VSL's creative director and chief technology officer goes rogue and leaves the Leicas at home. Will other cameras actually work for our temperamental artiste? Let's see....

 

The Sign at Rocky's walk up bar in the courtyard at the Austin Motel. 

I developed such a sweet and sharing working relationship with my Lumix S5 while photographing old negatives on the copy stand that, when the time came to choose a camera for today's outing, it seemed obvious that I'd take that old friend with me. I've fallen in love with that ultra-cheap TTArtisan 75mm f2.0 lens so that was a no-brainer choice of optics. My intention was to concentrate on making some more black and white images but I kept seeing color everywhere so it was a mixed grill of a day. Entrées  in black and white as well as color. I think it reduces friction if one can be flexible when working as opposed to pushing things into rigid silos for no good reason. 

In addition to just getting out into the fresh air and the almost always entertaining mix of people, I was also on a mission to buy a big Stetson straw hat with a brim so wide I could use it as a beach umbrella. My first stop off the sidewalks was at Maufrais Hat Shop. I can almost forgive them their usurious prices because the store is so well merchandised and the staff so congenial and welcoming. I looked at a dozen hats but every time I stepped in front of a mirror I realized instantly that none of them were a fit for me. I'll stick with the floppy canvas hats instead. I have plenty of options covering the entire backseat of my car. I need only reach around when parked to choose from straw to tech fabric to canvas, and also a plethora of colors. I think about hats more seriously now following the second skin cancer diagnosis...

With my head already covered and the only candidate for a new hat at the shop cresting the $250 mark I decided that I'm more of an REI $50 hat guy... I thanked the kind staff and headed back out into the regular heat and chaos of a Sunday afternoon in Austin's shopping district. And I was okay with that. 

The next stop was at Jo's Coffee for a big, big iced coffee (Robert! I sat down on a bench under the shop's awning to slowly and deliberately enjoy my coffee. You have cured me of the American habit of walking with a cup in one hand... thanks! KT). There I met up with my friend, David, and we waited to talk until a crazy street preacher on a bike fitted with a loudspeaker system gave up attempting to find any sort of traction at our location. Photo somewhere below.

David was sporting some sort of state-of-the-art Canon digital camera with an ultra fast 85mm lens on the front. It looked pretty cool. I showed him my battered S5 with its cheap 75mm on the front. He laughed and asked if the S5 was as good a "chick magnet" as any of the Leicas. Then he asked a more serious question which was: "Does it focus as fast as the Leicas with this lens on it?" And I sheepishly had to answer --- "It's better." 

The rest of my time there was just a walk through familiar places to recapture stuff I might have seen before but in a different way this time around. Captions to follow.

Rocky's. Window art. And below (devil and angel cats). 

Austin motel courtyard cushions.

Everywhere. Blue tables. 

Haven't even had surgery yet and already pining for pools. 

This one always looks delicious. I'll have to do a staycation here

one day so I can lounge in the pool and order Cuba Libres from 

the Hotel San José bar. But with an extra side of sunscreen. 

Underfoot stencil art soldiers on. 

OMG!!! The mannequins are back from vacation and looking spry. 

Summer is in full swing. Light covers everywhere. 

This is Amy's Ice Cream. All the ice cream is made in house. Most of the flavors are amazing.

This is the crazy street preacher. Way, way too loud and a disconnected sermon 

that sounded mostly like the ravings of a madman. 

Who wouldn't want to photograph Jo's Coffee?

I'm always surprised when I meet with David at Jo's. I didn't realize he has a perpetually reserved table. Honestly. Complete with a "reserved" sign. That's class. 

David.

I made an appointment with myself to worry for a while, between 2 and 4 pm today, about my medical ordeal coming up on Tuesday so I had to excuse myself from David's court and head back to the safety and solace of my home and office. And to savor the bounty of the new air conditioning system. It was a pleasant walk. I can't wait until the Christmas season when the shops decorate, one can wear more fashionable clothes, and the light slants in a more endearing way. Until then I take what I can get. 

Happy Sunday!

Sitting on the Spanish Steps in Rome. Circa 1995. Back when sitting was allowed.

 

Never stand when you can sit. Never sit when you can lay down and take a nap. Never pass up a restroom. 

Those were my old rules to live by....

Below are new ones I'm adding.

New adaptation for the Gen Z readers: Three things! Floss everyday. Use sunscreen every time you go out in the sun. Learn about the good and bad aspects of compound interest. 

For all photographers: Always check to make sure your camera has a memory card loaded and ready to go....before you get in the car and drive hours to your destination. 

Check your camera's battery. Even if it shows a full charge go ahead and grab an extra battery. 

The image above was from a shooting trip I made together with a fellow Austin photographer, back in 1995. We were at loose ends. He was changing direction in his domestic situation and we both wanted to get out of town. We both used some frequent flier miles to head to Rome where we spent ten days walking around, photographing stuff with Mamiya 6 and Mamiya 7 cameras. We didn't roam the streets together but every evening, mostly over dinner, we'd fill each other in on the best places we'd gone to during that day and how to get there. 

I was hanging out over by the Spanish Steps when I saw this young woman just chilling on the steps. I shot some frames. Some turned out.

When we got back to Austin we both printed up a mess of 24x24 inch black and white prints and had a show at our favorite Italian restaurant here (favorite...at the time...). Several hundred people showed up for the open. Not that the show was spectacular but my friend and I were both very good at marketing...