I've made it home after a very long trip back via Shanghai and Singapore. Took a couple of days and was so happy to see the family again after being away a month. Lots of work now ahead and planning for the next trip in 2009, which will include Florence, Venice and Vienna, wonderful backdrops for more romantic portraits. :D

It was a real pleasure to meet you all!! You realise it's your turn now to come and visit here for the next gathering - in Australia. :D

See you Down Under!!

OK, I confess. It was dark, there was beer and I was talking to a fellow at Bill's about a Fotar.

I just don't remember whom.

Oberon Leinenkugel, I think.

Is that right ?

Anyway, please PM me. I think I have a stash of Fotar stuff
you are welcome to. Just DON'T ASK where it came from.

Don't.

It was ME. Please send it to me. :D (Don't ask.)

Actually, it wasn't, but I thought it was worth a try.

(Can hardly wait until next year)

Cheers,

Great stuff Marc, thank you!
Ike

Marc: thank you very much for sharing your photos with us. As I watched the slide show with my morning coffee I was transported back a week to a very enriching time.

Dan

Marc: great stuff, thanks

d

Nice work Marc.

Tha was quite an adventure NIcole. Glad to see you made it back OK. It was great to meet you and everybody else that was up fot the first time. Thanks again to Bill.

Jerry

Oh, I forgot to mention that the images are in chronological order and can be viewed as a slide show. So turn on your favorite music and enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/makemannphoto/sets/72157605975202127/

Marc

I got goosebumps looking at that set, what an amazing time you guys had.

Marc, thank you very much for sharing those photos. It's like a time warp now. :)

Thanks Marc! I now realized I missed a great evening when Nicole showed her prints, and JAmie did his Cirkit presentation! I was so wiped after the 10 hour ride over from MN and had to crash. We hope to see you at the Northern MN Fall gathering in September. Not long to go now!

Only 51 more weeks to go and counting for the next Michigan gig. :rolleyes: The time flew by last week. I'm jonesin' already.

I managed to score an absolutely exquisite print from Matthew Blais this year in trade for a plate I shot of him Sunday just before the last of us left. The year before, I coerced Daniel Lin into the same sort of deal. And, I've managed to pick up a few of Bill's prints over the past couple years as well, so my collection is growing as a result of these annual gatherings.

There were a lot of marvelous images displayed at the portfolio show & tells over the week, and I want more, more, more. So, I'd like to propose next year everyone participating bring at least one print or plate to do a blind swap, and perhaps a few extra to trade openly with folks.

Joe

Well, I've scanned the 4 rolls of 35mm candids I shotGreat stuff Marc!! Thanks for sharing these.

I'm back up at the place this week and I have to say I miss all the activity. I woke up this morning and headed up to the firecircle... no one there!!!

:mad:

Great stuff Marc!! Thanks for sharing these.

I'm back up at the place this week and I have to say I miss all the activity. I woke up this morning and headed up to the firecircle... no one there!!!

:mad:

I can be there by breakfast. Put the coffee on. :D

And I'll be there in... ummmm.... 68 hours. :D Bummer, you'll be gone again by then!

So many great photographers there, and next year I will bring prints. Thanks for posting the images, Marc. So fun seeing things all over again! I did put together (and am still adding to) a folder with images from those fun 4 days here: http://picasaweb.google.com/mfobrien/2008Photostock

Mark

Great stuff Marc!! Thanks for sharing these.

I'm back up at the place this week and I have to say I miss all the activity. I woke up this morning and headed up to the firecircle... no one there!!!

:mad:

I'm glad to have been able to contribute in some way. I'll do better next year (no color). Bill, I can send you the promised CD tomorrow. Should I send it to Van Rd?

Matt, I wish you a great (and safe) trip home, and I hope you get some memorable photos on the way, too. It was really great to meet you.

James, thanks for your pics of Jamie, the group and the gloves.

JD,...you're just going to have to make your way over to Bill's next year. In saying that, however, I feel bad I can't make it to your "Urban Night Photography" workshop http://www.elevatorworkshops.com/night.shtml ,...but, there's a plug for it anyway. ;)

Nicole, this was quite a trip for you! Thanks for sacrificing your family life back home to spend time with us. 68 hours one way?!!! Holy vegemite!

Having a get-together in Australia would be awesome, though. I'm only good for one overseas trip a year and next year is already planned (Europe in August). Perhaps if enough of us Yankee APUG'rs go, we could get some kind of group rate to go down under. Nothing's impossible.

Dan (FirePhoto), that is exactly how I hoped everyone would view the images! And it really works well with music.

Thanks for all the other comments and I can't wait for the next get-together,...the Northern Minnesota Fall Gathering in September! If I can, I'll also try for the Northern Ohio gathering, too.

Nice pics, Mark! Except for that one.....why'd you put my head on that dudes body? ;)

Marc

I'm jealous that I could not be there, and, judging from the pictures of the event there were far too few women there!!!

So... incentive for me to make the trip there next year! :D

It would be great to meet you. I love your photography. Hope you can make it!

Marc

i look forward to meeting you suzanne. there was ALOT of testosterone but what a great group of guys! looking at all the snapshots from marc and mark has been fun. i wish i had been there for the presentation jamie gave and that night of portfolio sharing. i see from the snapshots just how much i missed. :( next year i think i will camp onsite so i can just crawl into bed instead of driving back to a motel...or maybe ONE nite in a motel for a shower at least. it feels great to be inspired again, on so many levels...

~~marianne

Suzanne! Yes! We need more women. The ones that have come have been real troopers dealing with all of us guys.

Marc! Very much looking forward to the disc as here on dial-up (ugh) I haven't been able to see the complete set. the thumbs look fantastic though. Yes... you can send to the Van Rd. address. Thank you again!

Marc and Mark - thank you so much for putting up all those photos on slide show! Very enjoyable.
- Thomas

This is a long shot, but would the gentleman who offered me a Rollei pistol grip at Bill's camp please PM me? (I declined, but I've kinda changed my mind. :rolleyes:)

Cheers,

Nicole, this was quite a trip for you! Thanks for sacrificing your family life back home to spend time with us. 68 hours one way?!!! Holy vegemite!
Marc

Wouldn't have missed it Marc! Most enjoyable meeting you, Bill and everyone. :)

Hey Kids,

I've started a group over on Flickr where you can join and upload your snaps and prints from this year... or any year for that matter. I'm not sure who is on Flickr, so here is a link (http://www.flickr.com/groups/photostock/) to the group. Simply request to join and I will add you as soon as I get the request.

Thanks! Billl