WWLFG (WesternWashington Large Format Group)

[ronald lamarsh]

Kreig

I'm in the Seattle area and am willing to help secure a location, is thee anyone else in Seattle willing and able to do so also? If so send me an e-mail and maybe we can't get together at a Starbucks or something and make plans.

[Jim Ewins]

I'm certainly interested. I live on Queen Anne in a small house. If the number was less than ten we could meet here at some time. My darkroom is a 2 person at best (one wet, one dry) I'll be traveling most of the time til late October but Nov 6 would possibly work. My e-mails will be forwarded. Jim

[Dave Benfer]

I am compiling a mailing list for the PNWLFG (Pacific North West Large Format Group). If you've posted a response on this thread or the one on the main board, I have added your name to the list. If you have not posted, and would like to be included on the mailing list, please either email me directly (by clicking on my name at the bottom of this post, and following the instructions to contact me) OR just respond to either this thread, or the one on the main board, with a short message like "include me on the mailing list" and your email address will be added. I will send all 20 of the people interested in the PNWLFG an email with the entire list in the next couple of days to allow any straglers time to contact me.

[chi cheung]

Please count me in, I am from Vancouver,BC

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

I'd be more apt to show up to meetings at various outdoor locations for photo-trips throughout the year. Be it the Oregon Coast, Cascade Mountains in OR or WA or somewhere in BC etc.

Saulius,

This is similar in concept to another group I participate in. The group is not large format specific and started out on the Compuserve Nature Photo Forum 10 years ago. We call our get togethers Western Gatherings (WGs for short). They typically take place over a four day weekend in a scenic location. To date we've had 20 WGs in locations ranging from the Canadian Rockies to Death Valley. I've attended 11 of them - all were great fun. We have regular members from BC, WA. OR and CA. More info, including a photo gallery of past WGs can be found at:

http://home.comcast.net/~wgphoto/

</i>I also think creating a yahoo group or web site is a good idea and way to disperse and share information.</i>

The WG group started out on Compuserve, we moved to eGroups, who was then swallowed up by Yahoo. We use the polling feature to vote on dates and locations for future WGs and generally keep in touch with each other through the Yahoo discusion group.

One last note, since you propose having members from other areas outside of Washington State, and may have meetings in Oregon and British Columbia maybe a different group name would be more appropriate. Something like PNWLFG (Pacific Northwest Large Format Group).

The WG group has members spread out from Vancouver, BC all the way down to San Diego. At one point there was talk about splitting into two groups, but in the end we kept it together. Due to the distances involved, busy schedules, etc., it's not possible for everyone to attend all the WGs, but there are a handful of dedictaed regulars who attend most of the WGs and keep the concept alive. Others attend when and where they can. I've made some good friends through my participation in this group (I call them my WG familay), had a lot of fun, and even made some good photographs at the WGs I've attended.

I'm not sure if this is what folks are looking for in a PNW large format users group, but it's one example of a successful group of diverse photographers who have been getting together for 10 years.

Kerry

[Jonathan Kott]

Count me in, please put me on the mailing list. I live near Seattle when I'm not at home in Chengdu, and I'll happen to be in the Seattle area this Nov.

[Dave Benfer]

Mr Thalmann, I think the Yahoo Group is a superb idea, and the idea about a website is an excellent way to make infomation availible to ALL. I have some website building skills, but in no way am I a professional sitebuilder. I was a member of the Large Format Yahoo group for many years, and I found it helpful during my "fledgling" years in LF. I have zero experience starting a Yahoo Group, but will research it.