Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/04/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Apr 10, 2006, at 20:38, Slobodan Dimitrov wrote: > I have noticed in the past that bumping into Leica using persons on > the street is, more often than not, not an invitation for > conversation. Nothing makes me squirm like someone remarking my Leica in a public place. I do not wish to advertise that I am carrying a camera+lens which costs more than my car (I admit, it is an old car). I had to save up for years to buy my Leica rig, and I could not replace it in the event of theft or loss. Most people just think I'm carrying an old, too-small-to-be-professional camera, not one of the big sexy SLRs. Maybe a thief will pass me by for one of those obviously expensive big hunks of plastic and glass. (And maybe I've never gotten over the theft of my first Leica. A good tool is an extension of the body; losing my Leica would be like an amputation.) Also, I am one of those who put a strip of black tape over the red dot. When I am on the street, trying to forget about the tools, to contemplate the moment and the spectacle, I really don't want to encourage discussion about the equipment. I want the picture -- and the people around me -- to be about what *they are doing*, and not about what *I* am doing. When I see somebody else with a Leica, the most I might do is to ask for a URL to see the work. But mostly, I try to give the photographer the same consideration which I would like given me -- which is to ignore him, respectfully. Having said that, someone who is trying to make a friendly remark should be treated with tact and courtesy. Regards, A U S T I N , Austin Burbridge, Expose for Shadows/Develop for Highlights <http://cinemaminima.com/leica> Sprezzatura <http://sprezzatura.editthispage.com/> Cinema Minima <http://www.cinemaminima.com/>