Alright! Finally got to meet with the HSU Photo Club about helping out with the APUG gathering. They went through some reorganization over the Winter break and seem to be moving ahead. They want to help and be a part of the gathering, so that will be great. We'll begin planning in earnest in April and until then, I will be gathering info and generating ideas on how best to utilize the Photo Club's talent.

Besides that, I have not done much organizing and planning in the past few months beyond enlisting two major demos. Time for me to start ramping things up a bit -- and starting this thread just for the gathering is part of that.

So if anyone wants to share ideas and comments, this will be the place to do it -- or message me directly!

Vaughn

I had Martha Casanave over and shared with her your plans for next Oct. She would be interested in coming. I can also help with other speakers or ideas if you wish. I'm also speaking with Bill Scwabb and other photographers.
Let me know how I can help? Thanks for your efforts, Vaughn.
R

Thanks, Robert. I have some messages that I can not track down -- one was from you about Martha -- about helping her get to Humboldt County. I'll do more hunting for the message from you, but it is 275 miles (about 5 hours) to San Francisco, and the closest train from down south is over in Redding, which is a 3.5 to 4 hour drive to the east of us here. The time and distance makes it a little tough to provide transportation for her (I remember you writing that she would prefer not to drive all the way up here.) It would be great to have her here if we could figure something out.

As of right now, Denise would like to do a demo on silver gelatin paper making (and/or POP paper) and Ray Bidegain offered to demo Wet Plate Collodion tintypes. I don't see a lot of sense in me doing another carbon demo, but I just had a flash on a possibility of having a few participants make a carbon print from one of their negatives, if I can figure out the logistics of that (no one hold your breath on that one LOL!)

So we do have a need for other speakers and/or demos. We have a local dune nature preserve, the local second-growth redwood city park (the university backs up against it), and Humboldt Bay for close-by photo field sessions, as well as the possibility of a semi-organized post-gathering gathering (w/ or w/o camping) up in Redwood National Park (50 miles north of town).

Vaughn

Well, there's John Wimberley. He shared with me he did a talk and it brought in lots of folks. Are you going to include some (ahem) Digital stuff as well? If so I have some names to include there as well. I tell you that we have covered a lot of the same information at the last two gatherings. Do you really want to repeat?

We have never seen Denise working, so that is new -- as is Ray Bidegain's demo of wet plate. One of our professors has agreed to give a talk on her transitioning from RA prints to digital printing if we so desire. I have not approached our other instructor (Don Anton) about giving a talk -- http://www.zonezero.com/exposiciones/fotografos/anton/index.html His talk, knowing Don, would be about Art -- spelled "personal spiritual journey".

I am open to all topics. I am leaning a bit towards a solid field experience. Landscapes of many varieties -- and for those more architectually orientated we have a large collection of Victorian buildings, old whaling station (pretty run-down and graffitied), huge old barns, covered bridges (not all that exciting, really), etc. For example -- two demos on Saturday, then in the early afternoon, head out and photograph as a group -- or perhaps two groups depending on the subject matter. A talk or two on Sunday, then head up north to the redwoods. Darkroom available for processing film in the evenings. I would even be willing to do an evening carbon printing demo as an option for those who have never seen it done. Lots of possibilities.

But light on the digital stuff.

Your program sounds very good, Vaughn. There's only so much that can be reasonably fit into one weekend. I especially like the ideas of being able to get in some field time and of involving the student photo club. I hold to the old-fashioned idea that photography involves at least a little time behind a camera! The student photographers might enjoy/learn from teaming up with the older folks (and vicey versy for that matter). I also think it would be very interesting to hear from the HSU professors.

I love your idea of letting a few people print their negatives on carbon paper. I really enjoyed being able to print a glass dry plate on carbon paper at your workshop in Newport last fall. If you pursue that idea, I'll plan on having along a box of handmade silver gelatin paper for people to play with, too. Along that line of thought, it would be interesting to see how Ray's wet plates print out on the different papers.

Denise

If I do get some carbon tissue ready for a few participants to make a print on, I think I would do it as an optional evening session...for a few hours after dinner perhaps. Otherwise it would take away a bit of time from other possible activities. We have access to the darkroom until midnight (actually all night, but one must get some sleep!)

While I don't think I'll be able to make it down there for this, one thing I think it would be great to see, at this event and others like it, is that for every "output process" (e.g. carbon, tintype, Pt/Pd, hand-made emulsions, etc.) type presentation, that all the presenters print the same negative (or at least the same image) in that process. I think it would be interesting to see the same image produced across a spectrum of outputs. Kinda hard to coordinate (but you've got 8 months!!), but I think it would be interesting, especially for people who have never done anything in the darkroom (or even with analog processes).

At the gathering at WSU this fall, it was being able to look at the final product that really cemented my interest in certain processes.

This could even be sort of a traveling display, that went around to various meetings of this sort as a show-and-tell (and touch!) table. That way, the images wouldn't keep having to be re-produced.

Anyway, just my $0.02

--Greg

That is a good idea, Greg. I usually have a couple examples with me of a platinum/palladium print and a carbon print that were made with the same negative. It is good to have people see the difference in the tonal ranges each can handle, and the differences in surface quality. I'll have to keep your suggestion in mind when I play with different processes and try to build up a set.

Vaughn

Any update available on the October get-together???

Well Jim,

I just don't think it is going to happen as an organized event. When I should have been busy getting things organized, things just sort of fell apart for me.

If people are interested, we can just keep things simple and have an informal gathering here in Eureka/Arcata on the same week-end. We have the meeting space -- the photo facilities at the university -- to show each other our work and then spend our time actually going out and photographing. I got plenty of space in my house if people want to save motel costs.

So I will leave it at that for now until I hear from others.

Vaughn

If you are looking for an organized event sponsored by a Chapter of the Center for Photographic History and Technology, in the Northwest Region, please see the earlier posting to this Group for the 2010 Northwest Symposium for Alternative Process Photography.

It's a 'mini-APIS' style event, taking place Oct 2-3 in the Seattle area.

It's a shame that it's not happening. I'll take it for next year. Organizing it and all. I have done it before and have no problems doing it again. Let's see. We had it in Newport and Vancouver, Washington. Maybe we can have it in Ashland, Oregon or I can see about Eugene, Oregon.
I have lots of fun ideas and good friends who would come and help.
Robert

I'll start woking on it, today!

Eugene, please... I don't wanna drive all the way from Vancouver to Ashland...

--Greg

Fine Greg. You have my vote. I'll work it if you can come up ideas of areas for group photography outings.

Uhhhh...you mean opinions aren't free?

Honestly, I don't know anything about anything in the Eugene area (or Ashland, for that matter...I don't spend much time in those parts of the state), so I'm afraid I won't be much help in that arena.

I'd be happy to help brainstorm for topics/presentations, and depending on when it is next year, I might even be able to attend.

But since you've taken on the mantle of organizing, the best location is probably wherever you think there will be the most support, where you know people, etc.

--Greg

Well then Greg, put on your thinking cap on! I have some ideas and plan to start to work on them. I still would like to have Eugene or Corvallis maybe.
Robert

Robert,

It's very generous of you to offer to take on the meeting again next year. You did it just last year. I've been tied up with a family medical crisis for the last year, but that has now ended. It was always my intention to bring the meeting back to Newport on a regular rotation. I would very much like to host next year. The Newport Visual Arts Center, where we held the 1st Annual PNW meeting, has reopened its darkroom (an excellent space) for workshops, and there are two different meeting rooms available. One huge and one smaller, both with spectacular views of the ocean. In addition, we now have a digital projector.

As a tourist area, Newport is perfect for this sort of thing. There's plenty to photograph in the immediate area and plenty of activities for tag-along non-photog family members. Give it some thought. My hosting does not preclude your input on agenda ideas. Perhaps we can have an informal vote about location on this thread. That could also serve to gauge how interested folks are. It's a lot of work to put these things on, but since I have all the pieces pulled together in Newport, I think it is well worth my effort -- even without a guaranteed large turnout. I propose the 2nd weekend in October. I think it is very important to give as much notice as possible. I don't know about other people, but I find that I'm planning my life about a year in advance these days. Not saying that's a good thing, but it does seem to be the way it is.

Denise

Oh-darn!
I have been doing some calling and pulling some contacts for the event already. I have approached some very interesting photographers to do show work. I would like to open the meet to include the general public and to include digital. I know-I know the evil "D" word! But, lets talk about that? I'm open to it. I'm open to analog, I'm open to alternative. I'm just open to most kinds of photography. I don't practice much of it but I enjoy it. Variety makes life interesting.
I was truly aiming towards Ashland or Eugene so that we can have variety of venues to play at. Farms, A university, rolling hills, the Rogue River and maybe we could go to Crater Lake. I agree that Newport would be grand! I have organized two workshops in a roll there and always have come away with good feelings. I would be open to having it at Newport and I would be happy to work with you, Denise, in any case where the meet happens.
I hope your family member is doing well?! I hope you are doing well?! I know what it is like to have medical crisis. I have other photo friends who are going thru Medical crisis and it's not anything I would wish on most people.
So let's put it to a informal vote. Where would you all want the 2011 meet to happen? And I would add that if someone else from another part of the group would like to at another location? Then voice up your thoughts. Don't sit on the side lines. Maybe you have a site you think would be great as well as the ones spoken here. We won't know of it unless you let us here you.
I love this!

I will cast my vote for Newport

Well, I'm certainly a believer in the 'Dibbs' rule, and you called it first . Let me know if you decide on Newport. If you do come to the Coast, though, you will have to let me know very soon. Next year's reservations for the VAC are filling up fast and even if not, I'm a long-term planner. Don't much care for last minute rushing about.

I personally don't mind if there's a digital element to the weekend, but I am adamantly opposed to trying to cover too much, too thinly. In all honesty, last year's presentations felt a little squeezed (just my two cents, for what it's worth.)

I just realized I didn't actually type what I was thinking when I made the previous post. If I felt there was time pressure in Vancouver, it was in all likelihood because I couldn't possibly get 'enough' time to flap my gums about silver gelatin! (Here's where I'd insert an 'embarrassed' emoticon if I could find one )

Thanks, Denise!
Well, we have so far two votes for Newport. That's a start. I still would really our friends up north to take up the call. Somewhere? Anywhere? The current program being shared is interesting but for that price tag of $25 a day. It needs to be free and open to the public.
I will take your advice into consideration about content. Funny, I had many folks tell me how great the program was great! Mostly teachers who I had hope carry what was shared to their students. That was my goal!
We are already doing what we like to do. Exploring different approaches to our art. I wanted to reach out to those who could share what we are doing to the those future generations behind us. That is why I approached Washington University, Vancouver. That is why I want to approach U of O or SOC.

Thanks again Denise.