throwing in the lot

[topoxforddoc]

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Bill,

 

Best of luck for this week. I hope all goes well. Don't give up on your cameras yet. It's really important for people to have something fun to look forward to when you're recuperating. A lot of my cancer patients ask if they need to cancel holidays etc when they are diagnosed. I try very hard to accomodate their trips as it gives people a focus on normality.

 

Good luck,

 

Charlie

[Guest]

Bill,

 

I would echo the above replies. Stress and pain set up a very difficult

attitude that makes it difficult to evaluate conditions and makes the

ability to consider future options quite impossible. All of the above

suggestions are quite good...take it slow and give yourself a lot

of grace.

 

I do believe that you will need a long term view of your situation...most short term

planning leaves one somewhat disappointed if things take a bit longer to sort themselves out. Its a little like planning for travel ... take the longest time projection and add 50% more time. Anticipation is great but reality at times makes us take a more measured pace. Age is a great blessing in that the attendant baggage it brings allows us

to not merely feign humility...we are forced to welcome the respite it offers us.

 

Like you I find much pleasure in photography...if you look at many of HCB's best they are not all markedly sharp and pretty. The decisive moment is not like that. I do know that anything we do we find value in doing well. We today are disappointed when it takes

four or five, or in my case many more tries to reach excellence in a photo...however those who use the brush or chalk or lead would not consider our frustrations worth mentioning. Have you seen the transitions that Monet's paintings underwent as he

developed cataracts and then later had corrective surgery? Well worth studying.

 

If the suggestion of a tripod seems like an encumbrance to you, I would suggest a good

monopod with a rapid release like the Arca type plates. I prefer those from Really Right Stuff and rarely shoot without one. I wonder if a hiking staff that incorporates a 1/4-20 stud for a ballrelease might be of help. Stabilize your motion while recovering from surgery and allowing a great rigid platform for photos. I have use a similar product for

pics with a 400 mm lens with great results...tack sharp at any enlargement at very slow

shutter speeds.

 

If you transfer the camera to the plate while you are wearing a decent strap you run little

risk of dropping it...I know, I drop things all the time.

 

With regards,

 

Bob

[mwalker649]

Bill, I hope you recover to the best possible. Don't give up on your photography, some times the art makes bad times better.

[bill vann]

thank you all for your kind words and well wishes.

 

will be off line for a few weeks until i recover enough to at least log on while i go through the rest of the recovery.

 

will be back when i can

 

decided to hold the M8 at least until i see how things sort themselves out you're all right, bad time to make this decision. can play with the LX2 a bit and sort the rest over the next few months as i recover.

 

kindly

 

bill vann

[wparsonsgisnet]

Bill,

 

I seem to drop all the things that my wife thinks important and so always put the strap around my neck before messing with any of my camera stuff.

 

The worst thing I dropped was a video camera -- just before the beginning of a concert. It wasn't secured to the tripod properly. I rent 'em and the guys at the place had funny stories they told me, but still charged me for the repair. That was the impetus for a commercial insurance policy.

 

I carry a monopod all the time, firstly because I was moving the camera a lot. My pix all looked out of focus til I looked closely and realized they were in focus but blurred. Monopod, monopod, ....

 

I use a tripod a lot now as well, but have never liked shutter releases. Instead I make liberal use of the timer on the M8.

 

My thoughts are with you. I had some surgery in 02 (a couple of 'em) and had some time to lay back. IMay the next visit to the spa make a big improvement in your life. If you wait for the showers to stop, you may find a new muse and a different way of looking at photography. Maybe just looking at the M8 will give you new and creative thoughts.

 

Be well, Bill

[Guest Bernd Banken]

Bill,

 

I press my thumbs as we say in Germany. Just one hint for you to solve the hard time:

 

Get an ipod of apple, put your favorite music on it, the voices you like to hear from your family and relatives and - most important - your photographs which you like. All together will help you to recover very fast because it's the brain which needs surgery too...

 

All the Best

Bernd

[jonoslack]

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HI Bill

The very best wishes from this side of the pond, I hope that it hurts less and works out better than you're expecting - in the shortest possible time.

 

As for the camera - keep it, and I betcha you'll be pleased in 6 weeks.

 

Anyway, the very best of luck (and surgeons!)

[albertknappmd]

Do not quit on your M8. make it:o part of the therapy recovery! Ask your MD if small amounts of a beta blocker can be sued to mitigate your tremors,,, Agree with tripod and timer..