KEITH LONGMORE offered: Subject: [LRflex] Re: leicareflex Digest V4 #208 >>>>>>Ted and Steve >>>>It's very easy to criticise what others have done, when one is just an armchair photographer, isn't it! The operative words being 'have done'. I suspect that we all do it, to some extent.<<<<<< Gee Keith I wish I knew what you are referring to? As I sure as hell am not an arm chair photographer! But a professional with a 56 year career as a working well published photographer! Not to mention I was the headliner of the LEICA SEMINAR at Cape Cod and Kennebunkport for 13 years and still involved with the smaller version held in Rockport Mass. Again this year in October. Not to forget I've lectured at Yale, Carleton University in Ottawa. Canada, Camosun College in Victoria and was one of the founding lecturers at the Western Canadian Academy of Photography. And lectured too many sessions of the Professional Photographers of Canada. While right now in my young age of the 79th year I'm still asked and assigned to shoot. I'm also shooting on my latest book about medical students and what they go through to become graduate doctors. That is an addition to 8 other published books. If I've miss read your comments I apologize. If not, where did I go wrong in my interpretation of your comment about me being an arm chair photographer? And what are you making this reference to, or what I may have said? Or where did I write it to create this kind of arm chair image? And just in case you have the time you might like to see what I've done and what I'm doing! Please look at my website.... tedgrantphoto.com You sir might be a tad surprised. Not to forget on 23 September I'll be the headline speaker at the PMA held in Toronto which you might like to attend and see on screen material and what 56 years of shooting can accomplish. >>>>I have about 2000 slides of 'stately homes', shot mostly around 40 years ago using my Pentax S1, manual lenses, Weston Master V, and virtually nothing else (interiors and exteriors). I used to hand hold exposures up to 1 second; sometimes excellent results, sometimes just couldn't do it right.<<<< A commendable record. >>>> Whatever the rights and wrongs of such photography, I got out there and did it; anyone who wishes to criticise the end result had better get out there and prove themselves better than I am at it! (And I bet few would take up the challenge!!)<<< Well mon ami I need not challenge anyone on list as it's about the fun of photography not about beating another. But enjoying and "LEARNING" which I still do and always will. No photographer is that good he or she knows it all! >>>Now, those photographs are a historical record; some of the houses no longer exist; some suffered fires or robberies of important artifacts, some are no longer open to the public. Those must have a value that transcends only technical perfection, surely? Oh - and we didn't have Photoshop to help us in those days! ;-)<<<< I would trust your collection will be offered as historical record to the archives of wherever you live as that's a commendable thing to do, so others may learn of our times. The bulk of my files are in the National Photo Collection of the National Archives of Canada. Ted tedgrant@xxxxxxx tedgrantphoto.com