Oh Tragic Day!

What is a photographer’s worst nightmare when out photographing with you 4x5 camera? It’s taking the lens off and looking into the bellows to see sunlight streaming in through several small holes! EEEK! I just had some film processed and had some strange flares on a couple of the photos, I discounted it for a flare from the lens, but alas, not the case. Victoria Jean (my 4x5) is older than I am; I rescued her from eBay a year and a half ago and has worked flawlessly until now. Well, off to find a new bellows… hopefully they still make them!

I photograph with her constantly, but the saving grace to this situation was that when I discovered this problem I was within one block of my work, CVA, and we have lots of cameras there, so I was able to borrow one and make the photograph anyway. I do love CVA!


The poor Victoria Jean with the leaky bellows in my studio. You'd never know she was broken by just looking at her. Sigh...