What am I DOING?!

[Scott]

Looking smart in its new blue duds.  The installation was uneventful.  A little bit of a learning curve for me, but the next one will be that much easier.  And there will be a next one - already have it picked out.  But, even though I haven't stripped and refinished the bed, I think this camera is essentially finished now.  Time to put 'er to use.

Going to mount the Wray 18" Lustrar (also from Sandeha) and shoot a paper negative of the boy this afternoon, I think...

[Ronkerr]

Nice job,
Congrats !!!

Ron

[Major Black]

Oh what a thing of beauty! Nice work Scott! And nice work Sandeha!

[Scott]

Thanks, guys.  The majority (all) of the praise goes on Sandeha.

Mark, you've got a standing invite to shoot it.

[radiophoto]

Oi, oi, oi, now there's a smashin' thing.  Add my congratulations to the nth power, plus additional kudos for Sandeha. 

[shadowfox]

Drool.
Scott, that gorgeous piece of art deserves to be shot with a proper background in a studio.
Make two big prints out of it, and send one to England

[sandeha]

Will, you must have meant 'the UK' or maybe 'Britain',  'cos I sure as heck don't live in Engerland.   

[shadowfox]

Sandeha, please accept my apology.

Clearly I am not familiar with some important distinctions, please educate me, so I won't make the same mistake again in the future.

[sandeha]

It's quite simple really ... after the last Ice Age receded, the British Isles became populated by a bunch of Picts, Celts and Britons from northern and southern Europe.  Much later another lot came over, mainly from Germany, and pushed everyone else to the north and west of the main island.  The ones who had arrived first moved into defensive areas in the mountains, and the late arrivals, many of whom were Angles, realised that no one could make much of a living out west or up north so they let them be.  The Angles, (later to be joined by the Saxons) decided that all the green and pleasant lands would be divided up between them, which was fine until the Vikings put an oar in.   At which point the Saxon kingdoms got together under one king (Alfred) in an attempt to pacify the Vikings, but they in turn were interupted by an invading Norman force; southern Vikings of a sort.  All this time the folks who originally had gone west or north were pretty much ignored, except when they caused trouble by trying to come back among the Saxons - after all, they weren't coming round just to borrow a cup of sugar.  In fact, dykes, fences and walls were built to keep them out.  In the end, there was a more cost effective method of keeping the westerners and northerners out, which was to grant them little kingdoms and principalities of their own.  That seemed to do the trick, and thus England, Scotland and Wales were born as separate countries within one nation, Great Britain.  The United Kingdom also includes Northern Ireland, but not the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, but that's probably as much as you wanted to know. 


Being of Irish, English, Welsh, and Scottish blood, or in terms of genetic heritage Celt, Saxon, and Viking, I'm British and just happen to live in a north west corner of Europe called Wales. 

[Scott]

Long-overdue update: My installation of the bellows had a glitch - the bottom thin ribs were misfolded.  Looked bad, but was serviceable, so I never putzed with it.  Have had numerous back-and-forths with Sandeha about what might be the cause and solution.  Well, I'm taking the Seneca out tomorrow with the MiL, and decided I'd put it off long enough.  Pulled the tacks and screws, yanked the cloth back one whole fold, and tacked it back down.  Turns out Sandeha had left a little excess cloth on the bellows for me to trim off; I'd used that excess as a fold.  Fouled everything right up.  Now it's lined up properly.  I have the misfold corrected and clamped so that it aligns properly when compressed. 

So, there you go.  And, since we're on it, I still need to refinish the bottom rail of the thing.  But not tonight, and probably not ever the way things work.  Much more interested in refinishing the other Seneca as a keeper.  Love these cams, though.

[LarryD]

Looking forward to the results buddy.

[Scott]

Bah.  As I run out of film, and funds, again, I'm pondering the feasibility of 8x10.  The Seneca and lenses/holders weigh in around 20 pounds, tripod not included.  Film's expensive, and I only shoot one emulsion.

I could get into a quality 4x5 relatively cheap these days.  Lenses are exponentially cheaper, film also, and many emulsions, including color, are within reach.  And it'd all fit in my Lowe Pro backpack.  And wouldn't require a Ries to support.  Could still have good quality scans, and enjoy hiking again.

I'd keep the good lenses and the Seneca View I'm rehabbing, sell the holders and other two 8x10s, and have enough for a 4x5 and normal lens.

Dunno. 

[LarryD]

Can you put a price on what makes you happy? All good things are not expensive but the good things you like and make you and those around you may cost a little more but you have to also ask yourself. Would anything less give you and those around you the joy?

[Scott]

Good way to look at it, Larry.  And with that criterion, 8x10 isn't worth the expense.  It's a hindrance more often than not.  I'm sure I'll keep a fleeting relationship with it (read: keep rehabbing the mahogany Seneca), but what I do with 8x10 could be done reasonably with 4x5.

Thanks for the reality check.

[LarryD]

Glad I could look at it from outside for you.