In September while Ivan was on his way back from Fort Myers where he bought parts for the compressor he used to fill air tanks, he came upon a garage sale in progress. As soon as he emerged from Clay's Buick, he spotted the camera right off the bat. It isn't what you'd expect to find lying on a table amongst odds and ends.
Ivan, being Ivan, saw it immediately. He'd bought Dylan an 8mm camera the year before. Once he shot up the film that came with the 8mm camera, Dylan didn't ask for more. He went back to taking stills.
This camera had multiple lenses that were easy to rotate into place if you wanted to zoom in or out. The grip was engineered to allow it to be carried in one hand, using what was now a worn and tattered leather strap.
Ivan picked it up, weighing it in his hand. It was surprisingly light. Ivan turned the camera looking for defects.
“My father's. He took movies in World War II. They furnished all the photographers with those. He died earlier this year. I figured I might as well make a little money on the stuff he left me,” the woman said. “I'm not into photography.”
“My kid likes cameras,” Ivan said. “WWII. Old camera. It's surprisingly clean.”
“My father loved that camera more than he loved me. He was always cleaning and replacing worn parts. Had some special polish to use on it. He took pictures of us kids. Family stuff, you know. He filmed picnics, birthdays, and like that. My oldest brother asked him once, 'What did you film in the war, Daddy?' My father looked Buck square in the eye and said, 'You don't want to know.' That's all he said, 'You don't want to know.' Daddy never talked about the war. It's old like he was. I'll take whatever you'll give for it.”
Ivan took out his wallet. He'd been to the bank to pay the snack cake man and the soda man later today. He'd also spent forty bucks on compressor parts earlier.
Who'd name his kid Buck, Ivan thought as he took all the bills out.
“I've got $311.43,” he said, looking at the change. “You know if it doesn't work, I'll be back tomorrow.”
“He used it until last year. It still worked then,” the woman said. “If you don't like it bring it back. I'll refund your money. What's your son's name?”
“Dylan,” Ivan said, handing her the bills.
“This must be your lucky day. You aren't going to believe this but That camera happens to be $311. You keep the forty-three cents in case you break down or need some gas or something. I wouldn't want to take a man's last dime.”
Since Ivan's return from Southeast Asia, on birthdays and at Christmas, he bought Dylan a camera. Each one was a step up from the last. When he bought Dylan the 8mm, for the first time, Dylan put it on the shelf in his room and didn't take it down. He went back to using the last still camera Ivan bought him.
Dylan loved taking pictures. He'd become good at it. It was halfway between Dylan's birthday and Christmas but he wouldn't wait to give him the camera. Something told Ivan a 16mm motion picture camera might get Dylan's imagination rolling.
The woman gave him three canisters of film and there was still film in the camera. Ivan put the camera up to his eye and rotated the lenses until he had a clear shot of the garage and the tables. He filmed for less than a minute.
How neat was that, he thought, looking at the camera.
He started the car.
“World War II,” Ivan said, setting the camera beside him on the front seat and he drove home.
The sequence of events could be described as fortuitous. The camera was well used and Dylan would have the opportunity to try a 16mm motion picture camera without the price that came with one. Because of its age Ivan wouldn't wait to give it to Dylan. It was a good opportunity for him to add a new format to what Dylan liked to do. It was unclear how he'd like it because he'd been using an underwater still camera to photograph Clay at work.
This camera couldn't photograph underwater which meant filming around the cove and that was limiting. He could take the camera on Sea Lab and photograph the boat, their trips into the Gulf and what Clay did before he went into and came out of the water.
“Hey, Boss. What's shaking in Fort Myers?” Tag asked as Ivan came in the door.
“Not a damn thing. You going to put the seal back in the compressor or is it my turn?” Ivan asked.
“Not a thing going on here. I'll do it. A kid came in wanting Milk Duds. What is a Milk Dud, Boss?”
“You don't want to know. It's candy,” Ivan said. “I'll be at the house if you need me. I'll be down at six.”
Ivan needed to take the car to Clay at the Conservancy but he needed to take the camera home and he wanted a shower. Then he'd take the car to the Conservancy and walk to the shop to relieve Tag.
Once in the door he went up to the bedroom. He put the 16mm camera in the middle of the giant feather bed for safe keeping. Ivan showered and sat on the deck to air dry. Kicking his feet up on the railing, he watched birds taking off and landing on the logs. He reached for the new Time magazine and he began reading.
In five minutes Clay came through the curtains on to the deck.
“Hey, Sweety Pie, I love your new suit,” Clay said, kissing Ivan on the cheek and he sat in the chair beside Ivan, taking his hand.
“I'd have taken the car to the Conservancy for you once I dry off,” Ivan said.
“Oh, Dylan called. He wants to go for pizza. I walked up to get the car. Tag said you were back. You want to go for pizza?”
“Yes. I'd like some pizza.”
“He needed to run an errand for Mama. I told him I needed to come and get the car and to come up when he is ready,” Clay said.
“I'd say we have time to get better acquainted. I'm dressed for it, but sure as shooting, we'd get going and the kid would show up.”
“You at the shop tonight?”
“Yeah,” Ivan said. “I take over for Tag at six.”
“I'll stop by. By the way, what's in the middle of our bed?” Clay asked.
“A 16mm camera. You won't believe it but I stopped at a garage sale and there it was,” Ivan said.
“Uh huh. Yesterday you were trying to get money together to pay the snack man and the soda man and you just happened to have enough change to by a 16mm movie camera,” Clay said.
“I wasn't planning to buy a camera. It was there, and we have this kid who loves photography, and well, putting two and two together, as I do from time to time, I saw Dylan using that camera. Can't you see it?”
“No. He's got more cameras than he can use. Each time you get him a new one the one he is using goes on the shelve, Ivan. I know you two dreamers think taking pictures for a living would be great. I'm not so sure you can make a living taking pictures. I want him to keep his options open, Ivan. He might find something he likes doing more than he likes anything else.”
“He already has, Babe. He likes taking pictures. Actually he likes taking pictures of his father at work. That's what he really likes and I just happen to be his father.”
“Yes, but you aren't the father he photographs,” Clay said.
“I'm not,” Ivan said sounding offended. “What you don't understand, Clay, there is a progression involved in selecting a camera. A still camera, a good till camera, a not so good 8mm movie camera, an underwater 35mm still camera to photograph his father, and now a 16mm motion picture camera,” Ivan said with fanfare.
“Good thing you're naked because I'm getting the urge to spank you, young man. Don't keep encouraging him. He hasn't had the underwater camera that long. This isn't going to take underwater pictures.”
“Oh, I can move the camera for a good spanking. You haven't spanked me in a while,” Ivan said with a smirk.
“There's a camera in your bed?” Dylan said bursting through the drapes. “Did you know there's a camera in your bed?”
“Why did we have a kid,” Ivan said with disappointment. “Think of all the things we could be doing if our kid didn't pop up every time I get a new idea.”
“Told you he'd be coming up,” Clay said.
“Yes, I knew. I put it there,” Ivan said.
“Why?” Dylan said, certain of what was coming next.
“So you'd come out here and ask me why the camera is in the middle of the bed. I love a plan when it comes together,” Ivan said. “I can not tell a lie. I bought it for you.”
“It's old,” Dylan said, moving back through the curtains. “It isn't my birthday, is it?”
“No, and it isn't Christmas,” Clay said. “Your father doesn't need a special day to buy you one more camera.”
“It's a motion picture camera, Dad,” Dylan said.
“How did you know that?” Clay asked.
“Says right on the grip. 16mm motion picture camera.”
“A man used that camera to take pictures in World War II. I don't know that camera wasn't specially made for that purpose. I never heard of someone carrying around a motion picture camera. Every one I've seen is huge,” Ivan said. “Anyway, there are three canisters of film on the nightstand.”
“These?” Dylan asked.
He came back through the curtains with the camera in one hand and the canisters in the other.
“Them's those,” Ivan said, putting Time down in his lap.
“Are we going for pizza or what?” Clay asked, feeling like he knew where this was heading in a hurry.
Clay was apprehensive with no way to put on the brakes.
“I'm ready,” Ivan said. “I've got to take over for Tag at six.”
“You don't have any pants on,Dad,” Dylan said.
“I knew I forgot something,” Ivan said. “Give me a minute.”
Ivan went into the bedroom to get dressed.
“You can push this doohickey and it changes lenses automatically, Daddy-O,” Dylan said zooming in on the logs at the mouth of the river.
As quick as he pulled the trigger that made the camera whir as a mass of birds lifted directly into the sky above the logs.
“Wow! I caught them taking off,” Dylan said. “Dynamite.”
“You engineered their takeoff. The noise the camera made alarmed them,” Clay said.
“Dad, that's a hundred yards away. They couldn't hear that noise from there.”
“Why do you think they took off when they did?” Clay asked.
“We taking off,” Ivan said, coming through the curtain back onto the deck.
“This is like totally kewl, Daddy-O,” Dylan said looking over the camera. “It's not much bigger than the 8mm but way more kewl.”
“That 8mm is on the shelf in your room,” Clay said. “Don't get too excited until you see what it can do.”
“No,” Dylan said. “Can I take this tomorrow, Dad? I won't to use it on the Sea Lab. I want to get pictures in the cove as we leave and return from tomorrow's dive.”
“You don't want to take the underwater camera tomorrow. You haven't taken a dive without it in a couple of months,” Clay said.
“I want to photograph everything we see as we go to the site where we're going to dive. Then, I'll take the still camera on the dive.”
Clay realized the two weren't mutually exclusive. Should he put his foot down and tell him to take one camera or the other? That would go over real big and in a couple of months he'd be taking both cameras no matter what Clay wanted him to do. Why even try to make sense to his son when it came to taking pictures.
“Take the movie camera to film the surface shots. Those are expensive pieces of equipment, Kiddo. You'll need to take care of both cameras,” Clay said.
“Dad, I know that,” Dylan objected.
“You better get those canisters off the railing before you knock them off,” Ivan said, brushing his hair. “Lord knows where we'll get more film.”
“Bill has a film lab. The university does business with film labs. Call Bill and ask him where to get film for that model. He'll want to see it once he hears it took movies of WWII. He's a film buff.”
“Kewl,” Dylan said. “Call Bill, Daddy-O. We're going to need more film,” Dylan said.
“Yes, sir. I know someone mentioned pizza like an hour ago. I'm having a pepperoni attack here. Can we go,” Ivan asked.
Dylan held on to the camera and the canisters of film. As they went around the corner of the house he filmed Clay and Ivan walking in front of him. He photographed Clay's Buick before they left.
“You're going to shoot all the film up before we get to the Sea Lab tomorrow,” Clay said.
“I want to shoot my world, Dad. Daddy-O's, the Conservancy house, the cove, the Sea Lab and especially I want to film the Gulf.”
“You already making your first movie?” Ivan asked. “Got to be a record. You've had that camera for fifteen minutes.”
“A movie? Yeah. Kewl. I'm going to make a movie about my world,” Dylan said with certainty in his voice.
They agreed on pepperoni pizza and bread sticks once Dylan got finished filming the outside of the Pizza Emporium. There wasn't enough light to take movies inside.