Hello all,
I want to share with you that the Second Annual US Pacific Northwest APUG group meeting was a great smash and fun event this last weekend. We opened the event to the general public and invited local photographers to share their expertise and knowledge. We had 50 people attend.
I want to personally thank APUG members, Vaughn Hutchins, Denise Ross and Steve Anchell for coming and sharing with everyone. The theme was Alternative Processes. We covered most but maybe next time cover more.
Vaughn has stepped up to host the 3rd meet up in Eureka, California.
Here is a link written up by Tom Hubbard, editor of Portland Metro Photographic News http://www.pmpnonline.com/specialhap....htm#451358775

I am really unhappy I was unable to attend. Such a great line up of Alternative Process folks to boot. Fwiw, the link does not work.

Good morning;

As with Slumry, I also was unable to attend.

So next year we have further to drive, but we get great scenery.

Enjoy;

Ralph Javins, Latte Land, Washington

http://www.pmpnonline.com
Try this and look for professor Hutchins measuring a beaker of chemicals. The will lead you to the story.

Thanks Robert for posting the images and info on the last gathering! But could you not have photoshopped some hair on the balding head of mine?!

I am starting to line up things for next year's gathering here at Humboldt State University. I am approaching our student Photo Club here at HSU to take part in organizing the affair, and generally get the local photographers involved.

We'll be striving to do a balanced mix of talks, demos and photographing opportunities. I am considering adding an extra day onto the gathering (Monday) to lead a optional most-of-the-day photographing of the redwoods.

One fun possibility is that after a Sunday morning gathering at HSU to share prints and possible a short demo/talk, head out to photograph in the redwoods -- and those who wish to, camp on the beach near Fern Canyon or camp up along the Smith River in the redwoods on Sunday night and then photograph Monday until early afternoon. This depends on the State of California not closing the parks/campgrounds as they are threatening to do.

Anyway, I am just playing with some possibilities for now. It will be fun!

Vaughn

PS...and for the record, I am not a professor -- just a lowly staff person here at HSU, taking care of the teaching darkroom and related facilities and equipment.

This all sounds like fun to me. Can't wait to see the final results!
Good job, Vaughn.

I think we can safely call Vaughn "The Carbon Professor". I, for one, am looking forward to next year's get together. At my age though, I try to limit my camping to places like The Red Lion, Holiday Inn; those kind of places. Ron

Well, Ron, we got those places, too. If we do include a bit of camping one night, we'll make sure those who are in town can connect with us out in the field if they wish! There is also a private campground up north that has cabins that were used by a photo workshop that I helped with from the SF Bay Area

Initial contact with the University's Photo Club seems positive, but I have not met with the full group yet. I would love if Denise could do an actual demo of paper or film/plate making...it was great to see all the "stuff" from the Light Farm website in person!

One thing I do know, we have better Mexican food down here...even being 800 miles north of Mexico!

Vaughn

I would love to demonstrate handmade silver gelatin - 'gaslight' paper and dry plate. Also, I'll be adding a section to The Light Farm on making your own P.O.P. soon. Folks might be interested is that, too. (It won't get posted until the weather turns nasty. I can't bear to be inside during the last of the great stuff!)

It'll take at least a couple of hours to do the subject justice. Since not everyone will be interested, maybe we could schedule an alternative option (a field trip? ) I'm starting to look forward to next year already!

Denise

That is great, Denise! I think a demo on hand-making "gaslight" paper would be a big draw for our local photographers and students! We'll get together and talk about your facilitiy and equipment needs. My only worry is that the classroom might not be big enough! It is about a quarter the size of the wonderful room we had in Vancouver. But we could push the tables against the walls and have about 40 chairs set up.

Vaughn

Hi Vaughn!

Nice to see your blue avatar and know you made it home safely from Newport. I envy your all-night driving ability, even after all the energy you put into the weekend. What an absolutely fantastic carbon workshop you gave! Thank you for letting me drop in.

I hope you plan on having your prints out for everyone to see next September. Your three-dimensional carbon contact prints really have to be seen to be believed.

Denise

I second that Vaughn; I would also love to see your prints. I would have liked to have attended your workshop this last weekend but I was in Hoopa on family business. Maybe next time?

Ron

Ron, the prints will be readily available for viewing during the up-coming Third Annual Gathering of the NW Region here in Humboldt County, Sate of Jefferson. And I would like to schedule it for mid-October 2010 -- the redwoods can be especially nice then.

And I am leaning towards an optional Sunday night camping experience on the beach near Fern Canyon...or if that is not available, camp at the main campground up on Prairie Creek. Then spend Monday photographing in the redwoods/Fern Canyon.

I am looking forward to hopefully coming in the 2010 gathering. I'm fairly new to APUG, so I'm not too familiar with meet ups here...what all is entailed? Will details of when and where be posted here when the time comes?

Plenty of notice will be given here and on the main forum. There is no cost and no reservations are required -- though I may ask that people do sign-up before hand just to make sure that we have enough room for everyone.

We are still in the planning phase. Besides the demos and print sharing, I would like to plan some sort of opportunity for people to photograph.

The gathering themselves are non-formal and are mostly about having fun and learning from each other. The first two did have a alt photo bent to them, and the third is sort of heading that way. We promise not to look down upon or frown at anyone using digital in any part of their process, though we hopefully will not get into any full-blown discussions about digital vs film imaging!

No traditional silver gelatin printing/toning demos are planned at this time, but that is another possibility.

Hope to see you here!

Vaughn