Leica Talk - Dr. Andreas Kaufmann and Ralph Gibson 

It's so refreshing to see a Chairman of the Board who has a genuine enthusiasm and knowledge of the product and field that their company serves. Thanks Dr. Kaufmann and Mr. Gibson for sharing your passion and conversation.

The best conversation with Ralph Gibson, ever! Thank you, Dr. Kaufmann!

Great interaction and discussion by two giants in each others respective (and complementary) fields. It was obvious they had genuine respect for one another; almost like two old friends. I loved Ralph's insights, and, now I know why Leica is like no other camera. That philosophy starts at the top. Bravo.

Such a great conversation. Andreas and Ralph thank you for your insightful questions and answers and for the light and interesting tone of the conversation. A joy to watch and proud to have an Austrian leading this great company.

Love this conversation ... So good to see a person at any age eager to live life and to continue creating ... All I can say is " Go Ralph Go! "

What a delightful exchange between Dr. Kaufmann and Mr. Gibson! I began my career with a Leica M2 and M4, circa 1969. I've spent countless hours in the darkroom for decades. Eventually I sold all four of my film Leica M's. I was done. One recent morning I woke up knowing it was time for a digital M and purchased an M246 and M10. I absolutely adore these two cameras, and am thrilled to once again be able to have "the Leica M experience." I am never setting foot in a photographic darkroom again, the romance is over. But with Leica, for me, it's truly like coming home. I completely agree with Dr. Kaufmann, it is only when a photograph is printed that it achieves at least something other than being mere "data." One last thing. I'm older than Mr. Gibson by about two years and I DO think one can reinvent oneself, even at a relatively advanced age. Call it "living longer." :)

This conversation is a gift. Thank you. Stay well both!

What a super interview- I’d not heard Ralph Gibson speak before but his insights are truly fascinating

After watching this video a few days ago, some of Ralph Gibson's words definitely resonated with me. First was his statement that 50 mm focal length makes you want to shoot in portrait (or vertical) frames. This was news to me - and yesterday I challenged myself just shooting with one of my 50 mm lenses on my M3. After developing my film, only 6 of 38 frames were taken in landscape format. The rest was all perfectly lined up vertically. Shooting mostly wide and in 35 mm, it was an eye-opener for me. The other important statement for me was to recognize what the lens sees and adapt your vision accordingly. I guess I intuitively did this sort of in the past but was not conscious about it.

Thank you Dr. Kaufmann (and Ralph Gibson). As someone mentioned it earlier, it is very refreshing and reassuring to see and listen to someone at the helm of a very prominent camera/lens company being so enthusiastic about the medium. I remember meeting Dr. Kaufmann in Arles in his early days at Leica and was surprised by his very humane if not humanistic approach to what could have been perceived as just another business he was investing in (the way the Hermes years felt). The human dimension at Leica matters for some of us consumers (in line with what Mr. Leitz did before WW II for his Jewish employees). The care if not passion that seem to motivate players at Leica (from board to engineers, designers, workers) is also what makes a Leica a Leica. Respect for the medium, the products and the people involved in the company is the best investment by Leica for us users to respect the company and its products beyond their technical excellence. A quick note about the captions (which are very welcome especially for an international audience), they should be double-checked. As a quick example Gibson (54:51) mentions "Les Halles" which was the big public market designed by Baltard downtown Paris (and which has become that big mall, le forum des Halles, and Metro station (Châtelet-Les Halles) now). Unfortunately, the caption reads "Layal", which puzzled me, having never heard of Layal in Paris. Fortunately Dr. Kaufmann rectified it somewhat enough for the "captionist" to realize what it was. Thanks again. Is it possible to have more in depth interviews like this? [In a totally different genre the one of Peter Karbe on Leica lenses was also fantastic]

Great documentary, I had the privilege to take part in one of his workshops learned a lot, not so much of how to take make a good photograph but more of the Philosophical side of photography and this visual signature he talks about. Which will lead to a "Good photographs".

Absolutely brilliant, I enjoyed every moment! I must watch more like this. Thank you for sharing.

What a sweet man is Dr Kaufman.I could of watched these two for hours, thanks for posting

Thanks for this great Video and also Greetings from Salzburg 👏📷🍀🇦🇹

Wonderful conversation. Ralph inspired me with a few new perspectives during this talk. Thank you for sharing.

I just finished seeing this Leica-Talk that I found very interesting and instructive. Thanks to both of you Mr. Andreas kaufmann and Ralph Gibson

Unbelievable insights from Ralph Gibson ! Love to hear him talk and listen to his thoughts. They made me think about photography and got my brain into gear ! Thank you Leica for this opportunity. Unfortunate that he was interrupted a few times during his compelling thoughts.

I’ve really enjoying it and have learned a lot, Ralph & Andreas, thanks for the wise words!!

I would love to meet Ralph Gibson one day.

This interview was a joy to follow. How positive and joyful one can be and enjoys his work and live. Thanks Mr Gibson and A. kaufma,

This chat gives more meaning to Ralph's philosophy of his body of this work. How he perceives his vision through just one lens explains why he limit into a unique format and thank you for this great share. He is one of the photographers I never met. But I have several books of him on my collection.

I love Ralph Gibson, my most inspiring photographer! So much looking forward to this.

I loved the conversation...thank you Andreas & Ralph!

I love this video. I really like Dr Kaufmann and Ralph is a true legend and gent. What a great video, like two friends chatting. More of this please!!!

A brilliant conversation. Thank you, gentlemen.

Nice listening to Ralph Gibson. Thanks Dr Andrea's Kaufman. I'm still having the same emotions looking and scanning (for my Photo MUSEUM, Mauritius ), thousands of 24x36 negatives made with my Leicas. Specially the M6. Or the Leicaflex. 60 years of photography! Still going strong!

Dear Ralph your are my Photographer/Philosopher of the Day ! Thanks alot for sharing your very intresting QR discussion with us all ! Keep up the good work ! Greetings, Roger, Antwerp.

Wonderful interview. And helpful. Thank you both and thank you Leica.

Great conversation. Everything Gibson says is pure gold. More material like this please!

Excellent talk. I have learned a lot from such a geat artist of photography. In addition Mr. Kaufmann's questions covered the subject from many different angles.

I do greatly appreciate Dr. Kaufmann's enthusiasm and think that it is wonderful that a CEO would take such direct interest in how his products are used... but, like so many have rightly pointed out, he really needs to let the subject speak without constantly interrupting. Corporate meetings must be painfully long when he attends! Ralph was incredibly patient!

These two gentlemen are great! Great story about Ralph. Dr K should start his own channel and do more of these.

Thank you Leica, what a beautiful interview.

Ralph Is one of my favorite Photographers. I am waiting to see this.

Es ist noch kein Meister vom Himmel gefallen. Ich bin begeistert! Vielen Dank Dr. Kaufmann und Mr. Gibson.

Very interesting discussion, the only thing that left me wanting more was that whenever Ralph Gibson made an interesting and deep comment, Dr Kaufmann did follow it through with a relevant (or challenging) question to help us get a better understanding or an even deeper thought. Apart from that I really enjoyed it.

I find it amazing how subjective everything about photography is. As stated before, I love Ralph’s work and he’s one of my favorite photographers but nevertheless I disagree with many things he says, like the fact that it’s easier to compose with wider lenses or that phones can’t take good photographs. I also disagree with Andreas’s statement about it being hard to find photos on an iPhone. Today, these things are extremely easy and simple. However it is beautiful to see how each and every one of us has such a unique vision and that is why photography can be diverse, artistic, and even unique! I shoot analog M on a 50 and 35.

Really a great talk. Hope to see more of this 😊

Thank you for this beautiful video.

This was wonderful. I love my Leica Monochrom. The tones are the closest I’ve ever gotten to my film days.

Hi Leica! Vielen Dank! Solche videos sind einfach toll.

Thanks for this. Very interesting, enlightening and entertaining.

So insightful and inspirational - thank you

Priceless. What a treat that was.

Such a clever piece of conversation between two sensitive men with great deal of humor 💁🏼

Mr. Kaufmann should have let Mr. Gibson talk without interruption. Every time Mr. Gibson is going to say something very interesting there's Mr. Kaufmann there.

That is the kind of video I am always looking for.

A wonderful insight in to a great photographer's philosophy.

Ralph Gibson sir thank you💜 extremely informative session.

Great interview and I love Gibson’s work. I shoot film with my leica cameras, an m3 and m6. I like processing film still, but I am not 75

Wonderful inspirational talk.

Sehr schönes Gespräch. Leider wurde Herr Gibson etwas oft unterbrochen.

Enjoyed the talk. Doing darkroom work, there is a big difference between a silver gelatin print and made from an inkjet printer. But I can understand Ralph to move fully to digital in his career stage. Would love to try a Leica monochrome M10M. For now I just make the best of the Leica gear I have and enjoy using (Leica M3 and M6).

Very philosophical dialog, love it.

Nice interview! Never heard from Gibson in person. Didn't think he was so composed. Would have liked to see his studio. Hope Leica makes more interviews - in depth ones. Listen up Dr. Kaufman. Why not make a mini Leica digital M43 rangefinder, like the old school Olympus Pen 1/2 frame cameras. Make is fully manual like the big Leica. The little M43's are fantastic street cams...except for one thing. The modern digital version is too hard to adjust on the fly for manual shooting. The mini M43 is a superb street cam as it goes unnoticed due to the small footprint. I shot M43's for a year or so, got great results, but had to shoot on the dummy setting. Could never adjust fast enough for manual.

Great talk. But could Dr. Kaufmann be a little less German and let Ralph talk some more freely?

Thank you! till next time

Nice. Good to see Che as well.

Nicely done

Great talk :)

Just wish Dr. Kaufman would take a back sear and let Mr Gibson talk uninterrupted

Imagine having Leica him having talk like this with photographer him.

waiting :)

There is much to be said for the old multi-blade collapsible Elmar 50mm on a digital body.

Kaufmann’s interruptions and irrelevant comments are annoying

Looking and focusing through a Leica viewfinder is unparalleled (no pun intended) in 35mm/digital cameras But Leica fell very short In not taking full responsibility in its technological failures such as sensor corrosion. Kaufmann slips that the video setting has a heat issue. Anyway Ralf Gibson is the true master. A unique language with the depth of a master painter. Just annoying that my visual signitaure is too influenced by him. Irony is that today I was going to buy a 24mm lens to make that cinematic link of contextualisation but Ralph once again eloquently argues why they are not appropriate (for me anyway). Ralph should persuade Hockney that the limited viewer centric Perspective is not so limited.

14:10..... Leica MONO, it’s a life extension device 🇨🇦👍📷

👍👍👍

You CAN make a masterpiece with the iPhone camera. The problem is acceptance.

Hi, this s a great video, we have discovered a collection of the earliest Capa photographs taken with a Leica in Hungary. Would this be of interest to you?

¡Excelent!

The 75mm elmarit doesn’t exist?

Got to hear a lot more of Herr Kaufmann than was needed. He interrupted too many times.

Wow! An awful lot to think about there.

Stephen Shore now uses the I Phone. Fyi

I wonder what Ralph Gibson thinks of Garry Winogrand dissing his work? 😂

Kaufmann was super painful. Couldn’t finish this unfortunately

The interviewer believes he or she is more important than the interviewee and most have their own agenda.. It is done on US television all the time. I simply turn it off. You see Kaufman is a big personality and he can`t help it.

​Hallo, Herr Dr. Kaufmann wir wollen endlich die Q2 mit einem 35mm Objektiv 🙂Wann ist es soweit?

Leicaphone?

As much as I love this artist and his works, he uses the same verbiage for every interview and every book about his process or technique. He has basically created a very wordy way, in a very “Leica” way, of saying basic things. Take for example his point of departure story. He tells the same story all the time and then shrouds it in mystery by making the actual “point of departure” elusive to the audience. It can mean going to the store, or basing your works on a dream sequence. This is a Very vague and broad definition. This can confuse a reader or listener, this is elusive on purpose and makes him seem more mysterious. Take it with a grain of salt. I’ll sum things up, frankly and abruptly; make the pictureS YOU WANT to make. Don’t let another artist, who is rich and wealthy, make a script for your processes. Make your own script. Enjoy making art and be well.

I think the younger generation prefers 28mm purely because of iPhones. That is what they are trained to see and use.

Two great guys, and photographers! However, don't take anything they said too seriously. I have definitely seen great photographs taken with mobile phone and digital/film photographs taken with an wide angle lens. Everything in art is subjective. Slightly concerning is photographer's tendency to intellectualise their work by bringing in experiences of renaissance painters or sculptors etc. Photography doesn't need that kind of affirmation or validation.

Warum quatscjt der Kaufmann immer dazwischen? und ein Grund KEINE Leica zu kaufen. So ein benehmen ist unterste Schublade!

Some interesting bits but Wow .. not sure about all this very very subjective statements told with a slight smug laugh ... “50mm is THE LENS and 28mm is easier and anybody can shoot with it “ .. really ? Koudelka must be happy to learn that he waisted his time ...

Kaufman is a terrible interviewer. Stop interrupting Mr Gibson!!