someday and it won't be long.

mysteryscribe · Apr 26, 2006

To bad it didn't work that way with me. I am the kind of weird guy that they won't sell an assault rifle...rofl.

Subject: Fw: WHY THE SCRIBE CAN'T BE A PARAMEDIC
Scribe and Salvatore are out in the woods hunting when suddenly Salvatore grabs his chest and falls to the ground. He doesn't seem to be breathing; his eyes are rolled back in his head. Scribe whips out his cell phone and calls 911. He gasps to the operator, "I think Salvatore is dead. What should I do?" The operator, in a calm soothing voice says,"Just take it easy and follow my instructions. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence... and then a shot is heard. DaScribe's voice comes back on the line, "Okay, now what?"

mysteryscribe · Apr 26, 2006

by the way the last post was a joke for those who you who have problems recognizing the type posts.

Alpha · Apr 26, 2006

I think the future is in cameras. Not digital cameras. Not film cameras. Just cameras. I think the 'Blad H2 is the future. It's just a camera, albeit a very nice, and expensive one. But that's it. Shoot film, shoot digital; it makes no difference to the camera, and the camera itself doesn't preclude you from doing either.

However, I do sympathize. I don't own a digital camera, and maybe never will. You'll appreciate this story, Charlie. A few weeks ago I went down to Bald Head island. I was riding the ferry, and I noticed this older guy with a big camera. I approached him, and it turns out the camera was some ridiculously expensive consumer digital, like a 1D or something. The guy had retired, and taken an interest in photography. Apparently, there weren't enough other things for him to blow his retirement savings on, so he picked it up as a hobby. He looked at the ME Super around my neck, and said to me that film was dead. Nobody used it any more, especially not professional photographers. Trying not to be offended, I asked some run of the mill questions about his camera, because I was slightly curious about the thing. It had quite a nice lens on it. Some telephoto that went from about 28mm to 500mm or something. I asked him how wide the aperture went. He didn't know what aperture was.

mysteryscribe · Apr 26, 2006

That is one of the classics....

I totally agree about the camera. Something new will come along, the hybrid cam for a while, then the biocam or something like it. As long as guys want to go past the hole in the light tight box, nikon will make something for him. I shouldn't single Nikon out.

Planned retirement was always in the big camera guy's minds. Look at Kodak and Polaroid. Their philosopy was, a camera is not a life time purchase. Make new and worse cameras ever couple of years. The best lenses were on the first generation polaroid even their house lens. From there it was all downhill.

The story you told reminds me to a lesser degree to my son in law. He has become an excellent photographer with digital. I mean as good with photoshop as the lab he uses. But he has a basic insecurity about photography for some reason. He actually said to me, I need a big big big camera to impress my customers. I wonder if that is like the middleaged man's sports car. Or the guy on the ferries digital camera.

I hate to say this and I know it's going to Upset someone. The truth is digital was invented for the guy who wants to know nothing about photography. Of course so was the point and shoot camera. Digital grew up as opposed to grew down like polaroid did, and to some extent kodak. Nikon is another company that grew down. At least in film. Everybody who makes slrs grew up to them in the digital world.

I made a statement earlier I find of real interest, at least to me. You could make a digital camera in the shape of a football shoe, but to get top dollar, it has to look like a film camera. I find that strange.

mysteryscribe · Apr 26, 2006

I would bet my last dollar that my basement is flooded. It has rained hard here today. Ordinarily I like the rain, it's good for flowers and crap like that.

Today howevr I was planning to test this old crappy scanner of mine. My good one went farther south than I am even. So I am in the doldrums but I don't care darn it, I'm gonna shoot film or go nuts.

So as not to bore you I will cut to the chase. Well i cant really, you have to get some of it for dramatic effect'

I went out and shot a 3x4 camera. One side film, one side paper neg. I developed the film and the paper neg nothing... (read the meter wrong)

Carried out a 2x3 with adjustable retro lens. Shot two exposures...both film... Developed nothing (to thin- read the meter wrong again)

Went back out with a primative 2x3 and the brownie can cam .... Developed the film.. Nothing (one side wasn't loaded the other I hadn't checked the shutter so I held the cable release down for a total of 16 min for NOTHING)

Now I am on the computer and refuse to touch another camera until the sun comes out again. And they think I'm weird. Not weird, senile maybe... or just plain snake bit.

mysteryscribe · Apr 27, 2006

EDITORIAL COMMENT

After I retired from photography, I called the telephone company to advise them. I had the phone switched to residential so that I wouldn't have to change my number. You know friends and family called me on that line to. before I went DSL I also used it for dial up internet service. The wife had her own number.

I knew that I was going to retire so I cancelled the yellow page advertising that costs me an arm and leg. I expected everything to be cool. My phone bill dropped a few bucks a month since residential and business basic rates were different.

Okay so the phone book comes out year one. My display adv is gone but my name is still listed under portrait photographers in the yellow pages. I'm not paying for it, but I am explaining a couple of times a month that I never did passport photos, and I sure as heck am not going to start now.

I call the phone company. "Oh well, we will take care of this for you. I'm sure it is a pain but don't worry we got it covered."

Year two: I'm in the new book and they screw up my son in law's advertisement. So in addition to the calls he gets, I give his number to the callers I get. I'm still getting passport pictures requests at eight am, when I'm trying to sleep late. I know I should be up by that time but I'm retired. I call, different lady assures me that she has it under control.

This is year four, the book just came out and I'm in it again. This is almost as perverted as an old man in a rain coat. I paid over a hundred bucks a month for yellow page advertising when I was in business, now (when I'm trying to sleep late) I get it free. There is something wrong with the phone system. Even if I change my number I think it will be changed in the yellow pages as well. I think the yellow page god has it in for me.

mysteryscribe · Apr 27, 2006

Stupid idea stuff...

I have been tinkering with this stuff a while now... I have sold a few camera on ebay and a few more how to cds but I miss shooting pictures. I have been shooting more and more for this site but nothing validates a photographer like someone parting with money for his work. I know that sounds pretty stupid but in my case it is true.

When someone says I love that pictures, what I think is... ah but would you buy it.

Along that train of thought, I am going to play with this idea I think...

http://retro-primativephotos.8m.com/

So what do you think????

terri · Apr 27, 2006

I think - why not? :thumbup:

mysteryscribe · Apr 27, 2006

Yes I agree. It is one of the nice things about the internet for the average guy. You can stroke your ego till hell freezes over.

patriciao82173 · Apr 28, 2006

that's a classic...

Reminds me of some of the projects I did in school.
Like the one on aperture for instance took me 4 rolls of film to do I think. For some reason I could visually "get" it I just couldn't apply it (at the time)
Not to mention the other mistakes I made trying to do it.

Like the view camera one I think it was on perspective or something. That took some time also I think I did it 6 times.

patriciao82173 · Apr 28, 2006

Also this was the weekend I had to acutally accomplish "something" so what happens on the day I planned to take pictures...it RAINS! So now I have to either come up with a different location aka find some more inspiration in another place or wait til the next time the kids are at Grandmas...which might be June at this point. :grumpy:

mysteryscribe · Apr 28, 2006

If you wait for it to stop raining in NC it might be june.....Personally I bought and converted an old kodak duaflex twin lens 620 cheapo camera to shoot as a pinhole this weekend let it rain. I will even take the brownie paint can cam out rain or shine.

Im also going to shoot a really nice camera I made, to see if I still know how after all this primative junk. I'm going to start my location shots around town this weekend. Sunday I think will be best for those. So it's going to be squeeze the pinholer in between the retro/primative stuff.

mysteryscribe · May 1, 2006

Today I understand why retired people say there is not enough time in the day to get everything done that needs doing.

I want to:
1) retest the duaflex pinhole (just cause it aggravated me to bad yesterday)
2) test the ready flash I just finished yesterday (after I paint the pinhole adapter I added of course)
3) I still have four sheets of paper from the anastimat that need developing.
4) I need to test the brownie cam that I broke and repaired yesterday.
5) I still have two paper negatives from yesterday to scan into the computer. In additon to the four I need to develop.
6) Make a digital picture for the shootout on my blog. (If you want to join this one is something you light.... I picked the wrong decade to quit smoking.)

I probably will finish, but I will be busy all day. No wonder I never did any of this when I was running the studio. I would never have had time to make money. Oh yes I need to take a shower after all that aggravation from yesterday I smell like a goat.

mysteryscribe · May 2, 2006

editorial comment

I made a statement on the retro camera threat that could use a little explaination and this is the best place for it. since it is really an editorial.

I saw a set of pictures by a very early western photographer.. they are much like my retro paper negative thread photos. But even more I was stuck by something else.

For over thirty years I made photographs to please everyone but me. It was brides or photos made with a festival buyer in mind. I didn't make photos that I knew weren't mainstream. For almost the first time in my life I don't have to make photo's for any other purpose than my own amusement.

So I had to ask myself, what kind of photos do I want to make. of any. That question led me along this long and winding road. I have sure had enough of shooting people. Thirty plus years of weddings and specailty portraits will do that I suppose. I could do landscape, but I'm really not suppose to be driving all that much.

I was driving in a nearby town with my Son In Law on the way to a sidewalk art show, when we passed a boarded up photo studio. I had him turn around. The studio had been someones attempt at retro photography. The idea stuck in my head.

What exactly was it, I asked myself. Retro means old of course. There a lot of steps on the road to where I am now and I'm not sure I am even half way there yet. I'm sure this is of no interest to anyone so I won't bother to detail it for you. I just wanted to say I wasn't complaining about no one understanding my work, I was explaining that I had moved to a point that I just shoot for me. What I am on is a journey to retro not a style. At least I hope not.