Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/12

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Subject: [Leica] Cross-country trip. Suggestions greatly appreciated
From: Alastair Firkin <firkin@netconnect.com.au>
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 08:51:25 +1000

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I have decided to take a trip with my best friend this summer across most of
the United States(From Denver, PA to Denver, CO; with a pit stop in Boston).
My cargo list includes: 1 M6 with 35 and
50 summicrons, 1 Minolta Autocord, 1 Holga 120s, 1 Olympus Stylus, 2
flyrods, and a small amount of toiletries and clothing(Carmen Ghias are
*small*).
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Paul,
you could make more room in the Ghia by leaving your best friend [I presume
a dog] in the kennels at home ;-) Only joking. The trip sounds wonderful,
and the ideals are equally lofty. Suggestions:

* Think carefully about the film you will use, and whether you would want
to process on the run. For the documentary side of things, I'd use
Kodachrome: its so USA to me.
* Take good "cleaning" equipment--- the Carmen's I've been in are pretty
dusty before they travel ;-)
* Visit George Lauterstein's site to get some ideas on imaging the great
American outdoors, and pack a tripod, and fine grain film [oops you now
need the second M back; an M2 perhaps
* Visit Tina Manley's site and review her images of people to inspire your
empathy with the locals you encounter on the journey.
* If you still insist on taking your dog, use him as a prop. My two are
great additions, and the model fees are low. You will encounter many such
models on your journey, so use them to "break into" the conversation with
people. If I see a dog and its owner [in fact any pet and its owner] I find
I have an instant "in" to the lives and an introduction that now usually
leads to a good photo-op. Tina obviously uses children in the same way. She
offers to send copies of the images and claims this works - I think it
would, but I'm too cheap ;-) so I use dogs.
* Visit my site to see how not to do it ;-)
* Have a great time.

Cheers

Alastair Firkin

http://users.netconnect.com.au/~firkin/AGFhmpg.html