[Leica] Dr. Ted - the Luddite

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)]

Lawrence Zeitlin OFFERED;
Subject: Re: [Leica] Dr. Ted - the Luddite


> Ted writes:
>
> The truth is.... "ALL THEY ARE IS "ELECTRONIC MACHINE OPERATORS!" ANY 
> IDIOT
>
> CAN PUSH BUTTONS!
>
Larry said: >
> So Ted do you still hitch up your horse and buggy to ride down to the
> hardware store to pick up glass plates that you coat yourself for the
> newfangled wet collodion process? I know it doesn't have the resolution of
> the tried and true Daguerrotype,  but after all, this is the 21st century.
> You must learn to tolerate new technology. Remember also that
> "photographers" do not hold a patent on scene visualization, composition,
> and artistic creativity. Rembrandt and Matisse and their ilk did pretty
> well.
>
> By the way, how are you getting along with your own ELECTRONIC MACHINE? Or
> do you have the steam powered version of the M9. ;-)
>
Hi Larry my friend, :-)

I think I slipped off the meds and single malt for a few minutes! ;-) But 
I'm back to a some what normal..... whatever that is????? :-)

I had to give up on my horse drawn darkroom wagon because feeding the horses 
got to be too expensive. And the enviro guys got fed-up having to clean-up 
their "pollution trail!"

However I was offered an  excellent price for their hides to make camera 
carrying bags and leather coverings for some high-end camera outfit in, I 
think it was Germany? Some kind of fancy name outfit tied in with those 
fancy French clothier and perfumes? :-) Oh yeah and them fancy hand bags for 
those special ladies of the night? ;-)

Not having me wagon and horses any longer that ended using the glass plates. 
Then some guy? Kodiak? In one of those northern USA states or towns.... 
Rochester, rockford? whatever? They began making some kind of cellophane 
light sensitive thing.... "Flim? Film or something like that? It has tiny 
little rows of holes along each side to move it through one of them new 
fangled light tight boxes called cameras? Maybe Kodakboxbrownie? Well you 
know how these big city slickers come up with those fancy names, but it was 
said to be the photo taking magic machine of the future!

You can carry it over yer shoulder and snap away, take the flim into yer 
local drug store and by gollies the next day they give you a little brown 
envelope with a bunch of the neatest looking "KODAK HAPPY SNAPS YOUR BRIGHT 
EYES JUST EVER DID SEE! :-) Even on paper not glass anymore!

It was said it wouldn't last long, just like those new fangled no need a 
horse anymore wagons! ... "An automoblie?" 'er somthin' like that! They sure 
ain't goin' to last long either and we'll be back to ridin' horses so I'm 
keepin' my saddles!

Although folks said they enjoyed lugging them glass plates and mixin' all 
them smelly chemicals! They were lyin' of course. However it gave the lads a 
perfect excuse for a few more bottles of that Kentucky home made brew! :-)

The lads said to over come the smelly stuff on the glass plates while mixin' 
it. They had to drink some or many of them sweet smellin' home made hooch 
drinks! Never could figure out which was worse fer smell, the hooch or glass 
plating stuff?

Now it seems they've done gone and avanced photo things one more time..... 
they don't need the flim stuff any longer cause now they use tiny tiny x & 
o's that make the photo things in the air without flim!

I just don't know where this world is goin' with all this new elektronik 
stuff? :-) Fancy little boxes with pictures inside ! Why you can push a 
little button somewhere on the box and the damndest little window opens on 
the back of this machine and right there is a tiny little picture of some 
kind..... All made with little x&o's! Real clever, but I don't think they'll 
last cause all those old hard drinkin' photo guys who used flim aren't 
bright enough to know which button to make the little x&o's create a tiny 
photo to see in the little window on the back!

So there you go Larry I don't think I'll make it in the long run! :-) 
Although I noticed today the hardware store has a special sale on 8X10 
sheets of glass! ;-)  Maybe hope yet! ;-) ;-)

cheers,
Dr. ted :-)