OOC

Amazing, truly amazing! No, hell no, not the camera… the WEATHER. Bright harsh sun, beautiful rich shadows,  mid tones to blow apart….the temp was 61F today. Well, I ain’t no Spring chicken but I damn sure can still get around. So Serendipity the Olympus Pen F wanted to go out and see the sites. We got an extra battery and a lens Pen and hit the streets. She was sporting her 17mm lens. Then, of course, she had her Black Leather Italian neck strap. Then she kinda upset me. She said, “Shooter, it’s very bright out and I need my lens hood.” Ohhhh, I don’t use hoods but she insisted. So, after making a small fuss I mounted the hood on her. She’s very cute I have to admit.

OOC

We decided to hit town and do some final testing about contrast and stuff like that. I have to do JPEGs because Adobe hasn’t released the profiles for the Pen F. So I want to really know what will give me the best files so that I can destroy them like a gentleman. So far the 20mg files, even tho they be JPEGs develop very nice in LR. Here’s the thing. I do raw all the time but now will for sure do Raw and LF.  I am always an idiot about this isse because the end produst is more than likely, JPEG anyway. Another thing is, these files work nice. I mean I am a maniac when it comes to images. I distort tones, grain etc all the time.

OOC

I met Polly and Suzanne today at their place. They live together now so it’s convenient for a meet up. They are both Japanese and doctors. So obviously, we have a lot in common….NOT! Well as far as photography goes, we do. Polly calls me the teacher and Suzanne calls me the Mentor. I call them my friends. Anyway. I’m in their Living Room and it’s Leica Village. Yea about 6 bodies, more lenses than I can count on two hands and yet Polly takes my  Pen F. She says ” Mr Don,  this is new camera”? Yes Polly and you need not worry about it. I’ll let you use this for a while and you can check it out. Suzanne looks at thePen F and I hear from the other room… Mr Don, what lenses I need. 17mm, 25mm…. ok.

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5 minutes later and she tells me she ordered 2 bodies and 2 sets of lenses. Well, I’m glad for them. They are hard working Docs and dedicated shooters, thanks to my Mentoring them. I do take credit for that. So on Thursday they will have the cameras and I’ll no doubt be teaching them how to use them. I love those girls. So sweet and sooo dedicated to photography.

OOC

The streets are getting busy with shoppers, hustlers, junkies, drunks, it’s like old home for me. As the temperature warms, many start to crawl out of their holes and from the undergrounds. Fo me, it’s the tourist.I love the heavy tourist season. It won’t be long and I’ll be hitting again. Perfect time for me to breakin a new camera. I know, I know…. what’s the big deal? Well, for me it damn sure is a big deal. If you know me and maybe ya do, ya know I’m a screen shooter. Well, now I have to get used to a EVF. Funny thing. I been using Andre’ the Fuji X100s for almost 2 years and always used the OVF. The last 4 months I been heavy on the EVF. Maybe Andre’ knew I’d cheat on him and have a love affair with Serendipity the Pen F. At any rate, I am doing ok with the finder and it changes the way I think and that’s always a welcome thing.

OOC

So as Spring moves closer in time, I look forward to breathing the cheap perfume, exhaust from the cars and buses, seeing all the people making their way thru the city, the sounds of the trucks, cars buses, Harleys, babies crying, junkies, begging for money, guys fighting with their woman, Cops trying to stay safe but laying it on the line getting unappreciated, sirens trying to cut thru traffic jams, tourist asking for directions from native Philadelphians that have no idea where the Beloved Liberty Bell lives.

ahhhhhh hot town, summer in the city……………..