Hello from Phoenix

[mgonzale]

I've been lurking for a while but I'm ready to announce that I exist I still need to find a really good avatar but since I'm an engineer the Dilbert one will have to do for now.

I live in Phoenix, AZ and like it here. I've been into photography for about 7 or 8 years now--ever since my mom bought a Canon Rebel for me in 2000 in preparation for a trip to Rome. Lately I've been shooting with my GS-1 for landscapes and my Contax G2 for miscellaneous moments. I also bought a 4x5 press camera here recently but haven't done any real shooting outside my house with that yet.

Like many of you, it's refreshing to find a group of people into film (I bet you may be tired of hearing that) but it's true. None of my other photography friends are analog, so it makes me somewhat of the oddball....which I do like. Anyway, I look forward to jumping in to some discussions from now on.

Mario

 

[Whiteymorange]

Welcome aboard, Mario. "Oddballs" make the best conversationalists; they never say what you expect them to say. Join in as soon as you feel the urge, it's a pretty engaging group for discussions. And get that press camera going. I love my Speed Graphic.

 

[BobNewYork]

Welcome Mario. You're gonna love it here.

I'm a newbie here myself - stumbled across the site at the end of December and even though I make my living, (Call this a life?) I've found lots of great information, learned a lot and, most important it truly is a community, interested in what its members are doing and helping out where they can. I have to say it's very different to another site I tried, and which keeps e-mailing me to say they miss me, where it was all insults and "one upmanship".

Enjoy.

 

[Steve Smith]

Welcome from an English oddball (and engineer).


Steve.

 

[mooseontheloose]

Welcome from another lurker who also just recently announced herself.

rachelle

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Welcome from Washington DC! There can never be too many film users out there, so just keep burning emulsion and enjoying it!

 

[mgonzale]

Thanks for the warm reception. You guys are motivating me to get my darkroom up and running again. I decided to temporarily take it down (it's my spare bathroom) when I had a party late last year.

 

[mark]

Welcome. I'm 5 hours north of you.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Spare bathrooms make good darkrooms, if you can do a little bit of planning. I used to keep my enlarger and my printing accessories on a rolling cart I could wheel in and out of the bathroom as needed, and put it away in the closet when not in use. This worked even when I had only one bathroom and had to print in MY bathroom. It's amazing what kinds of results you can produce in a minimal facility.

 

[Dinesh]

Welcome from the frigid wasteland, Toronto.

 

[Steve Smith]

No one needs a 'spare bathroom'. Convert it back immediately!


Steve.

 

[Bruce Osgood]

Welcome Mario,

Steve Smith is right. No one needs a spare bathroom. Maybe a backup bathroom (bucket?) but a bathroom that is spare is a bathroom wanting to be a darkroom.

Welcome from Brooklyn NY, home to the NY Giants -- about to be Super Bowl Heros.

 

[copake_ham]

Mario,

Welcome to APUG from NYC (right now) and, occasionally, Tucson (just down the road a bit).

 

[papagene]

Welcome from a western Massachusetts oddball. You're gonna like it here.

gene

 

[rcoda]

Welcome Mario from across town in Scottsdale!

You should go to PhotoMark ( www.photomark.com - McDowell at 20th) and talk to Rod Klukas... he's the man out here. He also teaches a large format class at Scottsdale Community College Wednesday nights at 6:00 PM. It is a great source of knowledge for beginners and veterans alike, plus we go on field trips to photograph a couple of times a semester.

 

[Dave Miller]

A warm welcome from across the sea in England. Enjoy the forum.

 

[mgonzale]

Welcome Mario from across town in Scottsdale!

You should go to PhotoMark ( www.photomark.com - McDowell at 20th) and talk to Rod Klukas... he's the man out here. He also teaches a large format class at Scottsdale Community College Wednesday nights at 6:00 PM. It is a great source of knowledge for beginners and veterans alike, plus we go on field trips to photograph a couple of times a semester.

Thanks for the tip. I didn't know there were any instructors at PhotoMark. I am glad to see they still have a decent film and chemical selection. I'm way up in North Phoenix, so I don't get down there that often, though. I thought about taking the studio photography class at SCC but decided to take a semester or two off from classes. Maybe in the summer or fall.

 

[rcoda]

Hi Mario:

I'm even further north than you :^) past Carefree.

The class is only spring an fall, FYI.

Rich

 

[Christopher Walrath]

Welcome to the forum, Mario. Make yourself at home. Stay a while.

 

[Black Dog]

Welcome to APUGland! There's always room for one more, Brother..

 

[Scott Peters]

Welcome. Rod's class is a very good class for large format, highly recommended. It is also very 'easy' from a student perspective as it is more like a 'studio' class and more 'club like in that regard. I.e. really no set projects or test. Just show work at the end of the semester...

He also works large format at photomark.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Welcome aboard APUG from north coast BC, Canada

Murray