Tryitall Workshop

[keithwms]

I wonder if there is interest in a black & white try-it-all workshop: basically a quick tour of all analogue equipment and b&w process as a way to help people find their tools and means. I imagine this to be a bit like trying every instrument in the orchestra, as a way to (quickly) find your favourite...

What I envision is a two-part workshop: the first focused on gear; the second on print processes. Maybe preceded by a quickstart to film for anyone coming from digital. Each stage could be a day or two or three, depending on how much demand there is. It'd be a round-robin workshop with everybody getting individual time with each piece of gear and process. Concluding with, you know, a big barbecue.

We can offer hands-on guidance through ~30 camera systems from 35mm to MF to 8x10 to 11x14. On the print side, we can give quick tours of all the printing process and I can commission friends to cover any processes with which I am not yet confident (alt stuff).

If such a thing would interest you, maybe respond here or shoot me a PM and say what your expectations would be. I guess it'd have to take place near my home base, I don't want to imagine schlepping a lot of gear and chems around.

Cost-wise, that could be worked out depending on interest level and how many participants there would be, but to keep things simple I imagine purchasing all supplies for all participants in advance, and standardizing the materials so that people can compare apples to apples when it comes to looking at final prints. Round-robin means it really would not be 5 people standing around one camera, it'd be more like 5 people shooting 5 different cameras. That is the idea.

Just a thought. Comments, suggestions, critique....

[Ian Grant]

There's a definite need for workshops like this.

Back in the spring while I was in the UK I spent half a day taking a new user (An APUG member) through working with Large Format, it's so easy to explain movements etc if you can actually show someone in a hands on way. Then we went out shooting for an hour before I got him loading a dev tank and processing his own negatives.

It's useful to be able to show a range of equipment and go through the pro's and cons.

So yes a great idea.

Ian

[AshenLight]

Perhaps a beginner's guide to alternative processes as well? Start with an easier to use process like cyanotype (traditional and/or Ware's) and move up to gum, Pt/Pd and carbon transfer.

Ash

Oops: Just saw that in your original post. Someday I'll learn how to read...

[keithwms]

Thanks for your thoughts Ian. Actually, you gave me another idea: the 'curriculum' could be standardized at one preliminary meeting of instructors, perhaps producing a text or guide of some sort. The instructors could go back to their home bases and lead the tryitalls in their area.

Hmm this is starting to sound a bit evangelistic Which flavour of kool-aid....

The issue of travel is always limiting who can afford to attend. But if we just think about gear and processes, there are probably a good dozen or so places where this could be done at a roughly equivalent level. Why not try to bring them all into one core lesson plan and then travel expenses will be minimized....

P.S. Ash, yes, the idea would be to cover all processes- traditional and alt and whatever. It'd be done at a level sufficient for participants to leave with the ability to do their own experimentation and they'd at least know what to buy to make that possible.

[TheFlyingCamera]

Keith-

I'd be interested in helping out with this in whatever capacity you need. Lord knows I've got the gear to fill in any gaps you might have.

[Ian Grant]

We really need a network of people across the world prepared to help, some might use the word mentor, photographers either entering the folmcommunity of expanding their horizons whether that be moving to new formats, basics of printing ar as mentioned alternative processes.

I think you posted this thread Keith after my suggestion that someone wanting to move up to Large format try contacting other LF users in his city, (there are quite a few in his case). We have members here joining Camera Clubs hoping to get help, but they are nearly all digital users in most, so there is a need for something else.

APUG get togethers etc are a useful way of allowing people to network & share information and of course there are quite a few members who lead workshops.

Ian

[David A. Goldfarb]

We've done quite a bit of that in the NYC area get-togethers, where one or two LF shooters will bring a spare 4x5" camera to let someone try it out, and of course everyone can check out everyone else's equipment, and when we've had gatherings for the Traveling Portfolio, usually there are a number of non-participants who bring portfolios of their own work to pass around, so everyone gets to see plenty of real prints made with various processes by different practitioners.

[keithwms]

Keith-

I'd be interested in helping out with this in whatever capacity you need. Lord knows I've got the gear to fill in any gaps you might have.

I was already assuming I could cajole you Scott Lord also knows that I have gaps...

David, I like the idea of seeing portfolios as a way to learn what the ultimate product can be.

[3e8]

I would definitely be up for something like this, assuming it was in the DC/Eastern VA region.

Cheers,
Bryan

[David Brown]

A while back, I came up with an idea for an "intro to film" workshop. I was going to stick with 35mm (and maybe roll film) to start, but show everyone how to process film and basic printing. I finally decided that my darkroom was just to small to accomodate more than 1 or 2 people - and 2 would be pushing it. Now I've moved and have the space to build a large enough darkroom for teaching and workshops. But, it's not built yet.

Good luck with this project. Let us know how it goes and we may see a loose network of such things around the apug world.

I do know that some folks in Houston had a large format get together show and tell earlier this year. I'll see if I can conjur up some evidence of that.

EDIT: here's the link on LF forum: http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=45329