The following is a recap of my five-day ordeal with the Facebook #BlackAndWhiteChallenge virus where I posted five images from my series Eiffel Tower from Trocadero Plaza taken in 2009.
October 27 – Day 1
Autumn has arrived and it’s now the cold and flu season. Unfortunately, I’ve been infected by the dreaded Facebook #BlackAndWhiteChallenge virus which I caught from Alex Brikoff after logging on to my account.
According to epidemiologists, the best way to stop this scourge is to isolate infected individuals and to trace anyone that they may have had contact with. I intend to avoid using my camera during the five days that I’m posting images. I also promise not to nominate any of my friends to post their images in order to diminish the spread of this plague.
Eiffel Tower from Trocadero Plaza (2009) – Leica M8, 35mm Summicron ASPH f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/250 sec, lens cap on.
October 28 – Day 2
Lens cap problem discovered and my solution is progressing nicely.
I remain in quarantine, firmly determined not to pass this insidious virus on to any of my friends. Ironically, today is Dr. Jonas Salk’s 100th birthday. Oh, if he could only help us now!
Eiffel Tower from Trocadero Plaza (2009) – Leica M8, 35mm Summicron ASPH f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/60 sec, removing lens cap.
October 29 – Day 3
Lens cap problem fully solved. My temperature is normal, and I’ve been avoiding direct contact with anyone that has a Facebook account and a camera or cell phone.
Ironically, today is the 110th anniversary of the opening of the IRT subway line in New York City, where the #BlackAndWhiteChallenge virus has been festering, albeit in a much less infectious form, since 1938.
Eiffel Tower from Trocadero Plaza (2009) – Leica M8, 35mm Summicron ASPH f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/60 sec, lens cap finally off.
October 30 – Day 4
Oops! I dropped the Leica lens cap on the ground. That small piece of plastic costs $29.95, and of course I bent over and pick it up.
Coincidentally, today marks the 107th aniversary of the invention of Bakelite, a phenol-formaldehyde polymer that was the world’s first fully synthetic plastic, by Leo Baekeland. In 1894, Baekeland also invented Velox Paper, the first paper suitable for black and white contact printing.
Eiffel Tower from Trocadero Plaza (2009) – Leica M8, 35mm Summicron ASPH f/8, ISO 800, 1/90 sec, lens cap dropped on ground.
October 31 – Day 5
Success at last! I’ve finally captured this photo of the Eiffel Tower from Trocadero Plaza. Unfortunately, it appears that some camera settings were inadvertently changed when I bent over to pick up the lens cap. Luckily, I was shooting RAW, so it was possible to recover lost details in post-processing. Although some may think that this image is slightly overexposed, I prefer to believe that it vividly demonstrates the illusive Leica Glow.
Eiffel Tower from Trocadero Plaza (2009) – Leica M8, 35mm Summicron ASPH f/2.8, ISO 1250, 1/2 sec.
I’m pleased to report that this ordeal is finally over and that I haven’t transmitted the #BlackandWhiteChallenge virus to anyone else. I’ve also developed permanent immunity to any future infections by that virus. I’m now eagerly awaiting an invitation to the White House so that Barack can give me a hug and reiterate that we are not a nation ruled by fear.
