Member Spotlight

On this page we focus on a selection of LSI members, their stories, and photographs. Let us know if you’d like to share your story with us!

David Smith, London, Ontario CA

A collector’s journey from microscopes to cancer to cameras

My passion for film photography began with a different sort of vintage lens, the kind you mount to an aged brass microscope. I’m a biologist and have always been fascinated with antique microscopes, even though my research is mostly done on computers. During the covid pandemic, the biology department at Western University (Ontario, Canada), where I work as a professor, took advantage of empty labs and classrooms to purge old, obsolete equipment. Every day when I came to work, I’d stroll past forlorn microscopes sitting in the hallway awaiting their trip to the dump. Being the son of an antique dealer (my mom), I couldn’t leave these beautiful, 100-year-old scopes to such a sad fate, so I started hoarding them in my office. Thus, began my journey as an antique microscope collector. 

Many of the scopes I rescued were made by Ernst Leitz GmbH. I was immediately enamored by the quality and craftmanship of their microscopes and by the fact that after more than a century they still worked! Some of the scopes even include specialized analog camera attachments, allowing scientists of past to take 35mm film photos of their specimens. There were even black paint microscopes, showing the same kind of unique “brassing” patterns that are so sought after by camera collectors.

As my microscope addiction took hold, I began bidding on antique scientific items at auction and eventually my office became a small “Leitz” museum. Students and colleagues would squeeze through the door, stepping over dusty wooden slide boxes and 1920’s display stands and say: “David, I think you have a problem.” Through my interest in microscopes, I ended up reading and learning a lot about the development of early Leica “Barnack” film cameras, which were designed and assembled in the same factory making the microscopes and share many similarities with early Leitz microscope cameras, like the Mifilmca. However, the high cost of antique Leica cameras, as compared to the microscopes, meant that I could only appreciate them from afar.  

On July 24, 2022, my microscope hoarding was put on hold. I woke up with a terrible pain in my abdomen and by the evening I was free of my appendix. At first, I thought that this was only a small setback to an otherwise stellar summer. But soon enough I was dealt a diagnosis of colon cancer (at the age of 41), almost five years to the day that my father passed way from cancer (carcinoma). At this point, my story will be familiar to anyone with first- or second-hand experiences of cancer: hospital waiting rooms, medical imaging departments, surgical wards, chemotherapy units… In the weeks following my diagnosis, I not only felt robbed of my health but stripped of my passion for science and collecting as well. I was so anxious, I struggled to do even the most basic of things, like respond to emails or go grocery shopping. I realized sitting around feeling sorry for myself wasn’t helpful. I needed a renewed purpose and something constructive with which to distract myself.

That something turned out to be a 1971 mint-condition Leica M4 rangefinder camera with a 50mm Summicron lens. Despite growing up in a mostly analog age (I was born in 1981), this was the first real film camera I’d owned, apart from disposable cameras. I bought some Kodak 400 TMax film, figured out how to load it, and then chased my wife and 6-year-old son around the backyard yelling at them to “hold still and not blink.” I brought the exposed roll to a local film studio (allthingsfilm.ca) and a few days later downloaded the scanned negatives.

I wasn’t expecting anything exceptional from that first roll. Of course, my exposure and composition were way off and most of the photos were mediocre at best. Still, something about the analog quality of the images warmed my heart. I returned to them again and again over the coming days. Seeing my wife and son on film was the perfect antidote to the depression I’d been feeling. I was hooked. Any film enthusiast will relate to my ensuing behaviours: carrying my camera everywhere, sneaking out of the house to buy film, obsessively researching vintage lenses, and watching YouTube videos about gear I don’t need and can’t afford.

It’s been over two years since I was diagnosed with cancer. Dealing with the uncertainty of my health is a daily struggle, but I’m so happy I found film photography. When I pick up a half-century-old mechanical camera, feel brass on my fingertips, and the tactile release of the shutter some of my anxiety melts away. Moreover, the process of taking analog photos, including practicing proper exposure and creative composition, has been a constructive remedy for all the unconstructive changes my body and mind have undergone. Photography has also given me renewed meaning in life—to spend more time focusing on the things that matter, especially family and friends.

I’ve never considered myself an artistic or creative person, but film photography has somehow activated that part of my brain and personality, which I think will ultimately make me a better scientist and a more well-rounded person. Although I have a lot to learn about taking good photos, I do feel that I’m slowly cultivating my own style or at least certain preferences. I love portraits as well as images with a sense of absurdity and/or humour. I shoot mostly black and white (TMax 100 is my favourite film stock) and Leica rangefinders are still my go-to choice for cameras, although a 50mm Summilux has replaced the Summicron as my everyday lens. 

Sometimes friends will ask me: “Are you angry at having had cancer at such a young age?” “No,” I say. “I never questioned the universe when all the good things happened, so what right do I have to question it now that I've hit a rough patch? Moreover, I've had and continue to have a wonderful life, and whether I make it to 44 or 84, I consider myself lucky.” It sucks to get cancer, but I’m grateful that it led me to finding photography. Whatever time I have left, I’m confident that film photography will continue to give me meaning and purpose.  

Scott Foley, TX USA

My name is Scott Foley and I currently reside in Schertz, Texas.  I served on active duty in the US Air Force for almost 27 years and retired in 2015.  currently work as a government contractor supporting US Fish and Wildlife which has afforded me the opportunity to travel all across the United States over the last three years.  I also teach three online master’s degree level classes for the Center for Development of Security Excellence under the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.  Lastly, I am the official photographer for the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo here in San Antonio, Texas. 

I have been a photographer all of my life.  From pre high school days working in the darkroom with my father, to photographing a World Series in Boston…I have always had a camera with me.  I was exposed to Leica cameras as a little kid hanging out in my Dad’s camera store in Amherst, MA.  My Dad bought and sold Leica cameras which allowed me to experiment.  Back then, my favorite combo was the R4 with the Leica APO-Telyt-R 280mm/F2.8 Lens.  More recently, I have shot with a Leica SL2 and would love to own an M11 someday.

For my sports and most professional work, I have transitioned from Canon DSLR to a stint with Fuji mirrorless and then Sony mirrorless (several years) and until recently (Jan 2023) I made the switch to a pair of Nikon Z9s.  I also shoot with a Hasselblad X2D.  My current Leica arsenal is my original R4 from high school (late 80s) and a Q2 and Q2M.  I do have a Q3 on preorder with the Leica Store of Miami. 

The three images below are a few favorites…the Coastal Brown Bear was taken at Katmai NP in Alaska with a Fujifilm GFX 100s with 250mm. The Saddle Bronc rider was with the Nikon Z9 this past February and the Cowgirl on the horse with the Flag was taken with a Leica SL2.

My goal is to one day tour the Leica factory in Germany, hopefully during one of the annual meetings.  I really enjoy being a part of the LHSA and hope to meet fellow members in person at a future event.

I have most of my work displayed on my website, Scott Foley Photography dot com but also keep an active Instagram @S_Foley_Photography.

Milbert O. Brown, Jr. Columbia, MD USA

For the past four decades, Milbert 0. Brown, Jr., has been considered one of Black America's most gifted storytellers. He has been a spiritual leader in presenting the cultural tapestry of African American life through his duties as an editor, educator, photojournalist, and writer. Brown's classic photographic journey has reflected the melodies of the Black communities' joy and struggles. His work, in every instance, showcases a total commitment to excellence and a profound respect for humanity.

Some of his images were produced when he served as a photojournalist and visual editor at two of the nation's top newspapers, the Boston Globe and the Chicago Tribune. While on staff at the Tribune, Brown was awarded the 2001 “Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for Explanatory Reporting” as a contributing team member. Some of his career highlights also included his coverage of South Africa's all-race elections, the post-civil war in Liberia, and the NBA Finals. 

During Brown’s secondary occupation as a college professor, he taught photography and media at two of America’s most prestigious Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU); Howard and Wilberforce Universities.  

The Indiana native graduated from Morgan State University with a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership. Dr. Brown earned a Master of Arts degree from Ohio University's School of Visual Communication and a B.S. in Journalism from Ball State University. Today, Dr. Brown combines his talents in producing independent multimedia projects as the principal consultant of Brown Images. He is also completing his book project titled, “Just Us: The Black Experience in America.”

Mike Guillermo, San Francisco, California, USA

My name is Mike Guillermo and I am a registered travel nurse. I am 28 years old and I purchased my first Leica in March 2022. I have always used Sony cameras in the past but once I discovered the Leica Q2, I couldn't stop thinking about it and kept researching about it on YouTube. I ordered it and couldn't be more satisfied with it. It was perfect timing as my travels for the year were about to ramp up. 

It's December now and my girlfriend and I have visited Hawaii, France, Germany, Brazil, and much of our current working state in California. The Q2 is simply amazing. I could go on and describe what I love about it but it will probably be similar to what everyone else is saying. What I will conclude with is that the Q2 re-energized my fascination with photography. I get excited about bringing it wherever I go and to me that is worth all of what it costs. I have a copious amount of images to look back on for the year of 2022 and I cannot wait to continue exploring the world with my Q2. I envision that in the future my favorite photos will be framed and proudly displayed in my home. For now, I share most of my photos on Instagram @youlikemike