My ULF update...

[Kimberly Anderson]

I have taken a full-time position teaching at The Waterford School in Sandy, Utah. This is the program that Tillman Crane set up and ran for many years. I am honored and blessed to be offered this position. I started on Labor Day and have loved it more than I thought I would.

Tillman set up one of the premiere B&W facilities in the west here at Waterford. We have two printing darkrooms, one with 17 enlargers, another with 12. We have a 15x30 film processing room with 4 working JOBO's. We have a slew of 4x5, 6x6 and 35mm cameras for the students to use.

We also have...get this... a locker full of Wista 4x5's, Speedgraphics, an 8x10 Toyo Field, a 4x10, an 11x14 and an 8x20. It is the 8x20 that I am most excited about in my own personal work, but I am equally excited to get the students shooting the larger formats. I have them working in 8x10 occasionally and have plans to get them shooting 8x20 and making alt. prints.

The 8x20 is a Lotus and is in wonderful condition. It has 5 holders and 2 lenses, a 30-inch Red Dot and a 450mm Nikkor. I traded a 24-inch Red Dot to Jim Galli recently for a 360mm f5.6 convertible Schneider Symmar. It is a whopper of a lens!

I made a lens board for it last night and did a test fit. I am going to really love using the 8x20 camera with that lens. Thanks Jim!

Anyway, I didn't want to come off as bragging, but I've been looking for various ULF cameras for about 3 years. With this position have access to one that is very beautiful. I am truly fortunate not only to have gainful full-time employment at a wonderful institution with fabulous students, but also have the academic freedom to create my own curriculum and work with some wonderful tools.

If anyone has questions about the Lotus, I can start a thread with images and impressions. My other ULF experience was with a Korona 12x20 which I also enjoyed (but it did have it's quirks).

 

[Venchka]

Congratulations! Speaking personally, I'm envious.

Good luck and Enjoy!

 

[yardkat]

Fantastic!

 

[Venchka]

Michael,

Does the school offer short courses? A week or two that an old geezer might benefit from?

 

[Kimberly Anderson]

I have considered offering a class for faculty and student parents. That would be a D*&^%$#% class. Tillman Crane, years ago, held the Mammoth Camera Workshop here at Waterford and invited all of the industry biggies. Apparently it was quite a deal.

There are several ULF shooters in Utah that represent a variety of formats. If we wanted to I'm sure we could do an extended weekend and introduce folks to what the cameras are like to use.

I hadn't thought about it, but it seems like it would be a pretty cool thing to do (as long as I wasn't in charge...).

 

[MenacingTourist]

Great to hear from you again Michael.

I worked for Waterford (the Institute side) for three years as a graphic designer. I'm really kicking myself for not taking the photo classes they offered to employees but I did take the pottery class a couple of times.

The first day I interviewed with them I had to walk across the campus and there were students all over with those huge cameras. I knew it would be a great place to work and it was.

Glad you're loving your new job,

Alan.

 

[Venchka]

I see now that it is an K thru 12 school. If we had been closer, I would have sent my daughter.

Keep us informed if you decide to host some type of workshop or adult classes.

 

[Robert Hall]

Really glad you have pretty much the dream job in Salt Lake City!

 

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Michael, congrats on the great dream job! Welcome to the 8x20 world. Makes me slow down a little more than my 8x10 but makes me think about my images much more carefully. I really slow down when I get the 11x14 out! Great to see they have some nice big cameras to use.

All the best.

Jim