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Author Topic: Without Prejudice 2  (Read 572095 times)

armand

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1180 on: November 29, 2015, 03:37:28 pm »

I don't usually do birds but here are few

armand

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1181 on: November 30, 2015, 10:16:08 am »

birders

Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1182 on: November 30, 2015, 10:21:28 am »

True birder:

Chairman Bill

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1183 on: November 30, 2015, 10:44:32 am »

Slobodan & Eric - thanks for the comments. Much appreciated

Rob C

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1184 on: December 01, 2015, 09:57:22 am »

My grandfather's pen, circa '48. It came as a set, complete with propelling pencil. I tried to use it once, but contemporary cheques turned out to be made on inferior, ink-running paper suited only to the ubiquitous Biro. Another example of things improving whilst actually becoming worse than before.

However, the broad nib was eminently suited to signing prints with a flourish. Nice 'n' crass.

Rob C

Chairman Bill

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1185 on: December 01, 2015, 02:04:54 pm »

Nice. I'm not so sure about the crass bit though

Rob C

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1186 on: December 02, 2015, 04:59:41 am »

Nice. I'm not so sure about the crass bit though


Neither am I, truth to tell; just passing the time looking for images within the things already present at home. I get so bored - no, blinded - by covering the same old few square kilos of this island every day that sometimes I feel it's better just saving the gas and looking around the pad instead. Been doing that, on and off, for quite a while, and I discovered that there's as much within as without - just needs the passage of time to renew the interest in both (for myself, at least, and that's what counts).

When we first came to live here, we visited every single bay, large or minute, that was reachable by car in the essential recce for photographic locations for calendar/fashion shoots. Found some beauts, but most of them have gone, raped and turned into themes of what Spain might have been had Disney bought it. Anyway, the times have changed, and driving for hours just to get happy snaps doesn't cut it for me. Never did: had to be a payday for all that discomfort. Long driving for pleasure meant France. Loved it.

Rob C

Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1187 on: December 02, 2015, 11:56:35 am »

Rob,

There's something especially fascinating about looking closely at an every-day object that you have been passing by thousands of times. And sharing those moments can inspire others to look more closely, too.

I took a workshop with landscape photographer Paul Caponigro many years ago. Although he has written lengthy essays in recent years, back then he didn't lecture or have much to say, at least verbally. When we weren't out photographing somewhere, he would show us prints of some of his own and of several other photographers. Most of the time he just showed a print for a couple of minutes, and then brought out a different one. But every now and then, he said: "Look!" and waited a bit longer.

And we did. And we had to make up our own minds what to look for. To me, that is the essence of good photography: just "Look!"

Your grandfather's pen got me looking around my cluttered office, and I began to look at one of the most mundane things around: the side of my desktop computer. Some day soon I may try to take a picture of it.

Until I do, Thanks, Rob!

-Eric
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Rob C

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1188 on: December 02, 2015, 01:26:10 pm »

Hi Eric,

Yes, there's merit in some mundane stuff after all. I sometimes think of the Leica 111 G-type of camera body, because it was partly adverts for it and other fancy products that I discovered (as a kid in India), on the pages of Life and other manistream US publications, that caused me a lot of interest in cameras, partly for their artistic possibilities, but more for their design, which, in common with Rolex, strike me as the most impressive design manifestations of them all. Of course, the tail of the  '59 Coupe de Ville is never forgotten... (I also liked the mean look of the snout of the Sabre Jet. The entire aircraft, in fact.) Actually, when I first saw the Leica bodies I was far more into Vincent Van Gogh, and that's exactly what I thought/hoped my future would be: paint. I soon realised I lacked the talent for paint, and the switch to photography was easy, mentally, but exceptionally difficult physically, because nobody I knew even believed photography was a 'proper' career, and the only pro known to any one of us lived down in London and shot stills for movies. I never met him, unfortunately. But all that's neither here nor there.

What's here, is that those old cameras do have a lot of design value, even the ugly old Exaktas had a certain clumsy, visual charm and they did help make damned good pictures, too. I think such things make for great subjects, if you have any of them to hand. I don't mean as cleverly-lit product shots, but just bits 'n' pieces, and like that. I think an old Contaflex lives somewhere in a cupboard - it wasn't mine - just dumped on me by somebody else who inherited it and didn't want to waste space. Must look for it some day... But shoot your computer first!

Rob

Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1189 on: December 02, 2015, 02:04:26 pm »

Rob,

I wonder if I can find the old 7-inch Aero Ektar lens I had, which I fitted into a hom,e-made lensboard for my Speed Graphic back in the day. It could be a good subject.

Or my father's Leica M3, which I handled once but never used to take pictures. I had a lowly Pentax, and when I handled the Leica, it was like holding a Rolls Royce in my hands. I have never experienced such a smooth feel to the focusing on any lens, or the clarity of the view finder. But it just felt so damned EXPENSIVE that I never dared take it outdoors for fear of dropping it. Sigh!

Eric
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Rob C

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1190 on: December 02, 2015, 04:18:44 pm »

Rob,

I wonder if I can find the old 7-inch Aero Ektar lens I had, which I fitted into a hom,e-made lensboard for my Speed Graphic back in the day. It could be a good subject.

Or my father's Leica M3, which I handled once but never used to take pictures. I had a lowly Pentax, and when I handled the Leica, it was like holding a Rolls Royce in my hands. I have never experienced such a smooth feel to the focusing on any lens, or the clarity of the view finder. But it just felt so damned EXPENSIVE that I never dared take it outdoors for fear of dropping it. Sigh!

Eric


I understand the emotion, Eric. When I bought my first 500 'blad I sat and read the booklet over and over and over again: there seemed to be so many things that I might do to make it falter, but in reality, it was a gently pussycat, and the only things ever to go wrong were the same, twice: delayed-action failure on the 50mm lens's shutter. It felt wonderfully tactile in a purposeful sort of way, and I eventually bought a prism finder (45° one) which felt odd at first, but then became the norm. The two ways the Rollei TLR beat it were shakeless hand-held work, and I felt the more generously checked Rollei screen was more useful than the fewer etchings on the 'blad's version.

The 'booklet' problem fades into nothingness when we compare it with the literature that accompanies even a modest, contemporary dslr. But, even there, we can discount so much about digital cameras and just set them up at the most manual setting we like, and then they generally keep out of our way.

Rob

armand

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1191 on: December 02, 2015, 08:54:22 pm »

.

Rob C

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1192 on: December 03, 2015, 11:14:57 am »

Hi Eric,

I think an old Contaflex lives somewhere in a cupboard - it wasn't mine - just dumped on me by somebody else who inherited it and didn't want to waste space. Must look for it some day... But shoot your computer first!

Rob

Yep, I found it Eric, and now I know why I was 'gifted' it: the mirror's jammed up and the blades within the lens don't seem to move open even though the shutter mechanism makes a hideous din. In other words, junk.

But everything has value: come summer and all going well, I shall actually try to remember to use it as a doorstop; it is certainly heavy enough, especially within its lovely, hard, leather case. (I better be careful of conjoining words like hard and leather - you know what the PC police are like...! Conjoin? Heavens, even that sounds suspiciously like something naughty in Spanish!)

Of course, my F3 will never knowingly be used by myself as stopper. But naturally, everyone knows that already.

I don't think that I'll be snapping the Contaflex at all.

;-)

Rob

Rob C

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1193 on: December 03, 2015, 11:26:42 am »

One thing about winter out here is this: 'tis the season the farmers etc. are legally permitted to start bonfires which, thought they might endanger the planet's long-term future, do allow for the cultivation of fresh stuff for the more near future. There's something attractive, almost mystical in distant smoke. Reminds me (smoke, not the pic) not of red indians (is that still okay to write?), but of that famous scene about "the smell of napalm in the morning".

Rob

Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1194 on: December 03, 2015, 12:31:20 pm »

I like the photo, Rob, but it doesn't smell like napalm to me.
Then again, I am happy to report that I have no idea what napalm actually smells like, as I was excused from military duty because of my bad hearing.

Eric
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Rob C

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1195 on: December 03, 2015, 01:20:49 pm »

I like the photo, Rob, but it doesn't smell like napalm to me.
Then again, I am happy to report that I have no idea what napalm actually smells like, as I was excused from military duty because of my bad hearing.

Eric


I was also excused - because I was spending the time in alternative capture: engineering. By the time press-ganging ended, I was also able to turn a deaf ear (oop`s!) to all entreaties and do what I'd always wanted to do: become a learner smudger. Shame so many years were wasted avoiding one PITA but paying much the same time-price for enlisting in another. C'est la vie.

Rob

Rob C

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1196 on: December 06, 2015, 10:57:03 am »

Seasonal mood:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I2f1UJjiAA

Rob C


Told you you can have fun jus' shootin' around the house...

;-)
« Last Edit: December 06, 2015, 11:01:28 am by Rob C »
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1197 on: December 06, 2015, 01:26:30 pm »

I never thought of brushing my teeth with Chanel. #5 is it?  ;)
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Rob C

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1198 on: December 06, 2015, 02:17:54 pm »

I never thought of brushing my teeth with Chanel. #5 is it?  ;)

5, indeed, but not a good idea for the teeth. The spray was, apparently, good for a quick squirt at the throat before going to the Sunday market to buy the week's veggies, but the little bottle was the real deal, and no longer exists chez moi. It went to Scotland with my daughter.

Sadly funny: feeling low one day, I thought I'd remove the black top and have a little sentimental sniff: unfortunately, I got the damned spray right in my eyes. Sentiment immediately flew right out the window - the howl was one of fright!

Leave lady things alone, I think, is the moral of the tale.

Rob

Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Without Prejudice 2
« Reply #1199 on: December 06, 2015, 03:10:34 pm »

Leave lady things alone, I think, is the moral of the tale.

Rob
Yes. They can fight back.
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