Large Format Conference / University of New Mexico

[aljackson]

Hello,

Attended the very first Large Format Conference at the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque around 2002-2004?
Not sure, but this was possibly connected to Steve Simmons and other prominent names in Large Format Photography. There were many suppliers, vendors, and reps at this conference. Think there were short 1-1.5 hour-long workshops/presentations during that conference.

Due to life and responsibility, I fell away from the LF use for quite some time, but now seeking information on that conference or other gatherings that might be going on in the USA.

Any information appreciated on the status of this conference or whatever it morphed into helpful. Thanks!

[FrancisF]

I feel I may have missed a bit of a golden age - when there were actually Mammoth Camera workshops

Steve Simmons wrote up the 1999 Waterford School Mammoth Camera event in the Sept / Oct issue of View Camera. And I believe there was a second one.

And there was one in Ireland
https://www.inversnaidphoto.com/mcw.htm

There looks like there were a wonderful series of Large and Ultralarge events in Southern California that a listed on this site that Tri Tran and Jim Fitzgerald were involved in.

Sorry I missed these gatherings - but I would not miss them now.

[aljackson]

FrancisF, I did look over the Ireland Workshop you linked. There may have been a couple of those folks at the LF conference I was talking about. I also now remember
we went to a studio in downtown Albuquerque and saw a demonstration of a 20x24 LF camera, and I think it was using Polaroid film?

[djdister]

Conferences are one thing, but shooting workshops are quite another. Tillman Crane used to shoot LF exclusively but no longer, however at his shooting workshops he encourages folks to shoot with whatever equpment they like. If you bring LF gear to a workshop he is very knowledgeable and can help you get the most out of it.

https://www.tillmancrane.com/workshops/

[Bob Salomon]

Conferences are one thing, but shooting workshops are quite another. Tillman Crane used to shoot LF exclusively but no longer, however at his shooting workshops he encourages folks to shoot with whatever equpment they like. If you bring LF gear to a workshop he is very knowledgeable and can help you get the most out of it.

https://www.tillmancrane.com/workshops/

Or a John Sexton or Bruce Barnbaum workshop.

[Vaughn]

There is a gallery over there in Astoria that has workshops (Jim Fitzgerald is/has given carbon workshops there). You might inquire there and/or get on their mailing list.

http://lightbox-photographic.com/

[John Layton]

I was at that 2002 conference as both a booth holder (right next to Jens from Durst), and as a presenter on designing and building view cameras. Don't think I achieved much traction at either (I think I kind of bombed as a presenter)...but I had a blast after hours with many LF folks - capped by a group camping foray up to Chaco Canyon. Yup...those were the days alright!

By the way - I'd truly like to know...where in the world is Steve Simmons?

[Oren Grad]

I also now remember we went to a studio in downtown Albuquerque and saw a demonstration of a 20x24 LF camera, and I think it was using Polaroid film?

Tracy Storer here probably knows about that - I don't recall the exact timing of his early involvement with the Polaroid 20x24, but he may well have been there.

[Tracy Storer]

Steve Simmons may weigh in on the LF conferences he held several times*, I think the first one MAY have been in '02 and yes, it was in Albuquerque. I was there with the Polaroid 20x24 from my studio in San Francisco.

Tillman Crane organized and hosted the "Mammoth Camera Workshops" in Sandy Utah in '99 and '00, and I was glad to be part of both of those along with reps from various manufacturers (Canham, Wisner, Lotus, Jobo, Phillips, Bostick and Sullivan, etc) as well as LF luminaries (and friends) Michael A Smith and Paula Chamlee, and Lois Conner.

Tillman Crane also organized the Inversnaid Mammoth Camera Workshop (in Scotland not Ireland) which I was originally to be a part of, but it never came together quite as hoped.

In the late '90's, shortly after I brought the 20"x24" to the west coast, I did a "Polaroid Roadtrip" and gave lectures, demos, and offered discounted studio sessions with the 20x24 at Calumet locations in LA, Santa Barbara, and Santa Ana.

For three years in the early "00s Polaroid Corporation did "The Polaroid Roadshow" which featured the 20"x24" as well as smaller format Polaroid products, techniques and seminars.

Jim F, Tri Tran, and Hugo Zhang organized a few LF/ULF get togethers in So Cal that I never managed to get to.

(*Steves LF Conferences were held in Abq NM, Monterey CA, and I believe Fort Collins CO over the years.)

[Tracy Storer]

By the way - I'd truly like to know...where in the world is Steve Simmons?

Steve Simmons is alive and well, still living near Abq(EDIT: I think he is no longer in NM, maybe in Idaho now), retired from publishing, and seems to be living the dream spending a lot of time on horseback.FYI, He may still offer the occasional LF workshop, look him up on Facebook !