Leica, Photography

The New Leica CL

I've been dreaming of a smaller Leica body that could fit M-Lenses for years...

The Leica CL represents the juxtaposition of iconic design and advanced technical standards.  Working with a Leica M rangefinder is fun, but totally unsuited for my type of photography.  I love to focus fast and shoot quick action, I don’t personally have time to deal with a rangefinder.  The new Leica CL EVF viewfinder and Focus peek ease the use of manual focus lenses.

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Why Im not using Leica Lenses?

2 years ago I discovered the Voiglander Lenses, a full manual lenses Danish manufacturer, creating M-Lenses at a fifth of the Leica’s price.  The Voiglander have an ultra vintage look and work perfectly with Leica bodies.  Im currently shooting with the following lenses on the Leica CL.

75 mm/1:1,8 Heliar Classic VM

75 mm/1:1,8 Heliar Classic VM Perfect for high end portrait lens.  The longest focal length for the VM bayonet has an image angle of 33.2 degrees and, in conjunction with the high initial aperture of 1: 1.8, is ideal for demanding portrait photography with rangefinder or (adapted) system cameras.

28 mm/1:2,0 Ultron VM

An high-speed wide-angle lens is ideal for landscape photography and reportage as well as group photos and offers 75 degrees diagonal angle of view.

Kitesurfing, Leica, Photography, Stories, Travel

Magdalen’s Short Flight

Magdalen’s Short Flight

Today we took my friend Ronald’s plane and flew from Montreal to the Magdalen’s Islands for a quick 3 days trip…  

Goodbye endless check-in & security, from door to door it took only 4.5h with a quick stop to Moncton NB.

I had a new kite to test (SOLO V4 9m).  When we landed the wind was already blowing 25-30 knots, therefor we headed straight to the beach for a quick onshore wave session.

Leica, Music, Photography

Sunday Afternoon

Sunday Afternoon
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All Those Shades

I haven’t touch a guitar in months;
Maybe today I will…

Common sense sitting outside here today. I’ve got it all.

Money and fame, you standing by my side. Hit Me.

Total perfectness something in the way passing by. You felt it too
I’ll tell what it’s like on the other side.

Hit Me.

It a type of hurricane, stunning force pulling me away. Hold my hand tight on this Sunday afternoon.
It’s a type of hurricane, crazed force, memories collide. Hold my hand still on this Sunday afternoon.

Longing forgiveness
there’s only room for one on this ship..wreck Sullivan was right

I’m destined to levitate weightlessly.

Common sense
shut outside here today, so patiently. You even said

you’ll wait until I win this fight.

We will soon become free lovers.
Time will send me back to us. My memories collide. Time will send me back to us. My memories collide. Time will send me back to us. My memories collide.

Design, Photography, Standup Paddle Board, Stories

The Rapid

Earlier this year, I had the chance to co-design this amazing Race Standup Board piece of art with Lee Kline.  I had not designed an SUP board in years, it felt good to get back into the saddle.

Beau Lake Rapid Drawing water colors

The Brief

The weekend racer is made with carbon fibre and Macassar ebony wood. Its length, shape, piercing nose design and flat bottom makes this board ultra fast and justifies its name. The Rapid. Also named after the lake bearing its name on the western shore of Cabonga Reservoir in the Outaouais region of Quebec. All paddleboard purchases come with a free travel bag. It’s our way of saying thank you for caring for your board.

  • Length 14′ 
  • Width 26″ 
  • Thickness 8.5″
  • Volume 281L 
  • Weight 26.4lbs / 12kgs
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GRRRRrrrrrrr... One of the coldest day of the winter, Vincent Bergeron and I tested and shot the Rapid for the first time, in -35° Celcius on the St-Lawrence river.

Julien Fillion

Special thanks to my long time friend Corran Addison, who taught me lots about Standup Up Race boards design.  

Design, Kitesurfing, Stories

How small is too small?

  • A foilboard the size of a turtle, really?
Prototype Size
3 Foot Foilboard

We’ve been part of the foil revolution for several years now, leading today’s market by introducing the extruded aluminium mast and CNC fuselages. We tried so many different ideas for kiteboarding hydrofoil and prone surfing hydrofoil in the last several years. Couple months ago I saw Brandon Scheid pulling out of his board bag the smallest foilboard I had ever seen (designed by Peter Mehrohof). I got my hands on the following prototype and spent some time riding this tiny board, figuring out how small kiteboarding hydrofoil could really be? It took a session or 2 to get in-tuned with the board, then it started to feel amazing under my feet. 

Although I feel 3’ is way to small for average kiteboarders, it gave us tons ideas for future lightweight product development.

  • How small can a kite foilboard really be?
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Design, Kitesurfing, Stories, Travel

Kite Design Coffee Shop

It is no secret that I love coffee shops, I’m doing my best and most creative work sitting in coffee shops around the globe. In this particular picture, early morning in Mexico, I had skipped the coffee shop to team up with Gary Siskar and Jason Slezak and talk about the future of kite design.

It takes a whole lot of creative minds and kite testers to design great kites.

Julien Fillion

Photo Vincent Bergeron

Kitesurfing, Photography, Stories, Travel

Hello Magdalen

The Magdalen Islands are an amazing small archipelago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with a land area of 205.53 square kilometres.

Though closer to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, the islands are part of the Canadian province of Quebec. I’ve been traveling to the Magdalen’s since my young windsurfing days… 

Three years ago, we setup the Liquid Force summer photoshoot in the Magdalen’s, it was amazing.  Having pros Brandon Scheid, Sensi Graves there along with photographer Vincent Bergeron,  the imagery came out rad!

Here’s Brandon Scheid & Vincent Bergeron lobster finish.