Re: [Leica] Le Grand Experiment

["Steven Blutter" <sblutter@earthlink.net>]

best of luck of course!!  i'm doing test of all available double weight
polycontrast b&w papers this week for a similar back-to-basics time of life
and am also just the 50 & m-6 - but i'm going with the 6HM, which might be
better for that 50 of yours...

just an idea... bon voyage!

- --Steven Blutter--
sblutter@earthlink.net
- -----Original Message-----
From: Mike Johnston <70007.3477@compuserve.com>
To: Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com <Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com>
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 1998 9:57 AM
Subject: [Leica] Le Grand Experiment


>Okay folks, I'm about to leave you again, and I just want you to know about
my
>next little experiment...because I often have to review cameras for a
living
>(first as a reviewer for _Camera & Darkroom_ and lately for the "World's 25
>Best Cameras" feature in _PHOTO Techniques_ magazine, which I edit), I
often
>get a little scattered with my own work. I found in 1994 that I needed to
"pare
>down" and work consistently for a while, so I promised myself I'd use an
>Olympus OM-4T with 40mm f/2 and 85mm f/2 lenses for a period of a year.
>Actually, with that setup, I lasted a little longer than two years. It was
a
>good period for my shooting--I improved as a shooter, I think, and got a
number
>of pictures I like.
>
>This time, I've decided to be just a little more radical about it. I'm in
the
>process of getting rid of every camera and lens I own except an M6 and 50mm
f/2
>lens. For the next year, the only two lenses I own will both be 50mms--a
>Summicron for the camera and an Apo-Rodagon-N for the enlarger. I'll shoot
only
>Tri-X and make only 6x9 full-frame prints on 8x10 paper. If it's possible
to
>work in a more simple or basic way than this, I don't know what it is!
It'll be
>the first time since 1993 that I've owned an M6. I need to get away from
>thinking about cameras, lenses, papers, and films, and concentrate on
shooting
>skills,  camera handling, picture editing, and the visual content and
meaning
>of pictures for a while.
>
>I'm looking forward to the challenge and the learning experience. I hope to
>stick with the experiment until tax day 1999. It should be an exciting
year,
>because I just bought a house in a new town and will be building myself a
new
>darkroom; also, I'm at work on two books. The first one is nearly finished
and
>the second one is taking shape. I hope both will be of interest to people
like
>all y'all* who love photography.
>
>Wish me luck!
>
>--Mike
>
>*Bob Shell just informed me that in the South, "y'all" is singular; "all
y'all"
>is plural; and "all y'all's" is plural possessive. <g>
>