" To the lonely f stop and shutter speed..."
Somehow I think Masefield missed the mark with this first draft - though he got it right later. But the kernel of the idea was sound - photography and ships go together. Never closer than with the official photographers of the Royal Australian Navy.
I cannot say whether the two RAN chaps who came into the
Stirling Street shop while I was taking blog shots were leading seamen or petty officers. They were fully-uniformed, however, having just participated in an official parade and as well as medals wore their branch badges on their arms. And what good badges they are!
As a graphic element, the choice of a bellows camera could not be better. If the designers of the badge had put on a modern camera or the front of a lens it would not have half the appeal or instant recognition of the one depicted. Oddly enough, even people who may never have seen a bellows camera in their lives can recognise the message that the shape of one delivers.
Well, I was instantly jealous. There's no way any of the rest of us in civilian photography could wear insignia of rank without looking silly. I have a tee shirt with lens apertures on it but that's just advertising for the shop that sold it. Ditto my Elinchrom jacket or the
CE shop shirts. Nice, but no more official than I am. No-one salutes.
I am also very jealous of someone who gets to go to sea, hang over the bow taking pictures, climb the masts, delve into the engine compartment, and take pictures of firing practice. Not quite as jealous of the chance to hang over the rail and be deathly ill, but. And they get paid to do it! Real money!
I think I'll go down to the harbour wall and pine a bit...
