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Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 15:34:32 -0500
From: Bruce Feist 
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To: photo{at}fanciful.org
Subject: Re: (Re)Introduction (long)
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Bob Dial wrote:

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Bruce Feist" 
>
>  
>
>>I'm Bruce Feist.  I was active on the Fidonet PHOTO echo years ago
>>    
>>
>
>Great post, Bruce!  There ought to be enough variety there for anyone to
>strike a responsive chord.  
>  
>
I'm long-winded.  It's one of the reasons that I think I'd better teach 
high school!

>>back when I ran a Fidonet bulletin board.
>>    
>>
>
>Ah, the Good Ole Daze!, when a bunch of dedicated individuals made the phone
>companies rich and paved the way for what is now known as the internet  You
>sysops should all receive a lifetime pension for creating the information
>age and seeing your brainchild grow!!
>  
>
I loved it.  It was a very rewarding hobby; I rather miss it.

>>At that time my father bought a new Mamiya-Sekor 500TL to
>>replace his Bolsey B2; he wanted the convenience of electronic flash
>>more than anything else, I think.
>>    
>>
>
>That, and interchangeable lenses, is what moved me from Rollei to Mamy but
>in medium format.  
>
Oddly enough, I was out shooting MF earlier today -- I brought my Kiev 
6C with a fish-eye lens to a local zoo and took close-up photos of some 
of the critters.

>After starting with large negatives and growing
>accustomed to the quality of their images I've never felt completely at home
>or satisfied with anything less -- until the digitals came along.  Now my
>darkroom is under the keyboard and all my conventional cameras are enjoying
>a well deserved retirement in their cases, on the shelf. 
>  
>
But they *like* to be used!  Mine keep calling me back.

>>I started collecting cameras when I was 13 years old..
>>    
>>
>
>You and Russ McMillen ought to establish a museum.  He has a couple or three
>of the movie variety, I think!
>  
>
I've got a few of those, but nothing terribly exotic: 
http://www.flock.org/photos/Digital/Camera%20Collection/groupindex.php?searchname=Movie%20Cameras&groupid=20

.  I remember Russ from the old days; I take it he's still around?

>>the end of high school in 1975, I had about 100 cameras... cheap stuff,
>>for the most part, such as old box and folding cameras.  But, I did have
>>some more serious equipment as well, although the Leica was still by far >
>>    
>>
>my most flexible camera.  In these years I also had a B&W darkroom at
>  
>
>>home.  Among other things, I used to photograph school plays (I was in
>>the drama club) and sell prints that I made myself to the other
>>students.  My prices were *excellent* ... I barely covered my costs.
>>    
>>
>
>Like a trip down memory lane for some of us, Bruce.  When covering costs got
>to costing money, what else could a guy do but start selling a few here and
>there?  Gulp!  Shhhh.. for a profit!  
>  
>
I felt really odd about charging for the photos at the time, but it was 
necessary if I was going to keep taking the photos!  And, I would have 
*rather* used color, but there was no way I could afford to!

>Those (the old ones that pleased me) were the ones I hated losing most when
>mine fell victim to a flooded basement.  A few were among effects kept by my
>parents, dupes I'd given to them over the years.  But the main collection
>just no longer exists.
>  
>
Ouch!  That's rough.

>>In the late 90s, for a 40th birthday present I got my first serious
>>digital camera, an Olympus D-600L.  This reawakened my interest in
>>photography in general, both for digital and film.  Digital cameras are
>>*fun*, and the D-600L did a very good job.  Suddenly I was taking lots
>>of photos again!
>>    
>>
>
>That's a common result.  Entry of digitals renewed taking activity for so
>many of us.  There ought to be room for both, with conventionals.
>  
>
Definitely.  I'm a bit odd, I think, in that I both love the technology 
and the old cameras.  When I go to work, I feel positively like a 
Luddite, because they're all using DSLRs.

>>....  My collection is up to nearly 500 cameras, and my wife
>>recently strongly suggested that I stop buying for a while.
>>    
>>
>
>Is that the last thing you remember when you woke up in your hospital bed?
>You are very fortunate to have an understanding wife.  
>  
>
Very, very true.  But she does have her limits!

>>I have two trips coming up that I'm looking forward to photographing:
>>Costa Rica and Prince Edward Island..
>>    
>>
>
>Let us know how those trips evolve, Bruce.
>  
>
I shall!

>>Any questions or comments would be welcome -- they might lead to
>>interesting discussions!  I'm looking forward to participating in this
>>echo/list/forum/whatever you like to call it, and experiencing what it's
>>like these days.
>>    
>>
>
>We could spend weeks just talking about some of those cameras!
>  
>

We'd better get started, then!   Any other FSU camera lovers out 
there?  Stereo fans?

Bruce

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