[Leica] The Big Day!!! :-)

[leica at rcmckee.com (R. Clayton McKee)]

Slainte!

Rock on!

Quoth the TED GRANT :

> WHOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)
> First things first.What can one say but offer the biggest most
> meanngful heartfelt thank you to all of you for your support, best
> wishes and just good old fashion folk kindness.
> My good fortune before we left for the event I had a quick look on
> line and there were notes of congratulations, hang tight guy you'll
> be all OK! :-)
> What wonderful bolstering words to send me out the door with.
> Actually they helped me stay a tad calmer knowing the "Family" were
> there in spirit and with a few real folk in the audience.
> You know I can't say anything more meaningful than, from the "bottom
> of my heart" thank you all for the enouragment and wishes.
> The luncheon with Prime Minister Joe Clark, his wife Maureen, there
> daughter who is in the film creating the great expession on another
> Prime Minster John Diefenbaker when she called him "grandpa!" when
> she was a 2 year old. Interestingly enough she attended with her 22
> month old daughter. One of my son's Scott and his wife. A wonderful
> reminecing of time gone by. It sent a very nice tone for the
> evening.
> 7Pm arrival at the National Archives, numorous folks aleady there, a
> number of photographers with their intimidating honking great Canon
> lens shades on various sizes of what appeared as huge zoom lenses.
> Meanwhile I have a simple little M8, 35 1.4 summilux about neck
> where I happy snappped back a few times. :-) Interesting momment
> when several came over and asked what kind of camera was it? "One of
> those old film Leica cameras?" :-)
> The group of "paparzi" grew in nmbers and they were shooting from
> evey angle you could imagine. Me holding up copies of the book
> "Women in Medicine" autographing copies... "Mr. Grant hold it up
> higher, open it and show some pages to someone." Yet many stood back
> long zooms and just clicked away. I found it far more intimidating
> because one never new which direction to look at which camera. But
> I'd bet there's a great collection of good, bad & without question,
> some ugly pictures of the old guy. :-)
> In the old days, given the personality I believe we were quick to
> ask the subject somehing to grab their attention directly so we had
> an exclusive "into my camera" look.
> They had a wonderful wine table set for guests pre-showing and after
> the screening a larger selection in copious amounts to aid with
> their recovery! ;-) 
> One of the really neat things was some of the old lads who we worked
> togther 30-40 years ago as a bunch of bright eyed young pups living
> the life as newspaper photographers. Dang they were all "old guys!"
> :-) The conversations didn't take on the usual photographer
> gathering of what gear or project are you shooting these days? But
> more on the after effects of a double heart bypass, ulcer recovery,
> sight going, aches and pains of a bunch of old folks. :-) Kind of
> funny sad in a way.
> But it was the big warm hugs of recognition that were great all
> round.
> The film on the big movie screen is awesome. I mean it looks quite
> good on our TV or computer screen, but Holy Cow on bigtime movie
> screen? AWESOME!!!!!
> "What is your next project?" was a common question. However I stayed
> non-comittal even though it'll be on medical students starting in
> the next month or so.
> A LUG witer had suggested I shoot a picture of the crowd when I
> first ascended the stage and I did just that to great laughs.
> So there you go folks a great evening to say the least and the best
> part was I only lost the tears a couple of times as I'd kind of
> steeled myself not to be a blubberb head. :-) Kindest thank you to
> each and everyone, one more time. You gotta be the best! :-)
> kindest regards,
> ted
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more
> information

--


R. Clayton McKee                           http://www.rcmckee.com
Photojournalist                               rcmckee@rcmckee.com
P O Box 571900                           voice/fax   713/783-3502
Houston, TX 77257-1900                   cell phone #  on request