October 9-10 Open House in NH

I’ve been invited to be one of 25 artists on the Fall Foliage Art Studio Tour here in southwestern New Hampshire on Saturday and Sunday, October 9 and 10. Sounds like an excuse for a party!

I’ll open my “studio” to visitors, with traditional prints on display (“Brooks Jensen” or “inventory reduction pricing”: $25 each for 5x7 or 8x10 mounted black and white prints), but that doesn’t feel like enough, so here’s an invitation to photographers who might like to visit. We’ll have good food, lots to photograph on my land (147 acres of New England woods and rock walls, on what is traditionally the peak fall foliage weekend here). I’ll also have maps to nearby places to photograph. Come try an 8x10, or try large format. I’ll have cameras and film (2 - 8x10s: Norma and Alice,my Sinar and Ritter, and 4x5 Baby Wista). Have a look at my darkroom and “studio” space. Maybe we can induce visitors to pose for a large format portraits. Moses, my African Gray Parrot, is excited, too.

I’ll have a video/CD sale:
“Camera Repair in the Field with Richard Ritter” DVD video, normally $24, on sale for $15.
“The Richard Ritter Ultra-Large Format Camera Owners Manual” DVD video, normally $15, on sale for $12.
“Finely Focused: Mechanics and Creativity in Large Format Photography,” 309 pages on CD-ROM, normally $25, on sale for $20.
“Swanzey Rural Character,” the award-winning documentary, $5.

Richard Ritter’s on board to be here. I can probably convince him to bring over one of his ULF’s for folks to put hands on. He thinks he may have an 11x14, too.

Come hang out, swap stories, compare cameras, try something new, but mostly, have a good time, eat, drink and be merry. Hope to see you. And if anyone has more ideas for what we could do, let me know.

Sounds like FUN!!!!

More ideas???? Inside joke here: Somehow an ox roping competition comes to mind....

Don't know if I'll be able to make it, but the dates are marked on the calendar.

Got it marked on my calendar, ox roping sounds good

I've penciled it in...

me too!!

what about those oxen??

I will be there cant wait should be a great time

I have to wait on my school schedule before committing but just a word to anyone on the fence. If you haven't experienced the particular blend of generosity and know how that Bruce and Richard Ritter can put together at a gathering, you owe it to yourself to come to this. You'll learn scads of stuff - and never realize you're doing it through the laughter. Good people.

I'm getting really excited about all this!

I don't think the "boys" (bovine variety) will be here then - they're pastured a mile away for the summer. But maybe. Richard has the great picture of our boys as babies chained to a bulldozer in our front field trying to pull it. It's posted somewhere on the net, and is very funny.

Whitey! What kind words!

We are, in fact, trying to sneak in experiences that will maybe convey some knowledge, or at least experience. At very least, I'm going to pony up some loaded 8x10 holders so folks can try 8x10. I like the idea of a portrait clinic, or at least, maybe, a 4x5 and holders for that, maybe 8x10. Not to mention that I'm finally getting serious about making pictures on my own land. I've even labeled the binder for the negs and proofs: "My House." 8x10s, with one idea I want to do that will be 5x7s. There's plenty of photographic fodder here, if you like trees and rocks. And remember, it's peak colors.

If nothing else, it's a chance to play with Richard's big cameras, and learn why I love mine so much.

Someone asked me to email him a schedule. I blinched at the thought of having a schedule, but maybe that's not such a bad idea. I'll mull it over and talk to Richard.

We'll have good chow, too. Guaranteed. As I have learned, I am among those photographers who are also pretty good cooks. All that I know are pretty accomplished eaters. A photographer runs on his stomach, I guess.

Putting it on the calendar... sounds fun!

There are a lot of places to photograph near by. Bruce's yard is loaded with great places to photograph. Help Bruce find then.

Sounds like fun... the "good ole times."

Events are coming together for the Open House. I have a gallery area with about 26 feet of display space and excellent lighting. That space will be available for guests to show their work on a rotating basis, so bring prints! I’ll have enough room in the adjacent space for my work.

The subtitle might be “The Richard Ritter Camera Extravaganza,” because we’ll have, at least, 3 Ritter 8x10s, 2 Ritter 7x17s, and whatever else Richard has lying around. We’ll have them all on tripods with lenses for folks to touch. I’m trying to figure out a way for folks to make 8x10 exposures, too. Stay tuned, and if anyone has ideas other than resurrecting Polaroid, please pass them along.

More to come, and if anyone has other ideas, let me know.

BBarlow690 said:

The subtitle might be “The Richard Ritter Camera Extravaganza,” because we’ll have, at least, 3 Ritter 8x10s, 2 Ritter 7x17s, and whatever else Richard has lying around. We’ll have them all on tripods with lenses for folks to touch. I’m trying to figure out a way for folks to make 8x10 exposures, too.

Click to expand...

With tongue firmly planted in cheek.......

Oh sure, those 8x10 guys get all the attention....how come you aren't trying to "figger" out a way for folks to make 7x17 exposures

OK, so you point an 8x10 at some of those magnificent rocks on your property, load some film holders with finished photographs of the same image. Let the participants look at the ground glass, put the film holder in the camera and make an exposure. You then have them pull the holder from the camera and remove the darkslide to reveal the finished, toned, signed photograph. Sure beats digital

Or, tell Richard to manufacure some 4x5 cameras and I'll bring a couple polaroid holders and some polaroid film for them to shoot

Sorry Bruce, but I have no practical solutions to offer

My darkroom ain't big enough to develop 7x17s. Size matters.

I'm trying to imagine the response of folks when I open the holder and reveal a finished print. Most likely priceless. That might be fun.

Bringing this back up to the forefront.... Time is drawing near (the wife is on board to "let" me go...so I might make it)
Some questions:
1. Do you have an approx. cost...? If we're shooting an 8x10...and keeping the neg, then there is a cost! If there is food and drink, there is cost.
2. How about staying overnight.....is there room to spread out a "bag?" ...or are there cabins around?
...ok to sleep in a car outside your door?
3. Any experts up there on interior lighting for architectural interiors?
4. What else.....?

drew

Some questions, and some answers:

1. Do you have an approx. cost...? If we're shooting an 8x10...and keeping the neg, then there is a cost! If there is food and drink, there is cost.

I’m not sure about using 8x10… I think I’ve figured out how to let folks make exposures, but may go with Norma’s 5x7 back (for the Fine Focus Workshops “Cone Exercise”), and Baby Wista 4x5 (for portraits). I’m gonna keep the 5x7 negs, but I’ll mail you a decent print fer free. Ditto 4x5. I’m open to parting with negs, but for ease I’ll develop them, since I really don’t have a sense of how to hand you an undeveloped neg as a take-out item. I’d be happy with $3 per 4x5 (includes developing, proofing, and postage), $4 for a 5x7, I think. Subject to change. 5x7 and 4x5, if I’m absorbing film cost, keeps it more reasonable for me. Let me think about 8x10. We’ll have enough cameras, that’s for sure.

You’re certainly welcome to BYO holders and film.

It’s my party, so I supply the chow. That’s part of my fun.

So it would be easy to hang out for two days, eat well, show your work, and have it all for free.


2. How about staying overnight.....is there room to spread out a "bag?" ...or are there cabins around?

No bags here, sorry. “Cabins”? We’re not quite that rustic. There’s a really nice (and reasonably-priced) B&B nearby. Campgrounds, too (but don’t know if they’ll be open that late in the season). Keene hotels and motels are really expensive. You’d be better off at Motel 6 in Brattleboro (25 minutes away, and a workshop favorite place). Remember, this is peak fall color weekend around here, so reservations might be challenging, and costs higher than other times.


...ok to sleep in a car outside your door?

Nope. I have enough to cope with, and cars and bags and tents imply bathrooms and hospitality that I have to courteously decline to supply outside of roughly the open house hours. No, no digging latrines, either. No, I won’t rent a Porta-Potty. While the open house hours are officially 10 to 5, I’ve got cooking and cleaning and arranging to do, which will keep my wife and I quite busy enough, thank you.


3. Any experts up there on interior lighting for architectural interiors?

Certainly not me, and having people wandering all over the house is probably also off limits. I don’t own lights. The garage is full of winter hay for the steers.

Remember, I’m opening up my house to a fairly large number of people I don’t know. Many are photographers, many more won’t be, and, unlike the photographers, of undetermined honesty.


4. What else.....?

Be kind to your host. This is supposedly only an “art tour” designed to bring civilians to my place, ostensibly to buy my work. Having little confidence that this is a money-making deal, I’ve gone the extra steps to make it into the “Photography Extravaganza,” with the help of other folks, in order to have more fun than I might, meet good folks, and do something maybe worthwhile. It’s also a chance for Richard to strut his camera stuff, and I’d like to help him do that. It’s also an excuse to get John Bowen, a good friend, up here, which is worth almost any amount of hassle.

That said, I was told I was crazy when I was in an art show in Keene last year and brought all three LF cameras just for display. It worked out fine. This is a quantum leap beyond, and I think we can make all three rings of the circus work. But as Ringmaster, I need to be able to set, and even change, the rules without hard feelings.

So, that’s current thinking. Three weeks! Egad!

1. thought someone said we (those dropping in) could shoot w/an 8x10... I have a 4x5...so I'm all set, thanks.
2. We'll be kind...

1. Well, I didn't say so previously. Mr. Bowen planted tongue in cheek and gave a delightful idea. I think I can figure it out. As I said, I've got it sorted out with 5x7 and 4x5. Let me think on it
2. Thank you. I've resisted using my favorite phrase, "Goat Rodeo," because it implies a negative connotation I don't at all intend. I think it's going to be a really good time. But a lot of work.

Weather's looking good: partly cloudy and low 60s.

Directions can be found here: http://sitekreator.com/fallfoilage/main_page.html

Hope to see you either or both days!