Tenure... and the dark side of the craft

[SolaresLarrave]

My Fellow Photographers,

I hope I was missed during the long time I wasn't around. 🙂

In any case, I just wanted to inform you that, as an assistant professor, I'm in the last stretch before tenure. This is a critical moment, as I have to finish up my book, land a publication deal (in which I pay, not get paid 🙄), and then... write up a complicated document in which I make my case as the best professor ever hired here! Hence, I may lurk more than post (kinda like the last days).

But the worst is yet to come. For some playful reason, I fell back into the SLR force... And, instead of continue shopping for a lens like Todd's 'cron, I am now coveting a grotesque zoom for my Nikon F80: a 24-85 (I like them modest) AF-S ED-IF, type G, range f3.5-4.5 (sloooooooooow 😱 !), just because it's cheaper than any RF glass available. Let's see if the deal goes or falls through... 😉

Thanks for bearing with me. These are difficult times. The tenure process puts anyone in a particular situation: a kind of existential crossroads because, if you don't believe in yourself 😕 ... nobody will. And, at times, believe me, it's kinda hard to deal with students, red-tape and research demands. Not to mention things like budget cuts :bang: and the silly demands imposed by people who assume professors only teach and do nothing else 😡 .

Of course, all of this has left me little time to even file my slides, not to mention scan them... 🙁

Now... it's my turn to bow away. Thanks for your patience! 🙂

 

[back alley]

buying slr lenses?
my, you have fallen under the dark spell.
is there no hope...?

ah well, as bill says, we will be here when you find time and a clear head to return to the fold.

it's a pity you have no canon gear that i could 'watch over' for you while you learn your new spells.

joe

 

[peter_n]

Good luck Francisco! Always a very stressful time and you need to give your full attention to the tasks at hand. I'm sure you will succeed! 🙂

 

[Oldprof]

Francisco,

Good luck with the completion of your book and your tenure application. It may be wiser to focus on these things instead of thinking about a new lens, although thinking about lenses and cameras is definitely more relaxing and enjoyable. 😀

I went up for tenure a looooong time ago ... 1981 to be exact. I still have the rather massive application file I prepared for that occasion. I'm sure you will have to do an equally large and complicated one. It's one of the periodic hoops academics have to jump through ... you'll have to do another file when you go up for full professor (I'm assuming your current portfolio will serve for both tenure and promotion to associate professor).

Regards,

Oldprof

 

[rover]

You have been missed and we are pulling for you. Nikon zoom lens? Well, that will pass too.

 

[Pherdinand]

what can he say, he just bought a Holga 😀

What's a "red tape", Francisco? Anyway, keep it up!

 

[Rich Silfver]

red tape

 

[Pherdinand]

thanks rich🙂

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Good luck with the Tenure'd Position.

A ZOOM! NOOOOooooooo......

AN F80! NOOOOoooooooo......

IT's MADE OF PLASTIC! IT OUTGASSES! ALL OF YOUR PICTURES WILL BE FOGGY! LENSES FALLING OUT OF ALIGNMENT! COMPUTERS GOING HAYWIRE!

This is not the time to doubt your skill with the Leica over the PhD (Push Here Dummy) Camera!!!

 

[GeneW]

Francisco, the very best with your tenure application! If we don't see much of you for awhile, we understand. Drop in from time to time when you need a break.

Gene

 

[Honu-Hugger]

Stress Manifests in Strange Ways

Stress Manifests in Strange Ways

(snip)...This is not the time to doubt your skill with the Leica over the PhD (Push Here Dummy) Camera!!!

I'm the only one awake in the house right now and I'm laughing like an idiot!

Best of luck with the tenure and the task at hand, I have no doubt you will succeed! Thoughts of the zoom and the F80 are just signs of the stress you are under😉

D2

 

[Scarpia]

Very best of luck in your tenure quest, I am sure you will succeed.
I am equally certain that your book will succeed because in addition to its academic qualities it will be very well written judging by the quality of your posts here and on other boards.
Once you are over this period of stress your love of RF's will return.
Very best to you, Kurt M.

 

[DougK]

Good luck Francisco!

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Thanks a lot for your good wishes! It's a really tough process to go through, but I believe it's worth it: the result is job security.

Now... I'll really miss this board, and maybe I'll ocassionally post (too much work and no play... 😉 ). I just wanted you guys to know what we, college profs, have to go through. There's lots of talks about the academic ivory towers, but, believe me, they ain't that glowing and idyllic...

I'll keep you posted!