Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/15

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Subject: RE: [Leica] quiet cameras in cathedrals?
From: Jem Kime <jem.kime@cwcom.net>
Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2000 07:55:01 +0100

Joe,
there's a lovely story told by an old newspaper photographer, Victor 
Blackman, about a friend of his, Charlie Bowrie, and his early career.

He was learning the ropes as a 'flash boy' and one of his early assignments 
was looking after the inauguration of a new Archbishop, Dr Temple, at 
Westminster Abbey. Scores of photographers had arrived to photograph the 
blessing of the city outside the great West Door, they were balanced on 
chairs, mounted on packing cases and even on top of reporters shoulders.
It was a dark day and Charlie was anxious not to make a mistake in his 
early career, he knew the correct amount of flash powder to  give the right 
power so he counted out the number of photographers and spooned out the 
correct amount of powder for each one into one enormous heap! As the 
archbishop arrived he shouted out 'Caps Off' and fired the powder...
Apparently the scene resembled an early Hiroshima, a gigantic cloud of 
smoke covered the scene until lifting to reveal a collapsed pyramid of 
blackfaced, cursing men vainly searching for slides, cameras and broken 
tripods amidst the wreckage of chairs and boxes.
To his credit the archbishop hesitated only a moment to allow the oaths 
being sworn at Charlie to die away and carried on with his blessing, 
punctuated by the occasional expletive emerging from the mangled wreckage 
of men and cameras.

Jem

- -----Original Message-----
From:	Krechtz@aol.com [SMTP:Krechtz@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/14/00 2:00:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
Paul_Chefurka@pmc-sierra.com writes:

<< You remind me of the other side of that coin that I once experienced. 
 At a
 Unitarian wedding I was chewed on by the minister for five minutes in 
front
 of the whole congregation for taking a single shot of the bride and her
 father coming into the church,  >>

Next time, leave the magnesium powder home.

Joe Sobel