[Leica] A Few Words About Rules and the LUG Yearbook

[jshul at comcast.net (Jim Shulman)]

Less than two years ago there was a revolution in publishing--electronic 
hardcover books, made simple and inexpensive.  The software could be used by 
anyone with a modicum of talent; the economics changed so that there were no 
longer minimum orders for books.  That allows anyone with a passel of text 
and digitized images to create a creditable photo book.  

So, it made sense to try something like this for the LUG.  After all, we're 
a rather diffuse bunch--spread around the world, with nothing more tangible 
as a group memento than a few renegade electrons.*

I generally prefer fewer rules to more.  Additionally, I make a lousy 
policeman, but I do throw some pretty impressive parties <g>.  After 
observing the LUG for a while I noticed:

1. People take pictures (ok, create images, if you prefer) with a wide 
variety of cameras.  This year the online group has been delighted with 
images from M8s, Jim Hemenway's flea market 1920s Zeiss film camera, Kyle's 
"Leica" D100, as well as a passel of others.  

There's another reason as well: economics.  When I first joined the LUG 
years ago I didn't even own a Leica--I was shooting with a Canon 7 and later 
joined with additional LTM lenses (all acquired, incidentally, through the 
LUG.)  Eventually as finances improved I acquired Leicas.  

Today, while I'd love to use an M8, spending the nearly $5000 on a camera 
body would result in the decapitation of my personal corpus.  I'm sure there 
are others on the list in a similar situation.  Conversely, there are 
working professionals who need the speed and features of a professional, 
interchangeable lens camera but would not be able to afford a Leica digital 
module, nor would the module be a superior choice necessarily to a much less 
expensive DSLR.  

2.Then there's reality: the world's best camera is junk if it's not in your 
hand when the picture opportunity arises.  

And a corollary: people WILL take pictures with whatever is at hand, and 
they will (if necessary) lie about their camera later.  This reminds me of a 
cartoon I saw years ago: a mendicant standing at a corner with a sign, "Why 
lie? Please give me booze money."  So why should we be forced to lie?

3. People take a lot of pictures.  There are no shortage of great images 
appearing every week on the LUG.

4. More is merrier.  I'd much rather have a yearbook with a hundred 
contributors--many of whom came seemingly "out of the woodwork"--than one 
with more restrictions and fewer contributors.  

5. My favorite story about pictures and "rules": before the widespread use 
of the web, I briefly belonged to a camera club.  The rules seemed really 
silly, there was more talk about setting rules than taking pictures, and 
(worst of all) the most-lauded stuff on display was picture-postcard dross.  
I lasted about two meetings.  On the other hand, with virtually no rules 
(other than common courtesy, and sticking to Friday FS postings) I've been 
here for a decade.

There is only one change in the rules from last year's yearbook: using 
current year images.  Why?  Well, last year was a first effort, and in a 
sense gave us an opportunity to assemble everything and anything.  This year 
is different--it's now truly an annual, and probably should represent what 
we're shooting this year, and sharing on the list.  

If you're really, really desperate to use a pre-2007 image, here's the 
exception: if it was/is posted to the LUG during the year (especially some 
of the wayback images we've seen), feel free to send it in.  That would 
certainly qualify as a 2007 image, since it was shared during the year with 
the group. 

However, I return to the premise of the original harangue: there are still 
three months to make images, if you haven't done so already.

Keep shooting!

Best,
Jim Shulman
Bryn Mawr, PA


*Not entirely true: Brian created some Caf? Press items a while back; I 
still have my Spring Photo Shoot "dodo" shirt.