Maine Photographic Workshops? Anyone Else Chime In??

I have heard from one person here who has attended the Maine Photographic Workshop, but I was wondering if anyone else from here has attended.
I will be there for the "In Search of The Personal" workshop with John Goodman.
Thanks!
Brian

mtbbrian said:

I have heard from one person here who has attended the Maine Photographic Workshop, but I was wondering if anyone else from here has attended.
I will be there for the "In Search of The Personal" workshop with John Goodman.
Thanks!
Brian

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Brian,

I attended Chip Forelli’s landscape workshop the last week July, 2005. It was excellent. He has a great sense of humor and is very good at landscape photography while teaching a small group of photographers from different backgrounds. We went off to a different park on the coast each day, shot beautiful scenery, delivering our film between 5-6 PM to the darkroom. Next morning we received negatives, slides or prints developed either straight or modified to our order (N+/-1, 2). They would even touch up if you were willing to pay. Our class requested straight development so the mistakes would be more obvious. I don’t know anything about your instructor John Goodman.

The food is excellent, people rave about it, slender women complain that their clothes are getting tight by Thursday. Because everyone eats at picnic tables together one often talks to people taking equally interesting but different courses. The over all interest in photography and the arts is compelling.

There are three levels of rooms. My wife was with me taking a watercolor class in the next town. We found the best accommodations unpleasantly hot and cramped with no air conditioning at the end of July. Many more knowledgeable people booked air conditioned motels, but lost the camaraderie.

Every evening one or more of the visiting instructors gave a presentation on their work. This was interesting and excellent while being good promotion for the workshops. You arrive for John Goodman’s workshop, but you go home wanting to take three more next year. They really have good people.

My gut feeling was that 2/3s of the people were shooting digital. Our class was strictly B&W film. The Workshops offer to process film up through 4x5. We had spent the week before on Acadia. I shot 8x10 while my wife painted. I brought the 4x5 for the workshop. The head of the darkroom was quite uncomfortable with that. He said that at more than half way through the summer there had only been one other person shooting 4x5. It is hard to pace the workshop when you mix 35mm, 120mm and LF. If you shoot smaller than 4x5 you will probably be happy.

Is there something else you would like to know?

John Powers

Thanks for replying John!
I shoot 35 and MF with my Holga. The only challenge I will have, so to speak, is that I normally shoot color negative film in my Holga, so I am going to get some outdated color slide film. The labs only process B&W and E6.
I am SOOOO Looking forward to this!
Thanks!!!
Brian

I took "Intuitive Portraits" last summer with Andrea Modica. It was a great experience. Very intense, without being overwhelmingly busy. It's such a luxury having someone else soup your film every night! I've never had a class before where I didn't have to process my own film.

The best bet for a workshop, I think, is to approach it like you are making sketches. Not finished work. You'll get a lot of ideas to carry forward. I had a ton of ideas I spent the rest of the summer committing to film! Great energy coming out of there.

I was in a motel off site... not ideal at all. If you can stay right on the campus, it's way better. Also, my hubby kept the cell phone for the week, and I couldn't receive calls at the hotel... go figure? Calling out was a collosal rip off, as I discovered later. We refused to pay it... So if you are in one of those off site motels DON'T USE THE PHONE!!

John Goodman is a great photographer. Have a fun week, it's well worth it.

Thanks for the info Suzanne!
I'll be staying in their "standard accommodations". Which I guess is on campus?
Brian

Brian,

Everything on campus is a short walk. There were some who had flown in from far away and felt a bit stranded without a car. Rental cars are available but a bit steep. As mentioned above my wife commuted to Rockland every day for a water color workshop. We had an SUV, but I needed it for the daily field trips in the landscape workshop. The timing was too intense for me to take her over and then catch up with my class. We found it cheaper and easier to use cab service for her trips.

I think with your enthusiasm you will have a great time. The Director points out at the start that as with most things this will be as rewarding as you make it. All the tools are there and if you go in "SOOOO excited", you will come out happy, exhausted and with the million ideas you want to try.

John Powers

Thanks again John!
Is it July yet?

Brian

John Googman is a great teacher. Tell him I said hello.

Wow, talk about a blast from the past...

I haven't been to MPW in twenty-five years, but the best place to stay back then was what's called "the main house". It's a three-story affair, with two private bedrooms on the second floor, and two "group" rooms (one for men, one for women) on the top floor. Each of the group rooms has (or had) three beds.

What made the main house the best place to be is that that's where the kitchen is (or was). Some classes and meetings were also held there.

I'm sure it's all very different now, so my recollections probably aren't of much use to you.

In 2004 I took the workshop "Psychological Portraits" with Antonin Kratochvil. It was -no hyperbole- a life-changing experience. Our class became an extended family as we learned together, ate together, consoled each other after K's brutal critiques, and really bonded with each other. One classmate has become a best friend; I still keep in touch with several others, and we still share our successes and trials.
I'm 55 years old, and this workshop was one of the major experiences of my life. Your mileage may vary. But don't miss anything, including David Lyman's lectures.
I'd go again if I could come up with the money.

--Eddy

eddym said:

In 2004 I took the workshop "Psychological Portraits" with Antonin Kratochvil. It was -no hyperbole- a life-changing experience. Our class became an extended family as we learned together, ate together, consoled each other after K's brutal critiques, and really bonded with each other. One classmate has become a best friend; I still keep in touch with several others, and we still share our successes and trials.
I'm 55 years old, and this workshop was one of the major experiences of my life. Your mileage may vary. But don't miss anything, including David Lyman's lectures.
I'd go again if I could come up with the money.

--Eddy

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Eddy,
Thanks for your information.
I am hopeful that my expreience will be similiar.
I am extremly fortunate, I have been awarded a scholarship to attend.
One thing I am looking forward to the most is being critiqued at such a high level.
Brian