Re: [Leica] Leica Photography

[tedgrant@islandnet.com (Ted Grant)]

Curt Miller wrote:

>I've been kicking around an idea for a while that I'd like to throw out to
>the group. I would be very interested in creating a mailing list group of
>Leicaphiles who are interested in discussing _photography_ with the Leica
>- as
>distinctly different and separate from Leica _cameras_ as is discussed in
>LUG.  By this I mean, I'd like to get together with folks who use Leicas and
>are involved, engaged and critical photographers (not necessarily
>expert-level photographers either) who want to push the envelope,
>so-to-speak in their craft.  Experiences, special techniques, processes and
>creative ideas can all be explored.>>>>>>

Hi Curt,

Not sure how long you've been hanging out with the family, but what you are
talking about happens right here. Sometimes it doesn't seem that way
because we get a little lucy-goosie on subject matter at times, so here's a
suggestion:

You throw out some words of topic that you'd like a conversation on or
answers to and the gang will join right in!

This family has the best Leica using gang in the world, whether pros or amateurs
and you'll get more than you can handle for conversation if you launch
something "really really" interesting using your Leica gear. And you bet we
wont get onto the elements thing unless you bring it up. :)

>What I'm NOT looking to do is to get going a discussion group that discusses
>how many elements there are in a first version Summicron-M 50mm or what type
>of lens hood is used on a 1934 Summar.>>>>

You been reading the wrong mail on the wrong day, me old son! ;) Sure it
goes on but not as bad as you make it sound.

<<<<And, particularly, I'm not looking to start a group with lots of
two-line back-and-forth banter like: "...next time you bring the beer and
I'll bring the film" sort of thing.>>>>>>

But this points up that you don't understand what the LUG is all about!
This is a group of people who have never met each other, but converse like
brothers and sisters because we have built a family relationship around our
Leicas and photography. And bringing the beer helps make the family
stronger as a group and not just a bunch of strangers. There's the odd
family folk who drinks the old deveolper, we bin tryin' to break her from
it, but she keeps leavin town and nobody can find her in the woods. :)

>>>We're talking about robust and serious dialogue between serious
>>>individuals committed to improving their photography with Leica
>>>cameras.>>>>>

Well OK I figure from this remark you haven't been hanging in here for a
year or two, otherwise you'd know we have some heavy duty robust kick ass
Leica photo conversations. With reports from folks who do pro assignments
in far away places and the things they encounter from airports to
developing film to where and how to get your Leicas' repaired when
necessary. Or maybe how to use special developers or how the results are
from the various types of new and old film out there. Why there are more
answers to leica photo questions on all kinds of photography from regular
shooters to folks who just love the Leica ("that includes the R8 and other
R's")  Damn I had to get that in! :)

So this brings me back to you! ....Get a topic going and the magic words
you seek will become conversation on using Leicas, shooting assignments and
the folks will engage in some solid words of knowledge with robust serious
like dialogue! Oh yes and it's your turn to bring the scotch!  A good solid
robust single malt scotch! Which I prefer to beer! :) This also helps keep
the conversation and family in the mood! :)

>My perception is that by batching together a bunch of interested folks, we
>can just respond, if we choose to enter the discussion at hand, by replying
>to all the members of the group through email addresses.>>>>

Well is that not what we do now? Join in when we feel like it or have a
question or answer for a question? Or just sit back and lurk?

>I have been working with Leica cameras (mostly M) for the past five years
>(of my 35 in photography) and have enjoyed a new and profound spark in my
>photographic life.>>>>>>

A Leica will do that to you every time. It's after you've been using them
for 40 years in your day to day work and you still stand in awe at the
results on the screen or in the dev. tray. They'll make you all hully gully
in the gut!

<<<<I work in black and white almost exclusively (though I did shoot a roll
of Elite 200 Chrome last week in Denver because Kodak sent it to me for
free).>>>

Now you are sounding family like! Just like the rest of us as we do the
same things, so why start something that is already here? Heck we got folks
who can get into heavy duty robust stuff on the E200 colour film like you
used.

Hope you have a good lecture presentation from one of several on the LUG
who does it as well. So maybe there is a Leica topic in what you teach or
things we do that might be of interest to all the family. And with lots of
cold beer and good scotch we'll keep it from becoming too techie or boring.
:)

Now what did I do with that damn 1932 black Leica I bought?

Curt, have a good one and get back to the family when you can, but stay
with us as I'm sure your post will generate a pile of conversation. Maybe
not as long as mine, but I bet you'll have lots of response! :)




Ted Grant
This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler.
http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant