Any interest in a print exchange?

Or how about a book?

I,d like that,but don't know if I could get any thing ready by the 1st of the year.Ah, a print not a book.

A print exchange would be pretty cool [as would a book.] To do an exchange, we'd each pick our favorite photo and print as many of those as we have participants (minus 1 of course, because you won't be sending one to yourself.) We've had 12 people who have posted photos.

Once we find out who'd like to participate we can decide if we want to exchange with everybody (11 is a lot of prints) or if we want to divide it in half and just do 5 or 6 each. If we cut it in half, we'd just draw who was in each group by lottery and have two groups do a smaller exchange. I'd vote for the larger exchange ... but then I've got more time than you guys. I'd be happy to be the central node in this and receive, sort, and remail the prints. And, Mike ... one thing I've learned from observing the LF Forum exchange each year is that plenty of time before deadline is required to allow for schedules and unforeseen contingencies ... so I'd suggest an April or May deadline.

What do you guys think? I know it can be a little intimidating, especially if you're just starting out ... but everyone understands that and will enjoy all of the prints ... and you get to see a bunch of real prints rather than just the computer renderings ... I guarantee you we'll all learn something from this.

If there's enough interest, I'll post some pirated rules [adapted from the LF Forum] and we can hash them out.

I'm in for all 11...what about Per and Jim? and there were more than 11 attending....

I counted Jim Galli in the 12 who posted [Don, Steve, Glenn, Chauncey, Mark, Curt, Mike, Jaime, Harlan, Jay, Jim Galli, Jim Graves.] John, Frank, Norm, and Per did not post and Mike's buddy (Ray?) wasn't taking pictures. Did I miss anybody?

The deadline is all right,six prints is enough for me.

This sounds cool. The Elwood I got from Jim is coming together, I made some new glass diffusion plates, found a bulb or two that will work and rewired it this weekend so I can actually enlarge the big negatives.

I'd be in for exchanging with the whole group. (I need the practice, did my first 11x14 from 4x5 last night. It was about a stop too light but still, wow!)

Never done one of these, is there a size that we should shoot for or...?

The other thought here is the subjects, are we open to any work we have done and is the exchange supposed to be of one negative or just whatever I want to print?

I have participated in one other print exchange and I was the "Print Exchange Coordinator". I would propose that we following same format that I used before, which you can read about in the first post here: http://www.hybridphoto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1046

The reason that I propose this format is that minimizes mailing and has a couple safety features. I'd be happy to the exchange coordinator. I would propose a print submission date of April 1st (no foolin'), and I'd get the prints distributed within a week or two.

Lets ask John, Frank, Norm, and Per if they'd like to participate, in spite of not posting (maybe they just haven't been in the darkroom yet....)

Jay-I'm good with your managing the print exchange. Presume this will be unmatted like all the other apug exhanges?
If you want to set the paper size to max of 11x14, some people will be getting half a ulf image ;-). I'm just starting to print the 12x20 and 7x17 - I haven't posted negative images here as I have no means to scan (I'm not big on stitching them together in photoshop)

I'd do the full 11-12 prints ... because it's the same print, once you get the exposure you want (or print setting if digital), the next 11 are cookie-cutter easy. Of course, this assumes you're not St. Ansel printing one of his 13-step dodge/burn masterpieces. And, thanks Jay, for volunteering ... it's all yours.

If we decide to do this, I agree we should message the missing participants to see if they'd like to join.

Below is a slightly modified version of the specs from the LF Forum exchange for discussion purposes. If mailing tubes are used, the size limitation is probably not necessary and could just be a minimum of 8x10.

Print Specs
Shot on the way to, at, or on the way home from the Tonopah Workshop.
Choose your favorite shot – no format requirement – 35 mm, LF, Digital, Holga or whatever
Black & White or Color
Wet darkroom or digital prints
NO larger than 11x14" paper
NO smaller than 8x10" paper
Image area can be any size as long as it is on paper from 8x10" to 11x14"
NO Mats due to added shipping weight
NO Mounted prints due to added shipping weight
Include an info sheet of your tech specs, location, paper type, etc. if possible
Filters/Digital Manipulation OK

I think same-print for all images from an individual is best, so Jay doesn't have to decide who gets what...

I am in with the exchange print.

Regarding a book… I’ve been investigating putting together Blurb books. The all-in costs would be between $40 and $50 per copy for what I would envision a workshop photo book being, which is about 3’ish pages of each person’s photographs, note that there could be multiple photographs per page. The great thing about a book is that you could add text and photos of each photographer and short photographer bios, etc., etc., which is also problem with doing a book - someone would have to collect the information, design, layout, review and edit the book. Each photographer would have to submit the electronic images and other information. I have developed an InDesign template for a Blurb book that we could use, but I do not want to take on the entire task by myself. I would want to work with someone who would collect the images and information from each photographer, feed me the information for me to layout in the book, and work with me on reviewing and editing the book.

There are some cool aspects of having a completed book project, like creating a pdf version of the book that can be readily be distributed on the internet, and naturally, other folks who might be interested in our workshop images could purchase a copy from Blurb

If there is strong desire to do a book, speak up… we have the technology.

Exchange sounds good. How will we keep the tech info with the print? The book could be neat also, IF... the b&w reproductions are up to snuff. We have a guy in our local art guild who has done numerous Blurb books for himself and others including one for the guild. It was quite nice but the images were all in color. I need to look at what he has done and see if there were any b&w images.

Book would be fun to have ... but it's starting to sound strangely like work!

What if you are an inexperienced printer, read crappy, and your prints are only good for lining bird cages? It seems like a waste of the US postal service sending out what amounts to junk prints. However, I would still like to get prints...

O.K. ... so you've described 50% of us now ... I'm not taking it personally ... I'm still in ... I hope you have a bird ... a big bird.

OK, I am in...as long as my prints are placed in the bird cage with the print side down...so as not to offend the birds.

Steve
Not to worry -- everyone on this list has been inexperienced at what they're doing, unless they haven't tried at all!
Give it your best shot -- And from print exchanges from previous workshops, I don't discard..

At one of John Sexton's workshops I attended back in the late 1980s, John showed examples of the famous Moonrise image. Ansel wasn't a very refined printer early-- the early versions aren't good at all - weak in the skies with no clouds and a weak moon. Crosses don't light up at all. And my favorite was "Nuclear Holocast over Hernandez"....John had saving a more recent print out of the wastebasket that had chemical drippings on it that made it far interesting than even a more modern print ;-). <<Yet the earliest prints also command some pretty high premiums at auction....>>

Don, I gave up stitching too.

Your thought on size is kinda why I was asking, seems silly to downsize a 12x20 but I also don't know what people want, or want to see.

So, are we going with prints and not a book? What say ye?

Both...lets do the prints first...

I could handle 11or 15 prints from the same neg,the book I not to good with the computer stuff and would like to see some of my photo's in a book,don't know what a blurp is .

Mike - check out: http://www.blurb.com/