This is Heimlich. He is my 1981 Mercedes 280E. I love him very much.
Heimlich is mechanical. He has parts that can be, when required, opened up and fixed. These parts can be replaced and made from steel by skilled craftsmen. His guts are not electronic.
I am a fan of mechanical instruments. One of the reasons for this is that they are fixable. When something breaks a part or oil or screws or careful putting-back-together is often enough to make them work again.
These objects are not as mystifyingly brilliant as iPhones and cars with computers for brains. They are in many ways archaic. This limitation gives them their charm.
But it also defines their purpose by making it their ultimate use.
It is for this reason that I love Heimlich. And old motorcycles. My first motorcycle was a rare Italian 500cc that, knowing nothing about engines and mechanics previous to owning it, I was able to repair a number of times.
This is one of the reasons I love film cameras made before I was born. But I'm a realist too and I love my iPhone.
Shot with a digital camera and edited on a computer and uploaded to the internet and displayed on a social photo sharing website and a personal blog.
Canon 5Dmk2, Canon 35 .4L
Labels: Black and White, Essays and Ideas, Gear
35 36 37 38