I was lucky enough to find some time to visit Photokina on Saturday. Looking at all the latest and greatest gadgets and gizmos is always fun but the highlight for me was the Leica hall.
I like the space. It’s not crammed full of stuff, instead it has a sense of openness. I like the simplicity of it. The use of light and colour. There are no huge screens except for the one in the presentation area. Instead the technology and images are displayed simply and elegantly. This is all about pure photography.
The “Leica Galerie” was amazing. Stunning photographs covering a wide spectrum of subject matter. Some of it was difficult viewing. The Bryan Adams collection of images “Wounded. The Legacy of War” showing the devastating physical effects of war being one of them. Also Gerd Ludwig’s photo essay “The Long Shadow of Chernobyl” covering several visits to the forbidden zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power station gives a horrifying glimpse into a still very dangerous disaster area.
The main focus of the exhibition was orientated around the world of music with fascinating collections including some from musicians themselves. The collection of images from Glen Craig “Close-up Miles Davis” was one of my favourites.
One visit was definitely not enough to take it all in. I can imagine that if I had gone to the Leica hall first I probably would not have seen anything else. It was that good.
Armed with my X-E2 and 27mm 2.8 pancake lens (nice and light) I took the opportunity to take some sneaky shots of people like me absorbed in the impressiveness of the imagery. Roll on Photokina 2016!
fotomind 