New York February NYC Meet-Up/ Eighth Annual Camera Beauty Contest

[Range-rover]

I've been using the Panasonic and Pentax so much lately the the poor Nikon D3
been sitting at home, it takes great pictures but the weight and large size it not
as easy to lug, plus the Pentax has the Shake reduction in it's body so every lens
is covered and with the Nikon I could handhold it just down to 60th or 30th and
get that blasted shakes.

 

[Prest_400]

Bob,
Pretty much I now can mount every small format lens I own on my SL.
(...)

I likely will downsize further and get rid of my Pentax 67 II kit.

Cal

I'm liking mirrorless quite a bit. Had a lengthly coffee table discussion with a friend about which camera he should get to initiate and we culled it to the LX100 at 3AM. Little thing seems quite interesting for what it is. But there were a couple of "you really say that it can mount any of the other lenses".
It was long since I didn't do a "market sweep" and everything is just so good, but then it's the last 10% of fit that makes decisions complicated.

I have an aspiring ciné friend who initiated with a 70D and a 70-200 2.8; He was from a video background but got into photo recently.
Lately I've been annoying him via miss-tant communication and exploiting its quirks. No need for a 70-200 f2.8 for shooting teen girls and dogs 😀

That P67II... I'm seeing and hearing too much about the system, around the hipster circles. Lugging one for half a day would give a pass to the idea of getting one, specially that I should take the Texas Leica ridin' out more.
Hope it gets to a good home!

BTW Maggie this morning has 79.2K followers. By fashion week I expect that that number will be north of 100K with all the stuff going on in February. Realize that just a year ago Maggie only hit the 10K milestone which a year ago was a very big deal. These numbers are more than quadratic in function. Also know the analytics are that the guassian distribution (bell curve) of followers is not young baby boomers, but 25-35 year olds (Millenials). The numbers don't lie.

Did you know the fashion capital of Russia is Kiev and not Moscow? LOL. What do you think of me in Kiev. LOL. Might I stand out? LOL.

Cal

Digital metrics and markets are quite interesting. I've fantasized about the what if "you were popular in the net". To me it'd be a bit of a headache to be exposed and in need of the net. There's tons of useless stuff that monetizes lots and loads of good contentwithout exposure.

4 days later and 80,8K. 1.6K in 5 days! (5 mins later...)
It's nice to see you around the blog too, you got some love from the fans too 😀

The Eastern block has loads of craziness, you might blend in Kiev.

 

[Calzone]

I'm liking mirrorless quite a bit. Had a lengthly coffee table discussion with a friend about which camera he should get to initiate and we culled it to the LX100 at 3AM. Little thing seems quite interesting for what it is. But there were a couple of "you really say that it can mount any of the other lenses".
It was long since I didn't do a "market sweep" and everything is just so good, but then it's the last 10% of fit that makes decisions complicated.

I have an aspiring ciné friend who initiated with a 70D and a 70-200 2.8; He was from a video background but got into photo recently.
Lately I've been annoying him via miss-tant communication and exploiting its quirks. No need for a 70-200 f2.8 for shooting teen girls and dogs 😀

That P67II... I'm seeing and hearing too much about the system, around the hipster circles. Lugging one for half a day would give a pass to the idea of getting one, specially that I should take the Texas Leica ridin' out more.
Hope it gets to a good home!


Digital metrics and markets are quite interesting. I've fantasized about the what if "you were popular in the net". To me it'd be a bit of a headache to be exposed and in need of the net. There's tons of useless stuff that monetizes lots and loads of good contentwithout exposure.

4 days later and 80,8K. 1.6K in 5 days! (5 mins later...)
It's nice to see you around the blog too, you got some love from the fans too 😀

The Eastern block has loads of craziness, you might blend in Kiev.

Jorde,

Really interesting is my role as "Maggie's" entourage. At this point she is a real celeb-Bert-T. Last summer in Toronto this hipster gal runs over to us with her boyfriend, one of her followers. Here in NYC German tourists recognize her and say, "Your the Accidental Icon." LOL.

So this Friday will be the formal announcement of signing with one of the top modeling agencies in the world globally. So the pay for one of my photo's that will be used by some network TV online presence is only a couple of boxes of Canson Baryta paper. Then there is this Japanese TV interview...

There already are fashion show invites I will be attending for NYC Fashion Week. There is some Pop-Up event where I know one of the two designers that Maggie knows that is upcoming. Then there is this flight to LA.

This photographer, Chris, who shot us as a couple for a book is now ready to go to his publishers, so it might get published this year. The book is about romance and is inclusive. Kinda timely, and I am proud to support diversity and inclusion.

Anyways vicariously lots of stuff is happening, and it seems like life is overbooked.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

So Lorelie's is a crazy place to have a Camera Circus. I hope many people come early to secure the area in the back towards the left. If we can do that we can secure add-D-quit space. John and I talked about this last night at dinner.

I will be bringing mucho B&W B&W filters. About a quarter of a shoebox worth. All are in great condition and boxed. Sale blowout is 1/3rd retail. Many are 39mm and 46mm for Leica.

It seems that for film on my M-bodies I am using old retro single coated glass. Also I have a spare 35/1.8 Nikkor in LTM that is available. Looking to flip it, but know I got it a price that is worth keeping. A remarkable lens for B&W film and for a Monochrom.

Grand prize will be a framed print. The frame is by Muji and the image is of a NYC hipster on Broadway by Union Square twirling his hair. The image displays 50 Lux ASPH sharpness and also is a bokeh shot. This is a Piezography K7 print on baryta rag.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

So I am now number five on a dealer's list for the 50 Lux-SL. Luckily yesterday I secured Heliopan UV "Digital" filters in 67mm and 82mm in the used department at B&H. Kinda double miracle in finding both, and I figured I save about $150.00. Costly even used. So now I have the filter for when I get my 50 Lux-SL. The added UV and IR filtering built into Heliopan filters really makes a big difference in resolution, detail and saturation on any digital camera IMHO, but these filters are mighty costly.

So I get some smut on a new Fuji medium format digital camera for $6.5K from my buddies at B&H in the used department that with an adapter can mount Hasselblad and Pentax 67 lenses. Hmmm. Perhaps keep my Pentax 67 II. The rare 75/2.8 AL I was told would be a killer lens with a 90mm FOV. Hmmm... Anyways those Fuji colors are mighty fine. I was told it is the same sensor used on the Hasselblad H1.

Also I know Pro-Mone will think of some way to diss Fuji. Ha-Ha. I think John will get the last laugh here. LOL. Seems like hoarding gear is a smart thing. LOL.

So yesterday I find out we are invited to a "Model Party" celebrating some small modeling agency that is celebrating a 10 year anniversity that will happen tonight. I am told many photographers and industry people will be there. What does this mean? I assume mostly film crews that do studio shooting, stylists, and the hair and make-up artists. The party is in midtown and begins at 8:00. I also assume many of these people don't have day-jobs.

The network TV station now wants to do a video to go with the online exclusive. Perhaps tonight at the Model Party. My friend Mike did some promo video that will be streaming tonight at the event. The official release is Friday (tomorrow). Anyways all this last minute stuff is insane, and it makes a lazy slacker like me crazy.

So now that Maggie has an agent every day has become busier. More opportunities are streaming in, and there is constant communication on a daily basis with her agent in London.

Another thing came in where a NYC luxury store wants Maggie to style herself using the store's inventory as her closet. An interview will follow about how she chose her look. Know that many of the young salespeople in this high end luxury retailer are her followers.

Cal

 

[Prest_400]

February NYC Meet-Up/ Eighth Annual Camera Beauty Contest

Last weekend I had a lengthly coffee talk with a friend that wanted to get into photography and it was about picking gear. I really liked the idea of Fuji overall with its traditional handling.
Finally he discovered the LX100 which was on sale and I forgot about, he got it and it is a nice Leica inspired compact.

Maggie's concept is very authentic from what I saw, and encouraging. To paraphrase her, just being a conscious normal woman with gusto. Well deserved success.

Today on the TV news was some controversy of a 19yo Youtuber who pranked some homeless guy by giving him toothpaste filled Oreos. Idiot things like those monetize well just because of the kids following. Interesting how doing the idiot is more valued than being "right".

Part of the reason I don't publish around social media. Nevermind photo work as it is thrown into the wind to scatter.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Range-rover]

I'm really glad Maggie's doing great, and you finding not one but two Heliopan filters
there is amazing, anyway I been thinking of going the Fuji route myself there so much
going on about them that I might want to try it.

 

[Calzone]

I'm really glad Maggie's doing great, and you finding not one but two Heliopan filters
there is amazing, anyway I been thinking of going the Fuji route myself there so much
going on about them that I might want to try it.

Bob,

Pro-Mone might not like it, but Fuji is making 50.1 MP medium format camera for $6.5K (no money).

My friend Mike is interested in my Pentax 67 II kit, but the 75/2.8 AL would be like a 50mm FOV on the Fuji I figure. It might pay for me to try and hold onto this lens.

Anyways quite the buzz at the B&H used counter. These guys can't wait till February when the Fuji gets released.

Saturday Maggie has to go to a TV studio to get interviewed. It seems the agent grew the exclusive deal from the web to include broadcast TV on a major NYC TV network. So the release might offically be delayed a day or two or three.

Last night's event made me feel rather shrimpy and short because we were surrounded by all these Amazonian women. I was talking with one model who was perhaps 20 on how long does she think she might be able to sustain a life of total chaos, and her answer was perhaps a decade.

I was fortunate to be in the perfect location when an area cleared out for a woman trapize artist so I used my SL at 3200 ISO F1.4 and was standing 8 feet away with a 35mm Lux. Very flexible woman doing acrobatic moves in this club. I basically kept on filling the 33 shot buffer. Lots of expressive motion blur in some shots and a few sharp images. I like the contorted moves and the hanging upside down.

Also got some ariel shot from the roof near the Port Authority from about 40 stories up. Likely won't print big, but cool shots of buildings and lights almost like helicopter shots.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Glad you had a great event, and the Amazonian women I hope you got shots of that!

 

[Calzone]

Glad you had a great event, and the Amazonian women I hope you got shots of that!

Bob,

One woman was as tall as you. Just call me shorty at 5 foot-ten.

Looking forward to "Fashion Month" even though it will be mucho crazy. It seems the smaller designers that are excluded from being "in the tent" set up shows and pop-ups before and after Fashion Week.

Anyways on February 1st open any major fashion magazine and you will see Maggie in a high end luxury camp-pain shot by "Uncle Terry."

Cal

 

[rajmohan-fotograf]

Raj, sometimes the mob decides to back a shyer participant.

Excellent! Mob justice rules 🙂
Looking forward to it!!

 

[rajmohan-fotograf]

Raj,

Try to watch this special that Robert WHore-SHA-VAC from "Shark Tank" made about being a good salesman.

The greatest point is that being a great salesman is a skill that can help you in everything you do, and this is coming from a billion-air.

So these are the key elements that make a great salesman: personable, knowlegable, trustworthy, and a good communicator.

Of course being a good salesman can be used for good or evil. In my younger days I did something I was not proud of, but I learned I was a good salesman. In a way it was my job to take advantage of people and sell as much as I could.

Perhaps I was in my early 20's and took on a part-time job for extra money working at "Ed's Tropical Aquariums." It was not a pet store and only sold tropical fish. I was "trained" to push the 10 gallon starter kit which cost $9.99, and realize this was in the very early 1980's, but the sham was to convince customers that they needed extras, and this is basically where you bilk the customer.

I kinda learned that I was a good natural born salesman because I easily sold over $190.00 worth of extras with every $9.99 tank I sold. A big part of this was all the upgrades, and then you added in the extras, and it took a lot of skill to nurse people along a devious path by manipulating them. Surely this was just being dishonest. Understand that the basic starter kit was only the tank, a cheesey filter, and some gravel (your choice).

Anyways I will say I am not proud of what I did, and know that I am sorry, but I did learn very early in life that I was a good salesman. Today I actually make it a point to be generous, and if anything I give people good deals or even deals of a lifetime. Call it retrobution.

Also know as a kid I was very clever in manipulating adults into spoiling me, and generally as a kid I got away with a lot. Possibly part of it was good looks, but mostly because even as a kid I was a good salesman.

I have found what Robert Whore-SHA-Vac said to be true; "Being a good salesman can help you in everything you do," but for me it has moral consequences.

Cal

Good points all, Cal. I think the key attributes, if one is lucky enough to have them, are applicable to any interpersonal role - it's a matter of choice about how to use those attributes; a choice determined by the individual's moral compass, as exemplified by your choice to be generous.

 

[Calzone]

Been meaning to post this... shot on my iphone in September

while working on an Exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt Museum
I came across 'Maggie' while strolling up Madison Avenue ... posing for a posh realty group


Lynn aka 'Maggie' by Helen Hill, on Flickr

Like the 'look' ... Maggie looks quite Miss Madison Ave 😉

Helen,

Next week when February and Fashion Month begins "Maggie" will be part of a feature in Vogue; she will be in a big ad campaign shot by "Uncle Terry" for a huge luxury brand that will be in all the print magizines; she will be announced as being represented by one of the top five modeling agencies globally (agent is in London); will be featured as an exclusive by a NYC TV broadcast's online platform; and will be video taped later this week for a possible broadcast segment.

Anyways lately my role has changed, and I am no longer a lazy slacker. LOL. Life is mucho crazy, fun and exciting, but also stressful.

BTW that shot was part of a video shoot for that luxury real estate company, but in a way Maggie was exploited because she recieved no compensation for all the bill boarding that was performed all over NYC. The days of low fees and being taken advantage of by big corporations is over, now that she has a great agent.

Anyways Fashion month for me is a disaster. LOL. No more lazy slacker Calvin. The game has changed 82K followers. Last August in Toronto walking around we bumped into one of her followers. In NYC we bump into her followers every day. One day some German tourists approached her and said, "You are the Accidental Icon." LOL.

Cal

 

[JMQ]

Cal, sorry to hear you regressed from a slacker to a stressed out New Yorker 🙂

 

[Calzone]

The February Meet-Up/Camera Circus will be this Sunday at Lorelie's beginning at 1:00 PM. It would be really great is people come early so we can stake out an area.

I'll be giving away a 12x18 print on 17x22 paper using the new not available to the public Piezography Pro. Yesterday I printed from a color file shot with my SL, and got an iconic image from the Woman's March. I was on 42d Street near Grand Central, and both the Pan Am (Met Life) building and the Christ-Ler Building loom in the background.

The shot is of the protest crowd, but the main subject is an American flag perhaps 5-6 feet away blowing in the wind upside down, but what makes the decisive moment is this bald middle aged man and a NYPD cop looking at each other and making eye contact.

I had to boost the shadows a lot so there is grain, and somehow the signs from the protesting are way in the background as not to be distracting to add a sense of timelessness, yet capture the sense of time and turmoil.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Cal, sorry to hear you regressed from a slacker to a stressed out New Yorker 🙂

Jean-Marc,

I use to be such a care-free guy. Hope I don't turn out to be a jerk. LOL.

So now I'm responsible for all the post processing for Maggie's blog, as well as all the images that her agent is requesting.

Sundays are kinda quiet, but first thing in the morning when Maggie gets up is she checks her e-mail for all the last minute requests and solicitations. I forgot that there is a shoot later this week at a NYC high end retailer where Maggie gets free reign to use the entire store as her closet to assemble three looks. There will be some shooting and a video interview. Anyways this is a place where a leather jacket costs $5K-$6K.

The reward is a $1K gift card, but I ask if that is enough to buy a pair of sox in that store. LOL. A pro crew will be doing all the shooting and taping for this event.

I think I will be getting into the tent as Maggie's On-Tour-Rog during Fashion Week. Now I have to get dressed up, but know that when I get duded out I laugh at myself when I look in the mirror because I don't recognize myself.

Anyways this is only the beginning/ first week of Fashion Month. LOL. I was warned first thing this morning is that I have to find and process some files to send to her agent today after work.

Cal

 

[dshfoto]

Hey, I just figured out that Jan 5th is Super Bowl Sunday, Game time EST 6:30 pm. So I guess it won't conflict.

 

[jsrockit]

Yeah, and the CNY parade in Chinatown. We can all leave by 4pm or whatever.

 

[Calzone]

Yeah, and the CNY parade in Chinatown. We can all leave by 4pm or whatever.

BTW It is the year of the Chicken/Rooster my astrology sign. Unlike in western culture chickens in eastern culture are one of the most fearse-est animals because a Rooster will fight till death.

Roosters are known to be playboys, and proudly and vainly strut around trying to garner all the attention from females. Pretty much exhibitionists and very confident.

Anyways I'm a textbook Rooster. LOL.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Hey, I just figured out that Jan 5th is Super Bowl Sunday, Game time EST 6:30 pm. So I guess it won't conflict.

January 5th was my B'day.

February 5th is Superbowl Sunday.

Anyways the Camera Circus is going to be an eight year tradition. Let's keep it going.

I will be bringing mucho SLR. The black SL2-MOT with 35 Lux R 3-cam is amazing.

I know my SLR competitor has mucho vintage Nikons, but I will be also bringing some crazy Nikon SLR's. One is a F5 (my free camera) LOL, that features the more rare than my Noct-Nikkor, the 28/1.4 AF-D. You can't have a faster street shooting rig than this.

Cal