Odd how the act of putting something on line gives you the kick you need to get going. The link at the left may stay, may not. The site may grow, may not. Who knows? Not I.

Funky day at work, by the way, head like cement, no need to add any more to the litany. Half worried I'm not going to last.

I had lunch Sunday at the brewery pub near work and overheard three men I estimated to be in their early forties discussing the relative merits of the old Nikon F4. They were obviously professional photographers so I introduced myself and asked their advice on purchasing studio lights, what brands did they use and what would they recommend for someone thinking of portraits? One had been using White Lightnings for twenty years to good effect, another Calumets. Both thought Visatec would be a good choice for portraits, particularly if I ever moved to Hasselblad at some point, as Visatek is made by Hasselblad. I've had similar thoughts surfing the web and reading the magazines.

They'd all three been in the business for what I guessed was over twenty years and they said the business itself has been in the pits throughout the 90's. Anybody could have entered the business and made a living in the 80's, but the 90's have been a disaster. I asked their specialties and they all said you pretty much had to shoot anything that came in through the door these days to survive, although they still drew the line at weddings.

I sympathize with the weddings. I have two of them coming up, but candids only, lots of black and white, shots taken to tickle my fancy, no formal poses, nobody depending on me to deliver anything more than what I choose to deliver. Of course it's pretty easy to set terms when you don't charge money. (To be honest, charge money or not, expectations or not, free as a bird to shoot as I will or not, there are still expectations and I still have to deliver.) I didn't mention any of this to the three photographers since people like me are a part of their problem.

I've been thinking of buying the Visatek's whether or not I ever go to Hasselblad and medium format. Once I actually have lights in hand (and knowing me, this could take years) I'll shoot a lot of 35mm film and see if the experience is so wonderful I have to run out and buy Hasselblads and lenses and (dear god, what am I saying?) begin experiments with professional models. It's the summer weather. The sun, you understand, intense here in the big city, bakes the brains of an old Seattlite.