A postcard from the Leica Society International conference and annual meeting in Montréal

I am what may be described as a late arrival to LSI (that’s Leica Society International.) I joined up under a year ago, in part because I have owned “lesser” Leicas until fairly recently, so never felt I belonged. But also because working for Macfilos has introduced me to people who have kindly written for us. The LSI meeting in Montreal was too good an opportunity to miss and finally put faces to names.

Chicago to Montréal is an easy 2½-hour flight, but waiting for a taxi to take me to the lovely Hotel Place d’Armes included a frustrating half-hour wait before the trek in from Trudeau airport even began. Finally, it was all worth it. Next time, remember to take the Metro!

Thursday, 23 October, and we’re off!

The annual LSI meeting began on the Thursday morning and offered the chance to borrow a Leica. I had hoped to borrow an M11, but as they say, “the early birds already got the worm.” And my mistiming meant there was no M11 for me on Friday or Saturday either. Glad I brought my little pocketable Leica D-Lux 8 with me.

The new Leica M EV1

There was much excitement in the room as David Knoble (outgoing President) and Colin McKinley set the stage for a special announcement. If you had been reading the Leica-centric forums recently, you knew exactly what was coming.

On the dot (almost a pun as well as punctual timing) Amitava “Chats” Chatterjee and Bill Rosauer introduced the new Leica M EV1, simultaneously with the announcement going out worldwide from Wetzlar.

We all got to look at the new camera, albeit for what felt like a few seconds before it was whisked along the line of eagerly waiting hands. “Chats” and Bill have written up their interview with Stefan Daniel, and the irrepressible Jono Slack has also added his review of the camera. I’m hoping that once the FTC give permission for the camera to be sold in the USA, I will be able to take a longer look at the ever-helpful Tamarkin Camera here in Chicago.

A trio of speakers

Dave Koppel takes us on a tour of Montréal. Vieux Montréal is a wonderful, picturesque part of the city that dates back to Jacques Cartier naming the mountain on which it now sits “Mont Royal.” The city was originally called Ville-Marie when it was founded in 1642 by the French. Then in 1763 the British muscled their way in to take control.

As a consequence, the city, and the province of Quebec are officially dual language for signs, official documents, and the start of polite conversation. As someone who spoke “patois” French until they were ten years old, it’s gratifying to know that the rust can be shaken off even after many years.

Old Montreal looks down on the confluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers. And the LSI conference at the Hotel Place d’Armes is about as close to the centre of the old town as you can get, and a mere ten-minute walk to the banks of the river.

Who you meet when you go walkabout

We had time to wander Montréal, but inevitably you barely scratch the surface. Throughout this article is just a small selection of what I captured.

Gaëlle Leroyer gave a fascinating talk about her use of film cameras, such as the Leica M, for her professional photography work. I can’t imagine it’s easy to convince clients to forgo the instant gratification of seeing the shot immediately on a monitor.

David Knoble followed with a photographic review of his trip to Bayonnais Haiti, based on his book “A Fly in the Donkey’s Eye.” It’s a wonderful story and inspired the room to head out and explore Montreal with a flock of Leicas.

It’s Friday, 24 October, and we’re recalling history

Emanuel Lowi reminded us of our age by asking questions like “Do you remember classified ads?” and “Do you remember telephone directories?” Yes, of course we do! He recounted his photographic journey from the first Leica through to the lifespan of his work for National Geographic, particularly spending time with the Inuit.

The history of the Leica MP and the characters involved is absolutely fascinating. Lars Netopil took us on a precise step-by-step journey through the birth of one of the most significant cameras in Leica’s history. Alfred Eisensaedt and David Douglas Duncan from “Time” magazine made their demands and expectations abundantly clear to Leica through the development process.

Random shots for the postcard

Travelling light

Colin McKinley certainly would not remember telephone directories or newspaper classified ads. But he does remember how to handle serious hikes across the Rockies in Colorado. And he discovered the joys of walking along the legendary Camino, that has taken pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela for centuries.

Colin covered in detail what kit to take and why, how to pace yourself and survive in harsh conditions. And for the Camino, how simply being sociable with others on the same journey can lift your spirits and make new friends. It puts our interests into a different perspective in terms of priorities.

Camtec Photo store, just a ten-minute walk from the annual meeting location, kindly hosted an evening for us. They printed up some of our finest shots from Montréal to create a small gallery, kept us plied with food and drink, and also had plenty of desirable equipment for us to look at. Closing time came too soon!

A sidebar walk around Chinatown

It’s Saturday, October 25 and we’re making it official

We managed to do official Society business by electing William Fagan to be our new President. And the first non-American to boot. William presented a robust LSI “health check” and laid out the Society’s plans for the future, including meetings in London and Tucson in 2026.

Did someone say photographs? A murmuration of LSI members (we’re not kittens any more) made their way to Place d’Armes for the Class of 2025 photograph. As usual there was some hilarity trying to get it organized with people arriving after the shot had been taken. As Emanuel Lowi might have said, “Does anyone remember the classmate from high school who managed to appear twice in the class photo?” Of course, we do!

Storytelling

Storytelling lies at the heart of photography as we know it today. Fred Ranger spent time explaining the process of storytelling and how structure can be used to guide us to more powerful images. Fred shared human stories that remind us of why our images can be so significant to other people. There are surprises along the way.

Leica Ambassador Gajan Balan is part of a new generation of “communicators” who can work across film, digital stills, video, design, directing, social media and a multitude of topics. The stories and shoots he shared were fascinating, and beautiful, with wonderful human connections discovered. If only we all had that energy!

Reviewing photographs

We got to spend some time later in the day to review images from those members brave enough and confident enough to submit them. Having spent most of my career in advertising and marketing, I know how stressful this process of being vulnerable and sharing can be. We were blessed with striking images and a lively debate.

The closing dinner — sweetness and light

Dinner! Dinners at events like this are opportunities to shuffle the pack at the table and spend time talking to people you never got to chat with during the preceding two days. It’s one of the things I found most rewarding about being in Montréal. I can’t wait for next year’s events to come along, and meanwhile hope there are smaller trips to places where other members live.

À bientôt Montréal!

Postscript

My images were shot on a humble Leica D-Lux 8. I also own Q3s, so switching back and forth is now part of my muscle memory.

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