bgetty
Brandon Getty
Almost two years ago, my girlfriend and I (along with our small dog) moved into a cute two bedroom apartment in the Magnolia District of Stockton, CA. The general area isn't the greatest, but our neighborhood feels safe enough and the price of rent can't be beat. We have had no issues since moving in. Until recently...
The property features a separate garage, which I promptly turned into my darkroom upon moving in. There is no working plumbing in the garage and it was an admittedly ramshackle setup...but it worked well enough to learn the basics of wet printing and instilled in me an immense respect for the craft. When I worked as a freelance writer, I was locked in that garage for 4-6 hours every other day. Now that I've begun working full-time, I'm lucky to make it in for a session several times a month.
Last night around 11:30pm, my girlfriend let the dog out into the side yard. She yells to me that the garage light is on. I rush to the door, and sure enough, light can be seen streaming beneath the crack of the door -- a huge red flag, as I place a rubber seal in this crack before leaving the garage to help prevent outside dirt and dust from entering. I grab a baseball bat and head toward the garage. The first thing I notice is that I had mistakenly left the lock open after my last session. My stomach dropped and my face flushed as I opened the door and cocked the bat against my shoulder.
And then...nothing. No intruders caught in the act, just nothing. My Omega enlarger was gone, as was my easel, along with various other things I kept in the garage (books, cleaning cloths, a few envelopes of paper). I was deflated.
To add insult to injury, the thieves used my city administered garbage can to wheel away their find. Getting the waste management company to send you a new one of those is much more difficult than finding a new enlarger. I always read of people feeling violated, molested, and almost dirty after a break-in or theft, and now I know the feeling. So grateful and thankful that it wasn't our actual residence...but now I'm worried that it could be.
Sorry for the grim topic, but just wanted to vent and give a little heads up to anyone who uses their garage as a space to create and grow as a photographer. Thanks for listening, all.
B.
The property features a separate garage, which I promptly turned into my darkroom upon moving in. There is no working plumbing in the garage and it was an admittedly ramshackle setup...but it worked well enough to learn the basics of wet printing and instilled in me an immense respect for the craft. When I worked as a freelance writer, I was locked in that garage for 4-6 hours every other day. Now that I've begun working full-time, I'm lucky to make it in for a session several times a month.
Last night around 11:30pm, my girlfriend let the dog out into the side yard. She yells to me that the garage light is on. I rush to the door, and sure enough, light can be seen streaming beneath the crack of the door -- a huge red flag, as I place a rubber seal in this crack before leaving the garage to help prevent outside dirt and dust from entering. I grab a baseball bat and head toward the garage. The first thing I notice is that I had mistakenly left the lock open after my last session. My stomach dropped and my face flushed as I opened the door and cocked the bat against my shoulder.
And then...nothing. No intruders caught in the act, just nothing. My Omega enlarger was gone, as was my easel, along with various other things I kept in the garage (books, cleaning cloths, a few envelopes of paper). I was deflated.
To add insult to injury, the thieves used my city administered garbage can to wheel away their find. Getting the waste management company to send you a new one of those is much more difficult than finding a new enlarger. I always read of people feeling violated, molested, and almost dirty after a break-in or theft, and now I know the feeling. So grateful and thankful that it wasn't our actual residence...but now I'm worried that it could be.
Sorry for the grim topic, but just wanted to vent and give a little heads up to anyone who uses their garage as a space to create and grow as a photographer. Thanks for listening, all.
B.
FrankS
Registered User
Sorry for your significant loss. I would feel the same way if my enlarger were nicked.
But I can't help thinking: what a loser to steal an enlarger.
But I can't help thinking: what a loser to steal an enlarger.
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Very sorry to hear that. And it does spook you to realize that "they" are out there, lurking and looking for an opportunity if it presents itself. Unfortunately, you gave it to them by not locking it. So I guess that's the lesson learned, right? And the lesson didn't come with more dire consequences, so that's the good news.
The equipment is replaceable -- and get yourself a better lock! Don't let this sour you.
The equipment is replaceable -- and get yourself a better lock! Don't let this sour you.
Bill Clark
Veteran
Bummer.
What would someone want with the stuff taken?
Some of these items are only sold to a limited market.
Hope you find the culprits and bring them to justice.
What would someone want with the stuff taken?
Some of these items are only sold to a limited market.
Hope you find the culprits and bring them to justice.
FrankS
Registered User
Put a "want to buy" ad on your local Craigslist for an enlarger.
68degrees
Well-known
good idea!
bgetty
Brandon Getty
Thanks so much for the sympathetic words, guys. The sale-for-scrap is also a very likely scenario here in Stockton...lots of aluminum they made off with, there.
I've posted a Craigslist want ad, and am considering filing a report. Stockton's police department is currently inundated (plus broke) and will probably be of little help, but if it results in a tighter patrol of the neighborhood, I suppose it's worth a shot.
I've posted a Craigslist want ad, and am considering filing a report. Stockton's police department is currently inundated (plus broke) and will probably be of little help, but if it results in a tighter patrol of the neighborhood, I suppose it's worth a shot.
tjh
Well-known
Some years ago I noticed our city issued trash container was missing. I had just seen it in front of our house a few minutes before and went out to bring it in.
A few minutes driving around and I saw a homeless guy rolling the container along the sidewalk. Every few minutes he would stop and pick up an avocado or mango (I'm in Miami, Florida) that had fallen from trees.
I phoned the police who were polite and explained to me that none of us really wanted to spend a lot of court time over the incident. I rolled my container home - I forget what happened to the fruit.
Hope you get the enlarger back but equally, I hope you can get a trash container from the city!
Tom
A few minutes driving around and I saw a homeless guy rolling the container along the sidewalk. Every few minutes he would stop and pick up an avocado or mango (I'm in Miami, Florida) that had fallen from trees.
I phoned the police who were polite and explained to me that none of us really wanted to spend a lot of court time over the incident. I rolled my container home - I forget what happened to the fruit.
Hope you get the enlarger back but equally, I hope you can get a trash container from the city!
Tom
back alley
IMAGES
i believe that there is a special place in hell for thieves...
GaryLH
Veteran
File the police report anyway. If u have insurance, u maybe covered. If so the police report can be used as proof.
Gary
gdi
Veteran
sepiareverb
genius and moron
Yep, the Vermont DMV, and after going through the exit they find themselves in the Taos NM Jury Pool waiting room.
rfaspen
[insert pithy phrase here]
I tend to get extremely angry after such an event. The darkroom stuff is worthless to the thieves, but they take it anyway. Its that kind of extreme disregard, no, its more than that. Its malice. Its that kind of malice that these people commit that makes me sooooo angry. Hell is too good for them!
My wife once had her daypack stolen from her office (closed but not locked door) at the local university. Taken during the middle of the day in a busy building. The thieves were extremely brazen. She lost her drivers license, credit card, keys, and eyeglasses, along with some work papers and ..... 0.55 cents. We cancelled the credit card immediately and of course the thieves tried to use it at a local gas station. Even though the card flagged stolen, the gas station did nothing and they were allowed to leave with the stolen card.
We spent well over $500 getting new locks on our house, new eyeglasses, new drivers license and credit card. The thieves got 55 cents and a ratty old daypack!!! I get angry just thinking about them. If I continue, my language will degrade...
My wife once had her daypack stolen from her office (closed but not locked door) at the local university. Taken during the middle of the day in a busy building. The thieves were extremely brazen. She lost her drivers license, credit card, keys, and eyeglasses, along with some work papers and ..... 0.55 cents. We cancelled the credit card immediately and of course the thieves tried to use it at a local gas station. Even though the card flagged stolen, the gas station did nothing and they were allowed to leave with the stolen card.
We spent well over $500 getting new locks on our house, new eyeglasses, new drivers license and credit card. The thieves got 55 cents and a ratty old daypack!!! I get angry just thinking about them. If I continue, my language will degrade...
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
Well it doesn't relate much to your story, but my (only) camera was once stolen on the second day of a 3 week vacation. At first I felt very upset but then I started laughing when I imagined the thief trying to pawn a 10 year old film P&S with a broken LCD 
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
A couple of years ago I used to have late classes at university, too late for me to catch the bus on the way back home. So I used to bike to the nearest subway, about a 6k ride, and I had an old 100$ walmart beater bike. One night I got out of the station to find it stolen. What pissed me off the most is not that the bike got stolen, nor that I had to walk 6k on foot under the rain at night, but that the bike was virtually worthless. It's almost as if they did it, as you say, out of pure malice
sanmich
Veteran
...with a special subsection for morons able to steal an enlarger.
OP: I'm sure it's a very unpleasant experience. Maybe consider the half-full part of it: depending on your area, a good enlarger may not be too hard nor too expensive to buy...