Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/11/12
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This reminded me of a lovely story in a retired photojournalist's (Vic
Blackman) autobiography here in Britain. He recalled the fact that
apprentices/assistants were responsible for preparing and firing the flash
powder for the photographer after shouting, 'caps off'.
Ie, the lens cap, plates being so slow that time exposure was used, the
shutter opened and the lenscap removed immediately before the flash powder
was ignited.
It was this assistants first job, and he turned out for a picture of the new
head of the English church, the Archbishop of Canterbury outside the steps
of Westminster Abbey.
He was told he'd be firing the flash for all 25 photographers who were
present, and knowing that it took one spoonfull of powder for one
photographer, he reckoned on multiplying that by 25 of course...
How he got that much on the flash bar I'll never know, but you can imagine
the resulting explosion was probably enough to blind the Archbishop, cover
the West face of the Abbey in soot and reduce the posse of photographers
into a heap of cussing bodies, longing for some sensation to return to their
retinas!
Jem
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From: 'leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us'
To: KIMEJ44; 'leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us'
Subject: Re: fun with flashbulbs
Date: 11 November 1997 09:15
Roy: Now if you really want some fun try useing "flash powder". tony...
tempus vitam regit
On Mon, 10 Nov 1997, Roy C. Zartarian wrote: