This is a rangefinder 645.  The lens is very sharp and it’s easy to use walking along a street.  It doesn’t have TTL metering so the exposures aren’t always perfect.  Here’s a sample of photos taken in the last two weeks

I started commonmanphotography blog as a place where newcomers could learn more about photography - especially digital photography.  It is at first mostly about equipment because this is where most of us start.  Ideally, you would start at technique, how to see, what is your vision?  The fact is that most of us start way down the line at the equipment questions.  So this is where the blog starts.

This is from Ken Rockwell’s review:

“The Nikon 35Ti was a rich guy’s vacation camera. The model name means 35(mm lens) and Titanium covers. It cost about a grand ($1,000) when it came out in 1993. 

The Nikon 35Ti is one of the very best non-SLR 35mm film cameras ever made, and has one of the best lenses ever put on a 35mm camera by anyone.

In 2009, the Nikon 35Ti remains a fantastic film camera, especially if you value technical image quality. The 35Ti has a real Nikon Matrix meter, and give great results even with picky Fuji Velvia 50 slide film. 

Because of the Matrix meter and extraordinary lens, the Nikon 35Ti is the best compact film camera ever made for landscape, nature and fine art photography.

For speed and ease-of-use by a pro photographer, especially for people photography, the Konica Hexar operates and focuses more quickly. The Hexar’s meter is as primitive as a Leica, meaning its only an old center-weighted meter. The old style meters, like Leicas and the Hexar, require constant babysitting and exposure compensation to yield perfect slide exposures. Because of this, the Hexar is best used with negative film. 

The Nikon 35Ti is best for careful photos of things. The Konica Hexar is best for people, action, news and sports.”

I’ve pretty much decided that this is the camera I’m taking to Japan in 6 weeks.  I’ve also realized that for best results use fresh film.  Duh?  I’ve gotten away with using out of date film but unless you want to do lots of post scanning processing it’s best to use the fresh stuff.  

Highway 12 between La Veta and Cuchara is called the Highway of Legends so called because of the number of legends linked to this route.

La Veta, Colorado in south central Colorado - site of our Airstream Rally - great times with friends. Just a few photos from tonite.  Photos include our train trip to Fir, Colorado to an outside concert venue.  Saw Peter Yarrow from Peter, Paul and Mary.  

Some other Brand

Spanish Peaks in the Background

Overturned Barley Train

Spanish Peaks

The La Veta Air Force

Fir, Colorado Concert Shell

Yellow Submarine

I held this job for 3 months

Lafayette, Colorado cars and coffee - first Saturday of the month rain or shine

Get your ‘Ass up the Pass’ is the rallying cry for those who like to jog up a pass with a burro.  In lieu of watching Sunday’s F1 we did this.  Lots of fun.

Nice evening drive from Buena Vista to FairPlay.

Once again spending the weekend camping here in Colorado.  What a great state to live in.  I am thankful that most tourists go to Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes, Colorado and make that their Colorado experience.  Leaves the rest of the glorious state to us natives!!

Fairplay is right at 10,000 ft ASL.  From here there any number of places one can go including Alma at 11,000 ft and Breckenridge.   

Our trip to Breckenridge was simply to go to the distillery.  As is typical for most distilleries, they start with Vodka and Gin as there is no maturation time like Whiskey or Bourbon.  I favored the 86 proof straight bourbon.  It was $44 which is average.  They had a single barrel for $199 which is way too much to spend.  They also had Scandinavian Ocuvite which is horrible in my opinion.  Not sure why as I can imagine that it has limited demand.

Airstream rally to Steamboat Springs.  There was the usual eating and games (corn hole which I don’t play) .  We were able to go to dinner with two other couples to celebrate our July anniversaries.  Also the same couples invited us onto Steamboat Lake on a covered pontoon boat which was glorious.

Spent several days in Upstate NY - first we were north of Syracuse at Oneida Lake and then onto my son’s wedding in Saratoga Springs.  Here are the pics from the lake adventure

Kris at the BBQ

Hilary and Lula

George

Vicki and George

Kris

Vicki and Hilary

Oliver

Sadie

Oliver

Oliver and Hilary

George

My audience was not happy that I didn’t feature any photos from my heart surgery.  I am making amends by showing you my Gall Bladder as it is being removed from me.  This happened about 5 weeks after the heart surgery.  There will however be NO photos of the scars left behind- even I don’t like to look at them!

In a fit of defiance I decided right before going in for open heart surgery to dump Adobe.  Mostly it was because of their subscription model and the word that they were going to start charging $20 instead of $10 for the LR and PS subscription.

To say the least it was NOT easy to get away from them:

I am still working my way thru how to use Capture One.  I agree with the experts that is a better platform in many ways.  I’m not sorry I ditched Adobe. I thought on this 4th of July I would send this message of independence!!

During our remodel we lost the use of our kitchen…… who am I kidding we don’t HAVE a kitchen now.  We are using the ‘studio’ as our kitchen.  It works reasonably well.  Here’s a shot of the prep area.

This by the way is the patron saint of remodeling.  He’s grumpy looking although so far our project is going along fairly well.

Last time I was here was May 4th.  On the 7th I had open heart surgery to replace a bad valve and two vessel bypass.  This takes a bit to recover from.  Then on June 13 I had to have my gall bladder removed because of attacks.  A week later I was back in the hospital with pancreatitis which is not an uncommon complication of the gall bladder removal.  I am back in the saddle albeit without much strength of stamina.  In honor of being released from hospital….

Without giving out names or locations, we were treated to a viewing of a most awesome Airstream Storage solution - put the AS into your house and use it for the bedrooms.  This has to be one of the most unique builds that I’ve seen.  I guess there are those homes where someone has their Porsche in the house but the scale of this is amazing.

Original Grundig Tube Stereo

Mid Century Lighting

MCM Sconce

Aluminum Sprial to the 2nd floor

2nd floor overlook

Sample of how some people have really taken up the charge to redesign their Airstreams - another way to sink more money into your Aluminum Can

Todd’s VinStream

Vintage Trailer - Rob’s

On the BarStream

On the BarStream

Janelle and Bob’s rig

Base Camp - interesting concept

Annual gathering of Airstreams for the Maintenance Rally where the experts in the group talk about how to maintain your rig.  Very instructive.  I didn’t  go preferring to try to learn a new piece of software.  I know I missed something important but I’ll just have to learn it the old fashioned way - which is to say I will make the mistake and then learn the concept. 

Out on the eastern plains of Colorado there are many small towns.   Hugo is one such town that I go thru often.  It has about 600 residents and is the Lincoln County seat.   They even have a building on the historical list - their swimming pool  which pays Art Deco homage to an ocean liner

Not on any registry is their drag racer on top of a garage