Backstage with Nikki Glaser

by Johnny Martyr Peeking behind, much less going behind stage curtains can sometimes disillusion fans of their favorite celebrities. But when I hung out with comedian Nikki Glaser, I saw that who she is backstage is as compelling as who she is onstage. What follows is an account of Nikki's performance in Baltimore, MD on...

An Analog Leica M6 Photographer Tries a Digital Leica M9

by Johnny Martyr I'm pretty committed to film photography. Not because I think film photography is superior to digital photography - on a technical level, it's just not. And on an artistic level, there is no such thing as "superior," there's only how things feel and how they make you think. I am not committed...

Q&A: Why Do You Use 0.85x Leica Rangefinders instead of 1:1 Voigtländers?

by Johnny Martyr Yesterday, long time photo buddy Brent Legum Levenson asked a really great question on my Facebook page. He was referencing my Leica M6 TTL cameras which have 0.85x viewfinder magnification. "Any reason you got the .85? I think I’ve only seen the .72 versions in person. Also, I liked that the Bessa R3s...

Q&A: How Do I Shoot Landscapes With a Barnack Leica and a 135mm Lens?

by Johnny Martyr Yesterday in the Leica III Users group on Facebook, someone asked:"I just got my camera back and am wanting to put my 135mm Elmar to use. Does anybody know of a good video or guide on how to use the lens? Am I just overthinking it? The Summitar 50mm is pretty intuitive,...

Gilligan’s Return: Leitz 90mm Tele-Elmarit-M Thin Review Part II

by Johnny Martyr Since Molly Kate kindly featured it on 35mmc, my Leitz 90mm Tele-Elmarit Thin Review has been getting alot of traffic. The review concluded with my decision to throw Gilligan overboard and invite The Skipper to join me on the top deck. Quick recap: I was lead to believe that all Thin Canadian...

Advice for Shooting Concerts on 35mm Film with The Dumes

by Johnny Martyr Recently, I photographed LA indie band The Dumes, at Union Stage in Washington DC. They opened for Louise Post of Veruca Salt. You can read about my experience with that over at 35mmc. But the Dumes blew the roof off too! Frontgirl Elodie Tomlinson's unique vocals and fun stage presence fueled the...

Leitz 90mm Tele-Elmarit Thin Review

by Johnny Martyr Recently, I met up with my friend Ben to photograph the DC Pride parade. He used a 90mm 2.8 Tele-Elmarit, which he recommended, stating that he sold his 90mm Summicron shortly after getting the Elmarit. I had never researched the 90mm Elmarit line but had long heard it was the cure for...

Leica Lens Accessory Sizes

By Johnny Martyr When I got into Leica, I was a bit confused by the diameters listed for lens filters and hoods. Most other manufacturers just use one number. Nikon and Canon are usually 52mm. Pentax and Olympus are usually 49mm. Alot of Leica lenses are 39mm. But you'll often see filter size for Leica...

Photographs from Capital Pride 2023

by Johnny Martyr I'm Johnny Martyr. My pronouns are he/him/his. Along with some other LGTBQIA2S+ allies, we had a fantastic time photographing the 2023 Capital Pride Parade in Washington D.C. last week. Just like Pride is a celebration of diversity, Stephanie and Ben are bringing some digital color to my normally all b&w film blog....

Q&A: How Do I Protect My New-to-Me Leica M?

by Johnny Martyr Okay, so this isn't a true "mail bag" question because the most recent iteration of it that I've answered was posted to a Facebook group. But I have gotten this question a few times as a DM over the years too. "I just got my first Leica, an M6, how do I...