America's greatest camera company

This is the building where I work, but it now has nothing to do with cameras or photography. In fact I have not found one person who works here that is aware of the buildings history. It was constructed in 1957 for what has been said was the only great United States camera company.

Sure there were a lot of cameras built in the US of A, and some were pretty good, but most were simple snap-shot devices. The cameras built here were iconic and nearly universally used by the press and comercial photographers around the world. From the early 1900's to the mid 1970's they were the cameras that said "I am a serious photographer".

Of course by the time most of us were getting into photography (even us old timers) this brand was on the downward slope and, although effort was made, they were not successful in advancing the technology in a way that retained the market. New offerings from Germany and later Japan left them in the dust.

If you have not guessed by now the company name was Graflex. The Speed Graphic, and its progeny, were THE cameras of their era.

Most people think of Eastman Kodak when they think about photography and Rochester NY, but there were over a dozen camera, film, and optical companies in the city during the early part of the century. Kodak did own Graflex for a few years, but for the most part they were separate entities.

When Graflex moved into this building 50 years ago they surely did not know that their name would be nearly forgotten, yet their building would live on.

Leaf carpet

There is no question that the autumnal coloring of trees is a sight to be enjoyed, but what is sometimes also spectacular is the resulting carpeting of the turf around the trunk. When you consider the volume of the tree limb ball you realize that once it is compressed to the essentially flat surface below, the layer of leaves can become more dense than the tree ever was. And that results in a thick carpet, assuming there is not a lot of wind or an enthusiastic homeowner with rake in hand.

Pole number 2

If you take a close look (as always, click to make bigger) you can see that the pole has been marked as #2.  It is pretty small, and pretty high, and pretty hard to see... but there must be a reason for the identification.

Perhaps to help people remember what row they parked in, but there is really not that many rows.

Or maybe it is for maintenance purposes? "Joe, you need to replace the bulb on the north side of pole number 2."

My view

I am fortunate. This is what I see when I look our my back window. We are lucky to have trees for fresh green in the spring, shade in summer, snowy branches in the winter, and dreamy color in the autumn.

I may have posted a similar picture in the past, but each year I am still taken by the view and feel a need to capture the multi-color display.

Wrong way

Although not every tree turns bright colors, at this time of year where I live, it is difficult to avoid flaming canopies or splashes of color in any direction you happen to gaze.  Even if it is the wrong way.

Golden cloud

With the days getting shorter, the drive to work is less bright, especially on a cold and drizzly morning. However at times an unexpected vision can appear, sometimes almost as if by magic.

Pumpkin time

Ford truck

I get the feeling that this truck has seen a lot of hard work over the years.