This is the first picture taken with my Leica camera that I really love. It captures what I call My Quiet Hour. I don’t get to do it every day, but it is special when I do it.
It is not something I do with Maria, but with Zinnia, who has entered into the spirit of the hour. She lies at my feet or just in front of me.
Sometimes I sleep, sometimes I meditate, sometimes I just sit and think, like today. It is my quiet time, my time in solitude. I’ve always believed I can never get to know myself if I can’t be in solitude. I’d do it every day if I could.
Today, the sky darkened as thunderstorms began to gather, it was almost like night. A few minutes earlier, the sun was shining and the room was bright.
Now, it looked like night. The only light in the room came from our fish tank, the fish were just as quiet during my hour as they always are.
Zinnia lay down in front of me, she knows how to be quiet and peaceful My Leica was right next to me, and I thought okay, let’s see if I can figure out how to get this photo and capture the room in almost total darkness.
The camera focused right away on the fish tank and I opened the aperture. The photo perfectly captured the feeling in the room, the feeling I seek. This camera was a gamble, but it feels right from the beginning.
Love the quiet, peacefullness of this photo. Your comment about how dark it got before the rain is very much the same here in Arizona as the monsoon’s arrive. I always love it when it gets dark during the day, reminds me of my childhood in Illinois. Also I’ve very much enjoyed your barn raising photos and the Amish family life. It’s a pleasure to read something so positive everyday. Thank you…
love this new Leica, Jon. It captures more than what is apparent to the eye………it has soul and substance beyond what the eye can discern. Just beautiful. I look forward to your getting in sync with it… and your sharing
Susan M
Jon…
I’m glad you described the changing weather. Otherwise, I would have thought the Leica was shooting too dark.
For me, low-light film photography was among the most challenging and most rewarding. It’s about the feeling.
Now, I keep my Canon Sure Shot handy for convenience. But before that, manual photography forced me to consider photographic principles and the relationships between adjustment variables.
Jon, can we ever really get to know ourselves. After all, knowing ourselves I believe, comes from that of our own perceptions and perspectives. Taking the thirty thousand foot view ( a pilot’s saying) of ourselves is to me, neigh on impossible. But what we can do is what you are doing, meditating, having quiet times to reflect and try to sort out our lives and in this, taking in others opinions/offerings, which comes from their own perceptions and therefore that must be accounted for and recognized, we can learn, we can become enlightened. People are often too busy these days (although now, not with COVID on our daily horizons) to stop and reflect. Being busy keeps some people from having to think. About themselves, about their own behaviour. Just my take on it. And I love the clarity of the black and white photos but your gift for seeing colour Jon, is something I hope you’ll never set aside. People are attracted to colour. I love looking at your colour photos. And I find peace reading about the Amish in this conflicted world we are living in.
Sandy Proudfoot
Thanks Sandy, almost all of my shooting will be in color, as always..The new camera is just for my art..
Great shot…a definite feel of peace and quiet.
I held a Leica once. Didn’t get to shoot it.
Fortunate man you are, Jon!
We will have many more great photos to see!
Jon, your blog is one of the things I am most thankful for in my life. Every morning I look forward to my cup of tea and to the pictures you paint through words and photos. I especially enjoy your readers’ comments! Each one expands on your words and articulates what I am feeling. I picture all of your readers sitting around your living room talking about our reactions to your blog. It sounds like we all must be around the same age–or at least a compatible view of life–and I’m starting to recognize them by name and writing style. I won’t start listing all of the names, but I do have to mention Donald of Arizona always seems to have a different perspective and adds so much to the conversation. You all feel like my friends–we have shared a magnificent experience: a barn-raising with our Amish friends and our dear friend Jon Katz. Blessings for all.
I love this idea. It’s what I always wanted the blogging community to be on my blog..it is actually quite diverse in age and gender and interests – dogs, cats, animals, spirituality, politics every now and then..a nice mix. Once I stopped fighting with the trolls and kicked them out these wonderful conversations began..I hope it grows and depends.. thanks Molly
My love of animals, trees, and nature is what brought me to your blog. I just finished reading Second Chance Dog and am still in awe. My love of trees goes beyond just love. I see in every tree something of life…each tree has its own character and own embodiment. .is a human doing something~my sister once told me every tree is a human who came back to life…if so I will watch carefully. My 46 year old son passed away one month ago; and the sorrow I feel is only held so closely because noone can feel what I feel…but my love for all animals…and birds and trees is my comfort zone. So happy to have discovered your blog…