Beijing Tennis Camp

Just a quick note. My first trip to Beijing was quite an adventure. Wandering around the Imperial Gardens across the street from Tiannamen square, I came across a tall wall and saw tennis balls appearing back and forth above the wall. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a bunch of elderly Chinese gents hitting tennis balls back and forth, no nets! As I stood watching they called me over and with hand gestures signaled that they would like to have me play. So posted is a picture of the guy I played with. More about this later and some pics from Beijing also.

Early Adopters

Just saw the retail price of the soon to be released Fuji x100 camera that I have been pining for in the last few posts. $1200.00 yikes. It's a beautiful piece of equipment but let me now explain why I titled this post 'early adopters'. Back in the day, I was working on the airplane and came across this guy listening through headphones to something that was coming out of a small box. After a query as to what the heck is that, he said it plays cassette tapes. Revolutionary! Being a music guy I knew I had to have one of these new-fangled contraptions...and one for the wife. So I marched down to my local 'Crazy Eddies' (New Yorkers will know) and bought two at two hundred dollars a pop. Very cool. Until the next year when they were making them out of plastic and you could get one for 15 dollars. Lesson (mostly) learned. So now this camera. I think I will let the dust settle while I let good friends take the first leap.

Intriguing

These guys new what they were doing when they put this camera together. Note in the photo the aperture ring on the lens barrel. Well, it's about time. That's how we used to do it in the "old days".

OMG New camera envy

I think I have a serious camera acquiring problem. Been looking at the Fuji X100 soon to be released. I predict that this camera is going to be wildly popular when it is released supposedly in March. Can you say tax refund!

Trying harder at my Blog

It's so funny reading that stuff from this summer. I no longer have that lx3 camera and am back to my trusty old nikon d70 with a 50mm lens just like what I started with 40 years ago, only digital. Just never could get used to not having a viewfinder.

Well, my total of two fans are going to get a kick out of this. Back when I was motivated last summer I did some writing for the blog, saved it and it never got posted. So here it is. It's been so long it's new to me.

August. Vacation ends. Back to the proverbial salt mines. Although these are not happy thoughts, it looks like another trip to COTW, as I mentioned in a previous post, is in the works and likely to happen. Joy! And yet I suffer until we head back to the Adirondacks.

Did I say suffer? Me thinks I doth protest too much. I’m off to Paris and planning an excursion on foot with my Lumix LX3 that has turned into my new favorite piece of camera equipment. It seems the joy has returned to my photographic life after having jettisoned my wedding photography equipment. As I have mentioned before, ‘the best camera is the one you have with you’. My new mantra. Ommmmm! Ha. So off I go on foot with my little camera friend and weave my way through the neighborhoods finally ending up on the Seine at Notre Dame. Stood in line with a million tourists to go inside but it’s well worth the wait. Hopefully, as you can see, it’s beautiful. Your supposed to be discreet with cameras but little flashes were going off all over the place. I used mine with the lens wide open, without flash, and hand held at a slow shutter speed. I think I’m getting used to not having a viewfinder like my, now history, Nikon D300. I look back now on that camera with fondness, but what a tank! My neck hurts from just thinking about it.

After a wonderful walk of about ten miles I’m back at the hotel having my baguette and camembert, from the Monoprix. And then, deep sleep until it’s time to return home. Thanks for listening.

Well all you fans out there (giant echo alert), I've been thinking about the blog and an update. Finally tired of seeing me eat that sandwich? OK lap dog knits I may have at long last finished it!