GX GARNERINGS

^Nikon FTN with interchangeable photomic TTL metering prism. The same model was taken on an Apollo mission to the misson Education time. This is not a digital camera. Not a compact. But this camera is special in its own way and of note. Introduced in 1959, the Nikon F camera introduced the concept of the 35 mm single-lens reflex camera (SLR) system; that is to say, it introduced a lineup of the following interchangeable parts connected to the camera body. The Nikon F evolved from a rangefinder camera, the Nikon SP . "In the trial model, based on the body of the Nikon SP, the mirror box was inserted in the central part. Only the three principal components, mirror box, pentaprism and bayonet mount, were newly developed, and the other components were virtually identical to those in SP/S3." ^ The FTN Finder is the last metering finder that officially offered to the Nikon F users before the Nikon F2 started to market and it sold along with the Nikon F2 until 1974, it remained as...

First of all, readers, don't get jealous (or upset). Today, we'll check out the winners in the photo contest I mentioned in a previous post. The contest was a collaborated effort of Greenpeace, Jurlique and the Ricoh camera dealer (Laikok) in Hong Kong. The theme of the photo contest was Climate Hero. Entries were the photographers' visual interpretation of the theme. Grand Prize Topic: Simplicity and Frugal Description: Walking not driving. Lead a simple an frugal living for the benefit of the environment. Prize: Free flight to Adelaide plus two-night 4-star hotal accommodation for two persons, plus a Ricoh GX200 completed with a full set of accessories Two First Runners-up Topic: Little Environmental Heroin Makes It Description: Have you? Prize: A free GX200 with a full set of accessories and a free CX1 Topic: Up We March Description: To right the climate changes requires no expertise. Use less lifts, save more power. A penny saved is a penny gained. Together we climat...

^Streetscape: A man and his all-important Mercedes This is the second post about the great minds on B&W photography. Today, we are looking at the ideas of Ansel Adams (1902 - 1984). Adams was a prolific B&W photographer best known for his exceptional skills and authority on scenery of the Western United States. Through his visual interpretation of the wasteland, people have rediscovered the beauty of the landscape and the importance of nature conservation. What is behind his landscape works is his credo in photography. He believed that great photographers were people who could reproduce his or her personal feelings about an object in its entirety, in depth and precision. These feelings, to him, were the essential, personal tastes of life. To visually reveal such tastes, the photographers are required to give devotion to his photographic gears and most lucid, perfect narration to his works. ^The Commuter: The Zone System may apply here. But the movable AE cursor of my GX200 ma...

^Giggling youngsters on the platform at an underground station In this first post to peek into the great minds on B&W photography, we look at the ideas of Eugene Atget (1857-1927). Eugene was a pioneer in the art of photography. For 30 years since the late 19 century, he had used a 18 x 24 cm format camera to record the vanishing Parisian history from the late 19 to early 20 centuries. His objects ranged from historical buildings, old streets, shop windows, signboards to gardens. What is special about his works is the lucid viewpoints. ^The flow of communters gushed out of the cars at the most bustling underground station, Mong Kok. The four Chinese characters on the exit sign reads, "To Concourse Direct". But the Chinese character for "concourse" is just a stroke short from the character "paradise". It has been read by the naughty minded as "To Paradise Only" -- shopping paradise maybe The phot...

^A storm in formation: the B&W version gives a more intimidating atmosphere to my taste In the colour film days, black and white photography was less popular among the common folks. Back in my dad's younger years, all he could use were B&W films. There are hundreds of his B&W works about me in the 1X1 format. But when I was old enough to learn photography, people simply forgot and almost forsook B&W. Colour films were the norm of those days. Then, the digital era seems to have rekindled the B&W passion, kudos to the (almost) costless digital copies and post processing programmes. But what do we know about B&W photography? B&W is special in its own right. In photography, it is a different representation of the reality in relation to colour photography. Its black-white-grey tone is sort of surreal as compared with the reality in colour. B&W photography is therefore an abstract d epiction of the world, which is also characterised by strong...

On the busy pedestrian precinct, I came across this man sitting on the road, apparently under the effect of drug.  He just rubbed his bottom against the asphalt surface and exercised his body like doing a breakdance hallucination-style, pivoting on his back. Recently, the drug problem in schooling youngsters has surfaced to bring home to the community the enormity of the issue.  For the last few weeks, Hong Kong has been full of reports about students taking ketamine pills after school in group, made known by a number of them who lose consciousness and hospitalised afterwards.  What gives? This is Sunday.  Have a good day with your loved ones.