Range-rover
Veteran
**Gear Alert 2**
This morning I was up early having breakfast and decided to go on Pic-Click
which is a short cut site for everything Ebay. So this morning I was going though
it because I've been looking for another Leica, but not willing to spend over $1000.00
for it, so this seller in England just put on 2 minutes before a Leica M2 nice condition with a
30 day return and 1 year warranty, I went for it and the price was great so I'm a happy Leica
owner again.Now to look for a lens so many choices now!
This morning I was up early having breakfast and decided to go on Pic-Click
which is a short cut site for everything Ebay. So this morning I was going though
it because I've been looking for another Leica, but not willing to spend over $1000.00
for it, so this seller in England just put on 2 minutes before a Leica M2 nice condition with a
30 day return and 1 year warranty, I went for it and the price was great so I'm a happy Leica
owner again.Now to look for a lens so many choices now!
fiddle
Established
Hows everyone doing?
Hoping everyone is safe..
Hoping everyone is safe..
Todo bien aqui... y tu? Just sick of the mandatory quarantine in Chile... I want to get out and photograph!
Congrats on the Leica Bob...
fiddle
Established
Bien John. Aburrido, pero bien.
By the way, liking the site .
By the way, liking the site .
Thank you for looking, I appreciate it. I’ll be adding my NYC photos soon too. The quarantine got me off my ass to do a lot of editing and to make the website.
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
Gear alert!
Gear alert!
Maybe 2 months ago, I got a 20mm f/3.5 Nikkor, which is practically a pancake lens. Yesterday, my Pentax MX and 50mm f/1.4 SMC-M just came back from overhaul by Eric Hendrickson. And finally, I got a 1966 Bolex REX 4 with a trio of Schneider lenses: 10mm, 25mm, 50mm on the way. Well, the REX is here, along with the 25mm lens. 10mm, and 50mm are on the way. I'll be selling off at least three 16mm motion picture cameras with a bunch of lenses now that I have the kit that I want.
Also, I think we should do a zoom meeting one of these days soon.
Phil Forrest
Gear alert!
Maybe 2 months ago, I got a 20mm f/3.5 Nikkor, which is practically a pancake lens. Yesterday, my Pentax MX and 50mm f/1.4 SMC-M just came back from overhaul by Eric Hendrickson. And finally, I got a 1966 Bolex REX 4 with a trio of Schneider lenses: 10mm, 25mm, 50mm on the way. Well, the REX is here, along with the 25mm lens. 10mm, and 50mm are on the way. I'll be selling off at least three 16mm motion picture cameras with a bunch of lenses now that I have the kit that I want.
Also, I think we should do a zoom meeting one of these days soon.
Phil Forrest
Range-rover
Veteran
Thank you John, it should be good, I was thinking of getting a M8. I
saw one with only 7000 shots taken, but I have my Fuji. :bang:
Range-rover
Veteran
Sounds like fun stuff!
I think the M2 was the better buy!
Range-rover
Veteran
Just looked at your website john really nice.
Thank you Bob, I appreciate it.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
The PAX M3 that Sam gave away found a new home with Bob who is very capable in giving this compact 35mm fixed lens rangefinder the TLC it deserves. The lens is a 45mm F2.8 that I would suspect is likely a tessar design. I mailed it off to Bob last week for recycling.
I'm still on paid leave, but I'm here at work conditioning the cyclotron to keep it operational. There is some smut and buzz about a $2M grant being submitted to overhaul my cyclotron. Know that this would require months of work to implement.
Many things like the above have somewhat firmed up my future. Glad that it looks like I will enjoy continued employment. Also "Maggie" has come to reason that the fresher air of the lower Hudson Valley is where we want to be. One reason is that NYC certainly has changed, and tough times we expect ahead for many.
Kinda funny is how the rents have taken a dive. I could move and afford to live in Chelsea, Greenwich Village or even the Flat Iron district. East Harlem got more edge-G.
I know that hungry people and hungry children caused Arab Spring. Beacon is looking really good right now, and pretty much Maggie wants to buy a home next year, and I will commute.
Looking at properties online is mucho exciting. There was this carriage house that was ideal, but it sold. Found a nice house in town that had a large lot, an oversized garage, and was updated into turnkey condition with all the touches I would have performed.
Don't tell "Maggie" but the garage would be for a wood working shop with a Powermatic 10 inch table saw, and a Powermatic planer; the basement would be my darkroom; and the attic my print studio.
Over the past two weeks I have built out a new body of work. I ended up destroying a lot of old prints because everything got elevated to a new level. I could never sell the older work, and now my printing has vastly surpassed what I already was doing at a very high level.
My studio is kinda like living and working in a submarine. My rich brother told me about his experience in the Navy on a nuclear attack submarine. When they got deployed he had to crouch when walking down the hallways, because gallon cans of food he had to walk on. Evidently the only reason to return to port was to reload with food.
Somehow I found a pack of 49 sheets of 8 1/2x11 where only one sheet was missing to make it a full pack. I decided to create a book inspired by John that he called "People." This project is really interesting in that even in my small prints, the detail and the tonality resemble medium and I dare say large format. The files are the same, but now I enjoy the IQ that transcends all my print formats.
My old prints I somehow left behind. This is why I destroy a lot of my older work. I remember this art dealer showing me a Robert Franks print he owned from "The Americans" that obviously was just a test print that indicated a dusty negative. Pretty much I never want this to ever happen to any of my work.
So I am down to my last 17 inch roll, a box of 13x17 is gone that comprises of some of a small folio, and I have a museum box that is approaching nearly full of 17x24 1/2 sheets that will be for my "Book of Proofs." About half the pages have the linen tape spines installed. This book exploits a museum box that had a "dropped side" that is engineered into the design of the book.
This Book of Proofs is very impressive.
The 13x19's were going to be my "Log Book" with interwoven pages for annotation, but the game has changed upon discovering the 8 1/2x11 stockpile. I now will reinvent this book of prints as just a small folio because I just like its size.
Last night I ran out of linen tape to build pages. I need to order a 17 inch wide roll of 45 GSM archival paper to interleave the pages for the Book of Proofs. I really like how the interleaving protects the prints. In a ways the binding also does well in protecting the prints and making them less fragile.
Since March 18th I have remained rather prolific. Also know that my hoarding, leftover a a scar/mark of poverty, has been an asset because I have all these stockpiles as resources.
On the biking front I discovered that Schwable, a German bike tire manufaturer, now makes a 24x2.3 inch Rocket Ron which if it fits my frame without rubbing updates and modernizes my two old retro IBIS Mountain Trials.
I'm going with the flow. This kinda is like Divine Intervention. 24 inch tires are an underserved part of the market, and getting a high ended optimized specialty tire in the size I need has always been the bain of this ultra short wheelbase bike that has the fast and twitchy steering that pretty much is my style, meaning unstable.
Anyways, for me the isolation and social distancing has been a great thing. I'm running low on ink, paper, and linen tape though. After this post I think I will try to order some. Last time though Jon Cone was out of stock of the 13x19 I use.
Cal
I'm still on paid leave, but I'm here at work conditioning the cyclotron to keep it operational. There is some smut and buzz about a $2M grant being submitted to overhaul my cyclotron. Know that this would require months of work to implement.
Many things like the above have somewhat firmed up my future. Glad that it looks like I will enjoy continued employment. Also "Maggie" has come to reason that the fresher air of the lower Hudson Valley is where we want to be. One reason is that NYC certainly has changed, and tough times we expect ahead for many.
Kinda funny is how the rents have taken a dive. I could move and afford to live in Chelsea, Greenwich Village or even the Flat Iron district. East Harlem got more edge-G.
I know that hungry people and hungry children caused Arab Spring. Beacon is looking really good right now, and pretty much Maggie wants to buy a home next year, and I will commute.
Looking at properties online is mucho exciting. There was this carriage house that was ideal, but it sold. Found a nice house in town that had a large lot, an oversized garage, and was updated into turnkey condition with all the touches I would have performed.
Don't tell "Maggie" but the garage would be for a wood working shop with a Powermatic 10 inch table saw, and a Powermatic planer; the basement would be my darkroom; and the attic my print studio.
Over the past two weeks I have built out a new body of work. I ended up destroying a lot of old prints because everything got elevated to a new level. I could never sell the older work, and now my printing has vastly surpassed what I already was doing at a very high level.
My studio is kinda like living and working in a submarine. My rich brother told me about his experience in the Navy on a nuclear attack submarine. When they got deployed he had to crouch when walking down the hallways, because gallon cans of food he had to walk on. Evidently the only reason to return to port was to reload with food.
Somehow I found a pack of 49 sheets of 8 1/2x11 where only one sheet was missing to make it a full pack. I decided to create a book inspired by John that he called "People." This project is really interesting in that even in my small prints, the detail and the tonality resemble medium and I dare say large format. The files are the same, but now I enjoy the IQ that transcends all my print formats.
My old prints I somehow left behind. This is why I destroy a lot of my older work. I remember this art dealer showing me a Robert Franks print he owned from "The Americans" that obviously was just a test print that indicated a dusty negative. Pretty much I never want this to ever happen to any of my work.
So I am down to my last 17 inch roll, a box of 13x17 is gone that comprises of some of a small folio, and I have a museum box that is approaching nearly full of 17x24 1/2 sheets that will be for my "Book of Proofs." About half the pages have the linen tape spines installed. This book exploits a museum box that had a "dropped side" that is engineered into the design of the book.
This Book of Proofs is very impressive.
The 13x19's were going to be my "Log Book" with interwoven pages for annotation, but the game has changed upon discovering the 8 1/2x11 stockpile. I now will reinvent this book of prints as just a small folio because I just like its size.
Last night I ran out of linen tape to build pages. I need to order a 17 inch wide roll of 45 GSM archival paper to interleave the pages for the Book of Proofs. I really like how the interleaving protects the prints. In a ways the binding also does well in protecting the prints and making them less fragile.
Since March 18th I have remained rather prolific. Also know that my hoarding, leftover a a scar/mark of poverty, has been an asset because I have all these stockpiles as resources.
On the biking front I discovered that Schwable, a German bike tire manufaturer, now makes a 24x2.3 inch Rocket Ron which if it fits my frame without rubbing updates and modernizes my two old retro IBIS Mountain Trials.
I'm going with the flow. This kinda is like Divine Intervention. 24 inch tires are an underserved part of the market, and getting a high ended optimized specialty tire in the size I need has always been the bain of this ultra short wheelbase bike that has the fast and twitchy steering that pretty much is my style, meaning unstable.
Anyways, for me the isolation and social distancing has been a great thing. I'm running low on ink, paper, and linen tape though. After this post I think I will try to order some. Last time though Jon Cone was out of stock of the 13x19 I use.
Cal
My buddy "homeless" Jeff lives right near there... cool little town.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
John,
WOW.
I like your site.
I always liked/loved your work.
Also know that beginning June 8th testing will begin for employees like me who work "off-site." Two levels of testing at my hospital: one is the antibody test; the second is a "Surveilance Test" to detect those that are asymptomatic. It is said athat about a third of those that test positive for Covid are asymptomatic.
Once I start this testing it will happen every other week. I don't see this changing for a while. Already I am getting reports of a mutated Covid-19 in China. Of course this makes coming up with a vacine more difficult. Even if a good vacine is ready by the fall, it would take about a year to the vacine manufactured and distributed. No "V" recovery seen by me.
After June first my other hospital expects to begin ramping up a schedule that will be about 25% of what was formerly. I don't expect things to ever return back to normal, in fact I can see NYC somewhat replicating the seventies again (de-urbanizing, violent crime, and many reasons not to live here).
Most striking are the drop in rents downtown. In the seventies white flight meant everyone that could leave did. Of course this concentrated poverty. This time I would expect disparity to be even wider and in your face though.
Fact is after 2007-2008 it took till 2015 (eight years) for the jobs lost to get back to the pre 2007-2008 levels. This time it is worse.
The media and the government present the data differently as being the longest period of job expansion, but this is manipulated. I guess it depends on where you start the zero or counting.
Highly unlikely working from home if possible will get undone. Not practical nor economical. The NYC subway use to be an asset, but now it is a liability. Same for population density.
Also interesting how children are. I believe personality is innate and that you are born with it. In my case my daughter inherited my personality and intelligence. In other words she was a kid who was borderline disturbed, had an evil temper, and pretty much was a headache.
My ex-wife would threaten to leave me with my daughter all the time. I am reminded of how I was an evil kid.
When Kia was in first grade some third grade boy was picking on the smallest girl in her class. Kia threw this bigger and older boy on the ground, got on top of him and gave him a beating. The report mentioned that she was like fly paper on this boy and jumped to top of him again as she was removed.
Cal
WOW.
I like your site.
I always liked/loved your work.
Also know that beginning June 8th testing will begin for employees like me who work "off-site." Two levels of testing at my hospital: one is the antibody test; the second is a "Surveilance Test" to detect those that are asymptomatic. It is said athat about a third of those that test positive for Covid are asymptomatic.
Once I start this testing it will happen every other week. I don't see this changing for a while. Already I am getting reports of a mutated Covid-19 in China. Of course this makes coming up with a vacine more difficult. Even if a good vacine is ready by the fall, it would take about a year to the vacine manufactured and distributed. No "V" recovery seen by me.
After June first my other hospital expects to begin ramping up a schedule that will be about 25% of what was formerly. I don't expect things to ever return back to normal, in fact I can see NYC somewhat replicating the seventies again (de-urbanizing, violent crime, and many reasons not to live here).
Most striking are the drop in rents downtown. In the seventies white flight meant everyone that could leave did. Of course this concentrated poverty. This time I would expect disparity to be even wider and in your face though.
Fact is after 2007-2008 it took till 2015 (eight years) for the jobs lost to get back to the pre 2007-2008 levels. This time it is worse.
The media and the government present the data differently as being the longest period of job expansion, but this is manipulated. I guess it depends on where you start the zero or counting.
Highly unlikely working from home if possible will get undone. Not practical nor economical. The NYC subway use to be an asset, but now it is a liability. Same for population density.
Also interesting how children are. I believe personality is innate and that you are born with it. In my case my daughter inherited my personality and intelligence. In other words she was a kid who was borderline disturbed, had an evil temper, and pretty much was a headache.
My ex-wife would threaten to leave me with my daughter all the time. I am reminded of how I was an evil kid.
When Kia was in first grade some third grade boy was picking on the smallest girl in her class. Kia threw this bigger and older boy on the ground, got on top of him and gave him a beating. The report mentioned that she was like fly paper on this boy and jumped to top of him again as she was removed.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
John,
I feel that things are really settling in for me. Here in NYC I see mucho suffering. I kinda adopted a homeless woman. I give her a dollar everytime I see her.
"Maggie" walked three blocks downtown to CVS. On the way she encountered three women begging for money to buy food.
My local supermarket is by the 103rd subway stop, but I avoid walking uptown. Not so safe anymore. Lots of anger, possibility of violence, and craziness. Pretty stark and in your face the haves and the have nots.
I use the Wall Street Journal as my data feed. Upon returning from the news stand "Maggie" inquired, "Where is the paper?" I had it folded in my rear pocket as to have my hands free for self defense.
I had some joker with no mask invade my space on purpose just a block from my apartment. It seemed like he banged into me on purpose aiming for me.
I let it go.
Just be safe. I figure it is not worth my life, which happens to be wonderful. I have better things to do.
Just know that your influence is still around. I follow with my book of "People."
Cal
Yes, it is time to be smart instead of macho... it isn`t the same NYC we could do that in years ago.
I look forward to your book... that one of mine is an early copy.
It would look a lot differently now. Very cool that you still had it lying around.Calzone
Gear Whore #1
John,
Another $1.2K stimulas passed the house.
This still has to pass the Republican Senate who is taking a wait and see approach.
The $2K initially applied for did not make it.
Cal
fiddle
Established
Dammit. They just keep making me buy stuff....
All jokes aside. I am fortunate to still be working through all this.
All jokes aside. I am fortunate to still be working through all this.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Yes, it is time to be smart instead of macho... it isn`t the same NYC we could do that in years ago.
I look forward to your book... that one of mine is an early copy.
John,
Interesting to note is that I had kept separate a lot of the shots I took at fashion events. In one way it seemed not me, but now that I look at things it is basically just displaying part of NYC that is somewhat "gated" that normally I would not have access to.
Through "Maggie" I basically got a pass into a world that otherwise would exclude me. At best this really shows the disparity, privilage and what is really going on here.
Lots of a different kind of contrast here. Partly about the stratification in NYC, partly about elite lifestyle, and a lot about material culture and consumerism as well as class issues. When I used your idea "People" as a vehicle, I found I had a lot of treasure in my Lightroom files.
Also It took years of printing extensively and obsessively to get to the level I'm at as a photographer, printer and bookbinder. Of course this is limited to only B&W.
My Book of Proofs will be housed in a 25 1/2 by 17 1/2 Museum Box. The "Dropped-Side" allows for easy removal. The use of a presentation box elevates the book into a fine art object. The print size is only 13.3x20 inches on 24 1/2x 17 sheet. The spine utilizes screw binding posts.
This book is both a reference book and an "estate piece" that is meant to be a "one-off" and pretty much an artist's possession. I learned from the gallery workshop I took of how to consider and exploit rarity into pricing.
In the end when limited editions sell out, it is wise for artists to retain Artist Proofs for both creating an estate/legacy, and for also keeping "on-hand" a body of work just in case a museum, gallery or curator comes your way. The idea here is by having records and an archival system that you encourage these possible opportunities.
After printing my Book of Proofs, next will be a set of Artist Proofs, then the limited edition. In my case these 13.3x20 images will only be an edition of 6. When they are sold, that's it, except for the bigger prints (some images will not get printed bigger). The big prints will be only an edition of 4, but with two Artist Proofs.
The idea with two A/P's is to always have one print for the estate, and a second print ready for exhibition.
Stepped pricing utilizes early buyers with discounts and late buyers with higher prices. Know that with wet printing of my analog work will be open editions, but I will print out in batches of three, and after a batch is sold out the next batch will have a mucho significant price increase as to limit my market.
In the gallery workshop I learned a lot about making my prints a commodity by manipulating a market.
The books are impressive. They display I skill. It is clearly expressed that it took a long time to get where I'm at.
You have always been a big promoter of books. For you they are tools for editing, and in my case also, but especially in my case my books are cost prohibitive, even as art objects. In my case they are part of the process, but also an artifact.
In a ways these books will likely be more valuable than my prints.
Cal