August 30, 2004

On a side note, my CV 35mm Classic is still away for repairs...It has come back twice with the problem not fixed yet. I've sent it back a third time. Hopefully, this time around the lens will actually get fixed. What kills me is that it's a pretty obvious problem. All you have to do is stick the lens on a camera body and focus on infinity and it's pretty self-evident there's something wrong. Oh well...

I may have to start looking for another 35 or a fast 28. I like the 25mm skopar i have, but it's a bit slow at f4. The Leica 24mm costs around 2k, so that's obviously out of my budget. Maybe I'll plunk down the cash and get the VC 28mm Ultron. The only thing that concerns me is if the build is like the 35mm Ultron, which I thought felt a little cheap.

August 30, 2004

I spent all last night printing and sent off my grant via Fed Ex this morning. Well, here's hoping...

Here are some pics from this weekend.

August 28, 2004

A little slow on the posts for the next few days. I'm applying for an Ilfrod material grant and am trying to get my images and copy together. Ugh.

August 26, 2004

A new cafe is opening in the East Village, The Blue Nile. I ran into the owner, Khalid, while he was putting some finishing touches on the paint. I told him about my project and showed him some pictures and he wanted to participate. I snapped some photos during our conversation...

August 25, 2004

Steel reels. Love em or hate em. I've decided to make the switch from plastic to steel reels to increase the volume of film I can develop. Currently, the most I can develop at one time is 4 rolls of 35mm, or 2 rolls of 120 per hour. Not bad, but I've been shooting a lot more these past few weeks. If I convert to steel, I'll be able to develop 8 rolls of 35mm or 4 rolls of 120 per hour.

I bought 8 reels and a metal tank yesterday from Terry's. They gave me a short tutorial a few days ago and I've been practicing on a single reel and finally decided to take the jump. Results? Well, the film was crimped to hell and 2 rolls collapsed so the film was undeveloped. These were B rolls, so nothing I can't go back and shoot.

I couldn't figure out for the life of me why I was having such a tough time loading some reels and an easy time loading others. It took me literally an hour to load the 8 reels in a dark bag yesterday. Some of the rolls just fought me every centimeter of the reel.

It dawned on me that the reels are spirals and that there is "right" direction to load them. You have to roll them in the direction of the spiral. Something that no one mentioned to me. I was under the impression that you just stick the film in the center and match it to the spaces in the spiral. Before I get flamed, you have to keep in mind I had little or no instruction on how to load these damn things. Oh well, some lessons you have to learn the hard way. Now I know and knowing is half the.....

In other news, the word is Ilford is having some problems and entering receivership (something like Chapter 11, I understand). Does this mean no more HP5? Should I start hoarding film? I ordered two bulk rolls and a 250 box the other day. The news sort of depressed me. There are already hardly any films or papers left as is. Right when I'm getting the hang of BW photography everything is drying up :)

August 23, 2004

Images from the Soundwalk.

August 22, 2004

I'm tired. I spent about six hours last night photographing the Soundwalk. Sound installations were set up all around the buildings in the East Village. It was pretty cool and the attendance seemed pretty good. There were some pretty amazing pieces.

I shot 6 rolls of HP5. I brought along fifteen and 10 rolls of Neopan 1600. Even after it got dark, I stayed with the Ilford just because I havent been too happy with the shadow detail in my Neo negs. Many of my shots after dark were at 1/15th and even down to an 1/8th. The negs I developed last night looked pretty good.

I took the bus home at about 10:30pm and took a quick breather and developed four rolls. I'm going to develop a couple more after this entry. I wish I could develop more than 4 at a time. I've been practicing on a steel reel so I can develop more film at one time, but they are difficult to load. I can load a plastic reel in about 15 seconds. It takes me about 2 minutes to do a steel reel and that's if I don't buckle the film and screw up the loading. Ack.

This month I went through 2 bulk rolls of HP5!!! I need a grant :) I wrote to Ilford about a material grant and they're sending me an application, which is due September 1st. Ugh. Hope it gets here in time. Ok, back to developing...

August 20, 2004

I got my film drying cabinet yesterday! It looks like a tall highschool locker, with a lamp and low heat fan. I can dry film in fifteen minutes now, instead of having to wait a few hours. I developed 8 rolls of 35mm yesterday (6 of which I shot that day during the Stroll and Savor).

I took photos at Fern's Garden for their grand opening. Here are some pics so far from Fern. I have tons of neg sheets to go through to complete the timeline, but these are the results from a long session last night. Forgive the trite captions and big chronological gap in the middle...

Fern on opening day.

A dream becoming reality.

James taking a break from painting.

The Fern Family at work.

Boy in awe of all the chimes and merchandise.

Busy day on the first day.

Customer #00000000001

August 18, 2004

I've been trying something new with my photographic approach. I've been really consciously trying to shoot a photo when I feel like shooting a photo. I know this sounds silly, but there really is an invisible wall to overcome with photography sometimes. We're conditioned not to stare, not to look when we're not suppose to. An extension of that, is that it's rude to take a stranger's photo, you're invading personal space.

So in the last few days I've been trying to rewire my instincts. In a way it's very liberating and thrilling, like a special secret power. Of course, it helps if you can do it quickly. I'm also making it a thoughtless process to change the exposure on my camera. When I walk from sun to shadow I open a set number of stops, when I get on the bus I know what the settings will be (f4/60 - f2.8/60), when I go to the stores I'm shooting at I know what the exposures should be (Portfolios ranges from f4/30-f5/60, Fern's Garden ranges from f2.8/60-f5/60, etc.,). I've found that leaving my lens focused at 10 feet gives me the quickest access to different distances. It's a short throw to infinity and a medium throw to 5 feet. I've been playing a game where I pick out an object and prefocus the distance on my lens to see how close I got. I can get pretty close, usually only needing minor adjustment.

I'm also looking for interesting compositions. In the HCB interview with Charlie Rose there were two moments that I found the most informative. When he was describing when he knew how to shoot he did this little flair with his hand, as if to say, you just know. Instinct. When you sense a moment of beauty, shoot. The other was when he said he shoots to "give pleasure" to his eye. Composition. It sounds a little nonsensical, but makes perfect sense if you're a graphic designer. Certain combinations of forms and shapes and space are pleasing. My day job requires me to move pictures and text and colors into something that makes sense. Moving the same elements around, I make some compositions that are pleasing and others that are a visual cacaphony.

The only downside of this approach is that you shoot more film. :) I've already gone through one bulk roll this month and may have to buy another. This weekend is going to be a busy one. The East Village is having a Sound Walk. Sound installations are going to be spread all over the East Village. Should be neat.

August 16, 2004

Here are some shots from this weekend:

People setting up their booths at the ArtWalk.

Cindy, owner of the Shore Apothecarie, gets greetings at her opening.

A dog takes its owner for a walk.

I wonder which side is fond of flags and pick-up trucks?

As you can see, it was a pretty busy weekend. Lots more, but these were my favorites.

August 15, 2004

I shot 10 rolls yesterday. 6 rolls of HP5 and 4 rolls of Neo 1600. I just developed 4 rolls of HP5 and cut my development time by about 20 seconds to help compensate for the overexposing. Negs look better.

Most of the rolls I developed were from the opening of a small local pharmacy. It was a fun small event with free champagne and snacks. I got some good pics of Cindy, the owner, talking with guests. They are suppose to get their sign on Wednesday, so hopefully I will be able to catch that.

...

1:18am
Just finished making prints...got some good images. I'll post them later...tired...whew

August 14, 2004

About to leave to go photographing. Busy day today. Going to shoot some store openings on 2nd Street and bus it to the ArtWalk in downtown LB. I'm packing about 10 rolls of Neo 1600 and 12 rolls of HP5.

I shot some pics of the peace/pro-war protesters last night. Should have brought more film. Always a lively bunch. I shot them on my last 2 rolls of Tri-X. I have to remember my m4-p over exposes by a stop and compensate. In some of the frames the highlights were blowing out. I'm glad I've finished off the Tri-X. Tri-X is nice but it takes longer to fix and longer to dry. HP5 is less grainy, takes less time to fix and dry. It loses in the mid tones a little, but it does have a little more pop to it (contrast), when compared to TX. Ok..gotta run.

August 13, 2004

Here are some pics from the shoot I helped Chris with:

It was nice to be shooting someone that has modeled before and to also have a great make-up person. I shot these in the patio we were having lunch at. I thought the wood fence made a great backdrop to her Westernish outfit and did a quick impromptu shoot. All available light.

August 12, 2004

I'm taking a break from printing right now. I'm printing some shots of his model my friend Chris and I photographed a few days ago. I was shooting with my M4P (the 1st day it arrived) and he was shooting with his 10D. I used my 85/2 Canon Serenar that I rarely use. My longest lens is usually the 50, but I wanted to get closer so I used the Canon. It's a LTM so I screwed on the VC bayonet adaptor that brought up the lines for 90mm. I had to guestimate where 85mm was. I did pretty well. Most of the shots are well composed. What suprised me the most was how sharp the images were! I had written off the Serenar as a cheapo lens, but when you nail the focus it really makes stunning pics. I think I'm going to keep it afterall :).

I was shooting mostly at f8 at probably about a distance of 4-5 feet, so the face almost took up the whole frame. There are some keepers. I'll post them tommorrow morning when they dry.

August 12, 2004

I got a call from Terry's the other day that my 35mm lens is fixed. I'm going to pick it up later today. My M2 is apparently still far from fixed, as they have to order parts from Leica. Ack! I have a feeling it's going to be one expensive repair. Fortunately, my M4p came by UPS!!! Yay.

I can't tell you how nice it is to have an M again. I shot about 4 rolls today. I helped a friend shoot some models. I got a few shots in and just finished developing them. The camera works. However, it seems to be over exposing by 2 stops, which kinda sucks. I developed 3 rolls from the M4P with a roll from my friend's Canon 50e. Using the Canon as my control group, the M4P negs looked pretty dense, enough so that I may have to send it away for a CLA after this weekend. Ugh. Cycle begins again. I'm going to Terry's later to see if they can do a test on the shutter speeds to see how far off they are.

August 10, 2004

I was at Barnes and Noble this weekend and ran across Fat Baby. Holy Crap! It was the first time I had seen any of Eugene Richards' photographs. Amazing. Disturbing. Powerful. Moving. If I had the spare $ I would have bought it that instant. Instead, I just sat and stared at the pictures for an hour. Fat Baby is a compilation of several of Richards' essays. It follows the lives of a motley crew of people, a house of teenage druggies, a cop on a hard beat, a poor black family, etc., The images feel really real. It was powerful stuff.

Of course, the first question in my mind is how the hell do you get those sort of images? I would love to see him work. Does he talk to his subjects? How does he just disappear like that? How much is he shooting? How does he arrange these shoots?

War Photographer, the documentary on Nachetwey was informative in that sense. It was very enlightening to see how Nachetwey shot, how he moved, how he composed on the fly. He would take multiple shots, adjusting each shot with a slightly different composition. He would also get right in people's faces, but somehow with his demure and very self-effacing demeanor his subjects wouldn't mind. He would just disappear in front of them, all the while shooting a roll of film.

Looking at the work of these photographers is a humbling experience. They are shooting in high stress situations and still have the presence of mind to make beautifully composed photos. Mind boggling. HCB's idea of photographic seeing was that either you had it or you didn't. I know I don't have "it" to the same level as these photogs do, but I am hoping given more time I'll better develop my eye and my skill. I've only been shooting for year and I feel that I've made leaps and bounds. Now is the tough part, to go from nice/good images to images that go beyond themselves and radiate humanity.

August 9, 2004

I was talking with Annie today about cameras and how I've been going through withdrawals. She told me about these Nikons that she used for a project of hers that she sold to go digital. One of the dumbest moves she made, she said. Manual cameras are simply made to last and work as well, if not in some ways better, than cameras with all the doodads.

I was flipping through the latest issue of PDN, which might as well be renamed to "Everyone's Shooting Digital Now, Shouldn't You? Loser." Honestly, it seemed as if every article was about how everyone has dumped film. Film, is dead, was the subtext. You can't take a good picture with a film camera.

Of course, we know that's not true. People were taking amazing photos before digital. People were taking amazing photos before autofocus. People were taking amazing photos before SLRs. People were taking amazing photos even before we got roll film. It's amusing to see what lengths these camera advertisements and magazines will go to make you feel inferior if you're not using the latest DSLR.

My last week with the 50e, is a good example. It is lightyears ahead of any camera I've ever used, but in many ways I find it cumbersome. Instead of being able to change the aperture and shutter speed with two simple twists, I have to jog through them all with the command wheels. Not bad, but I I think it's slower.

The same goes for exposure. I would be framing my subject and whenever I changed the composition a little the exposure would change. What's going on here? The light hasn't changed at all, but because of whatever specular highlights are going on the background, it'll change the exposure of the shot. It is far faster and accurate for me to walk around a room once, take four readings with an incident meter, memorize them and shoot. Remember, regardless of how complicated a camera's metering system is (3-D, RGB Matrix, Dynamic Autoexposre, etc.,) it does one thing and one thing only -- select 1 shutter speed and 1 aperture setting. That's it!

What separates a super automated wundercam from a manual one, is that you have someone/thing turning the aperture and shutter for you (and at that, you're not sure if they're correct). With digital, things get worse. You're flooded with choices. ISO, WB, Metering Mode, etc., You're exposures have to be right on because digital doesn't have the same exposure latitude as print film. The only true advantage of digital is instant feedback.

August 8, 2004

I'm taking a break in a printing session right now. I'm printing some images I shot a few weeks ago. A few from Fern's Garden and a few from Flea Circus when they were removing the sign from their store. Some good keepers. I'm thinking about putting these two businesses in the same chapter and name it New Beginnings. Robert, the owner of Flea Circus, was actually very optimistic when his store closed as it would give him an opportunity to pursue new things that he had been dreaming about. Similarly, Fern, the owner of Fern's Garden is placing all her hope in her new store. Both have an optimistic outlook despite the fact one is closing a store and the other is opening one.

My M4-P should be arriving early this week. Tuesday or Wednesday, I'm suspecting. I can't tell you how bad I've been missing the cameras. Silly, I know. But I've trained myself over the past year to always have a camera on me. Not being able to bring one with me is a pain.

Laura and I did a fair amount of urban exploring in LB this weekend. We took a "random walk" around downtown. I had the 50e with me but it was a little bit of a hassle. Every time I took it out, it seemed as if everyone was pretty aware of it. Too "pro" looking with the modern SLR stylings and the big lens on it. I do miss the inconspicuousness of the M's very much.

I printed 14 contact sheets for the first half hour of my printing session tonight. I'm trying to catch up with all the film I've been shooting. I didn't print all last week because I was feeling really down on my finances. I'm nearly out of all my paper. I have to order another 250 box and while I'm at it another bulk roll of HP5 and a brick of Neopan 1600 for this weekend.

The Artwalk is this weekend. Lots of stuff to shoot. Ideally, I'll have both my M's with me this weekend so I can load one with Neopan 1600 and the other with HP5. Ok...back to printing...

August 6, 2004

I developed the film from Fern's. I was shooting Neopan 1600 and in retrospect, I wish I had a 2nd body so I could shoot some HP5+ in tandem. Neopan 1600 is good, but it sorta loses it in the shadows. The Buddah was dark, not black, but would probably register a really dark grey. The negs look good in the highs and mids but looks like there's barely any detail in the shadows. Bummer. I also wish I had 25 or 28 with me to add a little more dynamic feel to the pics. Well, I did the best I could with what I had, trying to make the 50 look wide and adding some tilt to some of the compositions to exaggerate the action.

I got a call from Terry's today about my 35mm 2.5 Skopar that's in the shop. It died about the same time my M2 did. The problem was that it kept focusing past infinity. They said it would cost $80 to repair the lens. Not too bad, I suppose. If it was anymore than $125 I would have just scrapped it and opted to find another lens. The 35 2.5 Classic is a decent performer. I haven't been blown away by it's quality, but it is better than average. The aperture ring on mine feels a little chinsy compared to the 50mm Hexanon or even the 25mm Snapshot Skopar. The ring on the 25 feels way smoother. I use to have a 35mm 1.7 Ultron but the darn thing was so big and the focus throw was really short. I tend to like lenses with a little longer throw just so you can fine focus a little better.

I'm getting ansy about only having the 50e. It's better than nothing but I want a manual focus lens. It's manual focus mode is pretty much a joke. The focusing ring is this hard plastic tiny thing near the end of the lens. It feels like you're using a filter ring to focus the lens. It's about as much fun to use as a pet rock. Looking at the negs, the autofocus missed a quite a few times. I feel that I can focus more accurately and probably as quick as the auto focus. I've memorized the distance markers on my lenses and adjust it when I'm holding the camera, constantly pre-focusing even when the camera's not to my eye. It's not any sort of magic or anything but a skill I developed while riding on the bus. I'd pick a distance and blindly focus my camera to it. I'd usually get close enough so it would only take minor adjustments to nail the focus.

August 5, 2004

Busy day. I shot 4 rolls of Neopan. 1 at an independent drug store opening on 2nd Street and 3 at Fern's Garden. Fern, the owner, is building a small pond in the store with a giant Buddah head. They wanted me present for the placing of the Buddah head. It was a bit of an ordeal, as the head was huge, about five feet and some change and heavy, about 300 lbs. It took about fifteen minutes to get if off the bed of the truck of the delivery people. It was so heavy that it bent the bed door. It made for some interesting compositions though, all these arms and hands wrapped around the face of this giant Buddah head.

I went out with Laura for some gelato tonight. When we left my apartment she said, "What? No camera?" The 50e just isn't something I can stand to take around with me. Not so much that it's a terrible camera, it's just too big and the haptics of a manual camera aren't there. I did find it rather odd when she pointed it out, because I'm usually never without a camera. I have been feeling naked and homesick and can't wait for my cameras to get to me.

On Charlie Rose tonight, they replayed an interview he had with Bresson. Pretty interesting, but his attitude was not the least surprising. I had never heard him speak or read any of his writings. I've only known him through his work. He kept talking about "sensitivity," a sort of acuteness of being. It is something that definitely resonates in his work. Every shot demonstrates a special preciousness or caring attitude toward his subjects. His photos never ridicule but tend to point towards some aspect of the human condition.

August 4, 2004

I developed some of the Neopan 1600 I shot at Fern's Garden with my friend's Canon 50e. Still waiting for it to dry. I'm curious to see how it will compare with the stuff I've been shooting with my VC and Konica glass. The 50 1.8 that came with the camera is really plasticy. I've been kind of concerned with its quality. I'm still without camera these next few days until my Leica's arrive.

I haven't printed the last two nights. I've just been having money issues on my mind (like how to get some more of it) and it's been keeping me out of the darkroom. I've been trying to sell off some old gear to finance some new stuff I'm acquiring. I put my Canon 7 rangefinder up for sale at photo.net tonight.

I'm going to write to Ilford and Kodak today to ask about material grants. Even if they gave me a few boxes of paper or some bulk loads of film, it would be a great help. I want to keep shooting at the same pace I have been the last few weeks, but it's starting to be a financial strain. I'm going to shoot at Fern's Garden again later today. They're installing a huge Buddah head and fountain in the middle of the store. Should be pretty wild. I wish I had another focal length than the 50. Something wide like a 24 or 28 would be great for it. Nuts. When oh when will the cameras arrive....

August 4, 2004

The great Henri-Cartier Bresson died today. He is probably one of the most revered and imitated photographers ever. He is to street photgraphy what St. Ansel is to picturesque landscapes. The photo agency that he co-founded, Magnum, is currently featuring many images on/about/with him on their website. If you haven't seen his work, you must check it out.

He's probably most known for coining the phrase the "decisive moment", which he defines as "the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as the precise organisation of forms which give that event its proper expression."

Like St. Ansel, he has single-handidly spawned a legion of imitators and poseurs. Few ever reach the level of skill and thoughtfulness of his work. Much of his style is often copied and seems cliche now, but was new and fresh when he was practicing it. Some people think street photography is merely photography taken on a street. It is that, on a very basic level, but his work shows a certain amount of sensitivity and acuity to how people react. He seems to have anticipated his shots, being in tune with the situation. He probably would have made a great psychologist.

In other news....Nothing can make you feel how really poor you are quite like buying/attempting to buy a house. I talked to a few lenders this week to try find out how much house I can afford. In Los Angeles, I can probably afford a condo about the size of my kitchen. No joke. The prices of places here isn't even funny.

Still waiting to hear about my M2 in the shop and my M4 somewhere in Boston. It feels odd being without camera. The beauty of the M's is that they're small and you can always have it with you. The Elan II is smallish, but rather bulky in comparison. It's a good SLR, I've found, after playing with it a bit more, but not quite my cup of tea. Too much plastic. It doesn't feel like it would survive a drop off a table. It's also too light. I like camera's with a bit of heft to them. It makes holding at long shutter speeds easier and also instills a bit of confidence in the durability of the gear.

August 3, 2004

Developed 4 rolls from Flea Circus last night. Some keepers. Going to develop some 4x5 sheets this evening.

I sold my Hexar today but not without a little post-partum depression. It was the first serious piece of camera equipment I bought so it had some sentimental value to it. I sold it to a teacher in Pasadena who drove out to LB to pick it up. Fast. Convenient. Easy.

Just as fast as I got that money, it's already gone. I'm buying a used M4-P from Michael Hintlian. I should be getting it late this week or early next. It's a little unnerving, considering I've never met him. I did speak to him briefly and he seemed nice enough, so I hope all goes well.

I took some pictures today at Fern's Garden. I'm borrowing my friend Chris' Elan II until I get my cameras. It's probably the most sophisticated camera I've ever used. Multiple autofocus points, eye control focusing, etc., A bit strange to me. It's a neat camera, though the build feels a little chinsy when compared to metal manual cameras. Doesn't have the same feel to it. I'm a little skeptical of the lens. It was a 50 1.8 EF lens. It's fast enough, but there's something about an all plastic lens and all plastic body that doesn't quite inspire confidence. I'll probably develop the film tonight and will be able to see the difference between the whizbang SLR and my minimalist rangefinders.

August 2, 2004

I've decided to put my Hexar RF up for sale. The Hexar is my only remotely automated camera, with a meter and motor drive. I've found that what I like about my cameras are their tactile feel. The positive feedback you get when pulling the advance lever, the bounce of the shutter curtain. I'm not in a position where I need to shoot 6fps, otherwise I'd invest in a SLR system. But for the photography I'm interested, simple manual cameras will do. So with this realization, I'm planning to bid adieu to my Hexar if there are any takers. I've put up a post at photo.net and hopefully someone will bite.

The next to go will probably be my Mamiya c330. As much as I love the camera, I find that the focal length I use the most is the 80mm. I have a Rolleiflex on lay away at Terry's with a fixed 80mm, which I will probably use more than the Mamiya due to weight.

August 2, 2004

I had a nightmare last night that the ceiling of my apartment was collapsing on top of me. There were cracks in the ceiling and water started to spout from them. I felt like I was sinking. Around me, everything was getting wet. My computer, my year's worth of negatives. I felt my stomach sink as I watched all that work get destroyed. The harder I tried to save things, the more the water gushed out from above. I tried to devise some elaborate Rube Goldberg system of PVC pipes to divert the water outside but it was of no use. It was all coming down so fast.

I took that to mean that it was time to buy a house/condo/loft instead of renting. I walked down to one of the local realty offices. The guy seemed a little smug. He probably took a look at my jeans and shirt and thought that I was some sort of joke. What can you do?

My goal is to be in my own place by the end of the year. Ideally, before my birthday. In my head I'm trying to do the math. How can I save to buy a place and still continue with the photography? I print almost every night and that's costing me a small fortuine in paper and chemistry. I'm thinking of curbing the printing a bit. Maybe printing only twice a week. Atleast that way I'm still shooting but am saving some money on paper and paper chemistry.

I'm hoping the repairs on my M2 won't be too bad. Fat chance. People like to charge an arm and a leg on anything Leica. I also have a Rolleiflex on lay away at Terry's. Ugh. Time to play the lottery yet?

My photo of the week:

August 1, 2004

This weekend has been a busy one as far as shooting. I shot 6 rolls and 6 sheets of 4x5 at Flea Circus on Saturday afternoon. I then shot 6 rolls at the Orange County Fair. I'm going to try to develop all the Fair film today and maybe pull a print or two tonight. The rest of the film will have to wait until next week.

I'm still looking for a replacement to my M2 while it's away for repairs. I shot everything this weekend on the Hexar, which is a very capable camera in its own right. The focusing patch isn't as bright as the M2. It does however have a very easy loading, a motor drive and a meter. The meter was convenient for when I didn't have time to take an incident reading with my hand held meter. I treated it primarily as a manual camera, setting the shutter speed and aperture myself.

On Friday I decided to drop off my 35mm Voightlander lens at Terry's for repair. Something inside was loose which caused the lens to keep focusing past infinity. Saturday morning, when I was prepping my 4x5 gear to shoot at Flea Circus, the lever that locks the rotating back on my Super Graphic fell off. Literally. I guess the piece that held it to the camera fell off and I didn't notice. Now the back of my 4x5 spins all the way around without stopping at its vertical and horizontal. Not a big issue. The camera is still usable. It does mean I have to be extra careful when loading film now, as there's nothing to keep the back from getting uncentered when I put a holder in. Ugh. So the talley is that I have one lens and one camera in the shop and another camera that's slowly falling apart.

Anyone have a spare Leica, 35mm M-mount Lens and a 4x5 Linhof camera to spare? :)

July 2004