Film at the UNM Bookstore!

[takilmaboxer]

Here in Albuquerque, we recently witnessed the closing of Kurt's Cameras on Central Avenue, after 65 years in business (we still have another camera store, Camera and Darkroom). So imagine my delight when I walked into the University of New Mexico bookstore and saw a wall sized advertisement declaring "We now carry film and paper!" I walked over and saw a display of Ilford film and paper, including 4X5 film! I immediately bought a 25 sheet box of paper and sought out the store manager to thank them for carrying these supplies. The cashier, who looked about 19, told me " I just started doing film photography, it's fun and the image quality is way better than my phone"! I walked away with a big smile on my face.

 

[BrianShaw]

That is awesome! As my son is touring universities I always check out the bookstore for film. Some have it, but most don't. never saw 4*5 though. Usually it is B&W in 35mm and 120, with a few lomo cameras too.

 

[Wayne]

I think well-known large format photographer Kirk Gittings teaches there so its not too surprising, but great to know for my frequent trips to NM!

 

[bvy]

A great idea -- college book stores stocking film and paper. Hopefully the markup isn't too egregious.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Nice to hear good news for a change.

 

[f8&bthere]

I think well-known large format photographer Kirk Gittings teaches there so its not too surprising, but great to know for my frequent trips to NM!

It's more the case that 'UNM has one of the best photography programs in the world [ranked #5 by USNews FWIW] so it's not too surprising'.

As recently [ahem] as the mid-to-late 90's, there were no less than nine "real" camera stores in Albuquerque [pop. ~500,000 at the time]; three Kurt's Camera Corrals, three Ritz Cameras, a really good used store just south of the freeway on Central and a nice little store owned by a couple UNM grads located behind the Frontier. Then of course there was Camera & Darkroom which - before their move and downsizing when they still had their store in Nob Hill - was one of the best camera stores in the country.