over a couple of years, sending cases back and forth for me to offer up to various new cameras. But since he has now moved far north to Aberdeen, the chances of meeting were slim.
I also had a long chat with TLS Chairman, Brian Oliver. He mentioned that the society’s President, actor David Suchet had been unable to attend this year. That was a great pity because we all enjoy his company.
Some of my fellow Circle D members from the Society were also in evidence. There are about 20 of us, including my colleague William Fagan, and every month we submit one shot (a digital image, hence Circle D) and then critique one another’s work. I never win, of course, but its an interesting exercise. It’s the taking part, not the winning that counts I tell myself. Other Circle D members present at the weekend included Keith Walker and Tom Lane, both of whom had impressive prints on display in the weekend exhibition. One of Tom’s was the incredible London aerial shot which we published here a few weeks ago, and I was pleased to see examples from Keith’s timeless steam-train portfolio on display.
One of the significant problems facing clubs of all types — not only specialised photographic clubs such as TLS — is attracting young blood. The majority of attendees were over 50 and, I suppose, we can extrapolate that to signify the membership as a whole. With virtual social networks such as Instagram taking over the previous role of local and national clubs, it’s an uphill battle to attract younger members.
A snip
Annual membership of The Leica Society costs only £30, and I believe belonging to an association of “real” people rather than virtual friends is the healthier option. It’s too easy to sit at home in front of the computer screen and imagine you are ever so popular; it’s quite another to spend a weekend with fellow enthusiasts and enjoy some quality discussion among like-minded friends. Social networkers often miss out on social intercourse and, sometimes, the old ways are the best. Get out there and meet people.
If you would like to become part of The Leica Society, you can find the website here. Sign up and, perhaps, we can all meet at next year’s weekend. If you do decide to join, please mention MACFILOS. It won’t get you a discount, unfortunately, but it will give us a bit of publicity.
The Society has lots goind on. In November every year, we are invited to Leica Mayfair for a from-the-horse’s-mouth presentation backed up by a free lunch. There’s even talk of a Society visit to Wetzlar with a VIP factory tour for 2019. When you factor in the excellent quarterly magazine, edited by Philip Gray, that £30 or £1.67 a month is nothing.
All images by Mike Evans
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It was great being here with my husband Thorsten!
Good to see you, too, Joy. Sorry, we didn’t have more time to socialise.
Mike
Yes a great weekend and it was good to finally meet you Mike. As well as meeting old friends its was for me good to meet many new people involved in photography. I had an all too brief chat with Brian Harris – formally the Independent newspaper’s photographer, who will be one of the speakers at next years event. I’ll try and make it down again next year almost anywhere is a long way from Aberdeen
This event looks great. I live in LA and wish we had something similar here… maybe I should try and start it myself. As for the younger crowd, I’m not sure where I fit at 40 years, but I have found the few other social style events I’ve tried to attend have all been much younger in LA and it’s ended up being more about drinking and socialising and less about photography. I’ve also just realized that has made me sound very old! 🙂
I’m attending the LHSA event in Wetzlar for the first time this year. Very excited about the plans for that event and interested to see how it is run for future ideas on doing something more local for Leica photographers in California.
Thanks for the great post, I find myself on this site most days and always really enjoy the articles.
Mike
Thanks for your positive comment, Mike. I shall also be at Wetzlar for the LHSA meet so do make yourself known and we can have a chat. I’ll be staying at the Ernst Leitz.
Great!! I’d love to meet up. I will look for you there. Thanks so much.
I will be attending the Wetzlar event too and look forward to meeting you there. I greatly enjoyed the LHSA event in Chicago last year.
William
Thanks Mike. I usually attend TLS AGM, but going to High Wycombe did not suit me this year. I am delighted to see all of my friends in TLS having a good time. People in amateur societies often do not get enough credit for organising such events, which often involves an immense amount of unpaid work.
You are right about the age profile of such societies. Leica does reach out itself to younger users via social media, but this does not seem to translate into a younger profile for amateur societies. Perhaps this might be discussed with Leica on the visit to Wetzlar by LHSA and TLS members next October. I will be there myself and I am happy to raise the topic.
On a final technical note, the Rigid Summicron on Thorsten’s M9 is a superb lens which more than holds its own with modern equivalents. I have one and I use it a lot.
William
it’s a chicken and egg problem with attracting young people to an existing organisation where the average age is, let’s say, over fifty. Unless you can build up a number of younger members and provide some real attractions for them, it is not going to succeed. If they come in dribs and drabs they would soon be put off by the age profile, I suspect. Agree on the Rigid Summicron. I have one too, although I find the old-fashioned focus tab a little difficult to get used to.
I suspect the issue is slightly different, and not parse the age of the group. It is possible that the younger generation, and younger Leica users are tied up with careers, families, paying mortgages etc etc. However as we get to a certain age, our careers mature, our kids grow up and become independent, our mortgages dwindle – this frees up capital to pursue those things we have put off for years owing to other priorities.
Leica is naturally an expensive, Maquee brand, and I know very few people who own them outside of the community here, and those whose paths I have crossed in the last two years. None have been hugely under 40 to my knowledge. Well except Robin S and I suppose he doesn’t really count.
So I suspect it is a case of cost, circumstances, priorities and freedoms that restrict the younger generations engaging in what looks to me as a quite exciting and very interesting weekend and society. Oh that an most of the younger generations struggle to get out of bed at weekends.. lol.
All true, sadly.