Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles
This photo was taken in the early morning. The sun had just started to rise above the horizon. It projected the kind of grazing light that enhances everything it illuminates. The air was cool and the beach was empty except for the sound of waves and the click of metal gates opening somewhere down the pier.
I had just started shooting with my Leica M9 and wanted to see what that CCD sensor could do in the morning light. I brought the 50 mm Summilux-M ASPH, better known for its quality as a portrait lens, than one for shooting birds. But that morning, a single seagull seemed to volunteer. It rested on the turquoise railing and remained there, looking at me, perfectly calm in the morning light. It was curious and likely anticipated a breakfast snack from me.
I crouched down and approached inch-by-inch. The bird didn’t move. It tilted its head slightly out of curiosity. That gave me a better angle. The camera clicked softly, once, twice, and a dozen times. Each shot a bit closer. And in the morning light, at the low angle of the sun, the blues came alive. The sky, the ocean, the railing, each its own hue. And the Leica M9 sensor recorded it with its particular nature.
Taking the photo was a little transaction of trust: the gull providing me with a moment, the light enhancing the scene. It wasn’t the sharpness or the detail that resonated, but that momentary stillness in which color, opportunity, and patience intersected.
So even if you think you have the wrong lens, life can present rare opportunities.
About the lens: Definitely not a wildlife lens, the Leica Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH. It’s a people lens, for a shallow depth of field. It is famous for its soft bokeh and color fidelity. But that morning it really revealed its character, rendering the early morning’s colors of blue and gold, the scene bathed in the softness that only first light permits.
