Re: M6! Deceased? :(

["Gary Todoroff" <datamaster@humboldt1.com>]

Hi Tina -

The Leica metaphors (where one thing is Leicaned to another), not too
mention the puns, are getting stretched a bit far, I agree. However, as I
posted earlier, "die Leica" in German does use the feminine gender.

Some good examples are in one of my favorite Leica books, "75 Years of
Leica Photography". Here are a couple of quotes at the back of the book
from various photographers:

"Leica for me was 'Love at first sight'. Today she has become a passion.
She leaves no one indifferent. What would I do without her!" Sebastiao
Salgado, 1990.

"The eye makes the picture, not the camera. But the Leica was always an
exquisite means to an end. She is a miracle of technical perfection and
became my constant companion during half a century. She taught me to see
things in a special way. So many of us learned a new way of seeing through
the Leica!" Gisele Freund, 1989.

We call boats and ships "she" - why not our Leica's, too? Now as for
talking to your Leica, you may be onto something, Tina. Maybe the M8 will
talk back to us! (Leica GMBH, are you listening?)

BTW, our own Ted Grant is featured on page 280 of the "75 Years..." book
with a great sports photo. What's the story behind that one, Ted? Any other
LUGgers in the book? Stand up and be counted!

There is one photo on p152 - a very dramatic B&W of "PLO Training Camp
1968" taken by Anders Engman the very same year that I was printing some of
his negs in the lab at KameraBild in Stockholm. His stories with other
photojournalists in the coffee room made all my hours of Swedish lessons
really worthwhile! To me, Anders will always represent the consummate Leica
photographer. Does anyone know what has become of him?

> I hope you 'guys' get over all this gender stuff before we get to Maine!!
> Do all of you think of your M's as female?  How about the R's?  I talk to
my
> Leicas but I never assigned them a gender!  Tina
> 
> ------------------------------------------
> Tina Manley, ASMP