Looking for a guest speaker in Montréal, QC

My photo club is currently looking fot guest speakers for its 2004-2005 season. I suggested that we invite a local LF artist, but frankly, I don't know any. Our club, which has been in existence for 30 years now, is exclusively dedicated to B&W work, with some alt processes and slide work as well. Most people are 35 mm shooters with a few MF and two LF shooters. All are familiar with wet darkroom work.

The candidate must be able to lecture us in French. Our club is in Saint-Lambert (south shore of Montréal). Ideally, he should also:

- have a strong artistic vision
- have some compelling reason to use LF in his work
- have some fine B&W prints to show
- be a good public speaker
- be able to show us some LF gear.

Our guest lecturers receive a modest, but real amount of money for their time. If you are interested or know a possible candidate, drop me a note at pgauth@cam.org.

There are a number of accomplished large format artists in Montreal. Gabor Szilasi (483 Grosvenor Ave, Westmount, Quebec H3Y 2S5 Bus: (514) 932-6688, Home: (514) 932-6688) is one. David miller is another. I'm not sure how well they speak French. The photo curators/archivists at the Canadian Centre for Architecture should be able to give you these and other names.

I live not too far away in New Hampshire. I have made tests of ten different black and white papers in eleven different developers and have all the prints (over 400). It is a fun exercise to have your group first choose your favorite paper, and then your favorite developer and developing time. I'd love to come to Montreal and do that with your group.

French language would be tough, but there's not much of a lecture. I can bring many fine black and white prints, and 4x5 and 8x10 cameras in addition to the tests. If my expenses were covered, I'd be happy. I just did this at the Large Format Conference in Monterey, and it was well received.

If interested, please contact me.

Bruce

I too had Gabor Szilasi and David Miller in mind for you. There is also David Miller's wife, Clara Gutsche who is a wonderful photographer as well. You could also think of Robert Fournier (who studied with Ansel Adams) http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/k16305/mapage.html . Other than that, I don't really know of any others off hand.

David, Daniel: thanks for tips. I'll explore your recommendations. And I didn't know that any photographer here was wealthy enough to live in Westmount!

Bruce. I'll discuss this possibility with some fellow club members. I don't remember a single english-speaking lecturer ever being invited, but perhaps we could consider an exception as most of us, I guess, are bilingual. Your exploration of paper developpers is interesting as I already suggested a paper + toner workshop for next year. I doubt that what we can normally afford - about 100 CDN dollars - will cover your expenses, though.

Phillippe,

Papers and developers are fun to work through. I have over 400 test prints of each combination. I hand you one of 23 stacks, you compare and pick your favorite. The first stack is 10 different papers, each stack a different developer and development time (for example, Dektol, 2 minutes). Then I hand you one of 10 stacks of your favorite paper in eleven different developers at two different development times. You choose your favorite developer with that paper. You now have a favorite paper/developer combination by choosing head-to-head, having seen the prints.

I've done this with as many as 30 photographers at the same time. The biggest requirements are good light anf three large tables -- two for the different stacks of prints and one for people to use when selecting.

Maybe best to carry this further via e-mail. Somebody told me of your reply, which I might have otherwise missed.

Bruce