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  #1  
Old 2nd March 2011, 07:12 AM
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Ravindra Ravindra is offline
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Hi Friends,

I never knew there could be such a lovely site as FILM AND DARKROOM USER on the web. This together with Neil Souch’s MONO-INTHE DARK are two of the best places I have ever come across telling about Black and White film photography. Cheers !!!

Now, who’s the new guy who has turned up on FADU, I know you are getting impatient to know. I stay here in India, am just a little over half-a-century old, and have been a photography enthusiast for longer than I care to remember. And it is Black & White I am after. Good old black & white !!! I have never worked much in a darkroom, but am more of an armchair enthusiast who likes to be in correspondence with other like-minded folks, and spend hours on perfecting exposure tables, building exposure calculators out of cardboard, fiddling around with old box cameras , and trying to get pictures using ordinary meniscus lenses, studying a bit of optics, collecting old books on photography…. Photography can be a great adventure quite apart from the pictures you get, and in all these endeavours, my best friends are the books I have accumulated over the years. I have with me an early edition of The Focal Encyclopaedia of Photography edited by Leslie Stroebel, Michael Langford’s Basic Photography (and Advanced Photography as well), early editions of Kodak’s How to Make Good Pictures and How to Make Good Movies, and other old classics like The All-in-One Camera Book by W. D. Emanuel, Developing by C. I. Jacobson, even a very, very old book (c. 1912) called Photographic Lenses issued by that well-known English optical firm of yesteryear, R & J Beck Limited, 68, Cornhill, EC.

I also have with me a lively work called My Way With a Camera by Victor Blackman who earlier worked with Amateur Photographer. Could anyone tell me what’s happened to good old Vic? I loved his regular feature which appeared in AP, but nothing can beat My Way With a Camera -- for common sense advice, for good pictures, and for plain good fun.

I stumbled upon FADU only by accident. I was looking for information on an old friend I had in the UK. I had known Mr. Harry Fearn since 1997 as a pen-pal, was in touch with him through letters, but then for the past few years I found he had suddenly gone silent. Maybe Harry has relocated to a different town, I thought, without leaving a forwarding address. I kept comforting myself with this thought until I came across his name on FADU on the following page:

http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.or...ead.php?t=2500

I am grieved to learn of Harry Fearn’s untimely demise, and thought I would like to share this with you all. I had known Harry through letters since 1997. It all began when I enrolled with Creative Monochrome, that tiny publishing firm in the UK (wonder what’s happened to it now – it brings back familiar names like David Oldfield, Clive Harrison, Hazel Sanderson….) specializing in black and white portfolios. Harry often advertised his photo workshops in their charming little newsletter. His “Creative Image” workshops were run in collaboration with Creative Monochrome. Harry himself was an ARPS, a qualified adult education tutor who had lectured at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, Bradford, and also held Zone System workshops in Bath on behalf of the Royal Photographic Society.

What drew me to Harry was a book by him announced as Improve your Photography Overnight, but the work was out of print, I was told. “I feel very humble and flattered that you have written to me all the way from India,” Harry wrote back to me. “I must admit that your country is one of the places I dream of visiting. Hopefully in the next few years my dream may come true. Maybe I could hold a Zone System workshop for you and your photographic friends !!”

I wrote to Harry through the post as I did not have an Email facility then. Sometime later that year my aged mother was knocked down by a motorcyclist while crossing a street and was laid up in bed with a fractured wrist. We were quite worried, and Harry was far from my thoughts. But around Christmas time that year, Harry remembered me and sent me a copy of his programme sheet. I was so delighted. His workshops offered an interesting assortment of courses: “Perfect Exposure Every Time”, “Darkroom Practice and Exhibition Quality Printing”, “Snowdonia Landscape Safari”, “The Zone System in the Studio”…. I dreamed of the day when I would visit the UK, perhaps attend one of his courses. I had never met him, and yet I could feel it in my bones that I liked him a good deal. “Hello Ravindra,” he would write, “I just thought that I would let you know what we were doing here in the UK for 1999. I trust that you are well and still enjoying your photography…. Kind regards, Harry.” And then, early in 2000, “Thank you for your Christmas card. It was wonderful to hear from you – give my regards to India !! Fond regards, Harry.”

For those interested in details, the place where Harry actually held his workshops was : Snowdon Mill, Snowdon Street, Porthmadog, Gwynedd LL49 9DF (North Wales).

I have still with me Mr. Fearn’s programme leaflets with his words scribbled in his own hand. My letters and cards gave him a good deal of pleasure, and he always responded enthusiastically, with an overflowing generosity of spirit. I never did get a chance to meet him, and yet across the seas there blossomed a friendship, warm, caring, sympathetic. I would have given anything in the world to welcome him to India, to show him around and maybe even fix up a Zone System class for him. I shall miss him so much.

I believe that is enough of an introduction about me. My other interests include railways, particularly steam railways. I hear in the UK you have a large number of heritage railways run by volunteers. Some day I hope to visit the UK, and also hope you find time and opportunity to visit our country.

Regards,
Ravindra
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Old 2nd March 2011, 07:52 AM
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Miha Miha is offline
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Hello Ravindra!
Thank you for such an interesting introduction and welcome to FADU.
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Old 2nd March 2011, 08:04 AM
Dave miller Dave miller is offline
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Welcome Ravinda, and thanks for the introduction.
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Old 2nd March 2011, 08:23 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Hi Ravinda, Great introduction, look forward to your input,Richard
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Old 2nd March 2011, 09:17 AM
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B&W Neil B&W Neil is offline
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Hello again Ravindra and welcome to FADU.

Many thanks for your kind comments about our web site.

I enjoyed reading your introduction and you have many photographic interests that others here will want to share with.

I have been to India once but alas I didn't see much as I was on business and only there for three days. But I did join a couple of hotel organised trips to some super temples in Dheli and came away with some enjoyable colour slides. I keep meaning to return sometime and take a longer look. Much longer than three days!

I remember Vic Blackburn and used to read his column in AP every week. Unfortunately he passed away back the 1980s I believe , he was not that old - just 50 something.

Anyway good to see you here and enjoy FADU.

Neil.
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Last edited by B&W Neil; 2nd March 2011 at 10:54 AM.
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Old 2nd March 2011, 10:26 AM
Neil Smith Neil Smith is offline
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Hi Ravinda and welcome to FADU. I very much enjoyed your introduction it made interesting reading.


Neil
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Old 2nd March 2011, 03:51 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Hi Lavindra and welcome. With an interest in old photography books and steam railways, you will be in good company here on FADU.

Sadly, Harry was taken from us prematurely. His "Better in Black and White" was one of my first books.

Mike
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Old 2nd March 2011, 05:28 PM
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Thanks for the fascinating introduction Ravindra.
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Old 2nd March 2011, 08:03 PM
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Grettings, Ravindra, and welcome to FADU. I too was a member of Creative Monochrome, and remember some of the names you mention.
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Old 2nd March 2011, 09:40 PM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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Hello and a warm welcome to the forum, Ravindra.
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