Large Format Photo Conference

[steve simmons]

We are updating our program for the Large Format Conference. We are still interested in receiving feedback on the panels and field trips. We are placing the names of presenters on the panels so attendees will know who they are. The program is on our web site.

If you have suggestions please let us know.

thanks

steve simmons www.viewcamera.com

[MIke Sherck]

How about holding it someplace a little easier for midwesterners to get to? :)

Mike

[David Brubaker]

I second the midwest request! Chicago would be ideal!

[Robert A. Zeichner]

Yes, Chicago does sound good.

[steve simmons]

I have made a tentative promise to hold the next one east of the Mississippi. But, where

what town/city what facility

I just don't know that part of the country as well.

But for this one Monterey seems such a natural.

steve

[David F. Stein]

Lexington, KY; Branson, MO.

[Gem Singer]

Hi Steve,

Anywhere you decide to hold the next LF Conference will be fine with me, providing it is in a location that is convenient to a major airport and has an abundance of hotel rooms. Monterey just doesn't meet those criterion. I really wanted to attend the upcoming conference in April, but it's just too difficult for me to get there.

[Ryan M]

I second somplace in kentucky, just because I live in paducah. Its gorgeous here with Kentucky and Barkley lakes and a pretty big art community. Lexington is also a good midwestern, southern city with plenty of hotels.

[Michael Kadillak]

I second Eugene's comments about logistics for the upcoming event. Looked into it and all I got was a hard time from a rental car to a hotel. I made the Albuquerque and Sanfe Fe conference, but this one is just not in the cards.

As a suggestion, how about a conference in Denver? With a major airport in DIA and plenty of airfare competition and the continental divide only an hour away, it would seem a logical place for attendees from either coast and the Midwest. A basic criteria would seem to work for this objective. It has to be accessable from an attractive net cost to the participant. The generic appeal/perspective of the location also has much to do with attracting participants. Just my $0.02.

[steve simmons]

You can fly to San Jose and rent a car for the 75 minute drive. San Jose is served by most major airlines.

I have thought about Denver for the next one. Is that far enough east?

steve

[Timothy Dunford]

Hey, what about New Orleans?

[Tom Westbrook]

No, Steve, Denver is not far enough east. I'd think somewhere around the Appalachians would be nice if you need distractions external to the conference. Avoid doing it in high summer though, if held in the South. I would vote for somewhere in Minnesota/Wisconsin area for purely selfish reasons (Duluth would be cool, but about as easy as Monerey to get to).

[Joe Lipka]

Way up near the top some one suggested Chicago. A real good site based on easy air access, plenty of hotels and a big photography community. The folks from Calumet certainly wouldn't have to travel far.....

[Mark Houtzager]

Albuquerque was manageable thanks to the kind hotel shuttle drivers. I decided not to attend this year because of the long haul and logistics. It should not cost me a fortune to get to the chosen location. Therefore, another vote for Chicago.

Mark from NYC

[Ben Calwell]

How about Columbus, Ohio? Or Cincinnati? Both within easy drives of where I live.

[Brian Ellis]

Since everyone is suggesting the place where they live or a place very convenient to where they live (what a surprise), I vote for Tampa because that's where I live. Bartow, Mulberry, or Lakeland would be o.k. too, I can get to them in less than a half hour. Winter Haven, Polk City, and Davenport are reasonably close - about an hour from me - so I'd probably attend despite the long drive if it was held in any of those places, but Tampa is really the best place for me so please hold it there.

[David Richhart]

I'm with you Ben, or maybe Dayton... Draw a 300 mile circle on the map with Dayton as the center point and you will be amazed.

For it's size Dayton is well prepared to host major events. Hara Arena would be ideal, located on the corner of Interstate 70 and Interstate 75. Hara Arena is capable of handling small groups, or 28,000 people if necessary. Browse around the website of the Dayton Hamvention to see what I mean.---> http://www.hamvention.org/

[Ed Eubanks]

Why not St. Louis? Major city, major airlines, major accommodations and conference facilities. Not far from Chicago (4 hours) but not far from Kentucky (6 hours) or Tennessee (5 hours). BARELY west of the Mississippi, so it (almost) meets that requirement. As for extracurricular distractions, the Ozarks are 1 hour away; the Arch is always fun; there are a number of parks nearby; the Cathedral Basilica is fantastic; Lake Carlyle and Lake St. Louis, as well as the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, offer plenty of waterfront opportunities. (There are also pro baseball, football, and hockey games at any given time of the year.)
Sounds ideal to me. (And it doesn't hurt that I live in St. Louis...)

[David A. Goldfarb]

I think St. Louis is a neat place if you have a car and can wander around, but having been there for a conference once without a car and being stuck in that area near the arch where all the big hotels are, it can be kind of desolate. Fortunately, a friend of mine had a car and we were able to get to the St. Louis art museum, which has an incredible collection of work by the German Expressionists, particularly Max Beckmann, as well as some impressive work by some more recent German artists, including a few very large pieces by Anselm Kiefer that would be so complicated to move that it is unlikely one would have any other opportunity to see them.

[Paul Metcalf]

Steve- Nope, no suggestions as to locations for follow-on conferences from me. As far as this coming year's conference, will there be a room or such at the conference where attendee's can place some of their prints for general showing? This was a nice feature at last year's conference to allow photographers to get some exposure within the community outside of a formal portfolio review. Comments and suggestions from peers was one of the things I particularly enjoyed. I would think the room would need to be somewhat controlled (e.g. inside the conference area) to avoid non-conference attendees from "helping themselves." Thanks.

[Dave Mueller]

You'll never please everyone with the location. How about moving it 1 time zone Eastward each year? Monteray, then Denver, then Chicago or St. Louis, then Pittsburgh or Raleigh... Personally, I would prefer smaller cities over places like Chicago.

[tim o'brien]

I 'spect I'll have to make it this year. Monterey, eh?

Ghosts of Weston looming in the soft Pacific sea mist.

tim in san jose

[QT Luong]

I don't understand what are the logistics problem with Monterey. Sure, you have to rent a car and drive 90min to get there, but isn't that neglectible compared to other aspects of travel ? If you take the time to fly across the country, you might as well go to a nice place where you'll enjoy spending a few days, and for sure Monterey is, both in terms of scenery and history of LF photography. About five years ago, my institute organized a scientific conference in Monterey with several hundred attendees, quite a few from foreign countries. We could have picked up any location in the greater SF bay area, but determined that this was the nicest one.

[Michael Kadillak]

California may be a perfectly acceptable lifestyle for many but when you have been raised in rural Montana or for that matter many of the other less populated areas in the Midwest or the East, entering the vast concrete jungle can be a very intimidating event. Unfortunately, when I think of large format I inherently think of vast wilderness areas devoid of carbon monoxide fumes and six lane highways, but maybe that is just me. I have been to California on business and to visit and I easily spend 30- 40% or more there than when I travel to other parts of the US. I realize that at one time it was an instrumental part of the history of large format photography, but it is a whole lot easier to read about it and wait for the local museum to host the exhibit that display the results and that is strictly from my point of view. There are so many marvelous places to explore out West that are off of the beaten path that I chose to allocate my resources in that direction. In Albuquerque or Sante Fe a short drive literally in any direction was extremely fruitfull from a photographic perspective. With a general perspective that much of the nice property along the cost of California is privately owned, I would not know if that would be the case in Monteray or in the adjacent area. Have a great time at the conference!

[Leland Smith]

Hi Steve,

I would like to put in a vote for the Dallas, Fort Worth area. Since this is a hub area for many airlines the prices are quite reasonable and they are many great photo ops. We have the beautiful Piney woods east of Dallas and the great Southwest begining just west of Fort Worth. In between you have some great architecual opportunities.

[David Richhart]

I know that Monterey is a lovely location, I have seen millions of
photographs of that area. It is not necessarily just the logistics of getting there.
Not everyone can afford a week from work,
the cost of an airline ticket, car rental, hotel, and other expenses.

If you are trying to reach out to a multitude of photographers and share
ideas I think moving around the country makes a lot of sense. Give the
average guy trying to learn and to create good photographs a chance to
participate once every few years without busting the budget. Occasionally allow the
smaller retailers around the country a chance to get involved closer to home.
We all know they need all the help they can get. California might be the
center of someone’s universe but it is not mine. (Neither is New York)

I am sure my fellow LF photographers from across the midwest, the
south, the great plains, the Atlantic states, and indeed the rest of the world, will join me in
wishing you well. But don’t forget that we invest a great deal of time, effort,
and money into LF photography also.

[steve simmons]

Yes, there will be a room for print sharing for much of the conference. I agree that this is a good idea. The program schedule is on our web site

www.viewcamera.com

steve

[Bruce Watson]

We are updating our program for the Large Format Conference. We are still interested in receiving feedback on the panels and field trips.

Hell Steve, you can't get the feedback you are asking for here. None of us can read!

Clearly, the only feedback we seem capable of is telling you what city we live in/near. Me? I think it's your darn conference. Have it where you want.

[Merg Ross]

My question is, what are the expectations of those who might attend a "Large Format Conference?"

[Pete Watkins]

Is this website only for inhabitants of the Colonies or can residents of the UK take part? Pete

[David A. Goldfarb]

Hey, it's cheaper for me to fly New York to London in general than to most U.S. destinations. I'd be up for a UK LF Conference.

[steve simmons]

My question is, what are the expectations of those who might attend a "Large Format Conference?"

--Merg Ross, 2003-12-12 20:55:33

This is really what I was asking - questions about the program rather than the location. So, take a look at the program and let me know what you think.

I do understand the interest in looking for a place a little more east than Albuquerque.

In looking for a location I would like as many of the following as possible

a history of lf activity in the area, good local presenters, a place with other things to do for the family, places in the area to go and photograph, a facility to hold the conference, and a population base within driving distance to pull from.

Chicago is a good idea but I might be a little concerned about the expense. This is why we chose the off-season for Monterey. Monterey has a great hx of lf activity, a lot of good local people to be on the panels, good places to photograph, and plenty for the family to do, and a population base within driving distance. San Jose is a destination for most airlines and is only 75 minutes from Monterey.

For the next conference someplace in North Carolina would be good but I just do not know where.

steve simmons

[Jim Galli]

Reno. If the conference gets boring you can always add to our Nevada econnomy via the slots.

[David Richhart]

I read your program schedule and it looks like a very interesting and busy weekend. The cost of admission for the conference seems reasonable too. It is just the cost of travelling that gets prohibitive.

If you do decide to travel east for future meetings I think you would do well to contact Sally Mann and Emmett Gowin as possible guests. Gowin could keep an audience spellbound for an entire weekend by himself.

[John Kasaian]

I'm looking forward to the conference as an opportunity to meet with others, get some feedback on my projects, do a little landscape shooting, see some great photographs, listen and learn something from the Pros. I live in vacume when it comes to LF photography and I'm self taught out of neccesity, so I'm interested in learning from others, as well as getting some kind of idea as to if my own prints are worth trying to exhibit(and how best to go about it) or if I need more "incubation."

[Mark Minard]

How about Gettysburg, PA.?? For photo ops - you've got the Amish country in nearby Lancaster, not to mention the battlefields and history of Gettysburg. Lodging is very reasonable - and "General Pickett's Buffet" puts out quite a spread!

[Mark Minard]

Hey John -

I know what you mean about feeling as if you're operating in a vacuum - I'm at the point now where I'm considering spending $600.00 for one of Michael Smith's workshops, just to get an idea on how other's work. I've been shooting with a Rollei TLR for years but have just purchased a Deardorff 8X10 with a 12" Commercial Ektar. I'm hoping to get started with it this spring.

[e]

Monterey sounds like the perfect place! You might want to consider Aspen CO in the future too...doesnt get better than this for beauty and accessability.

[Francis Abad]

Mark,

There is nothing like working with an 8x10. I am definitely going larger, to 12x20 at least. The AZO contacts are astounding. And easy to make once you get the hang of it. The resulting prints are the best in the silver process I have ever made.

[John Kasaian]

FWIW, Monterey is not only an easy drive from San Jose, but San Francisco and Oakland as well if you can avoid rush hour---Oakland I think is served by Southwest and Alaska which are noted for their low fares. The coast between S.F. and Monterey, while not Big Sur(which is almost unavoidable if you're coming up from LA,) still presents some spectacular scenery.

[Chris Mallison]

If you're considering North Carolina (for next year) Asheville is awful hard to beat. Big enough to have many motels and small enough not to intimidate. Excellent access to the mountains, waterfalls, Blue Ridge Parkway, etc. Artsy kinda town, southern style. PS - I don't live there!

[Bill_1856]

Monteray should be nice. I'll just have Clint send a car from The Inn to meet me when the Learjet sets down. It's a great place to hit a few holes between the meetings and lectures.

[Raquel]

I say Chicago because we have an abundance of photographers and "photo people" in this small region alone. In terms of getting here, we have two major airports and LOADS of hotels. If the next conference is also held in the Spring, airfare and lodgings will also be pretty cheap. We're somewhat like the forgotten city- lots of heart, plenty of enthusiasm (especially in the younger crowd of newbie photographers like me), but we're a bit quiet when it comes to conventions because the best conferences, workshops, etc. tend to be in New York or Cali. Chicago please.