What's your coolest trick?

[docholliday]

Ed,

I wasn't saying "don't use a strap". I was saying "avoid the stupid quick-release straps". I keep a Non-QR strap on my camera almost always when I'm out of the studio shooting. I just add a secondary (small/tiny) strap from the main strap to the strap clips so that if it lets go, I'll have a better chance to grab it.

I.E. "Quick releases can be very quick"

On the subject of "grab and go", when I travel, I almost always carry a monopod with me. It works great for shooting and... When I was in Lost Wages (Las Vegas) for a conference, I was staying at the Paris Hotel. About 9:00 (when the strip starts getting lively) I decided that I would walk down towards the MGM, over to NYNY and back. About 1/4 mile from the hotel, I had these two *idiots* who decided they would do the "bump and grab" on me after which one of them noticed that I had a caribiner attaching the strap to my belt (slung my 503 over my shoulder, then clipped the "secondary" cable to my belt). As he gave me a blank stare when the camera got yanked back out of his hand and swung down near my knee, I hit him upside the head with my Bogen monopod (3263QR first) at which time he fell promptly to the ground and his buddy (yeah, some buddy) took off like a bolt of lighting.

He was out cold with a bit of blood oozing from where I had cut him (from ear to mouth) so I was going to go after his buddy. When I looked up, his buddy had tripped over one of those "sidewalk gardens" and was face down in the dirt (uh, sand?).

To make matters worse, this caught the attention of two LV cops who were standing in the parking lot a few feet ahead and who came over to see what happened. They almost busted up laughing when they saw what I had done to these two. They didn't say much to me and proceeded to drag off the two idiots. Betcha they won't try that again anytime soon!

(it was another situation where the "secondary straps" saved my camera)

 

[docholliday]

BTW, no, I do NOT advocate violence. Not at all. I had been cooped up all day at the conference (with a bunch of dentists) and I learned to fight with a broad sword when I was younger. Plus, I have a bad temper anyways.

Adding the above factors, the odds were against these idiots *before* they tried taking my 'blad!

 

[Aggie]

..

 

[frank]

Greaaaat, a dentist with a bad temper!

 

[David Hall]

Wow, Doc,

That's pretty ballsy, whacking the guy and knocking him out cold. I give you a lot of credit!

dgh

 

[docholliday]

Actually, I'm not a dentist. I'm in the computer industry. I was at a convention with a bunch of dentists showing some software. I'm a programmer and consultant (been in the industry for 17 years). I do a bunch of things. And I travelled a lot.

Two guys. I figure they'd either get the hint, go down (hard), or shoot me. I figured they wouldn't try to fight back (blank stares are often a good sign of this.) And, I figured the guy wouldn't get punched out by the blow. Of course, I didn't expect a monopod with a ballhead would really hit *that* hard. But, I was in a REAL bad mood. So, it happened.

It's not the first time. I've come close to getting mugged in NY twice, Chicago twice, and Galveston once.

 

[David Hall]

Doc,
That's a pretty high rate of assaults, isn't it? Did they involve camera equipment each time?\

dgh

 

[Aggie]

..

 

[docholliday]

David,

No, not every time, only 2 of them. The other times, I was walking along with friends I was visiting and the perps were obviously watching for "touristy" types. I'm so used to being in large towns that I usually look like I belong there. However, my friends always look like the "typical" outta-towners. So, when the idiots come over and say their usual "Can I ask you a question" or "Do you have a dollar", I usually follow with a "Nope". Then, when they ask again, it's "F*ck off". The third time, I usually stop walking, spin on my heel, and repeat in a slow, monotone fashion, "DID you hear me the first time? I said F*ck off You **SX*C*DSLE*DCJD". Then, I turn and walk. If they follow me (as they did in Chi-town, I'll walk around a corner, drop my monopod, and club them as they walk around the corner.

I had my cameras with me, but there were in a beat-the-hell-up Tamrac backpack that I had ripped the tags off of and sewn every college-looking idol sticker (cats, dead kennedy stickers, etc) onto it. Usually, the "broke-assed" college student look tends to deter many incidents (what are they going to get? a few bags of Ramen noodles?)

I usually go walking around at 3:00 in the morning to get some neat shots, and most of the time, I don't get bothered. But, one of my friends was packing my HUGE bogen tripod on his shoulder, so the guy was lucky he got the monopod (my friend was behind me with the tripod ready to swing with the 3047 head first)

It may seem like quite a few times, but in reality it is a small fraction of a percent of the time that I'm out. Usually, they walk away after the first "F*ck off". I almost never get harassed by anybody in the fall or winter when I'm walking around in a fedora and trench.
'------------------------
Aggie:

You go! That is definitely cool! Some of the *Idiiiiiiots* deserve to get treated like they do! They'll think twice before attempting it again! (Why did the Vikings wear those weird metal helmets? Answer: so their heads would hurt less when their wives clubbed them with the frying pan...

)

 

[SteveGangi]

Hmmmm. I've had people talk like they "wanted some", but that was rare. Only one fight in the past 30 years, and that took less time than reading this sentence. Planting my heel in the guy's chest and driving him back a good 10 feet was very persuasive I guess. I've never had anyone try to rob me or put their hands on me except that one time. Maybe there is some sort of look that attracts them? Maybe since I am usually scruffy and shaggy they think I'm either real crazy or real mean? shrug. I do know, if I ever have problems, I can always hire Aggie the Merciless and Doc the quickest tripod in the west

 

[David Hall]

I guess I'm kind of in awe of Doc because I have been robbed oversees a couple of times and I would have never thought of knocking someone out with a monopod. But then I have never had anyone tried to grab a camera. Yikes.

Given Doc's experience, the second strap and caribiner is a great idea. Next time I am out doing street photography with a 35mm or the Mamiya, I will try that. The Mamiya currently has one of those QR straps and could be gone before I know it, if I'm not careful.

dgh

 

[dr bob]

It might be well to get back to the subject..."coolist tricks"?

One question a lot of people ask me when observing my work (after questions about gear et c.) is, "Why don't my pictures look as good?" My reply is almost universally, "Use a tripod."

Of course there are times when carrying and/or setting up a tripod is inconvenient, impossible, or illegal. It is then I employ my foot cord. This consists of a Nylon cord about five to six feet in length tied to a ¼-20 threaded eye-bolt. I just roll the thing up and stick it in my pocket when I go out. To use it, I screw it into the camera’s tripod socket, stand in the bitter end and stretch it up till I get the camera to the attitude needed.

Using this technique with my Mamiya C330f TLR with the waist-level finder and a neck strap – holding the body with both hands – elbows tucked into my sides (easy for me being rather roly-poly), I have been able to obtain very sharp images at ¼ second. Only wind problems require higher shutter speeds. When I finish, the cord goes back in the pocket.

Certainly one gets much more advantage with tripods, but when in doubt, whip it out (the foot-pod of course.)

Truly, dr bob.

 

[docholliday]

Steve, thats MIDwest, ...quickest tripod in the MIDwest

hehe

People are who they use to be. No more "leave it to beaver" neighborhoods. Too many people looking for a cheap thrill or cheap high. Geez, what has the world come to today? Can't take pictures of bridges (though I can watch the Discovery Channel and see "the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge"...), can't order from McDonalds without your food being screwed up, can't get corn at many restaurants (though I live in the Midwest and there are corn fields all around...), and of course, my favourite, can't take pictures with a LF camera without a zillion tourists crowding around and going "what are you doing?"

Maybe the cold fusion device was taken by the government to make a time-travel machine...oops, wrong forum (see my reply in "Dr. Greer reveals new free energy source" in "off-topic discussions")

-----------------
BTW, dr bob, cool to see that somebody does the same thing (reference my post on page 2)! I now know that I'm not the only person who gets weird looks when doing the loop-o'pod from passersby!

 

[Donald Miller]

You guys seem to have all of the excitement in life. If it isn't Aggie having a nude photograph taken in her younger days, then it is Doc and David recounting experiences of murder (attempted, I admit) and mayhem. Cheez, whats a fellow to do? I guess that I need to broaden my social circle. I went out to observe the crop circles that they created this past summer and fall in the hopes of broadening my social contacts and you got it... all that I met were cows...

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Somehow I've managed to avoid such problems, living in New York these past 12 years, and I'm not a particularly intimidating character. I'm vigilant, keep my possessions under my immediate control, and stay aware of what's going on around me, and I haven't had any incidents. I am a bit wary of standing alone under a darkcloth in desolate neighborhoods, so if I'm going to someplace iffy, I use a camera that doesn't require a darkcloth or I go with a friend, but other than that, the normal precautions of city life have worked for me.

 

[Jorge]

Ok, getting back to "coolest tricks" I have one for LF users. Turn the shutter around so that you dont have to stand on your tippy toes to look at the aperture. I turned mine sidewise facing the right and can look almost from behind the camera at the apperture and shooting speed. I bet this is one of those "why didn't I think of that?"....

 

[Thilo Schmid]

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Jorge @ Feb 25 2003, 05:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>I bet this is one of those "why didn't I think of that?"....</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
I bet you have not used any Prontor shutters yet ;-)

BTW: you might have to turn a Prontor shutter, too. Depending on your camera model, the second cable release might interfere with the tilt mechanism.

 

[David Hall]

Jorge and Thilo,

I must be more dense than normal today.

What do you mean turn it around, or turn it sideways? Do you mean rotate it?

I mount my shutters so f22 is straight up. That way if I am in low light I always know where to set the aperture without really having to look.

dgh

 

[Jorge]

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (tschmid @ Feb 25 2003, 10:58 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Jorge @ Feb 25 2003, 05:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>I bet this is one of those &quot;why didn't I think of that?&quot;....</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
I bet you have not used any Prontor shutters yet ;-)

BTW: you might have to turn a Prontor shutter, too. Depending on your camera model, the second cable release might interfere with the tilt mechanism. </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
If you mean the modern prontor shutters, then they are designed for studio work where you have all those gizmos sticking out of it to set shutter speed and aperture. If you have all that then you dont need to turn it sidewise, but is hard to carry on the field all them little slides. If you mean the old prontor shutters with the little wheel on top, yep....I have not used any, nor do I plan on doing it, at $5 a sheet I am getting the best shutter I can afford.

David, right if f/22 is facing up I am betting you have to stand on your toes or bend down to check the aperture, just turn it so the f/22 is facing to the right or left, whatever you prefer.

 

[David Hall]

Jorge,

Thanks! I will try that. Any other "why didn't I think of that"s up your sleeve?

dgh

 

[Thilo Schmid]

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Jorge @ Feb 25 2003, 07:05 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>If you mean the modern prontor shutters, then they are designed for studio work where you have all those gizmos sticking out of it to set shutter speed and aperture.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
You do not need to apply the aperture and speed setting "gizmos" on a Prontor professional shutter. Without these bells and whistles, it has aprox. the same size as any #1 shutter. The only disadvantage is that there is no real and smaller #0 shutter. The #0 is a #1 with another barrel thread.

In his usual mounting position (the factory default with the shutter name on bottom in upright letters), the PP always had the time scale on the left and the aperture scale on the right side. Both settings are mirrored on the top. The aperture control by the second cable release is also convenient in the field. Moreover, for reproducible two-second exposures, you can simply press the self-cocking shutter twice.

BTW: the PP shutter is out of production since the end of 2001 and was available 30 Years. He is now a “historic” one, too

 

[JohnArs]

My coolest trick?

I have my films in the freezer!

I don't think that there will be a cooler one!!! ;-)))

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Here's another one for exposures that are too long for the shutter but too short for a stopwatch (i.e., 2-30 sec). Use a metronome set on 120 or 240, and once you've got the beat in your head, press the shutter, count the requisite number of beats and release. Consider how accurate a musician needs to be, and you'll realize that this is a very accurate method. You can find a cheap electronic metronome the size of a credit card from any instrument shop.

 

[Thilo Schmid]

Best method to avoid watermarks while drying film? Without risk of any scratches?
Put the whole tank reel/holder in a salad dryer.

 

[David Hall]

Thilo,

I like that one. Do you always dry rollfilm that way? How long does it take? How do you dry sheet film?

dgh