Camera post Khushfest.
I finished my chores early so I took myself out for a Sunday afternoon walk. I got a package yesterday and it contained a VF-2 EVF for use with the M240 cameras. I figured a walk through downtown would be a really nice way to check out the new (to me) finder. I finished out the outfit with a 28mm lens.
I did my usual route and everything was pretty routine until I got close to Republic Park, between 5th and 6th Streets. Just west of Guadalupe St. Then I heard loud music and happy voices. There was an event this afternoon in the park. It was billed as "Khushfest 2024. A Celebration of Color." I couldn't resist. A celebration of the Indian "Holi".
I waded into the crowd of people who were happily pelting each other with packets of brightly colored powders. I had a blast photographing and the 28mm lens just happened to be the perfect choice since I could easily use it at its hyperfocal distance, f8 or f11 and blaze away with Auto-ISO.
I did not know, but strongly suspected, that anyone in the midst of the crowd was fair game to be powdered --- and powdered well. And yes, I was. I worried about the camera and lens for about twenty seconds and then decided "the heck with it." They came through with flying colors. Ha. Ha.
I handed off my camera to a nice person, a father whom I had watched taking photos of his own family, and asked if he would take a few shots of my finely decorated self. He did a nice job. At least I thought so. Especially considering the model he had to work with.
Notes for future Khushfest activities: Bring along a change of clothes in the car. Bring a hat. Put a filter over the front of the lens. Bring a second camera with a longer lens for some variety. Put a filter on the front of that lens as well. DO NOT CHANGE LENSES in the middle of the crowd. Or at all. Until you've dusted and cleaned your camera rig. Have fun. Be happy. Don't worry about stuff.
Today is also the first time I have dropped a Leica. It was in a half case. I tripped over something and lost my grip on the camera. It hit the ground. It still works fine. Normal breathing quickly restored to the clumsy photographer. Note for future use: The strap goes around my neck when actually shooting... duh.
Yeow! I would say that either that Leica is really well sealed or you got lucky. Some time in the past Roger Cicala posted hair raising pics of a tear down and clean of a Lensrentals camera that had been through one of those festivals, if I’m remembering right. Glad you both emerged unscathed!
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