Fate!? Bought A New Camera A Deardorff 8x10

I got some unexpected money from my father last week, we were just in the truck together after doing some work and he asked me to stop at the bank. The money came out of no where, I was completely surprised by it but thats my father always worried about his children. My father is the type of man who puts his children before his own personal comfort, he worked hard all his life  but his children always came first, he always placed his children's welfare and happiness in front of his own.

I am going to put the money towards my personal debt but I also wanted to buy something special, something I could use and remember my father by after he is gone (he is 79). When my father was younger and got money he usually bought something practical with it, something that would help him remember that person or event. I wanted to do the same thing with some of the money he gave me, I wanted to buy something very special (always dreamed of owning a Deardorff 8x10 wooden field camera) that I could use and create with and pay tribute to my fathers love.

I was unsure of the Deardorff as I have a wonderful Kodak Masterview 8x10 but I wanted something I could do alternative processes with, I want to try collodion wet process shooting. I also figured the Deardorff thou heavier would also be more robust in the field for my Asian portraits when I move up to 8x10 in the field.

I left it up to fate with the camera with a max bid of $1891.00 on ebay and won the auction after  the last bidder topped out at $1830.00, I got the camera for $1855.00. I barely won the auction, maybe this was fate jumping in and allowing me to win, maybe it was fate telling me this was the right thing to do.

 Every time I use this camera, whether with film or collodion, I will think of Dad. I hope I can create something lasting to his memory, a photograph that will be collected and remembered.