Photography

Echi
[Photo Forum Moderator]
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Remembering Casey

For a number of us here, we go a long way back with Casey even before he became the moderator of the Photography Forum. Back then, the forum seemed like a strange concession to a mostly horological endeavor. And so it was no surprise that while members of this “sect” were watch lovers, we were photography enthusiasts first. A bunch of us hardly posted in the watch fora and vice versa except for a few like ThomasM and Ming Thein who were obviously photography enthusiasts as well. It was quite the quiet corner with only a few regulars participating kinda like the Hublot forum ;-)

The forum caught us at a time when digital photography was in the upswing where a newbie like me who never touched film his whole life would wander into this forum full of analog guys transitioning into digital. In my eyes, these gents were gods. Not only did they possess deep technical knowledge about cameras (yes, they talked about noise and all that as you folks in the Independents forum would talk about polishing and anglage) but they also had with them an even deeper appreciation of history, music and the arts in general. I’d participate every now and then but I was there mostly to listen. And listen, I did, especially when the likes of Casey would post about his life in Japan and the photographs that he took.

Over the years, friendships would form with a handful of gents that sadly do not anymore participate in the forum. I’m probably guilty as well now ironically spending more time endlessly posting about the same Air King or the same 372 over at the Rolex and Panerai fora. Back then, we’d post several times during the week and much of that had to do with the digital upswing that I mentioned earlier. It was a thing back then and we were taking pictures all the time. But I digress. One such friendship would eventually spill over offline and on to a get together years later in Tokyo

The first time I met Casey was in 2015. The Leica boutique in Manila wanted me to debut the new SL. As luck would have it, I was going to be in Tokyo a week for a vacation before the launch and requested Manila if they can arrange for a prototype from their counterpart in Tokyo. I would use images taken there for launch purposes. A few weeks earlier, I was already in touch with Casey to finally arrange for a meet up. The SL thing wasn’t in play then. It was a last minute request on my part to which Tokyo said yes. Which also meant adding it into the itinerary. I sheepishly asked Casey if he could accompany me to their office being unsure of myself as a first timer in Tokyo. And Casey being Casey, told me that he’d be glad to go with me. I was embarrassed as hell to impose but also quite excited to pick up the proto with our photography mod in what is arguably the photography capital of the world

2015 at the Leica HQ in Tokyo..


I would be visiting Casey in Tokyo year after year ‘til the pandemic hit.

2017 on a rainy night in Shinjuku..


2018 on a sunny day at a nice quiet restaurant in Shinjuku. He wore his Cabaret as he knew that I liked his Lange. Hey, we still managed to talk about watches some of the time


In the same year, I hooked up my friend here with Casey for some assistance with a Leica that needed calibration. We don’t have a repair center in Manila so Tokyo

Months later we would schedule our usual shooting trip but this time my friend told me to invite Casey over here in Manila so that he could go with us to shoot. Long story short, he came, he saw, he photographed..



With the boys having a drink


Enroute to the terraces, a stop over


2019 lunch in Ebisu

I’ve always enjoyed taking photographs of this gent and he was always up for a pose. He’s a wearing GS with arabic numerals back when Seiko was still written on the dial together with GS. A little bit of watch trivia.. Casey preferred white dials. He had a YM, it was more silvery in platinum technically speaking. Also had a limited edition IWC spitfire white dial perpetual from Sincere. He told me that it originally came with a strap but told the boutique he would have preferred it on a bracelet. The rep said no problem and proceeded to change the strap with a bracelet from another pilot watch! Those were the days!

I was looking forward to seeing him this year for yet another photo opp but this time with the Hasselblad. But, alas, our friend had other plans.

Rest in peace, my friend.

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