LF Street Photog in NYC

Hi There

 

In NYC on St Patrick's Day, trying to avoid the crowds on 5th Ave, I noticed a

fellow quietly "lurking" next to a post at the SW corner of 5th & 42nd, St @

the north corner of the New york Public Library. He had a neat old Graflex

with a screw-in large !FLASHBULB! in a holder held together with an elastic

band.

 

He bought the camera in the 60s and had, he said, tens of thousand of

flashbulbs left. We reminisced about the old days- Willoughby's, The Camera

Barn etc. We traded data on our LF cameras and the lamented the decline of

film. He then took my picture, holding my D 200, with the Graflex (and the

flashbulb) on Fuji Instant film and put it in a folder and a very moderate sum

of money changed hands.

 

A few minuteds later he was gone but I had his Photo.<div></div>

yeah, I see him a lot on the west side of 34th street also

His name is Louis. Great Guy

What's the lens he had on? Where did he get that hood? Did he used the range finder?

 

I sold my Graflex a few years ago. Big mistake!

I've used a 2x3 Crown Graphic on the street in Philadelphia. People reacte quite differently to an old press camera.

Wait, you mean there's photographers that don't post on photo.net? Who woulda thunk it?

That is too cool.

There seem to be 2 rangefinders on his Crown Graphic!

Bart - this rangefinder is uncoupled from the viewfinder - thus the two circular windows.

The really cool accessory for this was called a "focuspot" - a light that attached to the back of

the rangefinder and projected outwards onto the subject, as two spots, which were then

brought together on the subject by focussing. Hmmm...probably couldn't think of using this

today without being nailed by homeland security!

Hi there again

 

I didn't ask about the lens or shade, but he did use the RF on the side and the flashbulb worked great with strong full sunlit backlighting.

Sorry Bart - I didn't even notice the side mounted rangefinder! So yes, there are two!

I believe his name is Luis Mendes

Here is another shot of your guy.

 

http://myloupe.com/home/detail-rf.php?image_id=194384&referring_seller=290

 

Paul

Oh, please, you're making me sad just thinking about Willoughby's, Camera Barn, and (of course) Olden Camera. Sniff!

Totally cool that an old-style street portraitist is still working.

 

Top rangefinder Pacemaker Graphic (but of course he'd hold it sideways for a vertical.) The square thing that looks similar to a side-mounted rangefinder is a flash bracket, isn't it?

I've done street photography with a Graflex Pacemaker but mostly I use my Polaroid 360 because it is lighter/smaller. Many street photographers worry about people's reaction to having their picture taken. When you use an older camera like this, people WANT to have their picture taken. If you can take two shots and exchange a print (or use 665 and give the print), you'll make a friend and generate some goodwill. You can take pictures of kids without seeming creepy. This guy looks like he has a lot of fun!

Lewis should start charging to have photographs made of him. ;>) I think I've seen his

picture on every forum that I peruse.

I think he makes plenty off of other photogs. He got $20 from me for a Polaroid.

forgot the caption, another.<div></div>

<A HREF="http://tinyurl.com/23b29k">Article about this guy</A> in New York Times from 1995 (may require login).

"I think he makes plenty off of other photogs. He got $20 from me for a Polaroid". That's not a bad price for New York. $20.00 is loose change in these parts. ;)And he is a celebrity.