Prest_400
Multiformat
It's been a while since I've seen Maggie, not even on Mango or I didn't realise. Every once in a while I peek here IG and she does very nice crediting to you, plus you get nice comments!
I have to do small prints and like them. Manageable, giftable. It's been a while since I even put a cheapo C-print order.
I just went on a 3 day trip to Malta with a borrowed LX100 (friend's) and a 32gb card.
+1000 shots and there's some 4K in there. Suppose that tomorrow I will fill it. Coming home at noon but seems that family wants a roadtrip after picking me up. Will have to Cull and Edit.
BTW Cal, good to hear about retirement. Barcelona is nice, picking an Eixample flat for example. Not cheap but it very well may be compared to NY standards. Warm(ing) weather and not landlocked like Madrid... there's a BCN vs MAD thing and I vote for my place, LOL.
I began to really do trips around the Mediterranian and it is quite cheap and near. I'm redirecting photo budgets to Trips. Europe is compact compared to US and frankly, the mediterranean is great for living.
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I have to do small prints and like them. Manageable, giftable. It's been a while since I even put a cheapo C-print order.
I just went on a 3 day trip to Malta with a borrowed LX100 (friend's) and a 32gb card.
+1000 shots and there's some 4K in there. Suppose that tomorrow I will fill it. Coming home at noon but seems that family wants a roadtrip after picking me up. Will have to Cull and Edit.
BTW Cal, good to hear about retirement. Barcelona is nice, picking an Eixample flat for example. Not cheap but it very well may be compared to NY standards. Warm(ing) weather and not landlocked like Madrid... there's a BCN vs MAD thing and I vote for my place, LOL.
I began to really do trips around the Mediterranian and it is quite cheap and near. I'm redirecting photo budgets to Trips. Europe is compact compared to US and frankly, the mediterranean is great for living.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Jorde,
Call me a lazy slacker, but after years of hard work I just want to take it easy. Mild weather means a lot to me because I want to stay active and fit.
Mad-Rid has its attraction because it is the bigger city, but Barcelona kinda is the Brooklyn of Europe.
I really like that Spain has great train infrastructure, fresh food, seafood, and some of the best healthcare.
I'm kinda tired of NYC. Too suburbanized for me. About 25 years ago I was married to a Latina. The relationship was very one sided, and we fought all the time in Spanish. The marriage kinda was like "I Love Lucy" except the roles were reversed and it was not funny. LOL.
So anyway I was very near fluent. In my travels Latinos would ask me where I was from because I spoke without an accent. I could read a newspaper also.
Cal
Prest_400
Multiformat
Know I'm biased for Barcelona but given that cold weather was better avoided by you, the sea mildens up temps a lot. Add in climate change and today it's over 77F. Madrid is more continental and it gets cold, as well as having lots more temp range and contrast but is drier.
Compared to NY both cities feel like villages, but no city in EU is comparable I guess. Size wise BCN is smaller but more compact because of the sea and the small sierra but the old town I feel is larger (and quite turistier) than Madrid; which is more suburban and Sprawled. Madrid was built because a king wanted the Capital in the Middle of Spain, it's surrounded by the Castillas which are basically quite unpopulated land. Nearby Toledo was the medieval capital. It really are the coast areas of Mediterranean and Basque Country the ones that got most population but politically it's been very centralist and infrastructure always points towards Madrid.
On summer it's getting quite hot, but there are lots of LCC cheapo flights to milder north of Europe.
Compared to NY both cities feel like villages, but no city in EU is comparable I guess. Size wise BCN is smaller but more compact because of the sea and the small sierra but the old town I feel is larger (and quite turistier) than Madrid; which is more suburban and Sprawled. Madrid was built because a king wanted the Capital in the Middle of Spain, it's surrounded by the Castillas which are basically quite unpopulated land. Nearby Toledo was the medieval capital. It really are the coast areas of Mediterranean and Basque Country the ones that got most population but politically it's been very centralist and infrastructure always points towards Madrid.
On summer it's getting quite hot, but there are lots of LCC cheapo flights to milder north of Europe.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Jorde,
I do not mind heat. Being Cantonese the climate my genes is made for is the heat and humidity of Cuba. Maggie on the other hand has English, Irish and Dutch.
I would assume real estate and rents are more expensive in BCN than in Mad-Rid.
Cal
Prest_400
Multiformat
We've got lots of English tourists around, no fault as there are plenty and cheap connections. A part of the collective is roudy drunk partygoers that are quite controversial in the bunch of resorts. So far I see they like it quite a bit
I think rents in BCN and Madrid are just about equivalent on a certain level.
The aristocratic area of Barcelona (and I think Madrid) actually lives rather isolated from the centre. As with most large cities, the central districts have increased rents and working families displaced except for some areas of the old district which are rather unpolished and populated by immigrants. I like that it's that way too as it leaves something original aside of the polished touristy areas.
You mayeasily fetch not so long term contracts and try a few cities around too. Sometimes I thought about living a few months here and there as being refreshing.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
We've got lots of English tourists around, no fault as there are plenty and cheap connections. A part of the collective is roudy drunk partygoers that are quite controversial in the bunch of resorts. So far I see they like it quite a bit
I think rents in BCN and Madrid are just about equivalent on a certain level.
The aristocratic area of Barcelona (and I think Madrid) actually lives rather isolated from the centre. As with most large cities, the central districts have increased rents and working families displaced except for some areas of the old district which are rather unpolished and populated by immigrants. I like that it's that way too as it leaves something original aside of the polished touristy areas.
You mayeasily fetch not so long term contracts and try a few cities around too. Sometimes I thought about living a few months here and there as being refreshing.
Jorde,
Here in the U.S. the way I see things everything is not sustainable. If the new tax proposal goes through, I expect over the long term the deficiet to go up, and pretty much a disincentive to own a home. I expect perhaps a 10% mark down in housing prices, as the morgage tax incentive is effectively removed for houses less costly than $800K and replaced with a standard deduction that is about double. Say goodbye to the SALT (State and Local Tax deduction) on your Federal Tax Return.
"Look out below," I say. Simple law of economics: subsidies end up inflating prices; so the converse is true; remove subsidies and prices will adjust lower.
Actually I'm glad I don't own a home. I can see how basically removing a housing subsidy (tax deduction) will effect housing prices in a very negative way being compounded by the loss of SALT deductions. Glad I'm not chained and locked into home ownership. I only see a long-term loss and a compounding liability.
I'm looking for quality of life, and it seems much higher, bang for my dollar, in Europe.
As far as VAT goes I already have enough nice luxury goods to last me a lifetime. I will not be a vast consumer. I already have enough nice stuff to make me happy. How much more do I need? If I won the lottery, I don't think more goods would make me happy.
The Bankster in me says, "No one ever got rich by paying taxes." As far as unpolished goes, Spanish Harlem is kinda rat infested. LOL. You are talking to a gentrifier who has lived in places before they were conquered by hipsters.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I got back the Linhof Select Zeiss 100/2.8 Planar from John at Focal Point yesterday. For $250.00 I had the lens separation repaired, but this involved risk of lens elements shattering, and this risk was on me. If the lens was unrepairable due to self-destruction during the heating process, required to separate the elements before reglueing, I would have still had to pay for the repair, even if the repair failed.
So I'm a lucky/happy-happy customer. I figure this minty 100 Planar is now worth north of $2K, and the Shelf-Queen Tech IV that came with the lens is worth a lot more than the $800.00 I paid doing the BIN.
So this is a mighty cool rig that cost "No Money." LOL. The S/N on the lens and cam match. This Tech IV is as old as me and dates back to 1958. Next year it will be 60 years old. Weighs about 7 pounds rigged to shoot with a 120 back. Comes with a free gym membership.
Cal
So I'm a lucky/happy-happy customer. I figure this minty 100 Planar is now worth north of $2K, and the Shelf-Queen Tech IV that came with the lens is worth a lot more than the $800.00 I paid doing the BIN.
So this is a mighty cool rig that cost "No Money." LOL. The S/N on the lens and cam match. This Tech IV is as old as me and dates back to 1958. Next year it will be 60 years old. Weighs about 7 pounds rigged to shoot with a 120 back. Comes with a free gym membership.
Cal
jszokoli
Well-known
Cal,
So when's the next meet-up so we can see this beast in action??
Joe
So when's the next meet-up so we can see this beast in action??
Joe
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I'll start the November Meet-Up thread.
BTW I'll bring my Polaroid back and some FP-100. Should be fun.
I also have a 4x5 Polaroid back. Currently it is loaded with Fuji FP-3000. I'm saving this film right now, but when this back is M.T. you are welcome to borrow it. Also I have a spare 4x5 CINE for 70mm film, and I have to check, but I also think I own a 4x5 120 back for a Linhof.
All I have to do is set the infinity stops on the Tech V and check the focus. This Tech V with 53mm Biogon I think will be my favorite rig.
I started printing small. So far I have 20 different business cards. Kinda like carrying a gallery show in my pocket at all times. One time I was on the subway and this man started talking with me because I was carrying a camera. Ends up he was a big art dealer and owned a gallery. He asked me for my card, and I had none. Then he asked for my web site...
Pretty much I blew it. LOL. Interesting to see all the work at once. Seems like I'm not that crazy after all, and the work kinda makes sense.
I went to see the Richard Sandler show at the Leica Store. This is a big show of wet prints. The exhibition is extended to the front of the store. Richard captures some of the grit of the 80's pretty well. Really was a different city back then.
In comparision my work represents and is concentrated on a more recent decade: 2007-2017.
Cal
November 4th mini meetup for a drink or two?
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
stompyq
Well-known
No....:bang::bang::bang:
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
stompyq
Well-known
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Lol
Pro-Mone,
All-work???
With me things have been extra crazy.
I'm getting ready for some big advances: 70mm for under $3.00 a 120 equiv; developing 15 feet of film (over 63 6x7's on a reel); carrying around a baby Linhof in NYC as a trademark and my branding; printing small to annoy people...
Looks like I'll be a short-timer at work. Perhaps 2-3 years before I retire when I'm 62-63. Now I have a bad attitude. LOL. Ask me if I care...
Cal
dmr
Registered Abuser
Just discovered this thread!
I was able to attend one day, Friday, last week. I was in CT on business and extended the trip so I could spend some time in the city and this was on, and free, so ...
All of the "Usual Suspect" vendors were there and it was indeed a great show.
I also took some time to do some photo walks, which I have not had the opportunity to do in NYC for several years now.
All in all, very well worth it.
For some reason the images are not showing up in this post. I'll post those as a separate item in a general photo category.
I was able to attend one day, Friday, last week. I was in CT on business and extended the trip so I could spend some time in the city and this was on, and free, so ...
All of the "Usual Suspect" vendors were there and it was indeed a great show.
I also took some time to do some photo walks, which I have not had the opportunity to do in NYC for several years now.
All in all, very well worth it.
For some reason the images are not showing up in this post. I'll post those as a separate item in a general photo category.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
DMR,
Sorry I missed the opportunity to meet you.
Next time give us some advanced warning so we can make it convenient to attend the Meet-Up.
What part of the world are you from?
I missed PhotoPlusExpo. My gal "Maggie" had a TEDx Talk in D.C. This was a life changing event for me. The world is a very different place. I realized so much, and today everything is different.
Cal