Speaking of things that go boom in the night - last night the windows were really rockin' and rollin' and at first I just said - oh - must be some fireworks somewhere - but couldn't figure out what sort of holiday November 5th was. Strained my poor head (given my recent calendar output experience I'm an expert on holidays) but couldn't figure it out.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM went the sky. Not thunder. Can't be a terrorist thing, it sounds like it's on timers.
Look out my back window into the alley (only window I have) and see others with their heads out craning towards the tiny corner of the sky - but can't see anything exploding.
Cat jumps down in terror and runs to a neutral corner.
I shut the window and figure someone will wake me if this is the big one.
Looked this morning in google for New York fireworks news and found the answer:
"ING announces: Dinner followed by fireworks in Central Park and live entertainment."
Ah - it was a pre-marathon fireworks blast. I wish they'd make some public announcement before they set this stuff off.
ANNOUNCER: Friends, Romans, residents: We come not to scare the freakin' hell out of you, but just to give a bit more promotion to an overly promoted event.
I've seen the orange ING - banners all over the neighborhood for the last week now. Should have put two and two together.
Look - I know the marathon is a great triumph to the human spirit and all that but why do they need to run through the whole city to prove how motivated they are? One thing I'll tell you - they don't stay in the Bronx very long. Just a quick touch and back down to Manhattan.
I know, I know - how inspiring it is. The pubs on the upper east side are happily filled. The sponsors are happily filled. Everybody's happy. It's a great achievement. A monument to the human spirit.
Reminds me more of those dance marathons they used to have to raise money (They Shoot Horses Don't They). There's just something excessive and possibly freakish about the whole marathon around the city thing - and I sort of wish they'd just nip it in the bud. Too late now I guess.
Don't they know that in a couple of years they'll all be sitting around with plastic bands on their knees tottlin' around the town.
The whole thing is just - well - un-American. How are we supposed to compete with our lungs filled with urban soot - against kids who grew up running from one village to another to go to school in the purified air of - oh - Kenya maybe?
Not to mention that our whole country is about 800% overweight according to the last fat poll.
Business sponsors this thing because it symbolizes the purity of purpose of the human spirit. Not exactly what the big banks are all about.
Speaking of big banks, did you notice the last Citibank campaign: there's more to life than money? Live well?
Sorry boys - but I don't buy it. Not from you. You spend every waking minute trying to figure out how to get the last dime out of my pocket and tell me there's more to life than money: that from a bank? You can only Orwell me so much.
Citibank telling me that there's more to life than money? Who do they think they're foolin' with that one.
Anyway - that's my take on the whole marathon thing. Wake me when it's over.
[The views expressed in this post are solely those of Mr. Beckerman, and do not represent the philosophy of DaveBeckerman.com Inc. DaveBeckerman.com is a proud sponsor of the New York City Marathon. We don't actually contribute anything financially to it, but we sponsor it in our own way which must remain classified because of national security. Editor]
11/06/2005
11/05/2005
iViewMedia Pro Vers. 3
Finally had a chance to launch iView Media Pro 3. Guess what? Mikey likes it. If nothing else it has a way to FTP to your site when you're done (which is not such a big deal) but finally - you can tell it to SKIP the image files that it hasn't touched. Before, if I made changes to an HTML gallery, I would then go into Dreamweaver, and unless I had added some images, I would just manually upload the changed files (the media page and the index pages).
The only down thing is that Media Pro in the gallery building stage, still seems to want to re-make the jpgs, i.e. when it's done I checked the timestamp of the jpgs and they had been updated. I'm not sure why it wants to do this all the time or if there is a way around it (probably is - I just haven't tripped over it).
Still - that it knows which Image files don't need to be re-uploaded is a big deal.
One other quibble - so far. You could always save certain preferences for each gallery in the settings tab. However - and this seems stupid - it doesn't associate the ftp gallery to load to with your settings. In other words - if you have several galleries - make sure you change where they're going in the ftp settings. They also changed the gallery directory structure slightly. So for example if I were to republish the blog gallery - some images from the blog are going to have to be repointed.
As far as any conversion problems: none so far. Just opened the old version 2 catalogs and everything was as it was - though they have added a much better user-interface for the catalog sets.
There are several sections that relate to gallery building that are new - but I haven't had a chance to play with them yet; but at this point I'll take the shortcut to version II off the desktop and continue using vers. III.
The only down thing is that Media Pro in the gallery building stage, still seems to want to re-make the jpgs, i.e. when it's done I checked the timestamp of the jpgs and they had been updated. I'm not sure why it wants to do this all the time or if there is a way around it (probably is - I just haven't tripped over it).
Still - that it knows which Image files don't need to be re-uploaded is a big deal.
One other quibble - so far. You could always save certain preferences for each gallery in the settings tab. However - and this seems stupid - it doesn't associate the ftp gallery to load to with your settings. In other words - if you have several galleries - make sure you change where they're going in the ftp settings. They also changed the gallery directory structure slightly. So for example if I were to republish the blog gallery - some images from the blog are going to have to be repointed.
As far as any conversion problems: none so far. Just opened the old version 2 catalogs and everything was as it was - though they have added a much better user-interface for the catalog sets.
There are several sections that relate to gallery building that are new - but I haven't had a chance to play with them yet; but at this point I'll take the shortcut to version II off the desktop and continue using vers. III.
More Lulu
I setup a Self-publishing section in the Forum so I can keep track of the Lulu publishing saga.
* * *
I setup my Lulu store: there ain't nothin' for sale there yet - but it won't be long now:
Click here to take a peek.
First product is going to be NEW YORK NIGHT - 2006
Then I'm definitely going to do one of the Mermaid Day Parade
And then a political calendar - NEW YORK PROTESTS
Lester suggested that I do a preliminary calendar based on the book we're writing together: THE 11TH MAN with pictures and quotes from same. At the rate I'm going you may have a calendar and no book. I guess that would be your pre-product publicity.
It really is sort of fun - and gives me a feeling of another avenue of expression opening up.
* * *
Update: from what I can figure out - Lulu is using a Xerox iGen 3 printer for color work. There are all sorts of threads on Lulu about color management, but most seem to recommend sRGB which seems odd given a narrower gamut - but what do I know about gamuts. Not that much right now but I'm going to find out. It would be kind of cool if the Calendar was printed on the iGen 3 since I could begin to make adjustments in my workflow that I could use later on for the book publishing part. The one thing I can say for sure, after reading numerous Lulu threads, is that for the book - you definitely want 4-color output (yes, even for b&w pictures unless you don't care what they look like).
Nowhere, have I read that you should actually use CMYK mode for the images on your end - they want some form of RGB. The actual amount of color management info they give that comes straight from Lulu seems limited. The boards are filled up with people doing various Lulu color tests. Some saying that they've gotten good results; others disappointed. Oh, whatever. Right now I don't see any other alternative.
* * *
I setup my Lulu store: there ain't nothin' for sale there yet - but it won't be long now:
Click here to take a peek.
First product is going to be NEW YORK NIGHT - 2006
Then I'm definitely going to do one of the Mermaid Day Parade
And then a political calendar - NEW YORK PROTESTS
Lester suggested that I do a preliminary calendar based on the book we're writing together: THE 11TH MAN with pictures and quotes from same. At the rate I'm going you may have a calendar and no book. I guess that would be your pre-product publicity.
It really is sort of fun - and gives me a feeling of another avenue of expression opening up.
* * *
Update: from what I can figure out - Lulu is using a Xerox iGen 3 printer for color work. There are all sorts of threads on Lulu about color management, but most seem to recommend sRGB which seems odd given a narrower gamut - but what do I know about gamuts. Not that much right now but I'm going to find out. It would be kind of cool if the Calendar was printed on the iGen 3 since I could begin to make adjustments in my workflow that I could use later on for the book publishing part. The one thing I can say for sure, after reading numerous Lulu threads, is that for the book - you definitely want 4-color output (yes, even for b&w pictures unless you don't care what they look like).
Nowhere, have I read that you should actually use CMYK mode for the images on your end - they want some form of RGB. The actual amount of color management info they give that comes straight from Lulu seems limited. The boards are filled up with people doing various Lulu color tests. Some saying that they've gotten good results; others disappointed. Oh, whatever. Right now I don't see any other alternative.
11/04/2005
NEW YORK NIGHT
I created and self-published New York Night Calendar (through Lulu.com) but it's not available to public yet as I just bought a copy for myself. Should get it in a week or so. On screen, it actually looks pretty good. We'll see.
I probably have two or three shots that don't exactly belong in there - the idea being the beauty of New York at night and all that. I tried to picture someone looking at the same picture for a month.
There really were no apparent hiccups and you get to look through a "print-ready" PDF. The thing I wasn't sure about was whether I should let them do any sharpening for their printer - do they do any? Or is that something I should do? I basically gave them basic sharpening to make up for the scan or the digital capture but not for the output device (as I usually do at least a second sharpening for the inkjet or the web).
My piece of the action for each calendar is about $10 - which considering that if they're doing the packaging / selling / production isn't too bad - is it for a $24 calendar?
I think that's the price I settled on. If the results are decent, I'll do some revising - and make it available for the public. It would be great if it worked out because I have a lot of ideas for calendars. The next one would probably be New York Subway Shots.
Then the Bronx calendar etc. In other words, in that market I could make niche calendars rather than what I'm selling on my web site which is mostly living room prints. I'd love to do a Political Protest calendar as well.
I probably have two or three shots that don't exactly belong in there - the idea being the beauty of New York at night and all that. I tried to picture someone looking at the same picture for a month.
There really were no apparent hiccups and you get to look through a "print-ready" PDF. The thing I wasn't sure about was whether I should let them do any sharpening for their printer - do they do any? Or is that something I should do? I basically gave them basic sharpening to make up for the scan or the digital capture but not for the output device (as I usually do at least a second sharpening for the inkjet or the web).
My piece of the action for each calendar is about $10 - which considering that if they're doing the packaging / selling / production isn't too bad - is it for a $24 calendar?
I think that's the price I settled on. If the results are decent, I'll do some revising - and make it available for the public. It would be great if it worked out because I have a lot of ideas for calendars. The next one would probably be New York Subway Shots.
Then the Bronx calendar etc. In other words, in that market I could make niche calendars rather than what I'm selling on my web site which is mostly living room prints. I'd love to do a Political Protest calendar as well.
11/03/2005
Good Night - New York - 2006
G' Night: New York (sounds British - G'Night Governor)
That's going to be the working title of the first calendar: all night shots. And I have pah-lenty to choose from. It's also a good printing test since I (and maybe you dear prospective customer) get to see what the tonal range will be like.
Of course - first problem I ran into was quite a lot of image cropping necessary to hit their 11.25 by 8.75 inch side (decided to start with the smaller size after looking at pricing and also looking on Lulu at what sold best). As far as cropping goes, what I mean is - it seems (and I could be wrong about this) that they want the image to fit the calendar page - i.e. I don't think there is a way to say: this is the image size, it will fit on the paper, just center it even though it's smaller than the page.
Maybe there is a way - not sure yet.
A lot of what I'm going to be futzing with in the beginning will be calendar related (as opposed to book) but it's a good way to get me started and seems like the quickest thing for me to produce.
G'Night New York - Calendar of Black and White Photography of the city that never sleeps unless forced to.
Reminds me of a story. When my father first came to NYC from Cleveland Ohio (he was about 12 at the time); he said he couldn't get over the fact that there were people and cars out at night.
This was around 1935. He said he never got over that. Years later, in his seventies then - we were driving through Manhattan at 4 a.m. - and he looked around and saw lots of cars and said again - just can't get over the fact that there are this many people doing something at this time of night. Some of those early - he's how it works where I grew up - soul mappings just stay with you forever I guess.
Lying in bed, I heard a tremendous booming sound. My windows shook. Wondered if it was an explosion or just something falling off a truck. Could be those pesky terrorists again. Well, probably not. I'll find out what it was in the morning. Sounds of several police sirens. A bit of walkie-talkie chatter. And like that - as if they had put on the sounds of the forrest CD - I'm sound asleep.
And waking up - well let's just say that when you flip the t.v. or radio on - you will surely be greeted by the announcement that some tractor-trailer has jack-knifed on some important artery; usually in the early morning. You know that it jack-knifed at an important exit or entrance ramp since those are the only locations worth reporting. For all I know they're doing a jack-knife dance throughout the highways of America. And the only thing that does pique the interest is: what kind of truck jack-knifed.
"Good morning, New York. Seems that a tractor-trailer has carrying ketchup in glass bottles has overturned on the exit ramp of the G.W. Bridge. Traffic is stalled for miles, and some of the ketchup has poured into the Hudson River. The E.P.A. is on the scene, as well as cleanup crews."
OR
"Good morning, New York. A truck jack-knifed this morning on the entrance ramp (fill in the blank) of the New Jersey turnpike. The truck was carrying containers of ball-bearings. Clean-up crews have been slipping and sliding all morning. We interviewed one driver who was behind the truck when the ball-bearings tumbled out - and he told us it weren't a problem since his car just speeded ahead faster than normal - though he couldn't steer it too good."
G'Night New York.
I always wonder about those tractor-trailers and their equilibrium. They always seem to be jack-knifed and it's always on an entrance or exit ramp where millions of cars need to pass.
That's going to be the working title of the first calendar: all night shots. And I have pah-lenty to choose from. It's also a good printing test since I (and maybe you dear prospective customer) get to see what the tonal range will be like.
Of course - first problem I ran into was quite a lot of image cropping necessary to hit their 11.25 by 8.75 inch side (decided to start with the smaller size after looking at pricing and also looking on Lulu at what sold best). As far as cropping goes, what I mean is - it seems (and I could be wrong about this) that they want the image to fit the calendar page - i.e. I don't think there is a way to say: this is the image size, it will fit on the paper, just center it even though it's smaller than the page.
Maybe there is a way - not sure yet.
A lot of what I'm going to be futzing with in the beginning will be calendar related (as opposed to book) but it's a good way to get me started and seems like the quickest thing for me to produce.
G'Night New York - Calendar of Black and White Photography of the city that never sleeps unless forced to.
Reminds me of a story. When my father first came to NYC from Cleveland Ohio (he was about 12 at the time); he said he couldn't get over the fact that there were people and cars out at night.
This was around 1935. He said he never got over that. Years later, in his seventies then - we were driving through Manhattan at 4 a.m. - and he looked around and saw lots of cars and said again - just can't get over the fact that there are this many people doing something at this time of night. Some of those early - he's how it works where I grew up - soul mappings just stay with you forever I guess.
Lying in bed, I heard a tremendous booming sound. My windows shook. Wondered if it was an explosion or just something falling off a truck. Could be those pesky terrorists again. Well, probably not. I'll find out what it was in the morning. Sounds of several police sirens. A bit of walkie-talkie chatter. And like that - as if they had put on the sounds of the forrest CD - I'm sound asleep.
And waking up - well let's just say that when you flip the t.v. or radio on - you will surely be greeted by the announcement that some tractor-trailer has jack-knifed on some important artery; usually in the early morning. You know that it jack-knifed at an important exit or entrance ramp since those are the only locations worth reporting. For all I know they're doing a jack-knife dance throughout the highways of America. And the only thing that does pique the interest is: what kind of truck jack-knifed.
"Good morning, New York. Seems that a tractor-trailer has carrying ketchup in glass bottles has overturned on the exit ramp of the G.W. Bridge. Traffic is stalled for miles, and some of the ketchup has poured into the Hudson River. The E.P.A. is on the scene, as well as cleanup crews."
OR
"Good morning, New York. A truck jack-knifed this morning on the entrance ramp (fill in the blank) of the New Jersey turnpike. The truck was carrying containers of ball-bearings. Clean-up crews have been slipping and sliding all morning. We interviewed one driver who was behind the truck when the ball-bearings tumbled out - and he told us it weren't a problem since his car just speeded ahead faster than normal - though he couldn't steer it too good."
G'Night New York.
I always wonder about those tractor-trailers and their equilibrium. They always seem to be jack-knifed and it's always on an entrance or exit ramp where millions of cars need to pass.
iViewMedia Pro Vers. 3
iViewMediaPro 3 is available - and I upgraded from vers. 2.x to 3.0 for $99. I've installed it but haven't done anything with it yet. Reason for upgrading: to be honest, MediaPro is control center for just about everything I do, from launching files in Photoshop to creating the photo galleries. And I noticed that they've improved (added functionality) to gallery creation process including direct FTP so I won't have to go into some 3rd party app to do that; and a couple of other features I wanted as far as searching goes, and - smart as they are they said that this upgrade price was only good until November something or other which gave me the extra push.
As soon as I get a chance, I want to see how it works with the old catalogs I have, i.e. do I need to create this stuff again (category sets, custom fields etc.); or can I import or merge or upgrade the old catalog structure. Will find out soon.
As soon as I get a chance, I want to see how it works with the old catalogs I have, i.e. do I need to create this stuff again (category sets, custom fields etc.); or can I import or merge or upgrade the old catalog structure. Will find out soon.
Calendar and Zen Hotdogs
I went through the business with Lulu of creating a calendar yesterday - just a quick run through only uploading one image - but it does seem pretty straight forward. Now - what to call it and what images to select?
It's tempting to just put images that relate to the season as a first go round:
I sort of wanted to call it: A Season In Hell (Rimbaud) but thought better of it. Though that might be the second calendar. I also ordered someone's b&w calendar so I could see what it looks like (which was stupid since I could have made my own and ordered it).
Of course they've got two types: premium and regular (gas pump analogy) and I'm going full hog for the premium one first. Might as well start at the to and work my way down.
You get into the usual funk about what to call it, but at least you've only got 12 images to select assuming that you use one of the monthly images for the cover.
Look - at some point - after I reach a quarter of a million page views per month (which will be soon) without making money - I'm going to get myself a nice hot-dog stand in Central Park - and hang my pictures or books or calendars from the awning. And if anyone asks about buying one - I'm going to say - oh well - you see they're not for sale anymore. I've become a Zen hot-dog vendor. I will concentrate fully on the making of your hotdog. Do you wish mustard on that?
What, hotdog vendor - you can't make any more? Not for sale!
No, sir. You see these hotdogs, sir. Each one is made with the same rapt attention that I once put into images. However, these sell better. Go ahead, try one. Come back soon.
I digress - so calendar names. Should be easy enough:
NEW YORK - 2006 - Central Park Edition
NEW YORK - 2006 - People Edition
NEW YORK - 2006 - A Season in Hell (Photographer's Edition)
NEW YORK - 2006 - Papaya King (Gourmand Edition)
NEW YORK - 2006 - Pet Edition
NEW YORK - 2006 - The Winter Edition - just people suffering in the snow
Now I'm not sure about this - legally - but you might be able to use a line from a popular song for captions - and maybe the lawyers out there would know - just one line per picture. Something from Dylan would be first of course: "I'm walkin' down streets with no names..."
Stuff like that. It's endless. Let's see what I come up with. It is one of the pleasures of all this - how you have to keep coming up with ideas to stay afloat - and that some of those ideas are exciting. I think I first learned photography by studying a very good quality Ansel Adams calendar.
Sometimes - it feels like you're standing still, not making any forward progress - only to discover when you look back that you were in fact speeding along at the time.
It's tempting to just put images that relate to the season as a first go round:
I sort of wanted to call it: A Season In Hell (Rimbaud) but thought better of it. Though that might be the second calendar. I also ordered someone's b&w calendar so I could see what it looks like (which was stupid since I could have made my own and ordered it).
Of course they've got two types: premium and regular (gas pump analogy) and I'm going full hog for the premium one first. Might as well start at the to and work my way down.
You get into the usual funk about what to call it, but at least you've only got 12 images to select assuming that you use one of the monthly images for the cover.
Look - at some point - after I reach a quarter of a million page views per month (which will be soon) without making money - I'm going to get myself a nice hot-dog stand in Central Park - and hang my pictures or books or calendars from the awning. And if anyone asks about buying one - I'm going to say - oh well - you see they're not for sale anymore. I've become a Zen hot-dog vendor. I will concentrate fully on the making of your hotdog. Do you wish mustard on that?
What, hotdog vendor - you can't make any more? Not for sale!
No, sir. You see these hotdogs, sir. Each one is made with the same rapt attention that I once put into images. However, these sell better. Go ahead, try one. Come back soon.
I digress - so calendar names. Should be easy enough:
NEW YORK - 2006 - Central Park Edition
NEW YORK - 2006 - People Edition
NEW YORK - 2006 - A Season in Hell (Photographer's Edition)
NEW YORK - 2006 - Papaya King (Gourmand Edition)
NEW YORK - 2006 - Pet Edition
NEW YORK - 2006 - The Winter Edition - just people suffering in the snow
Now I'm not sure about this - legally - but you might be able to use a line from a popular song for captions - and maybe the lawyers out there would know - just one line per picture. Something from Dylan would be first of course: "I'm walkin' down streets with no names..."
Stuff like that. It's endless. Let's see what I come up with. It is one of the pleasures of all this - how you have to keep coming up with ideas to stay afloat - and that some of those ideas are exciting. I think I first learned photography by studying a very good quality Ansel Adams calendar.
Sometimes - it feels like you're standing still, not making any forward progress - only to discover when you look back that you were in fact speeding along at the time.
11/02/2005
8/27/2002 (Old Blog Entry)
I've been going through the old blog, cleaning it up so it's readable and came across my thoughts on 8/27/02. Here they are - unedited:
"On the political front -- it really feels like the U.S. is going to launch a "pre-emptive" attack on Iraq, and it feels like it will happen in the next month or two. A pre-emptive strike is pretty tricky wording for what used to be called a "first strike" and it is something that I cannot remember the U.S. doing before -- although I admit my knowledge of American history is limited. On the other hand, you could say that unofficially, the U.S. is already at war with Iraq -- and has been since the Gulf War. There is a blockade -- and air-space is controlled by the U.S. Not to sound like Hamlet -- but the arguments pro and con both have some validity. The "con" side suggests that:
a) By attacking you risk starting a nuclear strike by Israel if Iraq, hoping to bring other Arab countries into the war, hits Israel with chemical weapons.
b) You supposidly want the help of the Arab countries in the "war against terrorism" and this will only cause more hatred of the U.S. and more terrorist strikes.
c) No connection between 9/11 and Iraq has been shown.
d) Iraq has not been an aggressor against the U.S.
e) This will be a much tougher (more bloody) war than the Gulf War. You cannot take over Iraq without bloody house to house, urban fighting. Many civilians will be killed, and it will not be an air war.
f) The U.S. will then be involved in propping up whatever government they set up for years to come.
g) There is no alliance of European countries as in the Gulf War. This will basically be a unilateral attack.
On the Pro side:
a) Iraq is in violation of the U.N. settlement that was agreed to after the Gulf War because they will not allow American inspectors.
b) Iraq is close to attaining nuclear weapons (this was the V.P.'s major argument recently). Once they get them, it will be too late.
c) Sadam has used Weapons of Mass Destruction against his own people (The Kurds).
d) Sadam has terrorist training camps set up.
e) And this is the main idea -- it is only a matter of time before Iraq attacks either Israel or the U.S. and rather than wait for them to get more powerful, they must be taken out now.
f) All those people who said that we'd get bogged down in Afghanastan -- that it would be a bloody war -- were wrong -- and the same people who are saying this about Iraq are wrong as well.
g) Comparisons are made with Neville Chamberlin (sp?) and the treaties he signed with Hitler, which proved worthless, and just gave Hitler more time to get stronger.
What I wonder -- is what support for this war would be if:
a) A draft was started, with no college deferments.
b) Thousands of American soldiers were killed.
c) American civilians were put at risk, and killed and it was linked to a retaliation by Iraq.
If that did happen -- then the first reaction would obviously be revenge.
In short -- are the potential gains -- worth the risks? Right now, I'd say no. The case has not been made."
11/01/2005
Girl, Pizza Place
Girl, Pizza Place
I remember this day because the owner was somewhat upset that I was taking pictures of the pizza place. And nothing I could do to assuage him. Oh well. Maybe I should bring him this print.
The Male Camera
I skipped the Halloween Parade to continue working on making the site more profitable (business before pleasure) but I managed to write a new bit called, The Male Camera.
The Male Camera
As I contemplated the awful chore of writing mini-reviews for the photography-related vendors I use, I thought first about B&H Photo (the Superstore).
My relationship with them goes back to when they were on 17th street? There was a point when they had two stores: north side of the street was for new equipment and south side for used equipment.
I imagine myself standing in line in that former small store - a line that snaked around and was always getting tangled up in itself - and I can see the camera salesmen behind the counter. I'm peering around at them - trying to remember faces.
Many wear green frocks - the color of B&H's logo. And peering into the faces of these men, it dawns on me that they are men. What I mean is - that all the sales people are men.
Young, middle-aged, old - but male. There's a a hip guy by showing the latest Canon lens. Oh - there's one guy who is still wearing his "shooting vest." Does he think he's on safari?
There's the guy who likes to tell you that every camera you like is flawed. He barely seems able to get himself to sell it to you. According to his reckoning, every photography company that made every piece of equipment would be out of business soon if they didn't get things right next time. He had given them a piece of his mind, but did they listen? No.
I wander further back - looking for saleswomen in that all-male world. Back in to places like Wiloughbys, and 47th Street Photo. Back to Olden Camera which had a lots of floors and a tiny elevator and a realm of dark bins with secret camera parts in it that only the cognoscenti knew about. Back to Camera Barn on Broadway where I bought my first camera thirty something years ago. But there were no saleswomen to conjure up. Not a one.
Is this the way the world is? I only know New York. Are there pro-photography stores with saleswomen? That I don't know.
Part II
Don't get me wrong. It's not photography as a craft that is imbued with maleness - it's the camera itself, and the myriad of attachments that go with it.
Look - do you see that sales guy standing behind the counter? It's true - he once enjoyed shooting very much. Had some talent too. But what gave him a real thrill was owning the best there was and more than that - being able to talk with another guy who could appreciate the beauty of the beast.
He's no different from the guy that knows cars and sells BMWs. He enjoys being around them. He enjoys being the expert. And he can test drive the latest models when they arrive.
When you guys were back in the stone age, don't you remember that fellow - well we didn't have names back then but he sure had a methodology for chipping flint.
Dissolve to:
Salesman: Sir, I see you're interested in the model #42 Havagotcha.
Man: Yes, yes indeed. I'm not sure I can afford it though.
Salesman: That's fine. Why don't you just hold it for a minute. (Hands it to the man). See how it balances in your hand. Why don't you point it at something and press the trigger - mean shutter. This baby can fire 8 shots per second in normal mode, but press that switch - that's right. Now you're in rapid fire burst mode. 24 shots per burst! Yes it is amazing. I can see you appreciate that. What sort of shooting do you do - if I may ask?
Man: Well - you know - mostly shots of the wife and kids but every once in a while I like to try and shoot nature. Deer, fish - that sort of thing. I like flowers a lot also.
Salesman: Well I'll tell you, sir - you won't miss much with this beast. I see you notice the finish. Yes, that's triple-coated, 100% weather-sealed titanium. Did you know it has over 400 gaskets in the weather-proofing system? Yes, 400.
The camera you have in your hand is the same model that went to Everest. I guess that says something about durability. And can you believe it - two of these beasts have been to Mars and back. That's right - NASA uses them.
Man: Wow. I didn't know that - I mean about going to Mars.
Salesman: But I understand - not everyone can afford a piece of equipment like that. But press that button - yes that one. See that green light. Now You're in ultra-tracking mode. This baby can follow-focus an object approaching you at 60 miles per hour.
Man: That is amazing.
Salesman: Of course - you heard about that poor fellow that was run over last week - guess he forgot to duck.
Man: Wrap it up. I'll take it.
Tracking and hunting. The modern camera can do both. What's worse than not being able to track properly. What could be more embarrassing than for a man to admit he's lost.
You wonder why you can't get him to ask directions when he's lost on the way to the latest French restaurant in the burbs.
Asking directions would mean that he's a bad tracker. Bad hunter. Not able to provide French food for the wife and kids.
No - he doesn't need directions - he just needs to get out of the car and put his ear to the highway pavement and listen; or stick his nose out the window and pick up the scent of French food. That's how he'll know where he is.
I am quite sure that when Stanley finally met up with Livingston that he actually told the bearers - you see - knew where he was all along. We were never lost.
Clever name for the Guidance System for cars: NeverLost.
If camera-male is the weapon for tracking and bringing down game, that is: killing something, then the photographer finds himself straddling the creation-destruction cycle: trying to create with an instrument he really wants to destroy with. That can be a problem.
That is an awful dichotomy. How easy to just let it all go and fall back into who has the best spear way.
And so - that's where my first review of photography vendors took me - and why women (assuming they are artists) should, be more creative photographers than men. But that is for the next installment.
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