Getting My Photo Fix

Getting My Camera Fixed

JOHN FROM DIGITECH CAMERA REPAIR (SELF-PORTRAIT)

Some of my earliest memories involve tagging along with my dad to local camera shops. He was always on the hunt for a good deal—a secondhand lens, a tripod, or whatever gadget that promised to make photography just a bit easier.

We weren’t a wealthy family, but my dad always managed to find ways to pay for his photographic habit. He took pictures for family and for fun, and his love for capturing moments rubbed off on me.

Over the years, my own shutterbug tendencies have ebbed and flowed.

There have been long stretches when I went from carrying a camera everywhere to barely remembering where I’d left it. Even on the cruise—where I was surrounded by ocean views and sunsets that practically begged to be captured—I didn’t really feel much like shooting.

But yesterday, something shifted.

It started with a simple errand: dropping off a camera at the repair shop.

A few weeks ago, at a friend’s wedding, I somehow managed to crack the screen on my Ricoh GR II, still one of my favorite cameras after nearly 10 years of faithful service.

RICOH GR II

The camera shop I found was just a couple of miles away, tucked into a strip mall I’ve driven past countless times. Somehow, I’d never noticed it before.

The place was small, unassuming, and exactly the kind of local business that makes me feel like I’ve stepped back in time.

Despite a short line ahead of me, the owner—a lovely man named John—greeted me warmly the moment I walked in. As I waited my turn, I watched how patient and kind he was with everyone. He reminded me of the kind of man my dad would’ve loved: knowledgeable, patient, and quietly proud of his work.

John and I had been emailing back and forth for a few weeks. While he couldn’t find a replacement screen for my camera, he said he’d be happy to do the repair if I found it myself. With a little help from eBay, I did. And if all goes well, I will have my trusty old camera good as new by today.

John and I had been emailing for a few weeks. He’d had trouble finding a replacement screen, but offered to install one if I could source it myself. I finally tracked one down on eBay, and with any luck, my trusty old camera will be back home—and good as new—by the end of today or tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

There was something deeply comforting about that whole experience—the smell of old cameras, cases, and straps; the hum of fluorescent lights; the quiet satisfaction of being surrounded by artisans and technicians who still care about craft.

For the first time in a while, I felt that old spark again.
I’m going to start making and taking photos again!

Maybe getting back to photography isn’t about chasing the perfect shot or upgrading to the latest gear. Maybe it’s about remembering what drew me to it in the first place—the joy of seeing, the patience of looking, the simple magic of light and shadow.

Here’s to getting my photo fix and my camera fixed. To seeing the world, once again, through a freshly repaired camera.

Keep calm and shoot on!
Clint 🌈✌️

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ON THIS DAY = NOVEMBER 7

BIRTHDAYS

• 1728 = James Cook = English captain, navigator, and cartographer

• 1867 = Marie Curie = Polish chemist, physicist, and Nobel Prize laureate

• 1897 = Herman J. Mankiewicz = American filmmaker

• 1913 = Albert Camus = French writer, philosopher, and Nobel Prize laureate

• 1914 = Archie Campbell = American actor, singer, and screenwriter

• 1921 = Lisa Ben = American editor, author, and songwriter 🌈

• 1942 = Jean Shrimpton = English model and actor

• 1942 = Johnny Rivers = American singer-songwriter and producer

• 1943 = Joni Mitchell = Canadian singer-songwriter

• 1956 = Agnès Maltais = Canadian politician 🌈

• 1956 = Judy Tenuta = American comedian, actor, and musician

• 1957 = Christopher Knight = American actor

• 1964 = Dana Plato = American actor

• 1967 = David Guetta = French DJ, record producer, remixer, and songwriter

• 1970 = Morgan Spurlock = American filmmaker

• 1972 = Jason + Jeremy London = American actors

• 1979 = Joey Ryan = American wrestler and actor

• 1983 = Adam DeVine = American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and singer

• 1996 = Lorde = New Zealand singer-songwriter

EVENTS

• 1665 = The London Gazette, the oldest surviving journal, is first published.

• 1786 = The oldest musical organization in the United States is founded as the Stoughton Musical Society.

• 1874 = A cartoon by Thomas Nast in Harper’s Weekly, is considered the first important use of an elephant as a symbol for the Republican Party.

• 1912 = The Deutsche Opernhaus (now Deutsche Oper Berlin) opens in the Berlin neighborhood of Charlottenburg, with a production of Beethoven‘s Fidelio.

• 1929 = In New York City, the Museum of Modern Art opens to the public.

• 1932 = Buck Rogers in the 25th Century premieres on CBS Radio.

• 1961 = José Sarria (aka The Grand Mere, Absolute Empress I de San Francisco and the Widow Norton) is the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in the US.

JOSÉ SARRIA

• 1967 = POTUS Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, establishing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

• 1986 = Sid And Nancy is released in theaters.

• 1994 = WXYC, the student radio station of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, launches the world’s first internet radio broadcast.

HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES

• International Inuit Day

• National Fountain Pen Day

• National Jersey Friday

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PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY

ALBERT CAMUS BY CECIL BEATON

“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”
Albert Camus