RE: WAF (long)

[Kim Sherman <ksherman@isdn.net>]

Alex wrote:
>I suspect the WAF is in a direct relationship to the interest in
>photography of "'er indoors". The more interested she is, the more 
>complex the smuggling game becomes. My wife's a brilliant florist (no 
>commercial intended), but confines herself to a florist-proof - and hence 
>waterproof - Minolta Weathermatic. As it's the only bright yellow camera 
>in the collection, she has no difficulty in picking it out from the 
chromes >and the blacks of Leicas, Rolleis, Canons, Nikons etc., and 
displays little
>interest in the rest.

>But, lest we get too chauvinist about this, what about the keen ladies out
>there? Do they have similar problems with a HAF? Or, as marriage ain't 
>all that fashionable these days, even a PAF?
>Alex

As one of the women (are there many of us here?) who mostly lurks in this 
list, but finds it entertaining and often, highly informative, I have only 
one camera to speak of as my own--a mint cond. Leica CL.  I purchased this 
little gem while on a business trip to Chicago a couple years ago.  My HAF 
was back home unaware of my purchase until it was made.  When I _did_ 
inform him of my purchase, he was very pleased, and more than a little 
surprised.

Why surprise?  My own passion, and now my business, is music 
(songwriter/singer/guitar shop owner--no plug intended), though I'm 
fascinated with the rangefinder camera and can get pretty darned good 
photos with one.  But back to the guitars.  Before I became co-owner of a 
small guitar shop, I was sometimes tempted to HIDE my purchases of these 
boxes of wood and wire from my husband, who, though he loves all kinds of 
music, cannot carry a tune and does not play an instrument.  Had he 
commented to me:  "But why do you need another guitar?  You can only play 
ONE at a time!"  he would have been correct.  Technically correct, but that 
is all.  Just as I know the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) 
differences in sound/looks/feel between one instrument and another, so most 
of you have similar reasons for having more than one camera or set of 
lenses.  Sometimes, we buy our cameras and our guitars for purely 
utilitarian purposes.  Sometimes we buy them for their beauty as well as 
their function.  Those of us who have significant others who understand 
this acquisition in us are fortunate indeed.

Were my husband to be a member of this list, he, not I, would be the one 
with the longer list of photograhy equipment....which hemostly acquired 
when in his 20s and early 30s.  Sadly, he now displays little of the 
passion/interest in photography (and its equipment) that took him 
everywhere at one time in search of the best photographs.  His 
 undergraduate degree is in photography--but over the years (he's a mightly 
young 44 now) he has let go of his former passion and now concentrates his 
time in the corporate world.  He is a very successful man, but I do wish he 
had not given up his darkroom and put his myriad cameras (Leicas, Nikons, 
Mayimas, Hassies, etc) in that big silver box that's in the back of the 
closet........

So....there's the long story about this one female from the list who 
doesn't have to hide what she acquires....be it leicas or collings or 
gibsons or rolleis or whatever.   I suppose this makes me a lucky woman 
who's biggest problem (at least where guitars and cameras are concerned 
<g>) is finding time to play/use them all.

best to you all and happy new year,

Kim Sherman
Nashville, TN
http://www.cottenmusic.com