robert_byrd1

If you want to hire her, I can certainly give you the contact information. Alas, she brings her boyfriend along to the shoots. Anyway, thanks for the good words.

<<A moderator should be invisible....>>

 

I agree. He has to make certain moves behind the scenes; but in the public area, he should be unseen and unheard except on narrowly photographic matters.

Bob, I'm not so sure you take those words seriously if the attacks come from the Left. I've been called a bastard, a bigot, a "f--cking jerk," and even had one guy ask people to pay me a visit and "beat the crap" out of me. I can't say these abuses daunt me particularly, but their persistence throws into question whether personal attacks are evenhandedly discouraged.

I think I posted this in the general area a few months back.

Anyway, I'll run the risk of repeating myself...<div></div>

Marc,

 

Was the karate for self-defense, or just for physical fitness? If for the latter, the outcome was ironic. If for the former, did you ever have to, you know, beat somebody up and yell at the same time?

 

I was getting into restoring old cars until I realized how much time it was burning up. It's as bad as darkroom work, which is saying a lot.

Wasn't it discovered that "Takkinda's" self-portraits came from Asian magazines?

Oops. You have to have the pistol grip as well as the Rolleifix.

Of course my shots belong here. "T" is for "Topical," and "A" is for "Artistic."

 

So, now you know! ;-)

That must be a Pacemaker Speed Graphic. Do you use barrel-mount lenses on it?

The potato-masher type of flash unit works quite well with a Rollei. Also, if you get a Rolleifix, you can attach a flash bracket right onto the grip. That's really a neat arrangement.

Csab,

 

Here's a hint: my shots are usually more "a" than "t." :-)

Oh, Patrick,

 

I do use an M3, actually, but with an MR meter on it. And you are right: using it w/o the onboard meter and relying on a handheld meter does slow the process down. What I'm not so certain about is whether that slowing down is necessarily good. Sometimes if you think about a shot, the "decisive moment" gets away.

Thang, don't let the secret out: MF lenses are aphrodisiac!

 

Next time I post a picture, I will keep you in mind...

 

:-)

Csab, I agree. It was a charming turn of phrase.

 

I also agree with the above poster who mentioned the use of a Rolleiflex, with Rolleikin, as a portrait camera. Set up this way, the Rollei is wonderfully easy to use: the frame is vertical without having to rotate the camera, and you can actually see when your subject blinked during the exposure. Plus, the image quality on 35mm is a wonder: you are using the sweet center of a lens that is already fantastic.

 

Above is a portrait taken with a Rollei on 35mm film. Even through a so-so scan, the Planar lens speaks for itself.<div></div>

Grant, without technique, seeing and feeling don't help you much. You're like a very perceptive and emotional actor who stands with his back to the audience and speaks too quietly to be heard.

 

BTW, that's the longest post I've seen from you. Two cups of coffee this morning?

Well, until the forum rules change, I will assume that the occasional picture isn't a problem for most members. This forum, as you may have noticed, lacks for posts sometimes; perhaps some activity isn't a bad thing.

 

I respect your point; but until the rules do indeed change, you could just skip over my posts. Out of deference to your opinion, however, I am not attaching a picture to this response. :-)

The phrase "insist to post" implies a defiance of opposition. I wasn't aware of any opposition to posting pictures in a forum. Look over at the Leica and Nikon forums to see what I mean.

 

I think Minolta pictures are topical if they are taken with cameras or lenses that you don't see cited very often in the general gallery. I refer to MF equipment. I also think, by posting in a focused forum (no pun intended), you reach an audience that can give better feedback than some of what you see in the general gallery.

 

Does it bother you to see pictures in a forum? I get the impression that most people rather like a break from technicalities.

With a camera as small, quiet, and quick as a Leica--and factoring

in the low cost of 35mm film--I find myself shooting without

thinking. I just see something, grab it, and go on. This has good

and bad effects; I'm trying to decide if the good outweighs the

bad. When you don't think, you let the creative, instinctual part

of your mind take over. You also unleash foolish impulsiveness.

The result is some good frames mixed in with a lot of bad ones.

 

Here's what I'm thinking. Maybe every Leica shooter should take a

break from 35mm and shoot for a time in MF or even LF, working

slowly and thougtfully. Perhaps that will train your instincts,

allowing a higher ratio of good shots when you go back to Leica.

After all, the piano improvisations of someone who is a skilled

pianist will be superior to the improvisations of someone who hasn't

studied at all. Or do you disagree?

Fine color study, Dennis.

The second is better.

Another foliage shot...<div></div>

And here's a detail from the second shot.<div></div>

True. The chairs aren't blurred. Must be aberrations. The near parts of the chairs were my point of focus. Here's another shot taken with the same lens on the same day. This is at f5.6. Notice the beautiful bokeh in the foliage and the fine detail in the tree bark. There's a reason why this was a sought-after lens.<div></div>

"eBaying" Is that the sound of an electronic hound?

 

 

:-)

This one taken with the same kit. Both were on Tri-X.<div></div>