In the strange new digital world
Back from a fine supper of Pad Sew (#8B) which hit the spot (and allowed me to avoid stove duty). Not something for my daily bread, but fun from time to time. Gets me out in public, etc. OK, I was lazy and I begged the others. There. Tale told.
On the way back, I decided to track down the new address of an old camera store. We drove up and down the perimeter of one of those strip malls that keep the retail world in money, only to find a large map directing us to yet another strip mall. Sort of like a scavenger hunt! And there we were, in a real camera store. One with lenses, and filters and camera bags and monopods. And chatty clerks. I swear, the most voluble sales people in the area sell camera stuff. We spent hours, discussing the finer points of this and that, in return for scarcely $50 worth of material. Cheap entertainment.
What it comes down to is this. Silver is obsolete. The whole world is digital. Only two or three brands will survive the shift, but they will continue to publish lots of full-colour catalogs and video ads. An inspiration to the newbies, who believe that a new camera will change the way you see the world. To be fair, I enjoy new toys as much as the next fella, but I learned a long time ago that expensive equipment just makes the store owner richer. Your photos will still need to be fine-tuned. Photo shopped, if you’ll excuse the pun.
The new store had none of the cachet of the old one.
