Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Eric wrote: >Oh yeah.I can see it now. At a sniper situation, snip... When they >capture the sniper he says: "Yeah, I was distracted by some red dot that >nearly blinded me. What green tripod?">>>>>>> Eric, Colored tape, Mounties and the Queen. During a Royal Tour across Canada at a time when press photogs were becoming armed in great numbers with "long gun barrel lenses," 300mm and up. It became a major concern for the Mounties, government officials and the Queen's Scotland Yard body guards. They were getting paranoid with these "big things sticking out of the press areas that could be weapons of some sort!" So a brilliant government official decreed everyone covering the tour must have "fluorescent orange tape around the end of the lens" so they could be quickly identified in a crowd if pointed in the direction Her Majesty. No tape, quick tap on the shoulder and you were outta there, quick time! :) But the orange tape decree, particularly of my "slide barrel, pistol grip, shoulder brace equipped 560mm Telyt" weapon looking lens stopped the mounties from standing right in front of me when I had camera to my eye! :) There was some whining, but that's part of being news photographer's.:) But a couple of "those with over abundant ego's" refused to muck-up their lens with that sticky tape stuff. However, at the first photo op these guys were quickly escorted from their "very best in front photo position" to the rear for a camera examination and taping. It kinda put them and their ego in place. Not only did they loose their prime photo position, they were only too glad to tape the lens shade the most brilliant orange you can imagine for the next photo op!:) And this taping had nothing to do with the "red dot" syndrome!:) Heck the orange color was so brilliantly bright, it overshadowed any "red dot" in the crowd!:) ted Ted Grant This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler. http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant