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Re: [OM] Re: philosophy of choosing brands of tools

Subject: Re: [OM] Re: philosophy of choosing brands of tools
From: Doggre@xxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 03:15:17 EST
In a message dated 1/31/01 6:48:47 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
miaim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

> In the end, cameras are controlled light traps. They vary
>  in their range of control and their ability to trap light, but in the end
>  they are merely traps.


Mike, I would bet you don't make your living with your hands.  Those of us 
who work with tools and machinery don't think of them as "merely tools".  A 
good tool is a work of art to the craftsman who uses it, an ingenious 
blending of form and function.  You can pound nails with a $5 hammer, but if 
you want to experience the joy of driving nails, you get a $30 Estwing.

Calling any high quality camera a "light trap" is about like calling a 
Ferrari or a Rolls Royce a "wheeled vehicle" (so is an ox cart).  Man, where 
is your sense of imagination, your awe at life?  I don't mean this to be a 
flame or to sound condescending, but to me, it doesn't have to be framed and 
hung on a wall to be art!  That seems a little elitist.

On the other hand, I HAVE thought of putting an OM-1 on the wall as a work of 
art!  What stops me?  It's too rewarding to hold in my hands and use.  And 
some thief would steal the OM-1 before my Winslow Homer watercolor, even if 
it were an original (I wish).

The Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. is full of things ranging from 
ordinary chairs to aircraft that are considered by many to be works of art.  
If you polled this list as to whether or not the OM line of cameras qualify 
as works of art, I'm pretty confident the overwhelming majority would agree 
with me that they do, indeed.

None of this sentiment stops me from continually trying to "trap" the light 
at the perfect moment in order to "create" a great photograph -- another work 
of art.

Rich

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