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MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER IS the summary of it all, and usually with a theme. I write as I go, so at this point, whatever this newsletter will contain, I am just as excited to learn as you are. So let's dive in ...
Coffee in Istanbul. Leica M11 with Leica 50mm APO-Summcron-M ASPH f/2.0.
MUCH OF MY EFFORT is trying to stay disconnected. I don't own a television, never turn them on in hotels, and my phone alerts me for text messages only. Instead, I read books and articles of my own choice, travel the world, and talk to people in person or via email.
In a time of machine-generated alerts, marketing, PR, propaganda, and all, not being subject to the mass hysteria is an art form.
Breakfast in Japan. In the perspective of staying in the now and maintaining your own unique viewpoint, notice they are not looking at their devices or a television. They are looking at each other and talking, in proximity to nature. This shouldn't be difficult, but it is. Leica M11-P with Leica 75mm Summilux-M f/1.4.
I think it is important for any creator to preserve his or her own unique viewpoint by managing the inflow of information and noise. It also is for teenagers and any other person, but that is another story. Most recent books I've read take place in the 1800s; as such, I know more about the Napoleonic wars than the current wars. But mainly, I picked up some good sentences and concepts; for example, the idea of dressing up on Sundays and taking a walk to be seen and see others, as well as striking up conversations.
There is much inspiration, as well as wisdom and sanity, in revisiting the past and understanding how and why something was done.
I look for inspiration, ideas, good ways of expressing things, humor, hope, and future. This is what feeds me so that when I am disconnected and alone, I can create not what is expected or the trending hashtag, but what I feel is important. This is also what I mainly output in my photos, articles, eBooks, Video Classes, Extension Courses, workshops, and the products I make for Always Wear A Camera. I aim to inspire others to create.
Watch free photography television
That my television channel on photography even exists is something not all know, but now you do. There are more than a hundred free episodes of photography talks, Leica reviews, and inspiration on magicoflight.tv.
In a recent episode, "The Art of Repetition," I visit Japan to talk about simplicity, design, aesthetics, and the art of keep doing what you are doing.
Video and article: "The Story Behind That Picture - The Art of Repetition, through Japan with a Leica"
ODDLY, THE IDEAL OF the world seems to be to do something other than the thing that you are doing. But in this video, I praise the idea of "When in doubt, do the usual." Watch this and 100+ other completely free episodes on Magicoflight.tv and let me know what you think.
Birthday 90% off
In my heart of hearts, I would give everything away, as I do in my website articles and my video channel, but my CPA (Certified Public Accountant) won't let me. So I do my Birthday Sale where, when you use the code HAPPYBIRTHDAY, it takes 90% off the price of the eBooks, Extension Courses, Video Classes, and presets.
The key to being an artist is that "You make it once, sell it many times." Unlike a bottle of milk or a pair of shoes, you don't have to make milk or shoes every time somebody needs them. You make a photo, a song, or write a book, and it exists as an original work that can be sold, copied, and used many times.
It works. You have no idea how explosive a sale like this looks in a CPA's spreadsheet. I get to give a lot of my work away for almost nothing, and a lot of people get access to it for almost free, and my CPA is happy because he has no idea what's going on; he just sees the numbers.
It only happens once a year, and now is the time. So avail yourself and simply use the code HAPPYBIRTHDAY at checkout when you have added digital products from my website. See the carification of all products on this sale here.
Avail yourself and simply use the code HAPPYBIRTHDAY on checkout for 90% off.
The Science of Colors
With this advertisement interruption done, let's proceed with what matters. Something that has occupied me for the last year is colors.
In photography, colors are the foundation for aesthetics in the sense that when they are accurate, that in itself is beauty - and an accomplishment technically that you feel good about. When the colors are not accurate, it just doesn't sing, no matter how pretty the subject itself was.
So I've been diving into this subject of colors and modern technology, which resulted in the first article that sort of lays the foundation for more articles on how to get the colors right. What I did - amongst other things - was to test each and every Leica camera. The result is the nerdy article, "A Chart of all Leica Cameras' Color Performance."
A complete overview of how Leica camera models deal with colors.
I HAVE GOTTEN QUITE A FEW emails thanking me for this, but why they thank me, I'm not sure. When I made this, I first wondered why I did it because I didn't know what I would find. Secondly, when it showed things didn't make sense, would this be a favor to mankind, or would we all rather prefer not to know?
It was just one of those things that had to be done in order for the conversation about colors to start to take place. So I did it.
Copenhagen. Leica M10-R with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten Overgaard.
"I don't want to remember nothing"
I saw The Matrix (1999) again a few days ago in a cinema. The Judas of the movie (Cypher) wants to return to oblivion and not know the existence of the real world. He says, "I don't want to remember nothing. Nothing! You understand? And I want to be rich. Someone important, like an actor."
Once you start questioning if colors are right or wrong, or even real, a can of worms opens up. But it also opens the route to understanding light, photography and - surprisingly - black and white.
The Matrix (1999) is worth watching again.
Black & White Aesthetics
Black and white is a type of aesthetic of much higher interest in photography. While it seems simple and innocent, it actually doesn't get much more extremely opposite than black and white. Think about it for a moment.
Then there is also the association of black and white with good and evil. Light is energy and good, and darkness is no energy, though darkness can contain suspense and evil, as in fear of darkness.
You never heard of 'fear of light', simply because we like light. Light is life, it makes flowers grow, it brightens our day, and it looks awesome. Colors are a breakdown, a side product, of light and whiteness, which should give a hint at how valuable understanding colors better could be for black and white photography.
Chicago Workshop. Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4.
"Do you ever get tired of all that travel?"
I like to leave a place, and I like to arrive in a new one. As such, travel is a perfect way to ensure that happens. And I like to meet the great people in my workshops and take photographs with them.
Travel is like life in that it is the unexpected moments you remember. It is seldom the "big things."
I try to provoke the possibility of interesting moments to happen by choosing a different route than what is normal. I always do not follow Google recommendations of route. Or I plan workshops in places I would normally not go to, like Denver or Seoul. I take the back street rather than the main street, and I welcome the chance to meet people and places on the way that might give a new way to look at things.
I met Mr. Shinichi Yamamoto in the Gora Kadan Hotel in Hakone, Japan, a small resort with forty very exclusive rooms tucked away on a hillside. He's been working there for 23 years and would never return to a big city like Tokyo (where he grew up). Having had 23 years to consider the matter, he stated, "This place is good for me, I feel, and for my teenage children." Leica M11-P with Leica 75mm Summilux-M f/1.4.
Do a photo workshop, somewhere
I VISIT ASIA AND AUSTRALIA again in October-November for the first time since 2019 (see my workshop calendar here). My own personal favorite cities for photography are the ones you can walk in and where the scenery changes around every corner. Those are New York, Tokyo, Paris, London, and Hong Kong.
Taking photos and talking lenses, coffee machines, real estate, and more... always fun times. Here with Peter Blackshaw (Australia) and Ulli Seeberger (Germany) in Paris. Photo by Liban Elmi (UK).
I TRY TO throw in new locations when I can. Someone asked for Denver a few months back, which is happening next week. Other than what is on the workshop calendar now, I plan to throw in a few surprises over the next days and weeks: San Diego, Austin, Vancouver, San Jose, and more.
The Paris workshop group last month. We had a blast, naturally.
Ms. Allison did my Hong Kong workshop a couple of years ago and came back for the Kyoto workshop this year.
I like simple things
I MAKE THINGS for myself the way I think they should be done, and I use them for my travel to more than twenty-five countries a year. Once I am happy with the way stuff works, I make it available for you to buy. The first ventilated shade I made ten years ago was the one for the Leica 35mm Summilux f/1.4 FLE, which other people kept asking about how to get. So that is how it started ten years ago. You can see this overview of ventilated shades; there is one for almost every lens, and they ship internationally (free shipping today).
The ventilated shade for the Leica 35mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0 also looks pretty cool.
The Overgaard Academy
THE NEW overgaard-academy.com is the future home of my video classes, extension courses, and more. The rollout is expected to be complete by August, and then you can watch and read in a web browser, or download to your own computer, smartphone, or iPad.
This is where the Leica Q3 Masterclass, Workflow Masterclass, Street Photography Masterclass, and more reside, awaiting your attendance, with almost everything being available in August.
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"So long, and thank you for all the fish ..."
Thank you for reading. Feel free to email me at thorsten@overgaard.dk any comments, questions, and ideas. In the next newsletter, I might get into AI, marketing, blowing your own horn, graphic design, a new camera ... and more.
/Thorsten Overgaard
Thorsten Overgaard is a multiple award-winning photographer, known for his writings about photography and Leica cameras. He travels to more than 25 countries a year, photographing and teaching workshops which cater to Leica enthusiasts.
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