Joe Cool
A self portrait taken at a stop light while in Akron. 
I have no idea why I’m wearing sunglasses. It seems to always be cloudy in Akron, Ohio; however, when you are cool, like me, the sun shines on you 24 hours per day. LOL!
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Cooler temperatures. Cooler sunrises
For the most part, just a photo that I wanted to share. I took this Monday morning on the return leg of our walk. The weather is getting cooler now as we approach autumn, though you’d probably never know that since it is 100 degrees this afternoon!
Anyway, we are still leaving at the same time, about 6:00 AM. The difference is that it is completely dark when we leave, but starts to get light around 20 minutes into the walk. Monday morning the weather was very foggy and quite nice. On our return leg, the sun was coming up. This shot was taken at 7:14 EDT, according to the camera’s clock. Here, we’re almost home, two more blocks to go and I noticed the sun, the fog, the halo that the fog makes around the sun, and the light on the window. Hobbs, sit! Snap, snap, snap. That S90 is really paying off even though I don’t like the 4:3 format. I can always do as I’ve done here and crop it to 3:2, as I did here.
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Window light
What? I am meditating!
Is there anything better than window light? Of course, Hobbs using my meditation mat and re-tasking it for his purpose.
I’ve seen many flash photos taken by those who are exceptionally good with them, but I think that window light beats them every time. I think that it might have to do with the imperfections of the light, perhaps dirt on the window, blinds in the way, whatever. There’s just something special about that light.
And here is Tony on the same day making use of the entire couch. Both shots, Leica M6, Fuji Neopan 400, developed in Rodinal.
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A Monte moment
I don’t know how he does it, but somehow Monte can make coffee look appealing. I find the stuff disgusting, but his photographs of the lattes and such do look quite appealing. Perhaps it is the smooth juxtaposition of a tasty sweet right next to it. Who knows?
Yesterday, I took a trip to Asheville, NC with a Peaceful Dragon friend of mine. After walking around a bit, taking photos, talking and just having a grand old time, we stopped a Kubo’s Sushi and Hibachi and had some delicious sushi. Before departing we both decided to go and take photographs of the sushi chefs.
Of course, I thought immediately of Monte, ace food photographer; so here’s my offering from that visit. Although my sushi rolls were delicious, after taking this photo and looking at it, when I’m up there, I might have to try this dish. It looks fabulous. Yum! As Asheville is a tourist type of town, I suspect that the chefs are used to having their photo taken. They didn’t seem to mind at all and kept about making these delicious creations.
Although I was quite satisfied and had my fill of sushi, it was very tempting to pluck a piece of that tuna off of the plate and pop it into my mouth, consequences be damned! 
I finally took my D300 out for a stroll and, as usual, it performed flawlessly. This shot was taken at ISO 1600. 1/250 @ f/1.8
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Brothers: Fred Jr.
My brother, Fred Jr.
At this point in my life, I am fascinated by the passage of life and the changes in values that one goes through in midlife. Certainly, it has been called a crisis and for some, I’m sure that it is. Sometimes it is a complete restructuring of ones life. Values change. Things that worked before, no longer work. Relationships dissolve, others are born out of the loss. Amazing if you step by and look at it.
As a young man, of course, my career was important. Raising a family, doing the right thing, etc. Now, as I’m older, I feel the need, no the desire, to reconnect with family. All of my brothers and sisters are 1/2 brothers and sisters, same father, different mothers, save for my sister Earlene, same mother, different fathers. However, we’ve never used the ’1/2′. We are just brothers and sisters.
I have 3 brothers, two sisters:
- Fred Jr. – Akron, Ohio
- Charles – Akron, Ohio
- Henry – Memphis, Tennessee
- Earlene – Akron, Ohio
- Carolyn – Memphis, Tennessee
All of my siblings are at least 10 years older than I. As families go, I was pretty much raised as an only child. And, as a consequence, my siblings and I were never very close. We loved each other, but didn’t hang out together. As a matter of fact, I don’t even remember their birthdays or ages, except for Earlene’s because we talk all the time and I stay at her house every time that I go to Akron. Also, our birthdays are in the same month, February. Hers on the second, mine the 20th.
Fred Jr. is the elder brother. We did spend some time together. He loves to fish and so he, my father, and I used to go fishing a lot on Lake Erie. We like to joke with each other about who can catch the most undesirable fish. I see he is the king; he says that it is me.
I took this photo last weekend while in Akron. I was walking around downtown taking photos and he drove by, stopped, and we talked for about 20 minutes or so. He was riding in his minivan that has nearly 200,000 miles on it and it’s only about 5 years old! He drives a lot.
Some number of years ago he got really deep into the church, became a preacher, and now travels the world and the country visiting prisoners and preaching his truth. Thankfully he doesn’t preach to me.
I see him probably about once a year when I visit Akron. I feel that I want to visit much more often now, at least twice a year.
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So what about Chris?
Chris shoots da Leica M6
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know of my quest and intention to meet as many fellow bloggers as I can. To date, I have met a number of you:
- Earl Moore – North Carolina
- Mike Brown – South Carolina
- John Wilson – Formerly, California, now Connecticut
- Tom – The Photo Father – New Jersey
- Chris Klug – Pennsylvania
- Ibarionex Perello – a chance encounter in NYC
As you’ve seen throughout the week, I’ve made mention of meeting and photographing with Chris Klug. I’ll start with a one sentence summary: I didn’t get enough time.
I flew to Ohio to spend time with my family and Chris was kind enough to make a 90 minute drive from Pittsburgh, PA to Akron, OH. When he arrived, around 11 or so, we went to breakfast. Unfortunately, he had eaten along the way. So, we went out, I ate, he munched an English Muffin, and we talked.
As you can see from his various posts, Chris is certainly literate, knows how to hold a conversation, and is very interesting. After breakfast, we went back to my sister’s house to grab his gear. We exchanged cameras; I took the Bessa, he the Leica, and away we went. While on the road, he asked if the area that we were in was where I grew up. I told him that it wasn’t and, since Akron is so small, I took him on a tour of my old neighborhood, Jr. High School, and elementary school. It was then that I discovered that both were now defunct.
All during the way we talked of things photographic, then while going through downtown, lapsed into things spiritual. Chris is very interesting and I enjoyed the time listening. Of course, he approaches his photography just like he does his writing, well thought out and considered. I like to flit about taking shots, he, on the other hand, likes to stop and consider things for a bit before shooting.
We stayed out for a few hours and then headed back to my sister’s house were we talked for a bit more then he had to go and I had to go and drop Tony off at the airport. All told, we spent maybe 5 hours together. It certainly was not enough for me. I’m planning, in my head right now, another trip up that way just to have at least a whole day or two getting to know Chris.
He has alluded to a future post, in his post on Brand Loyalty, where he will give his impressions. I eagerly await that. I know that it will be well thought out and interesting.
I think that it might be time for some international travels!
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A Bessa in my hands
Which way should I go? – Ilford HP5 – Rodinal – Bessa R2A
When Chris and I went shooting on Sunday, we swapped cameras. He’s always wanted to shoot a Leica, so I brought my M6 to town and let him have at it. He was kind enough to bring his Bessa R2a with him, another rangefinder. For the time that we spent together, I used the Bessa, he the Leica.
Of course, given two cameras, photographers can find a reason to have an impassioned argument about which is better, blah, blah, blah. Who cares? This post is my impression about using the Bessa:
First, I like the handling of the Bessa. It has a nice little protrusion on the back where your thumb fits quite naturally. A very well thought out addition. This is missing on the Leica and would improve its feel quite a bit, but as I am used to it, no big deal. The Bessa is slightly larger and bulkier. This could be an advantage to those with larger hands. The sound of the R2a is not a solid as the Leica. The Leica just ‘feels’ and sounds like a better machine.
Inside of the R2a, the display uses red LEDs to give you the selected shutter speed in a glowing red LED and the recommended shutter speed in a flashing red LED. I found this rather distracting and was the only thing that I didn’t like about it. I liked the simplicity of the Leica’s opposite pointing red arrows. No flashing at all. Also, depending on the scene, the R2a’s display was sometimes difficult to see. I’ve never experienced this with the M6.
Film loading in the R2a is much more familiar to the way I loaded it ‘back in the day’; however, as I’ve gotten used to loading the M6 in the quirky Leica way, I find it faster. That said, though, I’m usually at a loss as to what to do with the bottom plate as I’m loading, especially if I want to walk and load. Sometimes I just drop it into my pocket.
I’ve had the M6 and a 50 mm Summicron lens since I’ve had the camera and it is the only lens that I own for it. I’ve always wanted to try a 35 mm lens and Chris’s Bessa had such a lens on it. He’s wanted to try a 50 mm and that’s what I had, so it all worked out well.
As for the photos, I really enjoyed the process with the R2a. I especially liked the 35 mm lens. It gave a wider view. I came away that the 35 mm is closer to what I actually see. The 50 mm is a more narrow view. It makes me consider getting a 35 mm; however, I have come to like the lack of having a choice to change lenses. I never have regrets.
Overall, I’d say that I really liked the Bessa and if I were in the market for a rangefinder, I’d probably purchase a Bessa and a lens for the same price as I paid for the Leica body; furthermore, the manufacturers of the Bessa did a fantastic job of “borrowing from” the Leica design. Sure, they made a few changes so you’d know it was a different camera: Back load instead of bottom, LEDs instead of arrows, a few switches on the top, etc, but overall, you can tell where the design came from.
It was a good experience and one that I’m glad that I had. Thanks for the loan, Chris.
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