Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/01/26

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Subject: [Leica] Beginning to catch up: Nathan's PAW 51 and 52
From: Nathan Wajsman <wajsman@webshuttle.ch>
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 17:22:05 +0100

After being away for 3 weeks during the holidays, then catching up with
a bunch of things, including getting a new computer, I have finally
finished developing, scanning and editing the 20 or so films I shot
during the vacation. I have now posted the remaining two weeks of 2002.

In week 51, I was in Denmark, and the focus of my visit was as usual to
be with my father and my friends. So the pictures for the week reflect
that. The main picture is of my best friend Lars and his girlfriend
Ingrid. Lars and I went to high school in our hometown Århus, and even
though we have now lived in different countries for 20 years, we are
still the closest of friends. This was my first meeting with Ingrid, and
we went to have a beer in a local bar:

http://www.wajsman.com/2002_51.jpg
(Bessa R2, 35mm Summilux ASPH, Fuji Neopan 1600 developed in Ilfotec
DD-X 1+4)

The second pair of friends live in Copenhagen, they are originally from
Poland. Marek is an excellent cook, so it is always a pleasure to visit
them; Here he is making a point at the dinner table while his wife
Tamara looks on:

http://www.wajsman.com/2002_51alt1.jpg
(same tech data as main picture)

While in Copenhagen, I went with my father to the end-of-year event at
the Polish Jews Club, of which he is one of the youngest members at 78.
Most of the others are older, many are widowed, and the membership is
declining every year. This guy was singing Russian ballads, but I chose
to focus on the wall behind him, showing the split loyalties of the
people there: the Polish, Danish and Israeli flags along with a portrait
of the Queen:

http://www.wajsman.com/2002_51alt2.jpg
(R2, 50mm Summilux, Fuji Neopan 1600 as above)

Two years ago I showed Mr. Imerglück, a then 87-year old Yiddish singer,
at that time very much "still going strong". Now it is two years later,
he is not nearly as strong, but on special occasions he will still grab
the microphone:

http://www.wajsman.com/2002_51alt3.jpg
(same tech data as Alt 2)

Finally, I snapped a picture of this lady listening to the songs of her
youth. The nostalgia and the memories are evident in her face:

http://www.wajsman.com/2002_51alt4.jpg
(same tech data as Alt 2)

Moving on to week 52, my father and I drove from Copenhagen to Wroclaw
in Poland (also known by its German name Breslau). I was born there, and
my sister still lives there, so we spent Christmas and New Year with her
and her husband. Like many other Polish cities, Wroclaw is quite
polluted, which makes for nice sunsets from my sister's 12th floor
apartment:

http://www.wajsman.com/2002_52.jpg
(M7, 50mm Summilux, Fuji Provia 400F)

But the old city is quite nice nonetheless:
http://www.wajsman.com/2002_52alt1.jpg
(M7, 35mm Summilux ASPH, Fuji Provia 400F)

Evidence of the capitalist spirit is everywhere:
http://www.wajsman.com/2002_52alt2.jpg
(M6HM, 50mm Summilux, Agfa Scala)

On a serious note, there is a huge Soviet army cemetery on the outskirts 
of Wroclaw. We went for a walk there on a bitterly cold Christmas Day. 
It is quite sobering to see so many graves, with most of deaths having 
occurred in March 1945, when Wroclaw fell to the Red Army after a bloody 
siege. During the first years after the collapse of communism in 1989 
the cemetery was not kept up very well, and some of the graves were 
defaced, reflecting the feelings of most Poles towards the Soviet Union. 
But nowadays the place is being properly maintained again. Here are two 
shots of the entrances to the cemetery:

http://www.wajsman.com/2002_52alt3.jpg
http://www.wajsman.com/2002_52alt4.jpg
(both with M6HM, 21mm Voigtlander, Fuji Acros developed in Ilfotec DD-X)

As always, comments, off or on-list, are welcome and appreciated.

The first two weeks of 2003 will be forthcoming hopefully later this 
evening.

Nathan

- -- 
Nathan Wajsman
Herrliberg (ZH), Switzerland

e-mail: wajsman@webshuttle.ch
mobile: +41 78 732 1430

Photo-A-Week: http://www.wajsman.com/indexpaw2002.htm
General photo site: http://www.wajsman.com/index.htm



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