Jack Sharp works of amateur photographer circa 1950-1970 (opens in new tab)

https://www.nga.gov/features/robert-frank/the-americans-1955...

I sought out this feeling in a digital camera for over a decade. After trying a bunch of Fujis I finally broke down and got an M10. It feels just like my old film Leicas until it runs out of battery.

I love the Fujifilm X100 line of cameras.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujifilm_X100#Fujifilm_X100V

Digital, but old school glass viewfinder, classic film type physical, controls, but also the convenience of some gorgeous film emulation if you want it.

I feel like I can operate old school like film (well obviously there isn't a darkroom here) with limited to no digital interaction while I'm photographing, and jump into the digital world when I want that convenience.

I am an American. I grew up in a highly educated household that valued education, being kind to each other and rejecting nationalism. We don't hold up our flag and somehow feel uncomfortable with patriotism. Our family constantly argues about the US military and its might, its wrong doings and its good deeds.

With that said, I've interacted with several Swiss friends and found a repeating pattern of opinions (which we laugh off as jokes) - of how proud Americans are about their country. For me and my social circle in a mid-large city in US, it is completely the opposite. Even during college, none of my fellow friends had any shred of pride in being an American (I studied Engineering). It was mostly looking up to Switzerland (and EU, esp. Scandanavia) as utopian paradise.

Could you please help provide some light on the following questions that I would feel very uncomfortable asking otherwise:

- Do Swiss people also feel shame of being patriotic?

- As an outsider, we see Swiss flags advertised on pretty much every Swiss company, product and service. But, I realize that it may be a mirage and not the actual on-the-grounds situation in Switzerland. Do you see the Swiss pride internally as well or it is just a commercial brandname/marketing ploy since Swiss brand is so strong.

- What, if any, are the views about anti-patriotism that is exemplified by Germans. Hardly see German flags and patriotism there seems to be muted if not outright rejected. Is there any sort of friction?

In the biography of a 1st world politician (national level during the 1970s), he recollects that he lost his first race, in the 1960s. Only to win it a day or two later, because someone noticed that a bunch of people who had voted for his opponent not only did so in alphabetical order, but were also dead.

So he did in fact proceed to the legislature, only to find the first topic of debate for that session was about how long someone had to be dead before they couldn't vote anymore.

I hope that in 2020 the metabolically challenged no longer vote, at least not in alphabetical order.

Assuming the Securitas of the time didn't dress like that, this'd be more up to date: https://cdn.unitycms.io/image/ocroped/1200,1200,1000,1000,0,...

Massey-Harris is now Massey-Ferguson, but still makes tractors and manure spreaders. It's a single person job now: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Ma...

The steps across from the Alhambra are gone: https://www.google.com/maps/@46.2028417,6.1463583,3a,90y,180... but Chillon (like Lavaux?) hasn't changed much :-) https://www.google.com/maps/@46.412932,6.9292024,3a,75y,180h...

left:

    (french left, german right):

    in 1959 by 650'000 votes
    the swiss people said

    NO
    to women's suffrage

    (then)

    Geneva
    must remain united with switzerland, vote
    NO

    united at the ballot box!
    vote
    NO

    Ticinesi of Geneva
    all should vote
    NO

    NO, NO, NO, etc.
    Don't mix up our women in political strife
    They have more noble tasks to accomplish

    Citizens! (NB: male only)

    Beware of words, regard the facts!

    - Men and women are equal in the civil realm but they have different spheres.
    - Politics already divides men, don't mix women up in it.
    - Leave the woman out of politics, that's how she'll be useful to the country and secure her interests.
    - A woman does better to hear her voice in her own home than in a political party.
    - Of course men will vote for social laws that protect women.

    Unite, don't divide
    vote NO

http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm

In addition, it felt like all my best shots were 100% luck, only discovered after reviewing them the next day.

It seems like luck (or, maybe, "getting skilled at being lucky") is fundamental to the art.

that's not to say the greats relied only on luck. even my luckiest, one-in-a-million, greatest shot is nothing compared to what Frank left on the cutting room floor of The Americans.