Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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