New York Annual NYC Camera Beauty Contest 2026 (early 2026)

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Calzone

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Giving a big lead time on a tradition that got interrupted by Covid and the Lockdown.

When Damaso Reyes, a pro photojournalist, started the first Meet-Up, there were about 3 Meet-Ups around 2007-2008 before he cornered me at what I believe was the third Meet-Up and told me I was now responsible for the NYC Meet-Up.

I kinda promote myself as a Lazy-Slacker and did not want this gig or the responsibility, but Damaso said he picked the right guy, and mentioned that I had the right personality.

Formally I was a NYC Performance Artist, and know that “Calzone” is a persona, so I decided to do my drama-queen thing and promoted the idea of a Camera Beauty Contest (CBC) so we had a venue where we could make fun of the culture and ourselves.

So in a New York manner it kinda got rowdy and aggressive in a NYC manner. I and others laughed so hard. Then it became an annual event.

So know this is a real competition, and the “Mob,” meaning audience, are the judges. The cameras in each category gets introduced by the owner and pitched, and then there is a kinda bare knuckles face-off between the top 2 competitors in each category. Kinda is like the Grammy Awards, except for cameras.

Know I promote trash talking, and things get kinda rowdy fast: only one rule is strictly enforced: No Biting; LOL.

So here in this thread the rules are kinda made up to allow cheating that favors the person who first creates an entry. I just kinda made that rule up because in the past I have been kinda publicly humiliated for entertainment of the Mob.

In one Camera Beauty Contest (CBC) I hyped and promoted a Cheap Camera Category (C-C-C) I found a working rangefinder camera at the nearby Housing Works by Puck Fair where we had our monthly Meet-Ups. I figured I had a dead ringer, but Sam the Evil Collector beat me badly.

Kinda funny and amusing that it kinda was a tie since we happened to pay the same price for our cameras. The winner could of been a coin toss, but Sam asked me where I bought my camera, and know that on Long Island where Sam lives has a lower sales tax. Sam kinda beat me by a few pennies.

Anyways all fun and laughs. An incredible amount of rare and unusual gear comes out, and every camera has a story. Great entertainment.

So early this morning I bought a camera at Elephant’s Trunk an antique flea market in Conn. I tabled my entry, and started my campaign in the Cheap Camera Contest (C-C-C), then I proceeded to load the deck to help me from getting publicly humiliated again by Sam the Evil Collector (SEC).

Shutter has to work; no free or bartered cameras allowed; and no outside repairs allowed.

I am the underdog here, so “Woof-Woof,” I say. Know that SEC can easily crush me like an ant.

I would also like to dedicate the 2026 CBC to John C. Who kept on coming back for beatings for perhaps 3-4 years. He finally won, but know the Mob rules and they were cruel. Very entertaining in a New York manner. Lots of laughing.

You can’t make this stuff up. In other years I labeled the event “Gearfest 20XX” and did a lot of marketing hype.

Also see posts 53-63 in the Diane Arbus thread for some relevant posts and comments.

Let the camera trash talking begin…

Cal
 
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During the lock down my NYC thread proved to be a lifeline for many here who suffered from social isolation.

A lot has happened over the past 4-5 years, so I expect there will be some pent up actions and many surprises.

Kinda insane the amount of gear that comes out for exhibition. No lie hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gear.

At Puck Fair we utilized the balcony for security. One way in, and one way out. That was until the NYFD condemned the balcony as unsafe and structurally unsound. LOL.

So I need some help here in getting a cool location for the CBC (Camera Beauty Contest). Security is an issue with big dollars and rare gear.

We need a place where there is food and drink readily available that somehow we could secure.

I need some help here because I’m a Covid refugee who moved out of the city. I no longer have boots on the ground.

One time we held it in a bar close to where I lived in East Harlem that was close to the 96th Street stop on the 6 Train that was about a block away. I could call my friend Mike the Skinny Hipster to find out if that bar was still open…

Worse case we could have it there again, but not the best…

Prefer somewhere in Madhattan since I would take a Metro North train from northern Westchester. I’d be commuting.

A little help…

Cal
 
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Gee I'd love to be there, to see you guys again, but almost no chance in early 2026. I've got a trip to Japan planned in January and then there is this border control roulette that you keep hearing about.
Good luck with this one. The CBC I attended was a riot and I met so many of you RFFers.
 
I just want to warn people and place the blame on Devil Christian for being the epicenter and responsible for the spread of “Linhof Disease.”

I got Linhof Disease from Christian, and then it even spread to Snarky Joe.

If you attend the CBC be aware that wearing a mask will not prevent the spread of Linhof Disease.

BTW they don’t build German Cameras like they use to.

Cal
 
Calzone said:
…

If you attend the CBC be aware that wearing a mask will not prevent the spread of Linhof Disease.

…

Cal
Click to expand...

Sounds almost as bad as “British Car Disease” (I was a one-time owner of an MGBGT). If I ever do a sports car again, it’ll be a Porsche.

I like to joke that I’m allowed to own a Canadian Leica, because I’m German. My Sofort 2 states “Designed by Leica Camera Germany” on the back, but it does have the official red dot. My modern-ish Voigtländer lenses are Made In Japan.

I’ve had poorly made German cameras too, though mostly AGFA folding cameras. One very nicely made German camera I briefly owned, was a 1911 Voigtländer (9x12), which was traded for a vintage Longines Grand Prize Automatic (Swiss Made).

Anyway, many things to me, such as cameras, cars, and watches, are more design objects. If I like the way something looks, I may want to buy it.

Ciao!
 
This fall will be the 10th year anniversary since I was in NYC. No plans to head west again, but there were some tempting low fares during February-March that appear around christmas. Might exploit that this year. I quote Pyeh because I might exploit those low fares, but it might be Japan and there is the "strict" border. But RSVP may attend.
Basically owe mucho Photography influence to NY. Kodak's from there and I sort of have an idea to visit Rochester via Toronto some undefined future as a relative moved there.
pyeh said:
Gee I'd love to be there, to see you guys again, but almost no chance in early 2026. I've got a trip to Japan planned in January and then there is this border control roulette that you keep hearing about.
Good luck with this one. The CBC I attended was a riot and I met so many of you RFFers.
Click to expand...
 
I never have anything new for the beauty contest. Ive shot the same camera for 10 years maybe.
still love seeing you guys fight tho. 😛
 
Calzone said:
Gordon,

Had a friend who installed a Ford V-8 into a MG. Kinda crazy. We both worked at Grumman.

My friend AJ tells me that Jerry Steinfeld collects 356 Porsches. AJ says he has 2 1/2 356’s, one is for parts. Then he has a lot of parts.

Cal
Click to expand...
Seinfeld known for a multitude of Porsche cars, and sometimes selling a few. Working on a few 356 years ago, and they’re fairly simple cars. My MGBGT had a skimmed head, modded carbs, and a custom exhaust. Use to autocross it, until I broke the crank in the engine. Knew a guy in Kalifornia with an original V8, based off the old Rover engine, which was a design change off an older Buick V8. The one to get was the MGCGT with the straight six, since it had torsion bar suspension. Really the build quality was awful, and it was easy to see how MG went out of business. Old Porsche had rust issues, but otherwise fairly reliable.
 
In my garage I have a 1966 Chevy C-10 Fleetside longbed that is a “Survivor” with 61K miles on it. OEM except the gas tank is removed from the cab and it has an under bed tank.

Runs, but needs a new wooden bed, and the head pulled for valve seals and hardened seats for unleaded gas.

Plans are to get it on the road in 2 years at the end of my Cancer treatment.

The truck is a head turner because it is 1966 OEM and looks kinda fresh.

I even have the OEM 15x6.5 white painted steel wheels that are now faded ivory along with the OEM dog dish “Nub” hubcaps.

Mucho cool. Sports a non panoramic rear window that is retro an small because it was purchased as a “camper” has the factory options of highway mirrors, aux. springs, and a step rear bumper.

The fade and patina is wonderful. Other than replacing the OEM 59 year old bed the body is good as is. Like I said, “A survivor.”

Mucho cool…

Cal
 
ALERT: For those that don’t know I have Prostate Cancer. Had a Prostatectomy, undergoing hormone treatment (fem-out), and next week will begin an 8-week course of radiation treatment 5-days a week.

I am told that the fatigue will worsen, and will be accumulative. Many times radiation treatment is generally 4-6 weeks, and I’m being given 8 because I have an aggressive Cancer that has metasacised.

The hormone treatment generally is a year to 18 months, but I will be doing this treatment for 2 years.

Understand that I also will have, actually I already have a compromised immune system, so pretty much getting Covid or the Flu is great risk for me.

My thinking is now late March or April for this important event.

Just giving a heads up.

Cal
 
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