[Leica] Lurkers

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

G;day friends,

I have to agree with Henry that the group though large needs the oil to
leech out of the woodwork if it is to remain "vital". Most of the guys who
write have been doing so for a long time, and interesting topics come up
amongst friends. The problem is that most of us know the others opinions on
filters, films, best 50mm lenes etc, and therefore drift off onto other
"friendly" topics to keep ourselves amused. I once started a roll call
thread where everyone wrote in a short autobiography. It was great fun, and
as it took off really developed some interesting stories, so lets hear from
the quieter members of the forum. What do you guys do, why are you on  a
Leica list etc etc

Oh BTW I've been much quieter lately so for those who don't know me;

Alastair Firkin
Ballarat [Country Town] Victoria [Southern State] Australia [big island
down-under]
LUGger for almost 3 1/2 years [lose track of time]
Bought my first Leica in 1986/7, when I found an M3 the same age as me, but
did not really know how or why to use it, so it sat idle till aged 40 we
both found the LUG. At the time I was using Minoltas, including my
favourite travel camera the CLE, so my "vague" interest in Leicas was
already brewing. Since joining, I've learn't a heap of information,
practiced a heap of techniques, and spent a heap of money, now owing the
original M3, 3F BD, a titanium M6 [40th b/d pressie from Helen] 21asph,
35asph 1.4, 50 summitar,50 summicron coll, 50 DR summicron, 50 Nocti, 90
ElmarC, 135 Tele-elmar, R7 [Helen's] R8 [rejoicing in its flawless function
since replacement arrived] 15 super-elmar [this was the biggest LUG
temptation I've fallen for ;-) even though it was second-hand, 35-70 rom,
100 macro [very popular lens] 70-180 apo zoom [another LUG temptation of
dire consequences ;-) ] 2x apo, Z2x.

I've also made a heap of "life-long" friends, beginning with a special
Leica get together feast in Kyoto Japan and a day in the Cheery blossoms
and temples, a tour of Yosemite with the reincarnation of Ansell, a day of
shooting and an evening of beer in London, a day of shooting and a fine
dinner in Chicago, and a visitation from Hong Kong. Future events planned
include a journey to Hong Kong, and a return visit to Japan, and a tour in
2000 to meet some of you guys scattered over Europe. Sadly work clashes
with Ted's talks each year, but that may yet change.

I've become a much better "shooter" of people, a keener observer of human
nature, an available darkness user, a more open photographer, an improving
landscape photographer, a non-filter user, a user of fill-flash, an
'expert' on tripods, and now I'm working on a new darkroom to expand my
fine art b/w lessons, and planning to pick the collective brains when I go
into telephoto shooting more seriously. I've had 8 or so re-incarnations of
my home page, and improved my knowledge of computers HTML, printers,
scanners and networking, I've had my "work" displayed in Japan, USA, and
now in Sweden, and I'm working on yearly photo albums. My ideas on
photography are constantly expanding. None of this means I'll ever be a
great photographer, not all of it is merely due to being on the LUG, but
for all its developing faults, as the group has become larger and larger,
[and my ability to keep up with the mail has become less and less], I've
always kept an eye on the comments and threads --- it is a resource that
would NEVER have been available to me without the internet, and a "happy"
group of like minded people. Even if I joined the best camera clubs in
Australia, I would never have 24 hour problem shooting, and a world wide
perspective, so lets try to keep the mail on topic, accept some of the
banter as the human "right" to err, put up with the chatter and the
re-hashing of threads as new blood becomes available, try to be tolerant of
the vast differences in opinion and culture embodied in this resource and
enjoy the benefits that a community such as this is now offering us at the
end of the 21st century.

So lets hear it from the 500 or so lurkers out there. Come on get in there
and broaden the group. The barking amongst friends is far worse than any
bite you could get over a modem ;-)

cheers


Alastair Firkin

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