Congrats to Sean and all of APUG

[Jim Chinn]

With the New Year approaching, I just want to take a moment and thank Sean for the incredible job he has done with APUG and all the members who continue to prove that traditional/alternative process photography is alive and well.

The growth of this site is an amazing thing. I have not had the time lately to participate as much as I would like, but ever time I visit, the volume of new members who ask questions, share knowledge and show images fills me with optimism about the future of our medium. I don't think any other photography site on the web can boast the international participation we enjoy. That is another testament to the membership.

I also want to thank everyone for making this the most friendly, fun and collegial site of its kind on the web. There are a lot of passionate people here and where many sites eventually begin to wallow into the mud of insults, personal attacks and self-interest, APUG has steered clear by and large. I can only attribute this to the idea that members put photography and civility ahead of themselves.

When the discussion turns away from photography in the lounge threads, at its most serious a great sense of respect between members is usually displayed and when less serious an easy going liveliness that always reminds me of sharing a pint with good friends abounds.

I sincerely believe that 20 or 30 years down the road when photographers are still using film and platinum, darkrooms and LF/ULF, Leicas and Holgas they will say that APUG was one of the things that kept traditional photography alive.

Happy New Year and Peace

 

[Flotsam]

Hear, Hear!

 

[Les McLean]

Well said Jim

 

[arigram]

Very well said indeed.

 

[BWGirl]

Eloquent, Jim! This place is totally responsible for my growth in photography (for whatever that's worth ).

Thanks for the great site, Sean, but also...thanks to the rest of you here who have shared so willingly of yourselves!

 

[eric]

Well said! This is a great site. When I registered, I was one of the early registrants. The site was slow and hard to navigate. And I was crusing during work, we had direct connections to the internet (I worked at an ISP). I stayed on for a little bit and every time I logged on, it was so hard. Then I forgot all about it. Came back to this new format (with the grey borders) and the site had grown!!!

I hope everyone has a great new year and success and may we all come back to this site next year and post a heck of a lot more pictures!!

 

[roteague]

Well written Jim, and expresses the sentiments that I feel but could never put into words. Last night, I was looking at a fresh batch of tranparencies that I got back from being developed and I noticed that there was a marked change in my work over the past several months; I had fewer rejects, and I feel that I am paying much close attention to the process of LF photography and wasting less film; all which I attribute to the inspiration of those on APUG.

 

[rbarker]

Well said, Jim. I concur that Sean is doing a great job at providing a venue in which people of varying degrees of experience can share that experience as well as their creativity, all for mutual benefit. Hats off to everyone, including the vendors who help support the effort.

 

[papagene]

This Friday evening I will hoist a glass of bubbly in Sean's honor. This site is incredible, a haven of like minded, passionate photographers.
I does thanks ya muchly!

gene

 

[photomc]

Eloquent and sums up my own feelings Jim...and Here's to You and the NEW Camera's Jim..may you be as successful as APUG.

 

[Sean]

Thanks Jim and everyone for your comments! I am also looking forward to another great year! When APUG started I was shooting 35mm, and large format seemed like something WAY beyond my grasp. The members here made me feel like anything was possible with my photography, and the strong sense of community makes me feel like someone always has my back. In just a few days I'll be shooting my first 8x10!!! I owe that to the encouragement and inspiration from the members here

Sometimes it can be a struggle to find 'admin' time for the site, yet no one has ever made me feel like it is a problem. I'd like to also thank our sponsors and members for their financial support in the running of APUG. You are such a generous bunch in so many ways, it is truly an honor to be associated with you.

Stay tuned for some 8x10 contact print scans!

 

[FrankB]

Excellent post, Jim. Very well said!

Sean, as always, many many thanks. All the very best wishes to you and your family for 2005.

 

[kwmullet]

Bravo, Jim. My sentiments as well. APUG is an excellent example of the best kind of community to be had on the Internet -- one that begins in the analog world, steps into the digital realm as a matter of communication necessity, and explodes in a rainbow of devirtualized projects that ensure APUG is one of the very most *human* places on the net.

 

[SuzanneR]

Well said Jim, and cheers to all and a big thank you to Sean. This site has been an inspiration, and a great place to learn. It's great to meet like minded folks from all over! Happy New Year evreyone!

 

[zenrhino]

This place is totally responsible for my growth in photography.

Count me in for this one. Thanks to Sean and everyone who has answered my stupid newbie questions (and hopefully will continue to answer them ) for the last couple months.

Here's to another great year!

 

[Ole]

There's "something rich and strange" about APUG: I've learned more through answering questions here than I've learned form all other sources since I started photography!

So to anyone embarrassed over "newbie questions": Some of us like answering them - as long as they're not dealing with monitor calibration and storage media like they do on all the other photo sites!

Thanks, Sean!

 

[Dave Wooten]

Amen To all of the Aove

as a new subscriber I would like to say amen to all of the above-I no longer feel like such a loner with my LF affliction.....what a support group...I so look forward to seeing even 1 or 2 "new posts since your last visit!"

Thanks Sean

Dave in Vegas

 

[John McCallum]

Well said Jim!

There are many participants here who have vast experience, and who consistently share their knowledge quietly and selflessly. This is so valuable to those that wish to use it (and there are many here at APUG). Like most here, I've received so much inspiration and technical information that has helped personally with my photography. Very grateful to those that contribute so much. Thank you.

Got a good thing going here Sean.

 

[Doug Bennett]

APUG is an excellent example of the best kind of community to be had on the Internet..........APUG is one of the very most *human* places on the net.

Amen. Thanks, Sean, and thanks everybody. The civility of discourse found here is all too rare in today's world. It's a real pleasure.

Like bwgirl said, I owe much of what I know to this site, and the incredible opportunity to pick some of the best photographic brains around the world.

 

[Jeremy]

...what he said

 

[Aggie]

Too bad we can't do a group hug!

As for stupid newbie questions? The only stupid question is one that is not asked.

 

[johnnywalker]

At the risk of repeating Jeremy, what you all said! Thanks for writing that Jim, so we can all say "Well Said, Hear, Hear, and Well Done". This site is like going to college with innumerable private tutors.
John

 

[Jeremy]

At the risk of repeating Jeremy, what you all said! Thanks for writing that Jim, so we can all say "Well Said, Hear, Hear, and Well Done". This site is like going to college with innumerable private tutors.
John

John,
I would watch what you say about this being like college, EVERY academic photography program I have ever witnessed has been a bunch of crap--and tutors are usually hand-picked by the head shovelers (profs).

disclaimer: NO, I have not visited every program and I am sure there are many good ones, but I'm speaking from personal experience.

 

[Konical]

Good Evening,

Amen to all the above. I wish this site had been available when I was just starting out; my trial/error ratio would have been much more favorable.

Konical

 

[johnnywalker]

EVERY academic photography program I have ever witnessed has been a bunch of crap--and tutors are usually hand-picked by the head shovelers (profs).

Well, at the very least no one picks our tutors for us, and sometimes we even get to pick our own!! Moreover, the tuition is extremely reasonable and no one complains about tardy assignments.

I would like to complain about the food in the cafeteria however.