Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/03/07

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Leica Users digest V16 #17
From: drodgers@nextlink.com
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2000 10:50:12 -0800

Jim

>>Purple haze? I think all you guys were smoking something to have spent
several dozen e-mails debating the number of angels who can dance on an
f-stop.<<

I listen to Purple Haze each time I use Rodinal.

One of the great things about photography, I think, is that there's so much
to learn. It combines art, physics, chemistry, mathematics, etc. You don't
need to know the scientific side to be a great photographer. But it's there
for the curious. It's a great escape from the rigors of work (unless, of
course, photography is your profession).

Further, photography is the ultimate hobby, in that it can support any
other hobby a person might have. In the depths of winder I'll do slide
shows of summer cycling trips, and relive the warm weather and excitement.
I'm not an artisitic photographer. I'm more of a documentarian (hope that's
a word, don't have my dictionary handy).

Even though it's been around 150 years or more, photography still has a
magical quality.  I stumbled upon the meaning of f-stops when doing
calculations several years back. I can't even remember what I was
calculating. It may have related to do subject to flash distance and the
inverse square law -- as someone has already mentioned. I remember looking
at the numbers and thinking "those look familiar". Sure enough, when
rounded, they were f-stops. It was very illuminating.

David