New York February NYC Meet-Up/ Tenth Annual Camera Beauty Contest

Calzone said:
John,

PM me your address. I'll gift it to you. This is better than recycling.
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I appreciate it, but it is super expensive to ship to Chile for some reason. Next time I come to NYC, I`ll try to get it from you...ok?

Nothing like NYC, but then again there are happier places. When I was in Europe and then came back to the U.S. I found the disparity of wealth, the haves and the have not's to be in my face.
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It is even worse here... in Chile. I think this is a world problem... but it is amplified by our crazy consumer culture.
 
I love tacos. Prefer them soft, as they are meant to be. Two fresh corn tortillas. I got spoiled living in Califorrnia for so many years while in the Navy. When I lived in Ventura, 85 miles northwest of LA, I liked knowing the guy who caught the fish before it was grilled and put into tacos.
Don't like taco'ed wheels. Done that only once. Since I've been building my own wheels, I haven't had that problem. As a bike mechanic I've had to fix a lot of those. Sometimes people don't have enough money for a rebuild so I'd give them the less subtle option. If they agreed, I'd tell them to turn around and not listen. Then the wheel is grabbed, preferably with a fully inflated tire, and then smacked really hard on the shop floor to equalize the tension. Then it's $8 for the brake adjust and usually a big tip or a six pack of beer would show up.
Back when I was flying in P3 Orions, doing ASW training missions over the north Pacific, I would report to the TACCO.
That's my experience with various tacos in my life.
Phil Forrest
 
jsrockit said:
I appreciate it, but it is super expensive to ship to Chile for some reason. Next time I come to NYC, I`ll try to get it from you...ok?



It is even worse here... in Chile. I think this is a world problem... but it is amplified by our crazy consumer culture.
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John,

Understood.

Cal
 
Nokton48 said:
Hey Cal

Good Luck with everything.

You will get tired of signing your name at the closing :)
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Dan,

At least I have a short name. My initials spell out CAL.

"Maggie" and I are both anxious. We are waking up early.

In a ways we have a challenge of a small house of only 1525 square feet. Yesterday I went to the listing to count floor tiles in the kitchen. The kitchen is only 11x14, but what complicates things are all these doorways: one to the small back porch; one to the full bathroom; one to the dining room; one to the foyer; and the one to the basement.

There is a situation where the space is so broken up that the layout is awkward, and that is compounded by being a small space. There exists no dishwasher, and the sink is distant from the stove and fridge. A very-very awkward layout exists.

Then there is "Woman-Factor" where there are all these crazy ideas that are mucho crazy that make no sense. One idea was to build an Island with a sink and dishwasher, but there is barely enough width. Also there is a long radiator by a set of double windows that prevents seting it up against the wall.

On top of this Maggie wants to set up a breakfast nook, when there really isn't enough space.

The bath off the kitchen is another project, where we want to convert it from a full bath with a stand-up shower into just a powder room, but here "Woman Factor" is off the charts with UBER fancy and lux. I sure this tiny bath will be a bit over-the-top. Maggie is "digging-in." LOL.

So my part of the deal is the garage and basement(s).

The garage is about 400 square feet, will eventually be insulated and then heated with a Mitsubishi heat pump (also free central air provided).

The 750 square foot basement will hopefully have 500 square feet finished leaving 250 square feet for laundry and utility. The second porch basement will be a narrow 7x16 foot darkroom.

I plan on seeing what I can do with the second backyard, AKA the back-backyard. The 40x100 is technically a full building lot, but I might go hill-billy and see how much food I can grow. Also I expect to set up a rather crazy garden that has mucho "Calzone-Factor."

Cal
 
Cal,
Sounds kind of European in scale to me. Don't be in a hurry; change things around when you are sure of it. In our cases with time the answers become obvious. Live in it for a while and conserve your effort for the most important items on the punch list.

We went for a retro European feeling and it's just what we wanted.
 
New Backgrounds in Studio 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I've picked up a nice seamless paper background system from B&H, which uses three plastic chains to raise and lower the paper at will. Very cool good working system. So far I have black, super white, and blue jay colored paper. Rolls right down, neatly and super quick rolls back up out of the way

I also hung up two painted James Bright canvas backgrounds, which are quite cool. And I have two more narrow hand painted backgrounds out in front, fairly easy to raise and lower.

This is a work in progress but I am getting where I want to be with this. I do have more parts coming from B&H.

Every studio needs a good background system.
 
Nokton48 said:
Cal,
Sounds kind of European in scale to me. Don't be in a hurry; change things around when you are sure of it. In our cases with time the answers become obvious. Live in it for a while and conserve your effort for the most important items on the punch list.

We went for a retro European feeling and it's just what we wanted.
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Dan,

I realize that things will evolve over time.

"Maggie" is trained for quick responses and and fast results that comes from being "wired" and being a "Digital Influencer." She believes anyone can learn and become proficient by watching You-Tube or reading things on the Internet.

n other words she likes immediate gratification and is not so patient. Kinda funny how she also feels that she is the person who views the big picture. I don't respond and remain quiet, meanwhile laughing inside.

So things are evolving where she is learning to become patient with herself. My observations as a "lazy-slacker" are that she creates her own stress and anxiety.

One thing I know I can do and that is to do a good job because I suck at multitasking. I basically only do one thing at a time, but I always perform a good job that is thoughtful and mucho clever in an OCD manner.

Maggie does not understand that it takes both time and skill to develop a practice of avoiding "Spackle-Jobs."

At time it gets over-well-MING because it almost seems like she can't concentrate on just one thing.

Cal
 
Nokton48 said:
New Backgrounds in Studio 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I've picked up a nice seamless paper background system from B&H, which uses three plastic chains to raise and lower the paper at will. Very cool good working system. So far I have black, super white, and blue jay colored paper. Rolls right down, neatly and super quick rolls back up out of the way

I also hung up two painted James Bright canvas backgrounds, which are quite cool. And I have two more narrow hand painted backgrounds out in front, fairly easy to raise and lower.

This is a work in progress but I am getting where I want to be with this. I do have more parts coming from B&H.

Every studio needs a good background system.
Click to expand...

Dan,

I have a pure white paper backdrop set up in my apartment that I use to set up my apartment as a studio for shooting. I have a wall of windows on my modern luxury apartment that faces due west, and there is wonderful afternoon light that is a bit diffused between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM.

It seems I can utilize the same orientation in my garage to get that same lighting effect in my garage, so I will surely transplant what I have and recycle this roll of backdrop paper.

You are correct that every photographer should exploit having a backdrop to do studio work.

Cal
 
So somehow I am considered an essential worker because I am affiliated with two large hospitals, but I am not a healthcare worker, I'm a researcher.

So I wonder since I'm considered an essential worker if I will be among the first 20 million (today's projection by Azar) to get the vaccine. Understand the 50 million doses was conflated and is really 25 million inoculations because two separate injections are required.

It is said that in the spring of 2021 that the vaccine might be available to the general public.

My small three story building that has my lab/bunker when built cost 17 million dollars just for the building, and then they filled it with all the latest state of the art nuclear imaging equiptment, including my cyclotron for an additional cost of another 17 million dollars.

Over the past decade the Pet/CT camera has been either updated or totally replaced every few years, and they added all these new MRI magnets, so who knows all the money spent with all these upgrades and expansions.

So because the building is filled with equipment that has cryogenic cooling (liquid helium) the air in my building is fully exchanged every three minutes so that if a cryogenic magnet "quenches," meaning boils off rapidly, that inhabitants of the building don't all get suffocated when all the O-2 gets displaced.

So of course the cold winter air has to be heated, and in the summer it too also gets heated to dry the air. Very-very wasteful as far as energy consumption goes, but I basically likely work in such a special building that the air exchanges is nearly almost like being outdoors.

Know that there are skyscrappers that just scrub the air and utilize no air exchanges to save energy.

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Madhattan had nearly 16,000 empty rental apartments, which is 5.57% of the total Madhattan apartment inventory.

Rent is down 11% on an annual basis. 44.7% of apartments in Madhattan had discounted asking rent.

They report some of the incentives are 1-2 months "Free-Rent" but I have seen up to three months offered.

The result is that some people have "upgraded" and moved.

Not everyone is leaving the city like me.

So if there is another lock-down in NYC, again I will get basically paid leave. Work from home for me is basically no-work, although I would have to come in periodically to keep things operational, but I think this time perhaps one day every other week.

I suspect that with Covid being so widespread that the spread will be worse than the outbreak.

Please be careful and not reckless. Please do what you can to be safe and avoid risk.

Cal
 
BTW in packing up for the move I discovered a stockpile of Italian Goat leather that is ideal for recovering cameras.

I had thought I nearly ran out, but I kinda have a bit of a stockpile. This stuff is of Prada quality.

Cal
 
Calzone said:
Rent is down 11% on an annual basis. 44.7% of apartments in Madhattan had discounted asking rent.

They report some of the incentives are 1-2 months "Free-Rent" but I have seen up to three months offered.

The result is that some people have "upgraded" and moved.

Not everyone is leaving the city like me.

So if there is another lock-down in NYC, again I will get basically paid leave. Work from home for me is basically no-work, although I would have to come in periodically to keep things operational, but I think this time perhaps one day every other week.

I suspect that with Covid being so widespread that the spread will be worse than the outbreak.

Please be careful and not reckless. Please do what you can to be safe and avoid risk.

Cal
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Hope everyone here and there are safe in the pandemic. Second wave and talks of 3rd wave.

I pretty much chuckle when people are looking forward to Christmas, foolishly expecting things will go well. I work in a team of expats and actually haven't asked for time off so I let them have the uncertainty and expensive flights.
Visited my family last week, and hopefully I may do another 1 week visit flying down Europe late January to March.

Pretty much plan to be myself in the darkroom during the holidays. Polar winter darkness.

Congrats on the new house!

I am ironically going full time to the office, despite having a remote work option, but I hope for a more decentralized future from the city. Damn expensive real estate and rents in the capitals.

Sweden, where I live, is now getting widespread infection. It has been the most normal acting countries in the world concerning the pandemic. In some ways it is a good approach but now the country has been "surprised" and has no testing capacity. Oh-well.
 
Prest_400 said:
Hope everyone here and there are safe in the pandemic. Second wave and talks of 3rd wave.

I pretty much chuckle when people are looking forward to Christmas, foolishly expecting things will go well. I work in a team of expats and actually haven't asked for time off so I let them have the uncertainty and expensive flights.
Visited my family last week, and hopefully I may do another 1 week visit flying down Europe late January to March.

Pretty much plan to be myself in the darkroom during the holidays. Polar winter darkness.

Congrats on the new house!

I am ironically going full time to the office, despite having a remote work option, but I hope for a more decentralized future from the city. Damn expensive real estate and rents in the capitals.

Sweden, where I live, is now getting widespread infection. It has been the most normal acting countries in the world concerning the pandemic. In some ways it is a good approach but now the country has been "surprised" and has no testing capacity. Oh-well.
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Jorde,

Please stay safe.

I too am looking forward to many hours in my darkroom. I have one of those chemistry black bench tops saved at work that is X-S. I think I know where in the basement I'll be rigging out a space.

Fidel has a 20x24 inch print washer in New Jersey that I have to pick-up. This is the biggest print I can make with the Beseler 23C non-XL I have in my Public Storage.

I have less than 14 months of work. I should be among the first 20 million that have access to the new vaccine. Also the HVAC system is a safety feature with 20 air changes per hour or one air exchange every three minutes.

In January 2022 I'l be 64 and retired.

Cal
 
I looked at your Feb. posts , Cal....

Mad flash unit ? Power enough to blind people?

I've got Vivitar 365's and my "BubbaPak" power supply I built to replace the Vivitar LVP-1.

My latest uses a 12V lithium battery and a boost transformer off Ebay-2 second recycling at full power manual setting. The best the LVP-2 can do with freshly charged NiMh batteries is 8 seconds!

As I say when I finish one of these crazy projects.."It's Alive...It's Alive!!!!!"
 
MFM,

Delays compounded delays on the closing front.

So now it is up to three lawyers to arrange a date, all are busy.

I'm kinda calm right now, but the other day I could of been a mass murderer. I lost my patience, and then I go crazy.

My friends say that I'm worse than a woman. LOL.

From what I have been told by others delays are common.

So don't tell Maggie, but I have been looking at Steinways. They are kinda like a car though because twice a year they need tuning, humidity and temperatures need to be regulated, and they need regular maintenance.

Since our house is small it seems like a Model "L" which is just under 6 feet or better yet a Model "A" which is the smallest of the Concert Grand Pianos at 6'2". They say to get the biggest for the longest scale length and bass response, and that ideally a piano's size should be about a quarter of the room's size.

Don't tell "Maggie" butI would love to put it in the parlor room, meaning living room.

We don't intend on having a T.V in our parlor room. Also know that there is a big doorway with a double set of pocket doors that separate the parlor from the dining room, and in the parlor and dinning room are walk out bays for that Victorian elegance.

Of course I'm looking at period correct Steinways that are of investment grade that would be period correct.

The only upright Steinway I'm interested in is a Model "K" that has a 52 inch height. This would be in my soundproof room I'm going to build in the basement. In a ways I'll kinda have a small recording studio.

Anyways my kinda style on guitar is kinda plug and play. I kinda get my sound from my hands. I seem to love old vintage tube amps where I get compression to the extent that I can get a guitar to be very horn like, and also although I use a pick, I also pluck strings and chords to get an acoustic piano sound. On top of all this I play Telecasters and have a great attack.

Anyways for me, even though I play electrics my sound has an acoustic quality to it.

I expect my sound room to be 13x26 or about half the full basement. Remember that I have a 7x16 foot porch second basement. Also I have a location reserved by the 450 gallon oil tank to build out my darkroom.

Cal
 
MrFujicaman said:
I looked at your Feb. posts , Cal....

Mad flash unit ? Power enough to blind people?

I've got Vivitar 365's and my "BubbaPak" power supply I built to replace the Vivitar LVP-1.

My latest uses a 12V lithium battery and a boost transformer off Ebay-2 second recycling at full power manual setting. The best the LVP-2 can do with freshly charged NiMh batteries is 8 seconds!

As I say when I finish one of these crazy projects.."It's Alive...It's Alive!!!!!"
Click to expand...

MFM,

I remember asking this woman on 5th Avenue if I could take her picture during Fashion Night Out.

I pretty much did a really nice cropped shot of just her legs and shoes. Was I rude? What a pair of legs. Mucho sexy.

The 75mm lens on the Pentax 67 II with AE prism had a 35mm FOV, so imagine me shooting and getting down low.

Cal
 
Calzone said:
MFM,

Delays compounded delays on the closing front.

So now it is up to three lawyers to arrange a date, all are busy.

I'm kinda calm right now, but the other day I could of been a mass murderer. I lost my patience, and then I go crazy.

My friends say that I'm worse than a woman. LOL.

From what I have been told by others delays are common.

So don't tell Maggie, but I have been looking at Steinways. They are kinda like a car though because twice a year they need tuning, humidity and temperatures need to be regulated, and they need regular maintenance.

Since our house is small it seems like a Model "L" which is just under 6 feet or better yet a Model "A" which is the smallest of the Concert Grand Pianos at 6'2". They say to get the biggest for the longest scale length and bass response, and that ideally a piano's size should be about a quarter of the room's size.

Don't tell "Maggie" butI would love to put it in the parlor room, meaning living room.

We don't intend on having a T.V in our parlor room. Also know that there is a big doorway with a double set of pocket doors that separate the parlor from the dining room, and in the parlor and dinning room are walk out bays for that Victorian elegance.

Of course I'm looking at period correct Steinways that are of investment grade that would be period correct.

The only upright Steinway I'm interested in is a Model "K" that has a 52 inch height. This would be in my soundproof room I'm going to build in the basement. In a ways I'll kinda have a small recording studio.

Anyways my kinda style on guitar is kinda plug and play. I kinda get my sound from my hands. I seem to love old vintage tube amps where I get compression to the extent that I can get a guitar to be very horn like, and also although I use a pick, I also pluck strings and chords to get an acoustic piano sound. On top of all this I play Telecasters and have a great attack.

Anyways for me, even though I play electrics my sound has an acoustic quality to it.

I expect my sound room to be 13x26 or about half the full basement. Remember that I have a 7x16 foot porch second basement. Also I have a location reserved by the 450 gallon oil tank to build out my darkroom.

Cal
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Well those Tele's can get a bit honky!
 
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