70 Years of LFI – the best covers – part 4
70 Years of LFI – the best covers – part 4
Andreas Kaufmann
October 3, 2019
Issue #3/1982, commented by Dr. Andreas Kaufmann
“A mirror for Leica photographic perspectives over time, LFI is celebrating an auspicious birthday – 70 years dedicated to the art of Leica photography! The foreword of the first issue (August/September, 1949) commented: “Until recently it would still have been deemed very daring to bring out a new photography magazine. (…) It will be clear that the frequently attacked and at times condemned 35mm photography is very much alive.”
70 years later, and in a world where photography has been completely transformed, it is still considered 'daring' to produce LFI as printed matter. In my opinion, however, it is very important in this era, where we are subjected to a constant flood of images, to set milestones. We accomplish this by presenting in print new and classic photography from the Leica perspective, exploring new developments, and creating a central hub for the Leica community.
One of the countless photographers whose pictures have graced the cover of LFI, over the past seven decades, was Dieter Blum – issue 3/1982. At the time he was accompanying, among others, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan. This led to the publication of his photo book, Das Orchester, in 1983. During a tour in Japan, Blum gradually managed to get many of the philharmonic players to be lodged in or moved to one specific side of the Hotel Okura in Tokyo. He wanted to capture them during their afternoon practise sessions. It took eight days to set it up, but “taking the picture was unproblematic: R4, aperture priority with selective measurement, aperture 4 on the Summicron-R 1:2/35mm, and Kodak-Ektachrome 64”.
With all this in mind, I wish LFI the best of luck for the coming decades, and everyone lots of fun taking photographs – whether analogue or digital!” (blu)
“A mirror for Leica photographic perspectives over time, LFI is celebrating an auspicious birthday – 70 years dedicated to the art of Leica photography! The foreword of the first issue (August/September, 1949) commented: “Until recently it would still have been deemed very daring to bring out a new photography magazine. (…) It will be clear that the frequently attacked and at times condemned 35mm photography is very much alive.”
70 years later, and in a world where photography has been completely transformed, it is still considered 'daring' to produce LFI as printed matter. In my opinion, however, it is very important in this era, where we are subjected to a constant flood of images, to set milestones. We accomplish this by presenting in print new and classic photography from the Leica perspective, exploring new developments, and creating a central hub for the Leica community.
One of the countless photographers whose pictures have graced the cover of LFI, over the past seven decades, was Dieter Blum – issue 3/1982. At the time he was accompanying, among others, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan. This led to the publication of his photo book, Das Orchester, in 1983. During a tour in Japan, Blum gradually managed to get many of the philharmonic players to be lodged in or moved to one specific side of the Hotel Okura in Tokyo. He wanted to capture them during their afternoon practise sessions. It took eight days to set it up, but “taking the picture was unproblematic: R4, aperture priority with selective measurement, aperture 4 on the Summicron-R 1:2/35mm, and Kodak-Ektachrome 64”.
With all this in mind, I wish LFI the best of luck for the coming decades, and everyone lots of fun taking photographs – whether analogue or digital!” (blu)
ALL IMAGES ON THIS PAGE: © Andreas Kaufmann
Andreas Kaufmann+-
Dr. Andreas Kaufmann is the majority shareholder and Chairman of the Board of Leica Camera AG. Kaufmann acquired his initial stake in the company from the French firm Hermès, in September of 2006. More