From the series Dias eternos, Maracaibo, Venezuela, 2018 by Ana María Arévalo Gosen
While every week seems to bring innovation in camera technology these days, the launch 100 years ago of the groundbreaking Leica I changed popular photography forever.
Introduced to the world at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1925, the Leica I became the first truly successful 35mm camera and was a major step in revolutionising camera technology and photography. In its first year, 850 of the cameras were sold, followed by a succession of other models released by Leica.
The Leica camera was used by some of the world’s most renowned photographers, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa and W Eugene Smith.
Here, four top image-makers share the story behind an image they've taken using a Leica camera.
1. From the series Dias eternos, Maracaibo, Venezuela, 2018 by Ana María Arévalo Gosen (see main image above)
This photograph is part of Días eternos, a project that began upon my return to Venezuela after years away. What I found was a justice system unravelling, particularly for isolated and forgotten women – many of them mothers.
In the shadows of a crumbling system, five women are preparing a volleyball net inside Ana María Campos II prison. The air was heavy, yet in this moment, something almost tender unfolded: a fragile routine offering pause from a harsher reality.
It was shot with my Leica Q, a quiet companion throughout this work. Its small size and wide lens let me easily move in tight, layered spaces. Its silence grants intimacy. In dim light, it sees what the eye alone might miss. It feels like memory made visible.
2. Untitled, Long Island, New York, 2024 by Ralph Gibson HonFRPS
I consider reality to be the highest form of abstraction. With this in mind, the event depicted becomes a moot point. The simplest, most humble, most quotidian objects assume the highest importance. The impetus to photograph is derived from a clear perception of the subject. The act of perception becomes the subject of the photograph.
I learned photography in the darkroom in the late 1950s. In those days, it was about carefully measuring powder chemicals and precisely pouring them into water and stirring until one had a gallon of developer. The films and lenses those days were slow and offered little latitude in exposure. There was a lot to learn.
In 1961 I bought my first Leica, an M2 with a 50mm Summicron lens. Fifty-five years later, Leica approached me regarding the endorsement of the new digital Monochrom – my name was engraved on a limited edition black-and-white camera. I was initially not interested, until I took my first frame with the camera and loved the results.
The technical learning curve was not too steep. I did the only thing I knew about digital. I turned the shutter speed dial to ‘A’ and have not loaded a roll of film since 2012.
3. ‘Fez, Morocco, 1983’ by Joel Meyerowitz HonFRPS
Street life in Fez was exciting, mysterious and always filled with unpredictable and often simultaneous surprises. Here is a man spinning a dowel which is twisting a 10m-long strand of wool, an ancient method still in use while, at the same time, dozens of kids are kicking a soccer ball around in the beautiful late light.
Just moments before I arrived, a donkey laden with bales of red wool was driven up this flight of steps. Had I only been there 30 seconds earlier …
4. ‘The gentle one, Tiger Beach, the Bahamas, 2022’ by Marc Stickler
This underwater photograph captures a majestic tiger shark cruising gracefully over the sandy seafloor, accompanied by a group of remoras and jacks. It was taken at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas, a world-renowned hotspot for shark encounters. The image tells a story of raw marine power and delicate ecological balance. I wanted to portray the quiet elegance of one of the ocean’s top predators in its natural environment.
Shot using a Leica SL2-S housed in a Seacam underwater housing, the camera’s exceptional dynamic range and low-light performance allowed me to work with available natural light, preserving the serene blue tones and detail in both the shark’s body and the shimmering fish surrounding it. It’s a moment of awe, captured with precision.
Discover more devotees of the Leica camera, including Steve McCurry HonFRPS and Lynn Johnson, in the July-September 2025 issue of the RPS Journal.
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