"OUT OF THIS WORLD" AUGUST 1955

[al_kaplan1]

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[al_kaplan1]

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[al_kaplan1]

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[al_kaplan1]

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[al_kaplan1]

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[al_kaplan1]

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[al_kaplan1]

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[al_kaplan1]

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[dan flanders]

Does that camera have perspective control?

[________1]

I'm assuming that's your parole officer? ;-)

[ray .]

On that first one (and one or 2 others I think from previous

threads) where you've distorted your face into a cartoon

character, I think you could be onto something... if you made an

issue out of that. The rest are fairly boring; too many that are too

simialar.

[Brad_]

I think Ray is being overly generous.

[belledeux diana]

`<I>...that makes the magic...distorts....etc....</I><div></div>

[al_kaplan1]

The first photo shows me holding my Zippo lighter on August first when it became 50 years old. I bought it 25 or so years ago from Mary Poh when she had an antique shop and have carried it with me ever since. On one side is engraved "OUT OF THIS WORLD" AUGUST - 1955

The other side has the SOAP BOX DERBY logo and 18th ALL-AMERICAN

 

About the only pro photo supply left around here is World Wide Photo and the young lady and I were obviously having a serious discussion about the continued availability of Ilford supplies when Kodak goes bye-bye. Noplace else has as large a selection of film, paper and chemicals, not to mention the service with a smile!

 

My usual hang out at Starbucks has a wide assortment of interesting people from a photography student from nearby Florida International University examining his negatives with the loupe I keep in my truck to a couple with a guy confined to a wheelchair. Even a couple of the Starbucks employees coming outside to the legal-to-smoke patio for their break.

 

The office scene is me with my accountant, Desmond Marsh, trying to come up with better ways to reduce my tax burden now that I'm overwhelmed with orders for signed double weight silver gelatin prints of my 15mm self portrait series.

[al_kaplan1]

Harry, it's just a Bessa L with a standard unmodified 15mm VC Heliar held at arm's length, no perspective control, just a "sixth sense" and a bit of luck. They're all printed full frame.

 

The "parole officer" is my accountant. So far I haven't been arrested for any of my nefarious deeds.

[pensacolaphoto]

Al,

Just keep on shooting the way you do. Interesting stuff.

[dan flanders]

My comment was supposed to be sarcasm. I suppose I should have appended and emoticon. . . (:^[

[richard c gilles]

Oh, you hand hold the Bessa. That is tricky.

[jonathan_reynolds]

Al, I've been trying to figure out how you press the shutter button when you're holding the camera at arm's length in your right hand.....? Beats me. Please satisfy my curiosity!

[ronald_moravec1]

I think Al has a motor and foot switch. That`s the secret of his success.

 

I wish he would get the 12mm so we could see what his legs look like.

[al_kaplan1]

The advantage of the Bessa L over an M is the extreme light weight. I've tried this with my CL body too but the camera is really too small to get a decent one handed grip. It should be obvious that some are shot with the left hand, others with the right. With the right hand my thumb is directly above the lens pressing on the front of the camera, index finger arched over the finder, the other three fingers pushed against the camera back. The finder actually offers stability against my hand in this position. I wind to the next frame by pushing the wind lever with my middle finger. Left handed my pinky is supporting the bottom of the camera, index finger on the shutter release, ring and middle finger on the back, thumb pressing the front just below the shutter speed dial. I wind by pulling the lever with my index finger.

 

If I shot some verticals you'd notice that I do have feet. I know I've got at least one of my feet showing in a few pix where I'm seated with my legs crossed, but might not have posted any.

 

I really get a kick out of people complaining about how inaccurate the viewfinder is on Leica M bodies. I've probably shot about 40 or so rolls like this without ever once looking through the finder.

[laurenm]

Like the first one Al, real different!

[paul_neuthaler]

My God, what a face!<div></div>

[john_r._fulton_jr.]

<I>I really get a kick out of people complaining about how inaccurate the viewfinder is on

Leica M bodies. I've probably shot about 40 or so rolls like this without ever once looking

through the finder.</I><P>Using the viewfinder is highly over-rated. Hi, Al, I hope all's

well. (Looks like it is). Heh.

[michael s.]

In this group, I like the one of you and the attractive woman at the camera shop. Seems she's about to vault the counter to leap into your waiting arms. Or something like that ....