Many of you followed with interest as Kirk Gittings offered to donate an 8X10 Eastman camera to a worth party. I offered to spend some time with the students getting them up top speed if he would consider giving it to Deep Springs College. As the story unfolded other items were added. Kerry Thalmann had a Kodak 12" lens that could have been sold the same day as the camera. Darin Boville added "The View Camera: Operations and Techniques," by Harvey Shaman, 75 sheets of J&C Classic 100 film by J&C Photo, and ultimately I completed the kit with a vintage Eastman Commercial tripod and an older model Pentax analog spot meter.
We set a date of May 6-8 to make a trip to Deep Springs for instruction. By stroke of sheer genius I invited Phil Kember of Death Valley Gallery in Lone Pine California to join me in the adventure. We proved to be a near perfect team.
We arrived from our different directions on Friday the 6th, and after some introductions we discovered that most of the students wouldn't have any time available until about 3:00 in the afternoon.
A bit about the school may be of interest. Deep Springs College was the dream of L. L. Nunn, a Telluride CO. rich man. He had a vision of a school that would isolate young men for 2 years and combine very real hard work with the best education available. The students at Deep Springs College are both self governed and they take their founders work ethic most seriously. We would just have to wait until 3:00 so that the sprinkler lines could be moved, cows pushed and fed, chicken coupes cleaned, dishes washed and meals prepared (which we enjoyed sumptuously) and a host of other duties were completed. We would encounter this throughout our 3 day adventure. Work comes first.
While we waited Phil Kember and I set up cameras we had brought for the students to use. We built quite a forest on the luxuriant front porch of the colleges main building. We wanted any student that was interested to be able to get some hands on time with a camera during the instruction phase.
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L to R, Gittings Eastman Commercial View, Eastman Improved #2 8X10 with 18" Verito, Jim Galli, Folmer & Schwing 7X17, Phil Kember, Deardorff 5X7 View, Deardorff 8X10 View, Calumet C1 8X10, Eastman Improved #2 5X7, Ebony 8X10 View.
At 3:00 or thereabouts we had a little group of interested students and started our talk about large format cameras. We had a range from 1903 to 2005, standard view to banquet, drop beds and folding field types to explain what is possible. Phil and I also brought some fine prints to show the students what they could expect to produce. We covered strengths and weaknesses of 8X10 photography, basics on lenses and basic focus. By supper time we had plans to safari a grand desert loop the next day.
Saturday AM arrived and after a grand country breakfast we piled into the schools 4WD Suburban and Phil's Jeep and made a loop from Deep Springs, to Eureka Valley via Oasis NV., to Big Pine, and back to Deep Springs in the afternoon. We made the all important stops where each student got to visualize their own subject, and then were aided by Phil and myself on how to make it happen. There is nothing like hands on instruction to make the possibilities and limits of LF photography come to life. We leveled, we focused, we tilted and swung, we measured, we metered, we showed that the Nikon FE-2 was not in any dis-agreement, we composed and re-composed. And sometimes we waited for the guy in front of us to finish up. I certainly could have never accomplished what we did without Phil. I am most grateful!
After a late afternoon return and some scrounging for food, exhaustion set in and we rocked in the shade of the gracious front porch rockers. Students vanished. After a respite Phil and I set out to make some images at the lower ranch. Tack rooms and ranch dust combined with Verito's and Dagors'. Phil used my 1903 Improved #2 with the 18" Verito and I got to actually touch and feel the liquid movements of an 8X10 Ebony! Pure relaxation under a black cape.
After supper we made a mad dash to get last light overlooking the Deep Springs Valley.
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Max and Gareth, 8X10 converts
We wanted to show the students how to make a fine print on Sunday so that would mean a late evening dark room session developing the days new negatives. At this point the students aren't really believers! They've seen our prints but have grave doubts about their own. I had brought the JOBO anticipating the need to develop multiples of 810 negs. Good call. We developed film until 10:30 and called it an evening.
Sunday AM found us in the schools very adequate darkroom again developing a missed negative. Gareth hadn't turned his dark slide to indicate his exposure but good note taking had told us which film holder had the missing neg. We used the opportunity to also develop 7X11 negs done with the 1903 Eastman and Verito.
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Phil Kember
As we made ready we learned that the chicken coupes and dorms were in dis-array and work parties would take precedent over 8X10 cameras. We were dis-appointed but continued with the printing preparations. All effort ceases for respite on Sunday AM at 10:30. It is brunch feasting, and what a delight. By 10:30 we're starved. After brunch it was decided that we could have 45 minute sessions with one student each session for printing. And so we dove into the final stage. And it is also payback time for the instructors hard labors as the students marveled at the prints that were coming up in the liquid developers and red light. Our four students each had excellent fine prints that would make anyone proud. The evening light of the previous day had produced the finest photo of Deep Springs Valley ever seen by Max. Gareth's evening neg was flawed by camera shake but his AM shot of an Aermotor wind mill in mustard was superb. The 12" Eastman still had it's stuff.
By mid-afternoon exhaustion was setting in again. Time to sit and rock in the shade and watch an approaching Eastern Sierra storm. Deep Springs College is one of the most restorative places to the spirit I have ever witnessed. It is truly a magical place. We didn't want to leave and indeed with evening feast approaching and the comfort of our surroundings, we contemplated staying forever. After an hour or so of rest we talked ourselves into more personal work enjoyment down at the lower ranch. I played with an interesting bleached white cow skull, an ancient porcelain sign, and other found treasures, and when I checked on Phil, he had the 7X17 set up capturing horse barn ambience at it's best.
Finally, supper feasting, hand shaking all around with our many new friends, and just as evening is turning to sundown dusk, I turn right for Tonopah and I watch Phil's tail lights disappear as he has turned left for Lone Pine. The seed has successfully been planted and first fruits tasted. It will be interesting to see what develops from the combined generosities and hard work of the many involved in this project. It now has a life of it's own.
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