As the season for gifting is upon us, I often recall a Christmas past. It was 1954 and my special gift was a brand new 4x5 Agfa film holder. I was thirteen years old. The gift complemented the five used holders that my father had procured for me from Brooks Camera store in San Francisco. Now I had the opportunity to expose a dozen sheets of film!
The day after Christmas that year, as we did for several years, my dad, his pal Brett Weston, and I headed over the Sierra to photograph and camp along the eastern slope. A dozen sheets of film and a seven day trip; I became very selective, a lesson that has served me well to this day. All done in anticipation of returning home to make contact prints on Varigam paper.
So, perhaps there are some fortunate thirteen year olds who will receive a new 4x5 film holder this season. I wonder.
Wishing all of you the best of holidays and a healthy and productive 2008!
Merg
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