A few odds and ends on a holiday weekend

The weather has been gorgeous here in Chicago this weekend and we’re (Lisa and I) out on the deck having coffee and pushing away thoughts of the coming winter months. School starts for Aaron Fioritto tomorrow and for us that means summer is officially over.

Mike Johnston over at the Online Photographer blog asked for readers to submit a picture taken with a forgotten camera. I sent in a portait I took of my daughter Mia along with a picture of the camera I used: my Canonet QL 17 GIII. It is an older rangefinder camera that has a great, fast lens. Simple to use, fast and very low key. Mike posted my picture on his blog so you can see it here. Thanks to all for the comments. For a lot of photographers my age, these older rangefinder cameras were their introduction to the world of photography and they share many fond memories when they see them once again.

Megan Twohey, a reporter at the Chicago Tribune, wrote an article on the world of fixed gear bikes that ran in Sunday’s paper. I have been fascinated with fixed gear bikes for some time and finally built one a few years back. I ride it to work occasionally, but unlike most of the cool kids mentioned in the article, mine has a brake. I have not managed the ability to skid stop. I’m too fat to unweight the rear wheel enough to stop.

My son Sean and his wife Beth moved here from Phoenix and have settled in the Little Italy neighborhood. We helped move them in Saturday night and they are busy this weekend getting unpacked. Beth is a talented graphic designer and artist and Sean is doing some programming work for a large industrial supply firm.