[Leica] Eve Arnold

[Alastair Firkin <firkin@netconnect.com.au>]

G'day all,

Well its really beginning to warm up in Oz. Weve started off the summer
with water restrictions in some places, and daylight saving starts tonight
- ---- it will now be light till almost 9 at night, so the
photo-opportunities are fantastic. Leica here in Australia have offered to
give away a free R8 with the purchase of either the 280 f2.8 or 400 f2.8
lenes. If it were not for the 32% increase for tax here, I'd have snapped
up the 280, and had a second body ;-) Helen is glad the sales tax is still
there !!!!!!

I went to Bendigo last weekend to visit the Eve Arnold exhibition, which is
spending some time in Australia, before returning to London. Eve used a
Leica, but only it seems for a short time, seemingly favouring N#### for
the bulk of her work. Despite this obvious flaw, the exhibition was
fantastic, and a real pleasure to visit. If you are in Bendigo or Newcastle
[the other Australian gallery to host it], don't miss it. The next day,
more inspiration at Heide, the Melbourne modern art Gallery, where they
were showing the photographic work of Albert Tucker, one of Australias best
known artists. He took images of his artistic circle in a very Leica like
way [clearly unobtrusive], though not with a Leica :-( and the exhibition
was titled Eye of the Beholder [a title I see on this list also for a
recent book]. Intimage images of young artists working in the country side
of outer Melbourne in the 30's 40's and 50's were fascinating, and again
highly recommended.

The last piece of inspiring news I have, was in meeting fellow LUGnut
Howard Cummer from Hong Kong. We spent a very pleasant couple of hours in
Jimmy Watson's wine bar, trading stories and gear. This makes me even
keener to get on the road in a couple of weeks, spending time in Yosemite
with George and then meeting some of you guys in London and Chicago. Please
remember those dates:

London: Sunday November 22
Chicago: Sunday November 29

as I'm keen to get together with as many of you as I can. I have asked Doug
Richardson to firm up a time and place to meet in London, where we hope to
spend an afternoon shooting together,  swapping tales and gear, and ending
in perhaps a Greek restaurant that evening for some Noctilux shooting. In
Chicago Jim Licquia is taking suggestions and I hope we can soon firm up a
time and place to meet there. The current idea is an afternoon street
shooting and the evening perhaps in a Jazz club. I've never been/shot in a
Jazz club, so I'm as keen as mustard!!!

Now if only I had time enough to read all my LUGmail, and still get ready
for this fantastic trip.

See y'all soon
Cheers

Alastair Firkin,

http://users.netconnect.com.au/~firkin/AGFhmpg.html