Trials and tribulations

[Vaughn]

Trials and tribulations of being in charge of the loaner cameras at a university...

I have had students try to develop their 4x5 film in the film holders (at least they removed the darkslides first), I have had field cameras returned unfolded (at least they did not force them closed), and assorted other experiences.

I received this email today from a recently graduated student.


Vaughn,

I wanted to show you this photo AFTER I graduated, this might explain
how I managed to get a little mud go on one of the 4x5 film holders.
The photo is titled "Don't tell Vaughn".

Thanks for all of your help!

Michele

[Kirk Gittings]

At SAIC a few ears ago we had a student drop a Mamiya 645 over the side of a canoe....

[Richard Wasserman]

I was a TA at Columbia College in Chicago in the 1970's and one night went into the darkroom to chase everyone out to go home and discovered that a pipe had sprung a leak. There was a geyser of water spraying up to the ceiling that had soaked 3 enlargers and made quite a flood everywhere. The students using the affected enlargers had simply switched to other, dry ones. Of course no one using the darkroom had told anyone about the water.

[Vaughn]

Richard,

I have the dubious honor of causing the biggest indoor flood in recent university history. I was replacing a shut-off valve under the print processing sink (actually just putting a new one on top of the old one because every time I asked the campus plumbers to do it, they would say they did not know where the shut-off for that water line was and they'd have to shut off the whole the building.)

The line was galvanize pipe, but my second pipe wrench (the one keeping the pipe going into the floor from rotating...we are on the second floor) slipped. I heard water starting to leak under the floor, so I turned the pipe the other way, hoping to tighten the fitting under the floor that I must have loosened.

I heard a great gush of water. Turned out the galvy pipe connected to copper pipe under the floor and I broke the weld. The plumbers were all 15 miles to the north doing some work at the Marine Lab.

To make a long story short -- the plumbers arrived, managed to find that shut off valve...and...I just have to mention a plumbing problem and they rush to fix it right away. Actually it has been several years and they are getting slow again. perhaps it is time to get out my pipe wrenches again and "fix" something...LOL!

Vaughn

[Kirk Gittings]

For my part, the first day of architectural photography a few years back, I was giving a lecture outside at the fountain walking along the edge. I didn't notice a break in the edge and tripped and fell in getting soaked and cutting my shin in the process. After laughing at myself, I just got up, acting like nothing had happened and finished the class. It set a good example for not letting excuses get in the way of clas assignments. It was the best class I ever had there.

[C. D. Keth]

Nothing wrong with that. I've done that with $150K movie cameras before. If you need that shot you need it.

[John Bowen]

LOL

You folks made my day!

[Nathan Potter]

Ahhh; the stuff photo lore is made of.

Nate Potter

[Vaughn]

Nothing wrong with that. I've done that with $150K movie cameras before. If you need that shot you need it.

Slight budget difference... Mine is $1300 for the school year for equipment/equipment repair...and that camera/lens represents about 100% of that budget.

Vaughn

PS...But it is something I prefer to hear about after the fact...

[C. D. Keth]

Try not to worry too much about it. What you never know won't hurt you. I've both been the student doing risky things with the school's equipment and the person maintaining it. For a couple of years I did both simultaneously.

A lot of things almost or potentially happen to equipment. It's pretty rare that anything really catastrophic happens when people have respect for their gear.