Eric Karr Photography & Design

We don't write about rumors on this site, but this one comes from the camera company itself. This morning, Leica posted a photo to their Facebook suggesting that they'll soon be releasing a new camera that will fit between the Leica M and their APS-C-equipped compact camera, the X2. 

There's not a lot of information on the image, but it refers to the new camera as the "Mini M," which could mean any variety of things really. Will it be a fixed-lens, full-frame camera like the Sony RX1? Maybe it's an interchangeable-lens system with an APS-C sensor similar to that found in the X2? Maybe they'll take a shot at something like the Fujifilm X100s. Tough to tell.

Whatever it is, it's coming on June 11th and we'll bring you the information as we have it. That spot in the line-up could mean a price point anywhere between $2,000 and $7,000, so it could be a number of things. What would you like to see from Leica?

Photo by: Popular Photography Magazine Editor

Leica M Mini Tease

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Photo by Sam Muller

The ability to work fast is the mark of a great location lighter. And nowhere is this need for speed more acute than for shooters of skateboarding. “Skateboard photography is guerrilla-esque,” says Los Angeles-based Sam Muller, who specializes in it.

“There’s almost no preproduction,” he explains. “The skater picks the location, and you have to set up and break down your lights really fast. You never know when cops or security guards are going to show up.” 

This image of Nate Broussard performing a trick called a front-side flip is a good example. It took Muller 20 minutes to shoot, with another 25 to set up and break down his three-light kit. And, yes, the guys were asked to leave the location.

Muller credits his Lumedyne and Quantum lights for his ability to work at a breakneck pace. “The lights I used for this specific photograph are pretty standard in skateboard photography, because they’re portable and powerful, with short flash durations.” he says.

Muller has also developed a set of specific techniques for quick setup and breakdown, leaving as many pieces of equipment plugged in and attached as he can. For example, he rarely disconnects head from packs, or packs from wireless flash triggers. “I leave all my sync cables plugged into my PocketWizards to eliminate that step, and I have the PocketWizards and flashes organized in the bags so everything is as close to its counterpart as possible,” he says. “It also helps to practice setting up and breaking down new gear when you buy it.”

He keeps all of his lighting gear in one Think Tank Airport Security roller and all his cameras in a Lowepro Computrekker Plus AW backpack to avoid going back and forth between bags.

Other skateboarding tips:
• Use strobes with short flash durations that can freeze motion more sharply.

• Avoid flat lighting. “Don’t be afraid of shadows,” says Muller. These can set off your subject, emphasize depth, and add graphic interest.

For more great skateboard imagery, go to sammuller.com or visit his blog at sammuller.tumblr.com.


Kris Holland/Mafic Studios

“The spot was actually great for a skateboard location shot,” says Muller. “A beautiful light raked across the trees in the background. I knew I had to use it.” At the same time, however, he didn’t want too much detail back there. He set his two mainlights, a Lumedyne 400ws P4XX (A) and 200ws P2XX (B) to bright enough output that the skater would stand out. He then set the background ambient exposure in the camera so the sunlight on the tree would read, but not much else. “To get the proper sculpting on the skater, I needed some shadows on him, so I placed the main lights at 90-degree angles to the camera,” says Muller. His positioned his third light, a Quantum QFlash T5dR (C), behind and below his subject. Hidden by the curb, it produced a rim-lit effect around the figure that separated him from the background. Muller shot with a Nikon D3 and 24–85mm f/2.8–4 Nikkor zoom (D). The manual exposure was 1/80 sec at f/6.3, ISO 200, and the short-duration flash burst froze the skater mid-trick.

Photo by: Sam Muller

May 2013 Lighting Main

What Muller likes most about this shot: The small cloud of dust rising below the skateboard. Strong sidelighting helped him capture it.

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