Tag Archives: Lenny Kravitz

CHatGPT Answers Your Leica Related Questions

Q: Why do people buy Leica cameras even though they are very expensive?

Chat GPT: Leica cameras are known for their high quality and craftsmanship, and are often considered a prestige item among photographers. As a result, people may be willing to pay a premium for a Leica camera because they believe it will provide superior performance and durability compared to other camera brands.

In addition to their functional value, Leica cameras also have a strong brand identity and a reputation for exclusivity. The company has a long history of producing high-end cameras, and its products are often associated with professional photographers and serious enthusiasts. As a result, some people may be drawn to Leica cameras because they believe that owning one will signal their own expertise or dedication to photography.

Another reason that people may be willing to pay a premium for a Leica camera is because they appreciate the company’s craftsmanship and attention to detail. Leica cameras are often hand-assembled and undergo strict quality control checks, which can make them feel like a more luxurious and special product.

Overall, the high cost of Leica cameras is often justified by their superior performance, reputation, and craftsmanship. While they may not be the most budget-friendly option, for many photographers, the benefits of owning a Leica camera outweigh the cost.

Q: Do Leica cameras take better photos than other cameras?

ChatGPT: It is difficult to make a blanket statement about whether Leica cameras take better photos than other cameras. The quality of a photo is dependent on a variety of factors, including the skill of the photographer, the lens used, the lighting conditions, and the settings of the camera. Some people may prefer the look of photos taken with a Leica camera due to the brand’s reputation for producing high-quality, finely-crafted equipment. However, there are many other camera brands that also produce excellent cameras and lenses, and the best camera for a given situation will depend on the specific needs and preferences of the photographer. Ultimately, the quality of a photo is subjective and will depend on the individual viewer’s taste and interpretation.

Q: Why does Thorsten Overgaard use a Leica?

ChatGPT: Thorsten Overgaard is a Danish journalist, photographer, and author who is known for his work with Leica cameras. He has written several books on photography and has also produced a number of instructional videos and articles on the subject. Overgaard has been a Leica user for many years and has developed a reputation for his expertise in the field of photography.

There could be a variety of reasons why Thorsten Overgaard uses a Leica camera. Leica cameras are known for their high-quality craftsmanship and the company has a long history of producing some of the finest cameras and lenses in the world. Leica cameras are often preferred by photographers who value the look and feel of their equipment and who are willing to invest in the best possible tools for their craft. Overgaard may also appreciate the unique characteristics of Leica cameras, such as their compact size and the distinct look of the images they produce. Ultimately, the choice of camera is a personal one and different photographers will have different reasons for using the equipment they do.

Q: Is Thorsten Overgaard a con man?

ChatGPT: I am not aware of any information that would indicate that Thorsten Overgaard is a con man. Thorsten Overgaard is a Danish journalist, photographer, and author who is known for his work with Leica cameras and his expertise in the field of photography. He has written several books on photography and has also produced a number of instructional videos and articles on the subject. There is no evidence to suggest that Overgaard is a con man or that he has engaged in fraudulent or deceptive practices. It is important to carefully evaluate the credibility of any information or advice that you receive, but it is not appropriate to make unfounded accusations or spread false or malicious information about someone.

Q: If someone falsified their accomplishments and claimed to be a photographer who has worked for Life Magazine and has falsely claimed to have photographed the President and other important people and claims to have a vast archive of photos with major professional archives, and that man gives seminars based on his false experience, would you consider that man a “Con Man?”

ChatGPT: If someone has falsified their accomplishments and is claiming to have worked for a prestigious publication like Life Magazine, photographed important people and events, and has a large archive of professional-quality photos, and is using these false claims to promote themselves and their business, then it would be appropriate to consider that person a con artist or a fraud. Making false claims about one’s accomplishments and qualifications is dishonest and deceptive, and it is not acceptable to use these false claims to gain credibility, attention, or financial gain. If someone is found to be engaging in this kind of fraudulent behavior, it is important to confront them and hold them accountable for their actions. It is also important to inform others about the true nature of the person’s claims and to be cautious when dealing with them in the future.

Thorsten Overgaard pretending to be a really important photographer

Q: Is it wrong to claim you are royalty when you are from peasant Danish stock?

ChatGPT: It is generally considered inappropriate or tacky to claim that you are royalty when you are not actually a member of a royal family. Royalty refers to a specific social class of individuals who are members of a royal family and hold a title of nobility, such as a king, queen, prince, or princess. These titles are usually inherited and carry certain privileges, responsibilities, and expectations. It is not appropriate for someone who is not actually a member of a royal family to claim a royal title or to use it to try to gain privileges or advantages. Doing so may be seen as dishonest or pretentious and could potentially offend or disrespect actual members of royalty.

Q: Thorsten Overgaard is married to “Princess Joy Villa.” Is she actually a princess?

ChatGPT: I don’t have any information about Thorsten Overgaard or his relationship with Joy Villa. I am unfamiliar with Joy Villa. It’s possible that Joy Villa is using the title “princess” as a nickname or stage name, or that it is being used in a humorous or ironic way. If she is claiming to be royalty when she is not, then that would be dishonest and pretentious and also fraudulent.

Q: Has Lenny Kravitz ever been a war correspondent?

ChatGPT: I’m not aware of Lenny Kravitz ever serving as a war correspondent. Lenny Kravitz is a musician and actor, and he is known for his work in the entertainment industry. It’s possible that you may have misunderstood something he said or that this is a joke or rumor that has circulated online. I recommend verifying the accuracy of any information you have heard before drawing any conclusions.

Q: If Lenny Kravitz has never been a war correspondent, why does Leica sell a camera called the “Lenny Kravitz War Correspondent” Leica camera?

ChatGPT: It is possible that Leica has released a special edition camera or lens that is inspired by or designed in collaboration with Lenny Kravitz, and that it is being marketed under the name “Lenny Kravitz War Correspondent.” It’s also possible that this is a joke.

Modern Advertising for a Modern Camera

Leica advertising has always been stylish. Here’s two in particular that I admire. The first, above, is an early ’50s Modernist advert. Angular orientation with embedded triangles, sans serif typefaces coupled with old school italic script typeface…and the Piccadilly Circus Eros Statute. Eros is one of the primordial gods that emerged from Chaos when the world began, and is the driving force behind the unions of the primordial gods that initiated creation. Subtle. Well done. Someone was familiar with classic Greek mythology who expected his target audience to be so as well.

As for the camera, this “automatic focusing” Leica is an IIIa with a 50mm Summar. Beautiful.

Sixty years later and this ad for the M Monochrom. Monochrome (as in black and white) design can easily appear dull. But it’s perfect here (it is a Monochrom camera after all). This one cleverly uses font-weight to bold certain letters and make them stand out against the monochrome design. The bold camera and letters give a point of focus, while the small text does two things: It draws the reader in and helps align the bolded text. It’s “edgy”. It works.

In between these two are any number of inspired advertising designs. Here are a few more I like, all of them graphically simple while drawing your eye to where it needs to go:

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With the exception of the Monochrom ad (a nice throw back to the glory days), the advertising wonks at Leitz who designed these are long gone, replaced by a new, hip generation of 20 something Parsons Design grads who have no conception of the incredibly rich history of Leitz they could draw on. Who’ve been educated, not with the Greek classics, but via Facebook and social media.

So we get the argument from authority sublimated via the cult of personality: famous people achieving their photographic vision with their newest Leica, Lenny Kravitz stalking his prey in the East Village while rocking his rosta hat and a camera designed by Jackson Pollock.

Photo by Lenny Kravitz. Leica gave This Guy a Show at a NYC Gallery. This was the Photo they Used to Advertise It. Seriously.

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Erik van Straten. Exceptional.

Meanwhile, there are more than a few Leica users quietly producing stunning work. Look hard enough on the net and you’ll find them – not, mind you in some curated corner where money is looking to be made, or amongst the beautiful people of NYC or some self-appointed expert shill man looking to make a buck off the low-hanging Leicaphile fruit – but everyday people who’ve been using Leicas forever, producing bodies of work that should humble the “Leica Photographers” producing the banal shit above. Leica needs to start recognizing them, because they’re why Leica is famous. Leica should think about returning the favor.

Dragan Novakovac. Just a Guy With a Leica.

I Just Don’t Get It

Above is a limited edition “Correspondent” version of the Leica M-P digital rangefinder, “designed by Lenny Kravitz”, currently for sale on Ebay for 15k. The special edition is “strictly limited” to 125 sets worldwide. This is 029/125.

It’s not a bad looking camera if one simply takes it for what it is. The ‘artificial’ weathering is fairly tasteful if that’s your thing, and it doesn’t have Lenny’s signature, which would irrevocably mar an otherwise nice camera body. My question is: Why would Leica think that Lenny Kravitz would have any significance for a Leicaphile…or for a collector for that matter? I’m truly stumped. The incongruity of calling it a Lenny Kravitz “Correspondent” Leica is even weirder. Leica could have simply released the camera without the Kravitz designation – a limited edition “Correspondent” MP. Price it accordingly.

This is not to denigrate Lenny Kravitz. He’s a talented guy doing what he does. Let’s not confuse him with Robert Capa or Susan Meiselas however. The whole thing reflects poorly on both Leica and Kravitz. The irony is that the digital MP is a really nice camera – I’ve been playing around with one for a few weeks, and I like it. And, while I’m not that up on Lenny Kravitz, the one thing he does that I’m familiar with evidences some musical chops. But, given gimmicks like this, it sort of creeps me out to be seen in public with a digital Leica. Being out and about with a Leica used to give you massive street cred back in the day – then, a beat-up M4 with a ratty 35mm Summicron. Now it conjures up rich poseurs and clueless dilettantes, which is a shame. And Leica has no one but themselves to blame.

So, what’s in it for Leica in naming it after a B-grade rock star? And what’s in it for Lenny Kravitz?

I’d love to hear your thoughts…..

Leica and Lenny: A Match Made in __________?

Lenny Kravitz, Correspondent, Stalking Urban Prey with His Drifter Leica and Poofy Cap

Leica is now offering a “Lenny Kravitz designed” Leica M Monochrom camera, a Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH, and a Leica APO-Summicron-M 75mm f/2 ASPH. Buy now and Leica will throw in, at no extra cost to you, matching accessories, including a vegan python carrying strap, matching brown vegan leather carry cases for each lens, versatile pouches, and a brown “Drifter Traveler” weekender bag. No word on how Leica was able to identify and cull “vegan” pythons from regular ones.

Mr. Kravitz’s input seems to have been the idea to paint the camera brown and cover it in snakeskin, which everyone over in Wetzlar considers a brilliant idea, as it apparently conjures up people who are free spirits. “The striking special edition set celebrates Kravitz’s dedication to visual storytelling and pays homage to his inspired, nomadic lifestyle,” Leica says. “A self-proclaimed drifter himself, the attractive set was designed with Kravitz’s vision of being a free spirit, always on the road and open to adventure – ingredients that ignite visual storytelling.”

The Laconic “Guy Wearing Heels Doing Funky Gymnastics Inside Unidentified Commercial Establishment” by Lenny Kravitz, currently on exhibition at Leica, Wetzlar

The Leica Gallery in Wetzlar, Germany is hanging an exhibition of Kravitz’s photography in conjunction with the Drifter release.“ The photo series, inspired by Kravitz’s nomadic lifestyle, will feature intimate portraits, laconic snapshots, carefully observed scenes from the street and well-composed moments in hotel rooms, all captured during his time on the road,” Leica says.

Heads Up, Lenny Kravitz

You can be one of the lucky few to own a red anodized version of the Leica APO Summicron f2 ASPH, soon to be available from Leica for $8950. That’s only $1200 more than the black version. Only 100 pieces will be made, (not counting any further fabricated under licensing agreement with Third Man Cameras in Stuart, Florida).

Leicaphilia

Philia (/ˈfɪljə/ or /ˈfɪliə/) is one of the four ancient Greek words for love.