New York March NYC Meet-Up

[Calzone]

11th seems kinda soon, so that would leave the 18th or the 25th?

Steve,

Let's do Sunday the 18th. Remember Daylight Savings Time begins on the 18th.

I got forwarded an opportunity that requests submissions for "The world we live in now." I kinda like this broad topic that can be spun in many ways.

I find it timely because of all my talk of race and identity. Yesterday I spent most of the day at work researching "Hakka" a polite Chinese term used for "guest" that refers to an ethnic group of Chinese that migrated within China. The reasons for these migrations are not clear, but my spin is basically they were Han refugees from north central China. This adds meaning to the framing of the word guest.

In Canton the Hakka are kinda concentrated (biggest population), so I wonder if I might have Hakka blood. They kinda set up there own "Chinatown" and maintained their own language and culture so this suggests assimilation did not really occur.

Like the Cantonese the Hakka migrated all around the world and are widely distributed. I also learned that further south one goes in China, the larger the gene pool.

My dark complexion (olive) could be one of the reasons some people might think I come from western Asia, and when I stumbled into the anthropology and migrations it becomes clear I'm not so inbreed as I thought.

My B+ blood type is less than 5% of the population here in the U.S., but B blood type is 33% in the Indian sub continent and about 30% in Central Asia. Oddly B blood type does not prevail or carry over in Native Americans even though they are said to have been norther Asians that migrated across a land bridge when sea levels were about 300 feet lower.

We talked at a meet-up about inspiration and being stale. Seems like I stumbled into ethnography because of my struggles with race and identity, and I wonder if my street photography, my gentrifying, anthropology, and ethnography is all the same thing.

I could argue that it is in my blood to migrate and explore, and perhaps the way I somehow have moved around so much is part of an innate legacy I never fully understood.

Also I kinda already have begun phasing in retirement. I have minimized my taxable income to have forced savings, so in a way I took a haircut and now am living on less money/fixed income while paying off debt aggressively.

My talks of travel, relocation and displacement I see as an organic progression that somehow innately has become an epiphany of sorts. It will be interesting to do a DNA test, but now I see how I have an interesting ethnography that frames my photography. Like photography my life of moving around are just captured moments. In a sense I don't have a home or a place where I belong.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

We lose a hour sleep.😡

Bob,

Generally I nap at work if I'm tired. Pretty much I go to work to rest. LOL.

Cal

 

[MrFujicaman]

Cal.....Daylight Savings Time starts the 11th!

 

[Calzone]

Cal.....Daylight Savings Time starts the 11th!

MFM,

Thanks for the correction.

Lots of confusion going on.

These opportunities keep streaming in. I'm also now have to write an article about the "Camera Carnival" for Camera Chronicle. Just an online magazine. I'm a guest writer.

Just now I spammed my editor with mucho JPEGS. I wonder if I'm annoying him? LOL.

BTW Joe brought this Linhof 4x5 that I think might be a Master V, in original presentation case, paperwork included, 135/3.5 Zeiss Planar, with matching cam that matched the paperwork, loaded with hood, grip, wire finder...

I repeatedly told Joe, "You suck." Am I green with envy? This camera had "You suck factor" because it creates envy that is memorable and unforgetable.

So the smut/back story here is that Joe first bought the body with all these bonus accessories at a great price, then through some data mining somehow located the lens and cam that matched the paperwork that came with the body. Also know that the lens (pristine) was mispriced.

So basically Joe killed me. This camera I would say was divine intervention. Somehow this dealer made a couple of huge mistakes. What a crazy camera.

Moral of the story here is to be stubborn like Joe. LOL.

Cal

 

[jszokoli]

MFM,

I repeatedly told Joe, "You suck." Am I green with envy? This camera had "You suck factor" because it creates envy that is memorable and unforgetable.

Cal

That's exactly how I feel about Sam's black Leica II...
Joe

 

[JeffNYC]

Next month is upon us. What Sunday date shall we have it?

I just put in an application for an expedited Passport. Sometime in April I'll be going to Mad-Rid. A luxury hotel that use to be some palace for a Spanish Prince is where we will be staying. Pretty much too much luxury to the extent I will likely feel uncomfortable. Of course First Class flying.

This is a Maggie gig to promote this luxury hotel. Fancy dinners included so I have to be cleaned up, none of my slouchy street/ghetto clothes. LOL. Last excursion included the opera, but it ended up going backstage for a VIP tour of the set and costume design. Maggie went with her brother as the "plus-one" because I'm not a jet setter. I think the opera behind the scenes was a missed opportunity.

Likely when they will be shooting I'll be on my own. This will be great for me. So this trip to Spain will happen sometime in April.

Then there is another gig that is "Plus-One" to Iceland in July. July is so busy for Maggie that I might only see her in Iceland that month.

Not sure I like being caught up in the VIP treatments. I kinda know I'm not so special. LOL. For the most part I don't need the extra attention as I generally draw enough even slouched out. One time when I got bumped up to first class, I found it annoying having the flight attendant hovering over me. I had to tell her to relax and leave me alone.

Looks like I'll have to be polite because I'm a guest. Oh-well.

Cal

Cal.. The Westin Palace Hotel..... Across the street from the Prado... Magic..................... 🙂 One of my favorites.

Jeff

 

[stompyq]

That's exactly how I feel about Sam's black Leica II...
Joe

Just the Leica II? why not that Widelux he had.

 

[Calzone]

That's exactly how I feel about Sam's black Leica II...
Joe

Joe,

You are still a lucky dog. Doubtful you could either find a cleaner Linhof 4x5 or get another at that price.

I say that dealer should of made a higher price and gouged you. LOL.

BTW I have some shots of you and your Linhof. You have a mighty smug expression on your face.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Just the Leica II? why not that Widelux he had.

Pro-Mone,

The problem I learned is that Sam has three hundred nice cameras like that Widelux.

That Leica II was also really clean.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Cal.. The Westin Palace Hotel..... Across the street from the Prado... Magic..................... 🙂 One of my favorites.

Jeff

Jeff,

I'll be staying at the Gran Melia. Last time "Maggie's" suite had two bathrooms. Fresh flowers in every room.

Somehow I'll have to be well mannered and behave. LOL.

I'll try not to annoy people. LOL.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Sam has that Magic, he finds all the great stuff.

 

[Range-rover]

Jeff,

I'll be staying at the Gran Melia. Last time "Maggie's" suite had two bathrooms. Fresh flowers in every room.

Somehow I'll have to be well mannered and behave. LOL.

I'll try not to annoy people. LOL.

Cal

I don't know I still think you guy's need a assistant! 🙂

 

[Calzone]

I don't know I still think you guy's need a assistant! 🙂

Bob,

You really need the first class seat being so tall. I'll take the seat in coach. LOL.

Anyways Maggie is spoiled by Business Class and the VIP treatments. I'm just her shabby boyfriend.

I feel like in that song, "Just try a little tenderness."

Got to love a free luxury vacation in Spain. Then in July another in Iceland.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Bob,

You really need the first class seat being so tall. I'll take the seat in coach. LOL.

Anyways Maggie is spoiled by Business Class and the VIP treatments. I'm just her shabby boyfriend.

I feel like in that song, "Just try a little tenderness."

Got to love a free luxury vacation in Spain. Then in July another in Iceland.

Cal

When I traveled, the first seat right behind first class where there's that
wall and no seat in front was great. I hope you take that Leica to Iceland
with you!

 

[Calzone]

When I traveled, the first seat right behind first class where there's that
wall and no seat in front was great. I hope you take that Leica to Iceland
with you!

Bob,

I'm taking this opportunity as just more of my wanderings. I realize all my life, somehow, I have been a drifter.

Interesting that I investigated the Silk Road and discovered there might be more additions into my genetic mix. My brothers are considerably stockier than me. My dad was rather stocky and had a rectangular build. My little brother and dad had somewhat rather thin lips suggesting perhaps northern origins.

I oddly kind of stand out. Perhaps I am the pick of the litter because even my sister would say that I'm prettier than her. Also I could be considered the runt because of my slight build. My brother Sunny, who looks like Pancho Villa, is a big guy, 6 foot at least, even with his bad posture. My other brother Sunny is beefy/muscular, and my little brother while shorter than me has a powerful build.

So Guangdong (Canton) was part of the Silk Road by both land and sea. The further south in China the more diverse the genepool. At one time Vietnam was part of China, so there is a crossover of other possibilities...

So many Asians don't think I look Cantonese even though my dad came from Kowloon and my mother was from Hong Kong. Also interesting that my mom was an educated woman, so she must of come from a powerful, affluent and influential family, meanwhile my dad came from a merchant family and was illiterate.

Understand that in Chinese culture merchant class was deemed lower than peasent class because they are looked upon as being parasites and not beneficial to society.

I am a mix of both very high and very low blood, and even within my family there is lots of variation among the 5 offspring, but somehow I look like I don't fit in because I look so different.

So I wonder if my animated hand gestures that Christian mentioned, where I almost inadvertently stab a few passerby's on 1st Avenue and East 70th Street with the dagger/ spike of a Tom Abramson Rapidwinder mounted to my M6 while talking in conversation could be possibly explained that maybe I have Italian blood in me that came via the Silk Road. It would be funny if I get a DNA test and find out that I have Italian blood in me. LOL.

Kinda funny that here on RFF I'm known as Calzone. One day I'll get the genetic test. Dr. Moz suggests 23 & Me for medical data.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

When I traveled, the first seat right behind first class where there's that
wall and no seat in front was great. I hope you take that Leica to Iceland
with you!

Bob,

When I traveled extensively using TWA vouchers (sister's flight benefits), I would be the last to board the plane (standby seating) and often I would get seated with the flight attendents in the back of the plane.

I used a catalog case as my carry on luggage, and because of this the flight attendents would mistakenly ask me, "Are you a pilot?" LOL.

Seems like all I would need to do is lie and say yes, and it came across almost as an invitation for sex. Pretty much "Are you a pilot" was a pick-up line.

Evidently pilots use catalog cases for their navigational charts.

Cal

 

[Prest_400]

I saw a post about a DNA test and the results had quite a bit of regional distinction and seemed interestingly accurate. Checked out 23&me and it could be one of them.

My father's side comes from a fairly compact region of valleys and seems quite easy to track. Mother's side is more interesting as it is Asia and could be all over the place.
I'd like to check these DNA tests in the future, and an EU based for that. You could do it soon, think of the expense as part of the 1st class upgrade.

NY wise, I think I'm not going any soon. As a kid I loved aviation and travel, thankfully did my share but I thought I'd end up working in the industry and that hasn't happened. Well, I still like flying but it's a bit of a chore (security, waiting, coach class tight seating).

Anyways saw a photo thread of NY shots by a fellow forumer and surprised the Hudson Yards are still on the open, and seems the same buildings I saw under construction are still on the work.

 

[Calzone]

I saw a post about a DNA test and the results had quite a bit of regional distinction and seemed interestingly accurate. Checked out 23&me and it could be one of them.

My father's side comes from a fairly compact region of valleys and seems quite easy to track. Mother's side is more interesting as it is Asia and could be all over the place.
I'd like to check these DNA tests in the future, and an EU based for that. You could do it soon, think of the expense as part of the 1st class upgrade.

NY wise, I think I'm not going any soon. As a kid I loved aviation and travel, thankfully did my share but I thought I'd end up working in the industry and that hasn't happened. Well, I still like flying but it's a bit of a chore (security, waiting, coach class tight seating).

Anyways saw a photo thread of NY shots by a fellow forumer and surprised the Hudson Yards are still on the open, and seems the same buildings I saw under construction are still on the work.

Jorde,

8.6 million NYC population currently. I expect with the completion of Hudson Yards and Queens South (Long Island City Daily News Printing Plant site) that NYC will be a city of 9 million within 5 years when construction is finished and these housing units are occupied. This is all luxury housing.

Dr. Moz tells me it costs about $200.00 for 23 & Me, so there is a premium to the price for the medical data.

It is really remarkable how I discovered that I'm a walking ethnography. I was thinking of coining a new word: ethnogrifier; a person that studies and systematically records human cultures. My systematic recording is both photography and writing, where ethnography is a descriptive work produced from systematic research.

Ethnographer: a hybred where photography is used to record cuture.

Ethnogrifier: see ethnographer above, but with the lens of being a gentrifier/unwelcomed guest/refugee/drifter/transicient...

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Another rejection. Last month the New York Portfolio Review that had 2800 applicants, and this month the En Foco Fellowship that was limited to "people of color" and only had 165 applicants.

There were 100 slots for the NYT Portfolio Reviews and only ten Fellowships for En Foco.

Cost nothing but time and effort to apply. A lot of thinking goes into the required writing, and it does strengthen one's resolve and character.

It does come down to what Mark Cuban said; you need three things to become a billionaire: one is be smart; two is to be hard working; and three the most important of all is to be lucky.

Seems like what he said also applies in art.

Yesterday did a shoot of 5 models in Dumbo. The main event was the video which was handled by Peter, someone I worked with before. I knew or met 4 out of the 5 models. Anyways we all worked for free and collaborated in support of a designer friend who does knitwear.

During hair and makeup (also done for free) I got to know these friends better. Pretty much we all struggle. One pretty model has been doing modeling for a decade. She alluded that she also does other work to get by. Others are like me with day jobs. Pretty much a strong sense of community exists where we all help each other to survive.

No doubt we all work hard, but we are waiting for that lucky break...

Cal

 

[ptpdprinter]

Another rejection. Last month the New York Portfolio Review that had 2800 applicants, and this month the En Foco Fellowship that was limited to "people of color" and only had 165 applicants. There were 100 slots for the NYT Portfolio Reviews and only ten Fellowships for En Foco.

Cost nothing but time and effort to apply. A lot of thinking goes into the required writing, and it does strengthen one's resolve and character.

You could spend a lifetime and a fortune seeking validation through photo contests. Where to even begin.