New York 2018 February Camera Carnival/Meet-Up

Cal, I first ran into this kind of crap back in 1986. I'd just gotten out of trade school with a BA in HVAC and was looking for a job in South Jersey.

I applied for a job at an apartment complex that wanted a maintaince man who would have to live on site. I asked them how much it paid, they told me and then I asked "Since I'd have to live here, doesn't the job include a free or greatly reduced apartment?"

I was shocked when they nastily told me "NO..you have to pay the same as everyone else!" I took a second and figured it out...after paying rent, I'd have $150 a month for gas, light and food and everything else you need in life. I stood up looked at them and said "F**k You" and walked out. How on earth did they expect anyone to live on $150 a month ?
 
The city of Philadelphia is still standing. Even though a few hundred thousand people mobbed the streets, lit fires, tore down light poles, vandalized shops and stole mannequins from Macy's, the rain kept the flames at bay.
Philly loves a winner because Philly loves a riot.

Phil Forrest
 
Range-rover said:
Cal, just saw Maggie in a short video from Japan. Nice little crowd of onlooker's!
Click to expand...

Bob,

Growing up as a kid I always had mucho on-lookers.

I went to Belgrade Lakes in Maine (about 50 miles from Augusta the state capitol) and basically they never saw a non white person up there. It was a one store town where the gas station was also a deli and the Post Office.

This little boy yelled all excited," Momy-momy look at that man," as the embarrased mother tried to shush her son and my friend Rich laughed hard.

I felt like E.T., like I came from another planet.

When I lived in New Mexico I learned not many Chinese out there. Pretty hard to find any good pizza. LOL. Not sure how much I was mistaken for Native American or Latino. When living there I only knew of one other Asian in NM and he worked at Los Alamos.

Growing up I was a novelty, but realize I'm a rare individual: one in a billion. LOL.

Cal
 
MrFujicaman said:
Cal, I first ran into this kind of crap back in 1986. I'd just gotten out of trade school with a BA in HVAC and was looking for a job in South Jersey.

I applied for a job at an apartment complex that wanted a maintaince man who would have to live on site. I asked them how much it paid, they told me and then I asked "Since I'd have to live here, doesn't the job include a free or greatly reduced apartment?"

I was shocked when they nastily told me "NO..you have to pay the same as everyone else!" I took a second and figured it out...after paying rent, I'd have $150 a month for gas, light and food and everything else you need in life. I stood up looked at them and said "F**k You" and walked out. How on earth did they expect anyone to live on $150 a month ?
Click to expand...

MFM,

There are college grads that work only part-time or work unskilled jobs in today's world. A plumber once told me that he hires immigrant day laborers to dig trenches. This is back breaking hard physical work, and these people are happy to have the job, and are greatful for the McDonald's super sized lunch he bought them. Pretty much this plumber said, "They dug the trench faster than if I hired a guy with a back hoe."

Exploitation is nothing new in our country.

I am partly part of the GIG economy. People now have to work for free to gain access to jobs and opportunities. Even professionals like lawyers and doctors. "Gate-Keeping" is nothing new and is institutionalized in some professions.

We live in a deflationary world of 7 billion people, and deflation can be defined by overcapacity. We have the Internet and technology to blame as well as globalization that created this deflationary spiral.

I use to resent everyone who owned a camera who claimed they were a photographer. Just because one owns a camera does not make one a photographer. Is being a photographer mean you have a profession or an identity?

So because of the Internet and Instagram everyone who owns a cell phone can claim they are a photographer, and by posting on the Internet on platforms like Instagram these photographers are giving away their photography, and because IQ is not that important resolution and skill is not necessarily required because the technology is so good. Kinda like a robot eliminating a job, along with why pay when I can just lift (steal) someone's image.

BTW my images I take for "Maggie's" blog are lifted (stolen) all the time, even by media companies that have budgets and money.

But there is a greater good here because what my experience is that I'm part of a community that is the GIG economy, and much of the work is actually bartered. The six parcels that came while Maggie was in Japan were all "gifts." While not money these "gifts" were all high end and would be costly to buy. One hand made sweater of exceptional quality was made in Belgium. A silk Komono shirt was another. While it didn't cost the designer hundreds of dollars to make or create necessarily, surely if purchased it would be luxury priced.

Also things like I do here, like run this NYC Meet-Up and our annual event, I do for free, but I actually get out of this more than I give. I gained a reputaion, I built a community, I created a safe place for a social group that I'm proud of, I made many good friends that I can rely on, I have fun, I actually got very well known, and I can say I think that working for free in this manner has a lot of value added, and speaks of my character. Anyways this is good will.

In the world of fashion certainly much of the above is true: I am part of a community of creatives who support each other and have a sense of community; I am widely known; I have fun; and I am meeting and learning a lot. I'm kinda proud of being part of this.

I'm with Phil in that the "Gate Keepers" have failed us, but they also hurt themselves. Cosmopolitan who shot the video that was published on their online platform last December was establishing a new video studio because they had to adapt. Print magazines are struggling.

Also since the cost of equipment has moderated and technology has become so advanced, almost anyone can afford say broadcast quality video equipment via a DSLR or mirrorless. I remember when I went to grad school and we were using a heavy Ikagami with a $30K tripod and a 1 inch Umatic tape machine. This ENG kit cost about $80K and this is what was required to do broadcast quality.

I don't see how this overcapacity will ever diminish, unless something really bad happens. Also know that I feel I can be generous. I have some financial security, and I can afford to be generous to help others who deserve support that are less fortunate and struggling.

Cal
 
Phil_F_NM said:
The city of Philadelphia is still standing. Even though a few hundred thousand people mobbed the streets, lit fires, tore down light poles, vandalized shops and stole mannequins from Macy's, the rain kept the flames at bay.
Philly loves a winner because Philly loves a riot.

Phil Forrest
Click to expand...

The Eagles played a great game. Some really amazing broken tackles, catches, and plays. I'm glad I watched the game.

Cal
 
The gig economy and moreso, the economy of work for free is only that way because the labor force allows it to be so. Furthermore, it is encouraged by the high end customers who get to pay less as a result. This is the market that new graduates and veterans of the military are emerging into. It doesn't work for people who have to actually work for a living. It's perfact for hobbyists who have other income, are retired or have enough savings to bankroll their donated work. It is one main reason that the gap in earnings is so great between our current working class and those who employ them. Illegal labor isn't watering down the job market, the workers themselves are, allowing their labor to be devalued. Individually, they have no choice. Either walk away and have no work or work for nickels on the dollar just to secure their job.

Phil Forrest
 
"Maggie" dumped her agent in London and just signed with a new agent in NYC. Things should be more responsive.

So from two Sundays ago around 7:00 PM till last Sunday (yesterday) around 11 PM 98K new followers from the Buzz-Feed video. Pretty much almost 100K new followers in a bit more than a week.

This should help towards being one of the top 5 in the "Shorty Awards." This is a rather big bump.

So this NYC Fashion Week Maggie will be "dressed" meaning attending fashion shows dressed and made up by a designer and attending high profile shows. Not sure if I'm invited as her entourage or escort. Maggie says she will be very busy because she will be getting "dressed" by three different designers.

Also she is invited to mucho shows.

Cal
 
Phil_F_NM said:
The gig economy and moreso, the economy of work for free is only that way because the labor force allows it to be so. Furthermore, it is encouraged by the high end customers who get to pay less as a result. This is the market that new graduates and veterans of the military are emerging into. It doesn't work for people who have to actually work for a living. It's perfact for hobbyists who have other income, are retired or have enough savings to bankroll their donated work. It is one main reason that the gap in earnings is so great between our current working class and those who employ them. Illegal labor isn't watering down the job market, the workers themselves are, allowing their labor to be devalued. Individually, they have no choice. Either walk away and have no work or work for nickels on the dollar just to secure their job.

Phil Forrest
Click to expand...

Phil,

All the above is true. Labor and labor unions are at a weak point.

I for one, a baby boomer, enjoyed more than my fair share of opportunity and prosperity. The economic disparity of the haves and the have nots is said to be of the time of Dowton Abbey, and truely the history is not unlike the Roaring Twenties and the time of the Robber Barons.

I am fortunate to be on one side, but that does not mean I do not have compassion for those that are left out.

I am a man of concious.

Cal
 
So can someone tell me if we still have a meetup? is it a regular meetup? where is it? This thread is completely off topic and I can't seem to find any of the information
 
Phil_F_NM said:
The gig economy and moreso, the economy of work for free is only that way because the labor force allows it to be so. Furthermore, it is encouraged by the high end customers who get to pay less as a result. This is the market that new graduates and veterans of the military are emerging into. It doesn't work for people who have to actually work for a living. It's perfact for hobbyists who have other income, are retired or have enough savings to bankroll their donated work. It is one main reason that the gap in earnings is so great between our current working class and those who employ them. Illegal labor isn't watering down the job market, the workers themselves are, allowing their labor to be devalued. Individually, they have no choice. Either walk away and have no work or work for nickels on the dollar just to secure their job.

Phil Forrest
Click to expand...
That is well put. I have to say that the economy needs a large scale restructuration, attaining automatization as well. If it will be proper and bring a nice increase of wellfare across society? I don't think the large powers will do that.

Despite being born in the mid-early 90s and growing into the recession, my dad always injected this awareness about the bubble into the recession and somehow I remember the old times of prosperity. Which to my co-graduates seem to be forgotten.
Although Spain has unionisation, it is weak and wages are low as well. No choice. I'm looking forward for a move towards northern europe, first do some more training and then enjoy a proper work environment. Got tired of employers middle fingers.

There was some discussion about internships and in here they just take students in the interval of 6mo-1yr and just rotate them. And as a grraduate, there's no shame politely dissing you because you aren't that cheap.

I do often think about retraining, but switching fields is harder than decades ago. Often one needs some extensive formation 1 to 4 years. And then, despite having the diploma the employer will want lots of work experience 🙂

The other day I stumbled upon this Huffpost long (long!)form site and there was this article. Which is an interesting, and even scary read.
http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/poor-millennials/
 
stompyq said:
So can someone tell me if we still have a meetup? is it a regular meetup? where is it? This thread is completely off topic and I can't seem to find any of the information
Click to expand...

Pro-Mone,

February 15th at the Rochard (Lexington and 97th).

This location is low key and casual. In many ways it has the vibe of Puck Fair.

What gear are you bringing? It is our annual festive event that this year we labeled a Camera Carnival.

Welcome to the Internet. LOL.

Cal
 
So back on topic: LOL.

I'll be bringing my Baby Linhof Tech IV that I got for "no money." I was lucky and had the rear lens separation repaired by John at Focal Point before he surprisingly suddenly closed down. This Linhof kit I got for only $800.00 with mucho extras, and the seller was very up front about the lens separation, so I kinda bought this entire kit thinking it was still a good deal even if the 100/2.8 Zeiss Planar was a loss.

So basically now I have a minty 100 Planar that is worth about $2k if you can find one that basically I got for free.

To brag and do the PR for "Modest Christian" I have Polaroid back that Christian "gifted" me that he 3-D printed the Graflock back. I'll bring some Fuji FP-100 to shoot.

The hype on the 100 Planar is no lie.

Also I think I will bring out some crazy 70mm stuff. Really oversized stainless steel reels that can hold 15 feet of film or about 60 6x7's. Then there is this JOBO that allows me to fit three of these 15 footers into a tank I can use for an inversion tank. Somehow I discovered and bought the two different 70mm non daylight bulk loaders.

Anyways kinda rare stuff that surely is crazy in an obsessive way.

Cal
 
Calzone said:
Pro-Mone,

February 15th at the Rochard (Lexington and 97th).

This location is low key and casual. In many ways it has the vibe of Puck Fair.

What gear are you bringing? It is our annual festive event that this year we labeled a Camera Carnival.

Welcome to the Internet. LOL.

Cal
Click to expand...

Thanks. No new gear. I'm happy with what I have and only have the occasional need for digital gear. I go with Johns logic. Keep only the gear that I use. Come to think of it I have to sell off a bunch of stuff
 
Calzone said:
Pro-Mone,

February 15th at the Rochard (Lexington and 97th).

This location is low key and casual. In many ways it has the vibe of Puck Fair.

What gear are you bringing? It is our annual festive event that this year we labeled a Camera Carnival.

Welcome to the Internet. LOL.

Cal
Click to expand...

I thought it is on Feb, 25th. Which one is it?
 
Calzone said:
Pro-Mone,

February 15th at the Rochard (Lexington and 97th).

This location is low key and casual. In many ways it has the vibe of Puck Fair.

What gear are you bringing? It is our annual festive event that this year we labeled a Camera Carnival.

Welcome to the Internet. LOL.

Cal
Click to expand...

Plus they don't have one of those special Light bulbs they have tons of
them!
 
I'll most likely bring the Canon L Lens I rebuilt, as Cal would say Mucho Glass! Maybe the Rolleiflex I finished
restoring. I have to say their old screens really are dark useless in low contrast low light levels.
 
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