There is a certain kind of quiet joy in watching a child carry a camera that looks almost as big as her face and one of my greatest satisfaction from dabbling in photography is to be able to have my children explore the world around them with a camera.
Lynn at 3 years old with her Instax Tsum Tsum edition
Starting from 3 and soon to be 10 years old, the little one is now able to do a half day photowalk with me, comfortable in framing and using a simple camera.
Some of my previous experiences doing so with them are:
1. Following the Photography journey of Kei and Lynn with the Fujifilm X100 series
2. Teaching photography to children | Lynn X Instax mini Tsum Tsum
3. A 3 and 5-year old's adventures with cameras
For today's photowalk, it is now nine years old Lynn, with a Leica Sofort 2, a small brick of bright red in her hands as she skipped ahead while we explored a more rustic and laid back corner of Punggol.
We had agreed on one simple rule before we left home:
"Photograph anything you find interesting, and when we return, we will print your favorite 11 shots"
Lynn with the Leica Sofort 2
Leica M10-R, Light Lens Lab 35mm double aspherical in Titanium
No talk about composition guides or exposure triangles. Just some bonding time with the child, a camera each for us and the invitation to notice and document; all for a short discussion on the images captured later.
Warming up with a shy shutter
The first ten minutes were mostly Lynn getting used to how the Leica Sofort 2 feels and works . Unlike some of the digital cameras she has "borrowed" in the past, this one although a 'standard frame on LCD - point and shoot camera' comes with a total of 100 combinations of filters and effects should one is keen to apply them to the image.
Her first frame was classic Lynn; following what I had shot on my own camera.
Leica Sofort 2
Leica Sofort 2
And so after getting herself acquainted with the easy to work with controls of the Leica Sofort 2, we embarked on our walk from the Singapore Institute of Technology towards Coney Island along Punggol Waterway.
Key Technicalities of the Leica Sofort 2
- Hybrid instant camera with print function (instax mini)
- CMOS-Sensor, 1⁄5 inch, 2560x1920 pixels (4.9MP) output
- Internal memory for approx. 45 images), microSD slot
- Leica Summar 1:2/2.4 lens (equivalent to approx. 28mm format)
- 3 inch LCD, approximately 460k dots
- Minimum focus distance of 10cm to infinity
And so, we continue...
Leica Sofort 2
Leica Sofort 2
Entering Coney Island, we were treated to the perfect weather conditions, gentle sunlight and an abundance of gentle breeze.
Leica Sofort 2
And of course there were other visitors who were looking forward to some quiet moments within the forested area too.
Leica Sofort 2
Leica Sofort 2
Wildlife has slowly recovered since the ill-fated decision to hold a run across the island years back and I am glad to see small critters like squirrels around the area.
Leica Sofort 2
Walking towards the left, we soon reached the first sea-facing side within Coney island, where one is able to glimpse towards the Malaysia state of Johor.
Leica Sofort 2
Leica Sofort 2
Learning to choose
As we walked back out towards our starting point, a quick count was that Lynn had taken around 30 plus shots. And we soon circled back to the topic of choosing the shots she deemed worthy of printing on mini instax films.
Leica Sofort 2
I told her there is no such thing as a wasted frame if she can explain why she took it and that seemed to help her with the culling process and soon she settled on her top 11 shots.
The wefie was of course taken by me so technically 10 shots here are hers.
Seeing light instead of things
What surprised me most during the photowalk was what Lynn decided was worth photographing, and it was quite interesting to hear her elaborate on the 'why' and 'what' she saw behind each image, a conversation that would have been tough to do when she was three.
Leica M10-R, Light Lens Lab 35mm double aspherical in Titanium
Looking back at the eleven small rectangles
At the end of the day, we laid the prints out on the table.
There they were, the chosen eleven little rectangles, each imperfect in the best way ; slightly soft edges, occasional overexposure, the odd fingertip creeping into a corner. But as a series, they were unmistakably Lynn's way of seeing the world.
As an adult, I can talk about the Leica Sofort's lens, its exposure modes, its quirks. But what stays with me more is this: in the hands of a nine-year-old, the Sofort 2 stopped being a "Leica product" and simply became an excuse to slow down and notice, a way for her to understand what I do and bond.
Leica Sofort 2
She still can't really keep the camera 'straight' consistently haha.
The photowalk today ending in eleven chosen prints gave Lynn eleven chances, and with each print, she thought a little harder, and shared a little more.
And for me, walking just a step behind her, that was the real photograph of the day.
Leica M10-R, Light Lens Lab 35mm double aspherical in Titanium
Thank you for reading.
Disclaimers:
- All product photos and samples here were photographed by me. I believe any reviewer with pride should produce their own product photos.
2. All images were shot with my personal set of the Leica M10-R, Leica Sofort 2 and Light Lens Lab 35mm double aspherical
3. This review is not sponsored.
4. I write as a passion and a hobby, and I appreciate that photography brands are kind enough to respect and work with me.
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