View Camera Conference

[steve simmons]

View Camera is putting on its 4th Large Format Photo Conference this year in Rockford, IL. The dates are June 9-11 for the conference but we are also scheduling activities for the 8th of June as well.

We will be doing more hands on activities this year including a wet plate workshop all day on the 8th, an all day field trip to the Il. State RR Museum on the 8th, a portrait and figure workshop the morning of the 9th, a Ziatype workshop the morning of the 9th, and a scanning workshop the morning of the 11th.

We are updating the program on our web site

http://www.viewcamera.com/pdf/2006/vc_conference_2006.pdf

as we get more specific info

There will also be a trade show (free admission) the afternoon of the 9th, all day on the 10th, and on the 11th.

It is important that we all support this effort. Last year's conference helped encourage Ilford to make their current ULF film offering so companies look to this conference to see what is happening in the large format community.


steve simmons

 

[Rlibersky]

Is anybody going to this conference? I just signed up. Would like to share the cost of a room at the hotel if anyone is interested.

 

[colrehogan]

I am attending and taking two of the workshops.

 

[Bob Carnie]

I am amazed that this Conference could not have been done within the APUG Conference.

 

[Michael Mutmansky]

Bob,

Why? It's a seperate conference with a different purpose.


I'll be there again, and plan to bring my big cameras for some shooting in the Chicago area. I'll be involved in the scanning seminar, and possibly others, but the complete list of talks hasn't been finalized yet, so I don't know which ones just yet.

I believe that many people find the conference a great opportunity to meet other LF shooters, because we all feel somewhat isolated at times, as there are so few that still shoot with a large camera. It is also a great place to see some LF gear in real life, not just in a photo on a website.


---Michael Mutmansky

 

[roteague]

I am amazed that this Conference could not have been done within the APUG Conference.

I too would have prefered a single conference, but I understand why this hasn't been done. But, given the choice between the two, I'm going to the APUG conference.

 

[Rlibersky]

I also am taking one workshop. I'll drive in on Thursday for the Friday class, then stay until Sunday.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Micheal

My amazement dates back a year and half ago when there were calls for a analoge conference on the East Coast. I remember being in contact with Steve Simmons at the time. I think both events are trying to do the same thing and one would think that both events combined would be awsome.

We decided to proceed with the APUG conference and with a bit of luck and help from a few major sponsors we think we will come out smelling like roses.
Too bad we didn't get our shit together and make in one larger venue.
What an added bonus would be to have this conference with the View Conference

 

[Michael Mutmansky]

Bob,

I think you are right, in that there could be a very good synergy if both could be held at the same time in the same place. That is the basis behind Photo Arts Santa Fe and I believe Fotofest Houston; they have multiple things going on at the same time, and the total is greater than the sum of the parts. I also think the Silver Conference would be a logical one to combine with for the same reasons.

The VC Conference isn't just analogue, however, so there would be a somewhat different market in the sense that I believe many APUG people are not interested in digital and would prefer to not see it at a conference (in a similar spirit to keeping digital off the forums here), but many VC people are interested in digital. That could be an inherent conflict that may be problematic.

I can't speak for Steve, but I do know there was pressure to have a show in the midwest, and having it out of the US is a problem for the tradeshow for various reasons related to regional coverage of distributorships, etc.

Maybe it will be possible to have them in the same location in the future.


---Michael

 

[Rlibersky]

The other problem having them in the same place would put it out of reach for some of us. The price would be more unless they were considered as separate functions. Having these in different areas also increases the possibility of getting people interested who can't go across country. I went to the first one in New Mexico. But I couldn't afford the trip to any other one. I can drive to this one in 6 hours. I'm hoping the next one is in Minneapolis, but that might be wishful thinking.

 

[jovo]

I can't speak for Steve, but I do know there was pressure to have a show in the midwest,

What's been very nice is that there's been a VC conference in the west, east and now midwest, in each of three successive years making it accessible to far more folks than repeating it on only one coast or the other or inbetween every year. I got to go to Springfield and look forward to a return to this edge eventually. It would be great if the apug conference could do the same eventually assuming it is as big a success as I presume it will be.