Ok this is another one of those non-leica questions, but seeing we are all part of a community, it would be nice to know a little more about each other.

I'll start again. I am a marketing student at RMIT univeristy Melbourne who, regardless of doing well, can't stand marketing. All I think about is photography, but refuse to do it for a living as the subjects/area I like to photograph is out of reach for me. I am engaged and have responsibilities that professional photography cannot satisfy.

Anyway, i use photography as an escape, a release from my everyday life. I guess in the furture I would love to have my own camera store and use my 7 years photographic retail experience and my marketing know-how to be a success....only time will tell.

My dream job would be to work for a record company and market stars and use my camera to document events as they came. How about you guys.....maybe in less words?! Let's be honest OK

-- kristian Dowling (leicashot@hotmail.com), February 02, 2002

Answers

Thanks Kristian,

I'm a minister of The Uniting Church in Australia. (=Presbyterian+Methodist+Congregational) I'm in Forestville, a suburb of Sydney Australia - bushfire territory and the occasional mini tornado but beautiful bush and water surroundings - Leica territory!

I have learned much from this site - my thanks to all.

Excuse me for wearing my collar for a moment but may I make a plea perhaps especially to some contributors to a few of the more recent threads:

It's been a bit sad to observe the tone of some of these.

Sarcasm, personal goading and mock superiority etc. are mostly signs of depression and insecurity rather than of mature self expression. Unfortunately they are probably depriving us all of the considerable knowledge and talent of those same contributors.

My plea to those whom the 'hat fits' is: Try a little more graciousness with yourself and so with others. "Accent the positive" as the song says, and "be done with childish things" as St. Paul says. Cheers,

-- Tim Gee (twg@optushome.com.au), February 02, 2002.

I've been a telecommunications software developer and design manager for the past 19 years. Before that I spent 8 years as a professional photographer in London, Ontario (Canada). Back then I did a fair bit of freelance photojournalism for the local university, as well as the typical wedding/portrait/commercial hooha. That's when I developed my love of Leicas. I've discovered that I much prefer photography as a hobby to photography as a profession.

-- Paul Chefurka (paul@chefurka.com), February 02, 2002.

I am a modern day technical prostitute. I sell my scientific services to my government so I can afford to purchase Leica equipment. Oh God, I'm worse than a drug addict. I actually do lasers and optics but the above description is quite correct.

-- Pete (Leica_RF@yahoo.com), February 02, 2002.

I'm retired after 30 years documenting military and seismological projects and products. During most of this time, I free-lanced as a theatrical photographer. Today, I free-lance as a photographer of art objects for artists. At this point, I never shoot anything but what people ask me to, except when I travel abroad.

-- Keith Nichols (knichols1@mindspring.com), February 02, 2002.

i'm a bum.

-- Dexter Legaspi (dalegaspi@hotmail.com), February 02, 2002.

Yeah, but you could have been somebody, you could have been a contender...

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), February 02, 2002.

Believe it or not, I take pictures for a living.

-- Tom Nutter (tmnphotos@erols.com), February 02, 2002.

Corporate/commercial/editorial photographer (and a few weddings) since 1/1/78. Also write for photo and general interest magazines. I've used Leicas off and on since my early days in photography (late 60s), but never made a serious committment to the Leica way of photography until two years ago. I shoot less and get more pix that please me.

-- Dave Jenkins (djphoto@vol.com), February 02, 2002.

20 years as a cinematographer, 25 years as still photographer sandwiched around mp work(5 before and 20 after). Leica most of my still time except for Nikon's in late 80's/early 90's. M's and R's, only M's now.

-- Steven Alexander (alexpix@worldnet.att.net), February 02, 2002.

Eight years as a fashion photographer for the Bay (Canadians will know what this is). Quit 'commercial' shooting to concentrate on art photography (I'm represented by a couple of local galleries). But as we all know how 'rich' artists are - for the last 10 years I've sold photographic equipment to institutional users (schools, gov'tn newspapers and the such).

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), February 02, 2002.

student. history major -> soon to be unemployed.

-- Ken Kwok (kk353@yahoo.com), February 02, 2002.

I sell/rent heavy earth moving and material handling equipment to the construction industry. I've been thinking about carrying my Leica with me more to document equipment in use on job sites, then try to sell my photos and stories to equipment industry publications. This could help me get on my way to doing what I truly love :)

-- Chris Lutz (mesheca@yahoo.com), February 02, 2002.

I am an ophthalmologist. While I do a limited amount of photography as a part of my professional work, my Leica is reserved for my non- professional activities.

-- Chris Henry (henryjc@concentric.net), February 02, 2002.

I am Professor of Gastroenterology at New York University School of Medicine and an Attending Physician at the Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. Photograhy has been a passion of mine since my father gave me an 8mm Bolex movie camera with an Angenieux zoomlens at age 8! I then switched to a Nikon F five years later and grew up with an everexpanding and modernized Nikon system. I switched to a Leica R8 four years ago and never looked back. I now own two R8s, a 19mm F2.8, a 28mm PC F2.8, a 35-70mm F4, a 100mm APO F2.8, a 50mm F1.4 and a n 80-200 F4. I am still thinking of upgrading the latter zoomlens to a 70-180mm F2.8 and will probably purchase the latter at the next Leica day. Incidentally, as a gastroenterologist, I use Olympus endoscopes. Believe it or not, they are even more expensive than Leica APO lenses (the typical 'scope is now about $25,000!!)

-- Albert Knapp MD (albertknappmd@mac.com), February 02, 2002.

I'm the photo editor for a small racing newspaper in Iowa. I also do a lot of freelance work for the local daily papers around the area, mostly sports but some features as well. I was a machinist for 10 years before I finally took the plunge into photography (at half the money and MUCH more investment in tools!) I refuse to give up... I continually strive to get better at what I do. That's why I finally took the Leica Plunge.

-- Lance Goins (goinsphoto@hotmail.com), February 02, 2002.

I am a strategy consultant to international companies and governments. As my clients are in Europe and the Middle East, I always make time to take to the streets with my Leicas (M6ttl, M4, M3). Learning the rangefinder method and interacting with folks, learning about their way of life), has led me to decide to gradually return to my original professional training as a political scientist (four years teaching college level post-PhD), and try to develop visual media in political science, instead of the usual dry journal articles. Photography of course is a central part of visual anthropology, but I am just beginning to learn about its applications in history, poli sci, etc.

-- Alex Kemos (tig@adelphia.net), February 02, 2002.

I have done classic car restoration for a living for the past 15 years. I even imported some Italian sports cars to Australia back in the 1990's--if you happen to meet up with the Fiat Car Club of Queensland, that's were most of them ended up.

I've also done freelance work for a few car magazines, and was the technical editor of "Miata Magazine for a couple of years until recently. The magazine work was interesting, but I got too busy with my better paying restoration business, and am not doing any professional shooting these days. I am still the "staff" photgrapher at my son's school, and enjoy covering the events and taking pictures of the children.

I worked photo retail back during the pre-auto everything days, and ran the used camera sections of several stores. It's funny because the cameras I sold new 20 years ago are now listed as classic cameras on ebay.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), February 02, 2002.

I´ve been in the transportation bussiness for over 12 years, and run a shrimp farm since 5 years ago. Some times pro photo but find it too stresser, so for now photo is kind of a hobby.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), February 02, 2002.

What, no dentists???

-- Paul Chefurka (paul@chefurka.com), February 02, 2002.

I'm a freelance photographer living and working on a project in Chamonix at the moment.I have been a photographer for 17 years(since I was 15)and love everyday of it.

-- Virgil (leicavirgin@hotmail.com), February 02, 2002.

Andrew - where were you 10 years ago? I briefly owned a 1969 Alfa GTV that was in bad need of restoration - couldn't find anyone locally who would attempt it, so I sold it. One of the hardest things I ever did was watch the fellow who bought it drive off into the proverbial sunset with it.

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), February 02, 2002.

I'm a gynocologist.I look at womens viginas all da

-- Darrius (darrius@talk21.com), February 02, 2002.

I work in the Public Affairs office at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY--though I am employed as a writer, not a photographer.

My personal photographic interests are documentary. I have some good materials from South India and the Bronx, which I hope to post soon (answering, as I hope we all will, Rob Appleby's implied challenge!).

Dr. Knapp, I'll bet we know some of the same people.

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), February 02, 2002.

I teach Advanced Placement European History in a Michigan high school. Students get college credit for taking my class-- one of the funniest things I have ever seen was a high school student completely perplexed by the image on the focus screen of a Rolleiflex-- he wouldnt accept that it wasnt a monitor-- kept looking for the battery pack! Ken: history major doesnt mean unemployed-- it means once you are employed, your job and your passion come together! Do you have a specific period or subject of expertise?

-- Marke Gilbert (Bohdi137@aol.com), February 02, 2002.

I am a Mortgage Broker! I buy and sell mortgages on real estate for a living...A week ago I was asked how did I get into the mortgage business? My response was..."By mistake."

Good living but not what I would pick if I did things again.

-- Rob Schopke (schopke@attbi.com), February 02, 2002.

As I stood at a urinal in Aspen at the ESPN Winter X Games the other week, it occured to me that I actually am a professional photographer (I get all my thinking done in the bathroom). I haven't had any other job for 3 years now, this is all I do. I shoot extreme sports, mostly BMX but some other stuff too, for a number of magazines and clients. I wouldn't want to try and support a family in my industry. But as a 25 year old single guy, it makes for a fun lifestyle. It's just a stop on the way to being a "reportage" (or "documentary", if you like) photographer. I get stoked when I realize that I have reached almost every photographic goal I have set for myself. I get even more stoked when I realize how much more I have to learn.

I shoot 90% digital these days (and am very happy about it). And the rest is my CL or Xpan.

-- Josh Root (rootj@att.net), February 02, 2002.

I spent thirty years in the Air Force as a pilot, commander and senior staff officer. Travelled just about all over the world. After mandatory retirement in 1975, I went with Science Applicatuions International Corporation (SAIC) as a systems analyst, program manager and re-retired in 1991,at age 67, as a VP. Since then, I've been obeying orders, directives and edicts from my spouse - - who, BTW, is an excellent photographer. She hogs the M6, and leaves me with the M4. She retired from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 1992 as the Director of the Office of Information Services. We live in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia, and I just found myself on the local hospital's Foundation Board. If you're familiar with the Myers-Briggs classifications, we're both off-the-scale ENTJ's - - a source of constant wonderment among our friends. < grin >

-- George C. Berger (gberger@his.com), February 02, 2002.

I am a picture editor for the Associated Press before that I was a staff photographer for a newspaper in the Bay Area. Most of my photos are self generated these days with the exception of an occasional assignmet. I am ejoying the freedom of making pictures for myself, although not as frequently as I'd like, and focusing on my interests, swiching over to the Leica M system has made that process a lot of fun. I feel very fortunate to still be connected to the business of photo Journalism and the people I've come to know and love.

Tom

-- Tom Gallagher (tgallagher10@yahoo.com), February 02, 2002.

I've been photographing since before I finished high school, using Pentax spotmatics in those days (late 1960s). Graduated from college w/ a degree in painting, minor in engineering. I currently work as a hydrologist & wetland scientist, though I am a very active photographer, writer & occasional painter. I've used Leicas since 1980 or so, most Ms, though I flirted for a while w/ Rs. Now I've settled on a IIIC, an M3 and a new M6 TTL with the usual array of lens...

-- Patrick Garner (pg@patrickgarner.com), February 02, 2002.

Research scientist, enzyme and DNA analysis. This job here has nothing to do with photography. I used to have Nikon and Nikonos stuff (underwater) for 30 years. Now I'm into Leica M stuff. And that's still only my hobby.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), February 02, 2002.

I am an MRI Technologist that use to work in a private office (Maxwell Medical Imaging)near ground zero. Since Sept. 11, I have now been working at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx. I shoot with a M6 ttl, collect M3's and own a Millenium. I got three pictures donated to a Sept. 11 picture gallery in So Ho NY. Just type in numbers: 2035, 2036, 2037 to see my pictures. http://hereisnewyork.org/gallery.asp

-- John Abela (jamriman@yahoo.com), February 02, 2002.

I'm a patent attorney.

-- Dan Brown (brpatent@swbell.net), February 02, 2002.

John Abela, you and I work in the same medical complex. I've probably seen you at the bus stop :-)

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), February 02, 2002.

I am new to this forum, but not to photography. I am the staff photographer for a daily newspaper in northwest Georgia; Cartersville to be exact. I also am a retired Air Force public affairs manager after 25 years. I did photography as part of my job in the Air Force and found that a male couldn't get a job in civilian public relations so I applied for a job as a photographer at the local daily in Lancaster, Ohio. They hired me to do a daily photo page. After a year of that I was totally burned out and worked in PR for a automotive parts company until the CEO robbed them blind and layoffs began. I was very fortunate to get back into photojournalism which I have been doing steady since 1994. I use Canon EOS on the job, but recently purchased an M6 ttl. I owned an M3 back in the good old days and find that rangefinders allow you to concentrate on the subject rather than the "adjustments" you must constantly make with auto-everything. The M6 allows me to meter off the back of my hand and shoot away. I am very fortunate that I get full range on most of what I shoot as long as it tells a story of what is going on this little town. I think I would shoot myself if I worked commerically and had to shoot what someone else directed me to. Occasionally I get that kind of "direction" from school teachers and the like, but I politely remind them that I d

-- Dayton P. Strickland (daytonst@bellsouth.net), February 02, 2002.

Kristian:

My job descriotion calls me a Loss Prevention Engineer and I work for an industrial indurance company.

I deal mainly with fire prevention technical stuff, but also floods, earthquakes, windstorm, and do a bit of in-house teaching of same.

As stated in the earlier thread, I am an expat Canadian posted in Singapore but get to all of Asia and a bit on N America and Europe occassionally.

Cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), February 02, 2002.

PS

I work in the insurance business and can't even spell/type it!!! Like the guy above said: How did you get into the insurance biz?: by mistake. It has the lowest number of people who decide on a career in shcool: 3 %. All the rest fall into it via other chutes.

It does however get me to some interesting places.see : rjiphoto.com

Cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), February 02, 2002.

See this thread.

-- Chris Chen (Washington, DC) (furcafe@cris.com), February 02, 2002.

I'm a mechanical engineer designing instrumentation panels for a small company in Buffalo, NY. I've been enjoying photography for the last 17 years using Nikons for the first 7 years, until approximately 10 years ago when a friend introduced me to his Leica M6. I've since owned 4 M6's including a M6TTL and a nearly mint M4. I foolishly kept selling the Leicas and going back to Nikon because I thought I was missing something. Seems the only thing I ended up missing was the Leicas. I now own a nearly mint M4 which is my user camera. NO MORE NIKONS!!! Sorry that I got off the subject. Happy shooting :-)

-- ron snyder (studio1401@aol.com), February 02, 2002.

Loan shark and parttime bum er ah musician and ah, Kristian forget the record co's, they'll rip you off and then make you kiss their ass and like it (if they're good). I use my photography to escape the job and keep up with the lil' squirt ah child, and I have also shot an occasional CD cover.

-- Dave Doyle (soilsouth@cox.net), February 02, 2002.

I shoot pix. It's not exactly a living. :)

-- Peter Hughes (ravenart@pacbell.net), February 02, 2002.

I just wanted to say that this is really a great thread, its nice to actually see how diverse & widespread a group we are. I actually work for a private custodial bank (that means we are the bank that mutual funds, trusts, etc. keep their money & shares in). I specifically work in "Corporate Actions" (i.e., stock splits, mergers, dividends, etc. for international securities). I'm also doing my MBA at Babson, which is in Boston. Started using an M3 about 6 months ago, had never used anything other than a small P&S. (My Dad gave me his Leica after having it for about 40 years... weird thing is, he wrote the date he bought the camera in the base plate... Sept. 11, 1961). By the way, here are some of my pics... http://home.earthlink.net/~philliprs

Phillip S.

-- Phillip Silitschanu (speedin_saab@hotmail.com), February 02, 2002.

Architect

-- Glenn Travis (leciaddict@hotmail.com), February 03, 2002.

I'm a lawyer... criminal defense and civil rights cases. That is, I defend murderers and sue cops. And yes, I sleep very well at night.

-- john costo (mahler@lvcm.com), February 03, 2002.

Police Dog Handler, 16 years and still loving it.

-- Mick Turner (mnturner@bigpond.com), February 03, 2002.

I am a student. I will graduate in two months with a B.S. in General Science (pre-health field degree), with minors in organic chemistry, biology, and economics. If I could be a student forever, I would. That's why I am drawn to the health field. I work nights in a medical lab, and coach high school crew (rowing). I also race road bikes (cycling, not motorcycles). I don't have a leica, yet. I use this site to get the inside scoop leicas so I can make a smart purchase and maybe, someday, take good pictures.

-Cedar

-- Cedar Grice (cgrice@gladstone.uoregon.edu), February 03, 2002.

I am a psychologist - corporate (increasing company performance) and personal clients (helping people find meaning and fullfilment in their lives).

-- Dr Matthew Gibbons (mat@theeto.com), February 03, 2002.

seems many MD here ...Hello big Bro! I'm 2th year Resident in Psychiatry from Bangkok ,Thailand... and a Observer Here with M4-P

-- Puchong Lau (doctorpuchong@hotmail.com), February 03, 2002.

Piano player in a whorehouse. (Not really. I'm a lawyer. I just didn't want to embarrass my mother.)

-- Dennis Couvillion (couvilaw@aol.com), February 03, 2002.

According to my teenagers, all I do is lecture them. I am good for a Twenty regularly. All of their problems and inadequancies eventually end up with me. Oh, also I "just don't understand."

To my wife I'm expected to patiently listen to her hardships and suffering. Like why can't the cleaning lady do this or that better. Or why does the country club make the ham sandwich this way or that. Or why doesn't she have jewelry and a car like so and so. You know, life's real problems.

The other 55-60 hours a week I'm an anesthesiologist. But no matter, those folks are only sick and sometimes dying.

My Hero? Walter Mitty.

-- David Smith (dssmith3@rmci.net), February 03, 2002.

In order of income: Economics lecturer, freelance writer, researcher, photographer.

-- Douglas Kinnear (douglas.kinnear@colostate.edu), February 03, 2002.

In training to enter the U.S. Army Broadcast Journalism program, freelance photog. Worked at NBC News for many years before the economy went south. Now I'm going south, to Ft. Knox, KY for basic training. Take a look at some of my most recent pics at this address: http://www.predawnraid.com/sept11/sept11.html. Cheers.

-- Andrew Meissner (meissner@predawnraid.com), February 03, 2002.

I don't have a job.I found my Leica M6 gear in the back of an unlocked station wagon(hey,the guy must have been insured,in fact anyone who leaves their car unlocked deserves to have their cameras stolen,true?)I am hoping to become a pro' in the next couple of years.

-- Barry (barryfrancis@hotmail.com), February 03, 2002.

A real mixed bag! Commercial/Stock/Weddings, etc. got lucrative but I started to hate it (Bob Todrick, I hear you!), so I've pretty much dropped that side of things, and now do humanitarian aid photography in Ethiopia a couple of times per year. This work is really exiting, but it is just now starting to roll and really doesn't pay well. I also design and build view cameras, my latest is patent pending and should be on the market before the year is out. I've written design/build articles for View Camera magazine. I also show (and try to sell) b+w, all formats, in various galleries. I teach photog also, through various faculty adjunct appoint- ments and at nearby Dartmouth College. My dream now is to build and sell a few view cameras per year, and spend as much of the remaining time as possible in Ethiopia with my Leicas.

-- John Layton (john.layton@valley.net), February 03, 2002.

System engineer and team leader. I'm in my mid-life crisis now so I'm doing a course in artistic photography in the desperate hope I can make it into a living, rather than having to work with computer nerds

:-)

-- ReinierV (rvlaam@xs4all.nl), February 03, 2002.

Started out as a radar field engineer with Emerson Electric. Had an Air Force radar background before that. Had a mid-life crisis, went and got a master's in clinical psychology. Now I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. I have a small private practice and I am also the solo therapist at the branch office of the local mental health center. My boss calls me "Bob's one-man show." I work with victims of emotional/physical/sexual abuse, and other trauma victims. My hobbies are photography, carpentry, and learning about feminist philosophy from my feminist philosopher wife.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), February 03, 2002.

Researcher in molecular biology . Preparing to apply for an md/ phd ( if living in washington does not convince me to become a lawyer first : ) .

-- leonid kotlyar (kotlyarl@mail.nih.gov), February 03, 2002.

I'm a medical oncologist in Jonesboro, AR. I shoot because I enjoy it...mostly landscapes, landscape detail, and floral. I read/study photography a good deal - mostly to develop my ability to see. I have just published a set of 10 greeting cards, and now have to sell them!

-- Ronald Blachly (theblach@swbell.net), February 04, 2002.

I am with a real estate firm in Hong Kong. Doing leasing matters relating to office, retail and residential properties.

-- tom tong (tom.tong@ckh.com.hk), February 04, 2002.

I am a management consultant in IT, working in Jakarta, Indonesia.

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), February 04, 2002.

I'm a contract engineer, currently working for General Motors Powertrain, in Pontiac, Michigan. I live in Windsor, Ontario. Commute every day :-)

Regards

-- Alan Purves (lpurves@mnsi.net), February 04, 2002.

Professional photographer,documentary,some weddings-luv them! Done work for Cancer Support Groups in the States,Abused People,in California ,Taught Photography for a New South Africa,Some Press & publicity.Together with othe profession,technical,have wandered around the world.I never leave home without one of my Leicas.Xcept today. Huge snowstorm in Toronto and really felyt better using old Pentax,should I fall...

-- jason gold (leeu72@hotmail.com), February 04, 2002.

I build titanium bicycle frames. Now go to my website and buy one, I want a couple new lenses.

-- Jim Kish (jim@kishbike.com), February 04, 2002.

I'm a commercial real estate broker living on Long Island, New York. I do mostly office leasing. I enjoy using old rangefinder cameras and lenses. My favorites are a IIIc and a Canon-P among a Fed-3 and Ricoh500. My Nikon N80 sits mostly in a draw.

-- Gerry Widen (gwiden@alliancepartners.org), February 04, 2002.

"I build titanium bicycle frames"

Hey Kish,I do alot of road-racing and mountain-biking.What are the frames called? Being 17 stone I ride steel frames,but I would be interested to know............oops,sorry.....and er, have you ever taken a photo of the frames with your Leica?

I rode from Lands End to John-o-groats in 79 hours,49 mins and 4 secs.

-- Virgil (leicavirgin@hotmail.com), February 04, 2002.

I'm a respiratory therapist,currently working at Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview,Illinois.I used to moonlighting as a wedding photographer ten years ago.I love travel and backpacking,been to most of the national park in US.

-- raymond teng (rteng@yahoo.com), February 04, 2002.