OK, 4 major announcements regarding Foto3 in the last few days. First one of the workshops is canceled, then Calumet, Ted Harris and APUG all pull away from it. If I'm going to spend my money on this conference, I think there needs to be some transparency here. What exactly is going on?

OK, 4 major announcements regarding Foto3 in the last few days. First one of the workshops is canceled, then Calumet, Ted Harris and APUG all pull away from it. If I'm going to spend my money on this conference, I think there needs to be some transparency here. What exactly is going on?


I think it's been made pretty clear that inquiries about the conference be directed to Mr. Simmons. The reasons for the changes that have been made aren't really germane to the ongoing planning of the conference which is entirely a VC event at this point.

I think it's been made pretty clear that inquiries about the conference be directed to Mr. Simmons...


So, Mr Simmons is an APUG member is he not? Therefore he can respond either here or by pm'ing me.

The reasons for the changes that have been made aren't really germane to the ongoing planning of the conference which is entirely a VC event at this point.Hi John,

Even though this is now strictly a View Camera conference, until this morning it was an APUG affair as well. It had been promoted as such for nearly 6 months and I am certain there are a few people here that were only interested in attending because of APUG. Therefore I am hoping that what you are saying is that this is not an appropriate place to discuss the matter? I think that members here might find the reasons for this major change are definitely germane to their reasons for planning to attend.

Thanks, Bill

Well, Travis, I'm going. I do not shoot a View Camera, and have no intention of shooting one... but I'm going. So, if you & are are the only members of APUG going, then we will have a nice opportunity to meet some new people, eh? ;)
(Always looking for a silver lining). :) I'll be going to the ranch shoot on Wednesday and staying thru Monday morning.

I am bummed that Bill won't be there but I think it will be a great time dispite the changes. I will be talking about small and medium format shooting techniques on Saturday and Nicole will be there giving us her wisdom and insight too. I am looking forward to seeing people in real life and meeting new folks. Not to mention hearing Cheryl and her band.

D.

Somebody should step up and explain what happened...EC

Why the mass exodus of supporters?

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=34688

Regards, Art.

Why the mass exodus of supporters?

I am considering an investment in Foto3 but am extremely concerned at this point. I too would like some additional information regarding the bail out of supporters.

~Bill

I am surely not the only one here that is asking a fundamental questions as to why in the hell we would go from a collaborative and highly dimensional Foto3 conference to a fractionated one sponsor event this friggin close to the when it is supposed to take place?

I do not buy the response of a single point of contact and efficiency as the rational for the change in venue. In this day and age of teleconferencing, e-mails and Blackberry's communicate with anyone anywhere at any time - that is IF they want to.

It is my experience in the real world that this was driven by either personality and/or greed and possibly a bit of both and it is leaving a very bad taste in my mouth analogous to being sold a bill of goods that is not what it was represented. What happened to acquiescing to the larger objective and even if it is painful, staying the course. That is how this came out of the blocks and I was elated at the cooperation among parties to do something out of the box. Now we are facing the truly sad reality of bickering (or whatever the hell is going on behind the scenes) about the arrangement to such a degree that sponsors are bailing. Nobody is willing to say squat about the deal almost like the fear of lawyers and litigation is looming over the situaion like a black cloud. It really SUCKS.

Unless someone is willing to be straight up and be 100% candid about what is taking place which we as participants are entitled to, I do not feel confortable attending and will need to get my early registration deposit back ASAP. I also need to cancel my reservations at the Hilton. Life is to short for this gamesmanship. I want to feel good about attending and supporting a cause that I believe in. As it now stands I would rather be out making photographs. And this pains me because I live 60 miles from Ft. Collins.

It is obvious that there is more to this than we, the members of APUG, know about.

What we have to do is respect Sean's decision not to comment on this if that is what he chooses.

I suspect that if he does comment on it, it will become the longest and most drawn out, off track and flamed and spammed thread in APUG history.

I don't think this is needed or wanted here.

But...at the same time, I do feel like there should be some sort of explanation why APUG and Calumet have pulled out just 75 days or so from the event.

No matter, we should all respect however Sean handles this.

I am not trying to stir things up but had entertained a thought of maybe dropping in, but with Calumet out (My main source of photo stuff) and APUG out (my main source of time wasting) I am left curious.

There are times when what is NOT said has greater impact than what IS said.

After a bit of soul searching and some conversation on the subject with a number of respected friends, I have asked for a refund of my early registration deposit to Foto3 and have been told that it will be sent to me shortly. I am a man of principal and firmly believe that when you start something particularly within the public domain you finish it irrespective of the personalities, costs, emotion or ego. I do not believe for a second that Calumet or APUG would default on their sponsorship for any unjustified reason as they have always been 100% professional in all of my dealings with them.

It is what it is. Have a good time.

Cheers!

as would I.

These recent events make me uneasy about attending.

I want to attend Les' workshop, but may be changing jobs. I should have that settled in the next week or two.

Mike

I was going to fly out there, rent a car, get a hotel room and attend the conference. Instead, I decided to go fishing. Now I am glad that I did.

I have no idea why APUG pulled out. But APUG appeared to be a co-sponsor of the event, hence this forum on the APUG website. I don't think it is acceptable to promote an event for months, encourage APUG members to spend money and attend, then back out at the last minute without explanation.

I was going to fly out there, rent a car, get a hotel room and attend the conference. Instead, I decided to go fishing. Now I am glad that I did.

I have no idea why APUG pulled out. But APUG appeared to be a co-sponsor of the event, hence this forum on the APUG website. I don't think it is acceptable to promote an event for months, encourage APUG members to spend money and attend, then back out at the last minute without explanation.

I could not agree more. I do not claim to be the sharpest tool in the tool box but when two of three conference sponsors drop out of a venue virtually at the same time we can deduce that they made the decision collectively for what is likely the same reason. When these sponsors are unable or unwilling to discuss the situation honestly and openly and say virtually nothing, make no mistake about it - there is a snake in the woodpile.

When the sole remaining sponsor explains it away as no big deal or the logical conclusion considering the logistical issues I find myself wraught with distrust and confusion. If truth were dynamite you would bearly have enough here to blow your nose. Cancelled the hotel reservation this evening and started looking at maps for the first week of June.

I respect the former "co-partners" desire to not air the dirty laundry in public, so will not berate them for it.

For a major corporation to make a commitment and pull out this close to the event for reasons suggested by Mr. Simmons would IMO be irresponsible. If I really belived it, I would re-evalute Calumet as a supplier. More likely, either they are in dire financial straits or the partnership self-destructed. The simultaneous pull out of APUG and Ted Harris would indicate the latter.

So a bigger, better conference partnered by several groups was indeed too good to be true.

The timing of Bill Schwab's cancellation coupled with his request to have his name completely removed from all conference material is a bit too much to be a coincidence. Mr. Simmons hinting that Les McClean may do likewise does not bode well for this conference.

Mr. Simmons statement: "View Camera has always been financially responsible for this event and we have been responsible for the conference arrangements.." seems to indicate that this never was an APUG co-conference and that we have been lied to from the start.

I am deeply disappointed by the turn of events. Interesting that all this happened as I was preparing to log my registration. It seems my schedule has not cleared up after all, and I will not be attending for...um...personal reasons.:(

Bill,
I just received a catalog from Calumet and there wasn't any chemicals or paper in it that I can remember.

Jerry

Bill,
I just received a catalog from Calumet and there wasn't any chemicals or paper in it that I can remember.

Jerry

Calumet's website lists their film photographic products immediately below their digital products. Their emailings are often devoid of film products, but that's probably because the digi stuff they feature has been newly released or is actively being promoted whereas traditional products usually aren't.

...I don't understand this nastiness here...

I don't see any nastiness. I see genuine concern about what's happening with the conference.

If you were paying money to attend a conference and then all of a sudden every one of the sponsors except 1 bails and then 1 and possibly 2 workshop instructors bail completely, wouldn't you be a little concerned? Wouldn't you want to know what's going on?

When you consider the price of the plane ticket, rental car, hotel, conference admission and 1 workshop, my total outlay was over $1200 for this. And that included me staying at the Motel 6 which is much less than the Hilton. I don't know about you, but that's a lot of money for me to spend on something when seemingly things are falling apart.

To All:

Calumet's CEO has said publicly several times that when the last roll of film or box of paper is sold, it will be sold by Calumet. Our commitment to the traditional market is as strong or stronger than it ever has been. Producing and mailing printed material is costly, we'd rather make the traditional items available on our web site and in our stores through out the world and try to keep the costs down to you the customer. Calumet is a Gold Level Sponsor of the Society for Photographic Education. SPE is in full support of traditional photographic processes and educating the photographers of the future.
I'd like to thank all of you for your support of traditional photography. we've been in business since 1939 and intend to keep producing and selling the finest photographic products for the worlds photographers.
Richard Newman
Director of Education
Calumet Photographic

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum240/48778-looking-answers.html