I did it, and I’m proud of it. I hired a geek kid I used to write about and gave him $50 to use his AI software (he is obsessed) to find a black and white camera I could afford. He scoured the nation in minutes for used monochrome cameras, preferably Leica Monochrome Q2s, and saw what he could find.

AI is formidable.

I found a Japanese bargain, two cameras I’d never heard of, and just outside Chicago, an old and slightly scarred Leica Q2 monochrome for about one-fifth the price of a new Q2 or a used one, almost new (well, not NEW), along with a dozen other used cameras that were too damaged or uncertain.

(A monochrome camera is a camera that produces an image containing only shades of black, white, gray, sepia, brown, or cyan. These cameras are more sensitive than color cameras and can be used with much lower light levels. Monochromatic schemes usually consist of three to seven color variations in your one-color palette, with darker shades, lighter tints, and duller tones of the original color. Contrary to what you might expect, cool colors often look brighter than warm colors.)

Color cameras can take photos a monochrome can’t, and monochrome take photos that color cameras can’t. The trick is learning how to choose real images to get the monochrome to reflect my desired color mix. It’s not simple, but worth the trouble.

The used camera market is wild; fools like me always trade cameras and try new ones. Unlike most, I don’t look for the new, latest stuff but for the old and proven stuff.

It was a great deal. I’m taking young Eric, out for dinner. I’m rusty in black and white. Tomorrow will be a black-and-white day if the sun is right. I don’t think the Q2 is good for portraits – you can’t get close enough, but it’s great for almost everything else.

I have two years with no interest to pay for it. The seller runs photoshop, but he said he needed some cash, and we worked out an excellent deal. I think it was his camera; he spoke lovingly of it. Come and see the pictures I took with it as it was getting dark. I’m learning how to survive in a country of billionaires.

I’m proud of myself; I admit it.

As some might recall, I traded in the Q2 monochrome I loved more than a year ago and have missed it sorely.

I love taking color photographs, but I also love black and white, and Leica Q2 monochromes are generally considered the best and one of the less expensive ones, which is not to say they are cheap. Nothing Leica makes or sells is cheap.

I can’t leave these cameras to the rich; they make all the difference.

I started thinking I could never afford a monochrome Leica, then became stubborn and determined. I won’t let money stop me, and I won’t let age stop me; I needed to find a way around it, and I did.

I jumped at the deal.

To the one or two people who suggested it was a waste of money, I should be happy with what I have and didn’t really need this – nuts. If I listened to people like that, I’d still be chasing fires for the Atlantic City Press.

People have told me not to do things I wanted or needed to do all my life.

I couldn’t let other people set my agenda, sink or swim; I had to be, move forward, or like a shark, I’d perish if I didn’t move. Tell me not to do something and consider it done.

I’m blessed to have a wife who supports and understands me. She is always there for me and knows how creativity works.

When the FedEx truck pulled in, I threw a ball for Zinnia in the pasture. I flipped at the idea he might go away (signature was required) before I got there, and I ran too fast. I fell into a pasture on my knee and struggled to get up.

Maria came running – she is always my hero, got me up and rushed to the FedEx truck to tell the driver we were there. Maria can be a pit bull. I knew there was no chance she would let the driver get away, and I was right. I heard her shouting for him 100 yards away.

I hobbled after her, a little embarrassed. My knee hurts, and my back and jeans are covered in mud. I’ll pay for this for a couple of days. But I’m thrilled; Maria is my hero; she took off like a running back and intercepted the driver. She said she didn’t even want to think about my mood if we missed the truck.

The camera arrived today in the original box; it looked old but in good shape; it was a true find, and when I called my Leica teachers, they said it was a steal.

They said I was fortunate, and they got on the phone with me until I got the settings right and was ready to take a picture. They offered a Zoom meeting when I got the camera out of the box.

Whenever I get a new camera or lens, I first take a photo of Maria (above), so I rushed into her studio and found her with a gorgeous coin belt a fellow belly dancer sent her. She was excited, so Fate got keen—an excellent first monochrome photo.

I did the Zoom with my Leica teachers ($175 an hour), and we reviewed the camera; they pronounced it a “fantastic” deal and even gave me some applause.  They were both excellent teachers and broke my phobia about dials and settings.

There was no charge; they were happy to check the camera out with me and said I had done myself proud. I blushed; no teacher in my life has ever said that.

It was the perfect photo to kick off my return to monochrome, and I took several more, including one I took with my original Q2. I don’t think I could tell the difference. It seemed fitting to capture our new motto as it got darker and darker. I was in a hurry.

Lulu is happy to pose for a new camera. She knows the drill. She’s getting gray. She got two fresh apples.

It was getting dark when the monochrome arrived. I had little light, but I hurried up and got some shots. I’m thrilled. My photography took a giant leap forward and will be more balanced and exciting. I wanted to get the monochrome because it is perfect for winter, storms, and the Winter Pasture, which is almost upon us. I promised my photos would be better next Spring; now, I know they will be.

Stay tuned. I’m looking forward to taking good and better photographs. I guess it is a vocation, after all. I’m told that we can find a vocation anytime in life. I guess it’s true.

I couldn’t find Zip, but Zinnia was the right choice. This was taken with my original monochrome; I wanted to share it also. It is lovely to get back into black and white and color a gain.