Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/06/18

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Subject: Re: [Leica] do i deserve to own this leica?
From: Doug Herr <telyt@earthlink.net>
Date: 18 Jun 2001 08:30:38 -0700

On Mon, 18 June 2001, Kyle Cassidy wrote:
 
> 
> don't answer that -- it's a rhetorical question -- and one that i've found
> myself struggling with for a while now.
> 
 
Short answer: Kyle, you're spending too much time living inside your head!  Go forth and photograph!
 
Long answer: I've asked myself the same question many times, particularly as the years advance and the hardware accumulates faster than the knockout images.  At times I feel like a hardware junkie, exposing the occasional roll of film either to

a) rationalize having the camera
 
- -or-
 
b) keep the shutter exersized.
 
Often the answer comes out as "I can afford it and I like it so why not?" despite some question as to the first part of this statement.  There's the constant drumbeat of "it's not the camera, it's the photographer" that suggests I'd do as well by replacing the Leica stuff with a K1000 and feeding my family for a year with the change, and for many of my photos there would be little difference.  Yet there's the edge in color quality, handling and confidence that the Leicaflex gives me that sometimes makes the difference between "keep" and "toss".

My family has seen the transformation of my photos as I moved from N**** to Leicaflex and I've felt the challenge of deserving the equipment.  Twenty years ago when I first bought a Leicaflex my family said it was too expensive.  Now when I talk of selling my Leicaflex the family's response is unanimous: brothers, sister, parents, wife, daughters: "DON'T YOU DARE SELL IT!!"  Then they tell me I'm spending too much time living inside my head, and that I ought to go forth and photograph.
 


Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com
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Replies: Reply from "Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@hotmail.com> (Re: [Leica] do i deserve to own this leica?)