Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/10/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>I have subscribed to several mail lists on diverse topics related to my >research interests. Most imploded, and did so very quickly, when the >postings got off the topic that brought the participants together in the >first place and turned personal and nasty. The noise to signal ratio got to >the point where it just was not worthwhile to subscribe any longer. On most of the other lists I've been on (too many! :)) things have broken down and people have gotten grumpy at one time or the other. What has often happened is someone would realize we need to remember that there are real human beings behind the words on our glowing computer screens. People start to tell about who they are and people start feeling better about each other again. On the Miles Davis list after a particular angry bout, many of the list members realized by coincidence they were parents of twins. Discussion became much more civil after that. I hope this helps... As many of you know, I lucked into my M3 DS at a garage sale. It came with a Summicron 50 and I am borrowing an Elmar f4/90 from a friend. Otherwise I would not be able to afford most anything Leica. I am still not much of a photographer, but am getting better all the time. I probably don't deserve such a nice camera, but the feel of it is so wonderful. I find it hard to use anything else now. And I do believe there is something magical about Leicas and that they can bring out something special in the photographer and sometimes even the subject. My favorite photographic subjects are my dog and two cats. They don't protest as much as my wife. I also greatly enjoy shooting my new newphew, but he is far away in Fairfax, VA with the rest of my family. I have a bachelors and masters degree in music, composition specifically. There is not much work for a person with such credentials. I currently work with audio/video equipment in the Learning Technology Center in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Unfortunatly, most 35mm photography here has been forsaken for video and digital imaging. My main love, audio, does not get taken very seriously here either. There is a darkroom here and I hope to have a chance sometime soon to learn how to use it. I have a large collection of vinyl LPs and enjoy tube amps in my stereo. My main musical interests are classical mainly from the decades on either side of the turn of the century) and jazz (50s and 60s mostly). peace Michael Bell MBell@mail.utexas.edu