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kreig
9-Aug-2004, 14:56
It appears there is plenty of interest in forming a large format group located waaaay out west in the Washington/Oregon/British Columbia area. I would like to make the suggestion that we form a group, choose a location for meetings and determine our purpose and goals.

Because of my personal schedule, which takes me out of the country, I will suggest a meeting date of: Saturday, November 6, 2004

Location: Seattle WA.

Meeting place: To be determined. I don’t live in Seattle so will need the help of someone interested in securing a location.

Schedule: Our first meeting can be anything we want; however I might suggest the following:

November 6 (One day) or November 6-7 (For two day)

8:00-9:00 Registration (hopefully free)

9:00-10:00 General meeting for organization, goals, future meetings and a general open discussion forum.

11:00-12:00 Presentation (Speaker or demonstration)

12:00-1:00 Lunch, on your own.

1:00-2:00 Presentation (Speaker or Demonstration)

2:00-4:00 Presentation (Speaker or Demonstration)

4:00-5:00 Open forum

November 7 Field trip or other LF related activity.

This meeting date and schedule is just a proposal and subject to change depending on input from those planning to attend.

I would think the purpose for such a group would be an opportunity to communicate with other LF users, educational, instructional, and social.

I would also make the recommendation that the group could meet bi-monthly or quarterly. The meetings could be rotated to different locations throughout the year.

A suggestion:

January: Seattle

March: Vancouver, BC

May: Portland

July: Seattle

September: Vancouver, BC

November: Portland

This would give each of us two meetings to attend during the year if you live close to one of these cities, and up to six meetings a year for those who are willing to travel to different cities or country.

We will need:

Someone to locate a facility for our use. Since this could be considered an educational meeting, maybe the use of a room or two at a community college would be a good choice with parking and related facilitates. Coffee shops sound great with all the free coffee and lattes we can drink, but not sure about the room needed for meetings and equipment.

Someone to line up speakers or demonstrations.

Someone for advertising and the possibility of some support from the local LF outlets.

None of these jobs are very big, and easily accomplished.

You can contact me direct at my email address or here on the LF group discussion board.

Thanks.

Paul Butzi
9-Aug-2004, 15:03
Well, if we're taking a straw poll, count me in as trying to arrange to attend.

Dave Benfer
9-Aug-2004, 15:29
i can't make the 6 Nov meeting. I am free the following 2 Saturdays. I think this is going to be one of the more challenging tasks. Putting out dates, and seeing who'll be able to attend.

Dave

Kirk Keyes
9-Aug-2004, 17:27
Hi,

I'm in Portland, and interested in your idea.

In case anyone is interested , 3 other guys and myself have already formed a Large Format Users Group in Portland and we meet monthly - our next meeting is tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Lucky Lab Pub in SE Portland, starting around 5PM and usually running until about 7PM.

I'm afriad that I will not be able to make the meeting tomorrow, but the other 3 will. If anyone is interested, swing on by and introduce yourself. We usually sit at the south entrance near the darts area. Bring your camera, bring prints, bring ideas and thoughts. No requirements for the meeting, just and interest in large format photography - it's pretty informal.

Krieg - Keep us informed on your plans.

Kirk

Ben Hopson
9-Aug-2004, 19:44
I am located in Olalla, WA and the proposal sounds good. I have plans however to be at Zion from Oct. 31 - late in the day Nov. 6 so I can't make it that weekend. I will try to attend the next gathering.

Kirk Keyes
10-Aug-2004, 08:52
Update - The Portland meeting I mentioned above for tonight (Tuesday) has been cancelled. Next meeting is scheduled for the second Tuesday of September... Contact me if you have any questions.

Kirk

ronald lamarsh
10-Aug-2004, 09:23
Sounds like a wonderful idea you can count me in. I am actually in the Seattle area and scount around for a meeting place. I'm thinking a meeting room in a public library would be good, let me know what you think out there.

Deniz
10-Aug-2004, 10:31
Hello from Abbotsford,BC

I am very interested in this idea. Maybe for the Vancouver,BC meeting we could use the community center here in abbotsford which the local Photography Club uses dor the meetings. And Abbotsford is right by the border so coming in and out of US is easier.

cheers

Saulius
10-Aug-2004, 19:16
Hello Dave. First thanks for taking the lead in this possible group formation. I am tentatively interested, depending on how things develop. For the annual get togethers, for me to make it worth the while to travel to Portland or the other proposed locations there would have to be something on the agenda of real interest to me. It's a 3 1/2 hr drive from my town to Portland and of course even farther to the other mentioned locations. Depending on what we want to accomplish on these annual meetings a place like a library or coffee house may not be a great choice. If you intend to have people bring their cameras, portfolios or a few images to share, critique of images, have a more experienced member give a talk on some aspect of LF photography, etc a less public venue may be more appropriate with space to lay out all that stuff. Of course if these meetings are just to be an informal way of meeting one another in person such venues may be appropriate.

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. I am at this point assuming most of the photographers are interested in landscape photographing, which may or may not be the case. A suggestion might be once you've gotten a list together of prospective members email out a questionnaire and share the replies with all the members. It would give us a better idea of what encompasses the group and give us and idea of where to head with the group. What kind of equipment people use, subject matter, experience, what we would most like to accomplish with the group, and so forth.

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

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). Just a thought. :) Keep me posted.

Saulius
10-Aug-2004, 19:21
Sorry, I meant Kreig at the begining of my previous response.

ronald lamarsh
10-Aug-2004, 19:47
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
10-Aug-2004, 20:34
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
11-Aug-2004, 11:45
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
11-Aug-2004, 16:56
Please count me in, I am from Vancouver,BC

Kerry L. Thalmann
11-Aug-2004, 17:11
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
12-Aug-2004, 01:07
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
12-Aug-2004, 09:43
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.