Hello from Doylestown, Bucks County PA!

[mbmarks]

I have been an APUG member and reader for a while but not active. So I finally decided it was time to introduce myself to the APUG community!


I have been making black and white photographs since I was a kid growing up in Buffalo, NY, where I started out with a Kodak Brownie my parents gave me. Things moved into high gear when I got my first Instamatic and then my Argus C3. When I was 15 the next major step occurred – my parents let me set up my first darkroom in our small basement. There wasn’t any running water, but it got me started and there would be no turning back!


I am largely a self-taught “amateur”, having never attempted to make a living from photography. I almost decided to go to RIT for college but got cold feet. That having been said, I have been making black and white photographs and prints for over 45 years. Along the way I took a few classes as electives in college, read a lot, self discovered a lot more, made many great friends near and far and attended some interesting workshops along the way.


Several years ago I abandoned a safe existence living in the metropolitan Washington, DC area, for as some like to say “something different”, and moved to a small town that pretty much shuts down on Sunday and is barely open on Monday. I now live in Doylestown Pennsylvania, in the heart of Bucks County; an area filled with picturesque scenes, small towns and villages, yet near the Philadelphia metropolis and even New York City by train.


I recently launched a website … if you have a moment take a look and let me know what you think!

www.michaelmarksphoto.com


Many thanks in advance, and I look forward to participating in APUG!


Michael

 

[Rick A]

Howdy and welcome to the fold. I'm over in Cameron county.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Welcome to APUG

 

[mbmarks]

Many thanks!!!

 

[mbmarks]

Rick,

Pennsylvania is a large state... how far is that from Bucks CO?

 

[DWThomas]

When I read the first paragraph about parents giving a Brownie and then getting an Argus C3 I thought "gee -- I don't remember writing this!" But then, I started in Philly, not Buffalo. Anyway, welcome aboard, I'm in the next county west. My Faire Spouse and I are Michener members and I was just over to that Paul Strand exhibit a few weeks ago.

Rick A is in the northwestern quarter of the state (enh 200+ miles?); beautiful, more mountainous scenery and far less population density!

 

[mbmarks]

Dave,

I am member of the Michener as well. Rick is a little out of the way. You and I are almost neighbors! I am trying to organize a photo get together in Doylestown to talk about prints... I would love to get together if you are in this neck of the woods!

Michael

 

[winger]

Welcome! My husband and I both went to college in Bethlehem (a little N of you) - he at Lehigh, me at Moravian. Lots of great areas to shoot in your area.

 

[mbmarks]

Thanks Bethe! I am relatively new to the area, but I agree! This year I intend to do a couple of projects related to Bucks Co.

 

[mbmarks]

Dave,

Did I miss a Strand exhibit at the Michener? I saw a spectacular one at the Philadelphia Museum of Art that I wrote about on my website.

 

[DWThomas]

Dave,

Did I miss a Strand exhibit at the Michener? I saw a spectacular one at the Philadelphia Museum of Art that I wrote about on my website.

Whooops! I plead Senior Braine Farte -- it was Paul Grand at the Michener (enh -- close but no cigar) shoulda looked it up before I wrote it down. It was a show titled "Beyond the Surface." The guy spends amazing amounts of time studying, waiting for the right light, etc., etc. and occasionally rotates the final image 90º or 180 to get something he wants, typically abstracted from some architectural object. I do a newsletter for a local art club over here and usually have info in it about goings on at nearby museums. I end up seeing so much info go by I start losing track of what I saw where.

Those newsletters have become an exercise in tedium, as info that should be in it hangs in limbo to the last minute and then I'm left to scramble to try to get it out for a meeting reminder. I've been doing it for over 20 years and am more seriously making noise about it being time for someone else to take over. Apparently I've done a good enough job that others are intimidated about trying. It appears I may have to croak or become demonstrably incompetent to get out of it.

Frequently I will see info on an exhibit and note it's up for two or three months, thinking "lots of time." Next it crosses my consciousness, it closes in two days! We're members at Philly too, but getting down there is a bigger pain than Doylestown and we seem to be doing it less often. I'm quite close to the Berman Museum at Ursinus in Collegeville which occasionally has some photographic exhibits also.

I tend to be a loner, stumbling around in my own little world, but I suppose I could try attending a get-together some time. I've been retired long enough now that I seem to have more on my calendar than when I was working, but we could try.

 

[mbmarks]

I hear you Dave. I understand the loaner thing. I have been a lurker pretty much up to now. Love to get a chance to meet you and talk photography!

 

[Arklatexian]

I have been an APUG member and reader for a while but not active. So I finally decided it was time to introduce myself to the APUG community!


I have been making black and white photographs since I was a kid growing up in Buffalo, NY, where I started out with a Kodak Brownie my parents gave me. Things moved into high gear when I got my first Instamatic and then my Argus C3. When I was 15 the next major step occurred – my parents let me set up my first darkroom in our small basement. There wasn’t any running water, but it got me started and there would be no turning back!


I am largely a self-taught “amateur”, having never attempted to make a living from photography. I almost decided to go to RIT for college but got cold feet. That having been said, I have been making black and white photographs and prints for over 45 years. Along the way I took a few classes as electives in college, read a lot, self discovered a lot more, made many great friends near and far and attended some interesting workshops along the way.


Several years ago I abandoned a safe existence living in the metropolitan Washington, DC area, for as some like to say “something different”, and moved to a small town that pretty much shuts down on Sunday and is barely open on Monday. I now live in Doylestown Pennsylvania, in the heart of Bucks County; an area filled with picturesque scenes, small towns and villages, yet near the Philadelphia metropolis and even New York City by train.


I recently launched a website … if you have a moment take a look and let me know what you think!

www.michaelmarksphoto.com


Many thanks in advance, and I look forward to participating in APUG!


Michael

You probably won't be interested in this but I grew up, a "flat land foreigner in Louisiana" and figured all of Pennsylvania as dirty and smoky. Then I married, 50 years ago, a woman whose great aunt and uncle lived in Upper Black Eddy in Bucks County. We went for a visit and I was treated to one of the most photogenic regions in the USA. There are things to see and photograph all over the county and region. Welcome to APUG!....Regards!

 

[mbmarks]

Many thanks! I decided some years ago to take a weekend workshop with Michael Smith and Paula Chamlee in a place call Ottsville, located in Bucks Co. Following my GPS I drove through Doylestown. Stopped my car, called my wife and told I thought I had found where we should move to! You are right ... it is a beautiful location and I am lucky to be here now!

Best,

Michael

 

[Randalcav]

Hi Michael, welcome. I'm another Pennsylvania guy living just north of Pittsburgh in Butler, Pa. I like your website. Who are those guys on the carousel?

 

[Dali]

Welcome to APUG! I am not very far from you (Chester County).

 

[mbmarks]

Randalcav,

I lived in Pittsburgh for three years in the late 70s when I got my Masters at Pitt. I am glad you like my site!!

Here is the story about the guys on the carousel... I should write an entry about it! On Thanksgiving Day one year I was walking around downtown DC near the Smithsonian looking to take some pictures and I see these guys that are promoting some software (see the CDs in their hands!). Anyway they were pretty amusing so I hung out with them for a couple of hours. Finally we ended up at this wonderful carousel. I made a number of photos that afternoon with them but this was truly the best and one of my favorites!

Best,

Michael

 

[mbmarks]

Dali,

Many thanks! I sounds like their are a lot of APUG members nearby! Maybe we can get together sometime.

Best,

Michael

 

[mbmarks]

Pennsylvania photographers ... and anyone else,

I am most appreciative of the warm welcome and kind words I have received thus far!

It seems there are a number of you somewhat nearby.

I want to start having occasional get togethers in Doylestown at a neat coffee shop to discuss black and white film photographs we have made over a cup. I was thinking of hosting this once a month on a Sunday. As I mentioned on my site:

"Let’s get together! Yes, how about getting together to chat about our photographs and the stories behind them. What was your intent in making the photograph, what were you trying to say, was it a success? If you made your print, were there any particular challenges involved?

This is not a discussion focused on gear — the idea is to share insights, get constructive feedback, learn a few things, relax and make new friends!"

Let me know if you are interested and we can set a date!!!!

Best,

Michael

 

[DWThomas]

I left you a PM ("conversation") yesterday. Basically, my calendar is pretty much potholed with an accumulation of responsibilities since my -- uh -- "sudden retirement" in 2002, but if you pick a date, I'll try and get there if I'm not tied up.

 

[mbmarks]

Dave,

Just responded to your PM. Sorry I did't see it. Never had a PM on this forum before! How about trying to do get together on Sunday March 20th at 10am?

Anyone else interested in joining the party?

Best,

Michael

 

[DWThomas]

That should work. I work pretty intuitively so don't know how well I can explain what I do or why, but what the heck, I can try!

 

[mbmarks]

Dave,

It will be fun and I look forward to meeting you!

I hope some others will join us. I will put out the announcement on my website and Facebook page. But to reiterate, we will get together on March 20th at 10am, at the Zen Den coffee shop, located on ‪20 Donaldson Street, Doylestown, PA 18901.

If anyone wants to join in on the fun please let me know here or email or call me (please see my website).

Best,

Michael

 

[mbmarks]

Just checking in to see if anyone would like to get together on the the 20th...

Best,

Michael

 

[DWThomas]

'Tis on my calendar!

(Now to remember to look at the calendar. )