Gerard Doolan is a black-and-white street photographer who documents the rapid changes in the city of New York. To do so, he works with a full frame compact camera, the Leica Q2, which features a fixed Summilux 28 f/1.7 Asph lens.
His work reimagines familiar icons and dissects the reality and complexities of the human condition in the modern world. These images represent an open letter to the city and the generations of people who have called it home.
I had the pleasure of talking to him and discussing the image A New, New York, Dawn – a Dutch angle shot, which was inspired by filmmaker Orson Welles, and proves that Benjamin Franklin was wrong about "lost time".
We analyze the four key aspects that Gerard considered, and discuss his Leica gear choice in more detail.
Analysis
1. A New York minute
"Benjamin Franklin once wrote that 'Lost time is never found again' but that was before the advent of photography. Part of the inherent magic of photos is their ability to allow you to relive your dreams," explains Doolan.
"Here, the vision is a transient moment in the metropolis, captured at 1/1000 sec to freeze the fleeting tumult, alongside a deep depth of field to further submerge the viewer into the dynamic atmosphere.
"The increased ISO preserves the dwindling light from an otherwise cloudy outlook and the 28mm focal length gives a monumental cinematic quality to the surrounding cityscape."
2. Dutch angle
"When approaching a new scene, I carefully decipher the
geometric qualities of what is before me. With this photograph, I was inspired most notably by filmmaker Orson Welles’ use of the Dutch angle as a compositional device.
"I’ve attempted to impose a sensation of psychological disconnection, further exacerbated by the undulating, serpent-like steam and the disorientation caused by the fleeing birds.
"New York, acting as a backdrop to these organic forms, provides a kaleidoscope of oblique monolithic reflections and mechanical projections of light and shadow – a visual insight to the human psyche."
3. Colliding forms
"I tried to capture the relentless thrusting together of human and material forms that construct the modern, radiant city. For the newly acquainted, walking New York’s streets can feel like a bewildering encounter – the sensory assault composes a confusing panorama that reveals itself to be a masterfully orchestrated drama.
"Before you know it, you’re no longer the audience but you’re playing a leading role in this intricate performance. Your mere presence heightens the sense of awe and wonder experienced by those around you."
4. Optimism and reinvention
"This capture fills me with optimism and an appreciation that each dawn is a chance for discovery and reinvention. This prospect for rebirth is the great promise of New York that lured millions during the 20th century and still beckons people from around the world who yearn to breathe free.
"Hopes and desires are at the core of my work and propel me – despite this torn, distracted age – to continue to immortalize the lives lived, whether in squalor or in splendor, of those who arrived in the city on a hurried wave and who made their mark in the sand."
Gear info
Gerard shot this image using a Leica Q2, a luxury compact camera. This model excels equally as both a fully manual street camera and an automatic point-and-shoot.
With its 47MP sensor, the Q2 delivers exceptional results – albeit with a significant price tag. But if budget is not an issue, the Q2 is an incredible high-quality compact camera that does not disappoint.
Its fixed 28mm f/1.7 lens is classified as a wide-angle optic, which is popular among street photographers to include the scene's surroundings in the frame.
A comparable lens for Leica rangefinders would be the Leica 28mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH, which is priced similarly to the Q2.
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