California (Bay Area, Northern) Another bay area get-together?

[Honus]

I second Rich's idea (Taking over a bar with rangefinders) 😀

 

[MelanieC]

Bars are good. Just don't laugh at me because I'm a lightweight.

 

[RayPA]

Well if it is a bar, previous RFF get-togethers in bars has determined the best place is roomy, has big tables, some decent light, and good beer. 🙂 The location should be close to BART and MUNI. Any ideas?

 

[vrgard]

Bars are good. Just don't laugh at me because I'm a lightweight.

You're not alone, Melanie! I was fighting to keep up with Roland and Ray last week when we got together - both much bigger guys than am I. Fortunately, the gathering is about pics and the gear, not who can drink the most (at least, that's what I thought it was about... smile).

-Randy

 

[Rich Silfver]

I don't use bart or muni so I don't know if there are any stations close to these locations but some options, top of my head, in the city (read: San Francisco) could be;
- Edinburgh Castle in the Tenderloin (big wooden tables, only inside - great beer (even has Belhaven which you hardly ever find on tap in the US),

- Gordon Biersch at the Embarcadero (big space - in and outdoors, ok beers, could be filled up with tourists),

- 21st Amendment in SOMA near South Park (http://www.21st-amendment.com/beerlist/)

- Canvas Gallery next to GG Park (non-alcoholic during the day and wine/beer in the evening), big space - http://www.thecanvasgallery.com

- Larry Flynt's Hustle.... Oh, sorry...wrong thread... 🙂

 

[RayPA]

I don't use bart or muni so I don't know if there are any stations close to these locations but some options, top of my head, in the city (read: San Francisco) could be;
- Edinburgh Castle in the Tenderloin (big wooden tables, only inside - great beer (even has Belhaven which you hardly ever find on tap in the US),

- Gordon Biersch at the Embarcadero (big space - in and outdoors, ok beers, could be filled up with tourists),

- 21st Amendment in SOMA near South Park (http://www.21st-amendment.com/beerlist/)

- Canvas Gallery next to GG Park (non-alcoholic during the day and wine/beer in the evening), big space - http://www.thecanvasgallery.com

- Larry Flynt's Hustle.... Oh, sorry...wrong thread... 🙂

Gordon Biersch sounds good. Although you're right, might be a bit tourist-y. I guess it depends on the day and time. Also, 4th Street Bar & Grill (across the street from the Metreon and the 4th/5th street garage, and one block down from Market). Good bar and food. Lots of tables and chairs.

🙂

 

[erudolph]

How about some cool gear and a few prints that came from it?

Ed

 

[vrgard]

How about some cool gear and a few prints that came from it?

Ed

Yeah, as much as I've been pushing a photo shoot, I would also enjoy seeing the results of different cameras/lenses/etc. with discussion of same.

-Randy

 

[grainhound]

With a little more advance notice, I'd like to join all of you. I can tell my relatives I'm coming down to visit them, but am taking an afternoon/evening in the city to be a tourist. How often do you guys meet?

 

[RayPA]

With a little more advance notice, I'd like to join all of you. I can tell my relatives I'm coming down to visit them, but am taking an afternoon/evening in the city to be a tourist. How often do you guys meet?

I think we've had 3 meetings in the last year. Stay tuned for the fourth.

🙂

 

[kaiyen]

Seems like we have some momentum going. Hopefully I'll be able to make it. Do we even have a date range yet?

I'm cool with all those places, though I'll be even lighter-weight since I don't drink alcohol at all 🙂. As long as they have some soda I'm fine.

I'm not sure I'll bring prints since I don't have many rf images handy yet since I moved. But depends on the timing, of course. I am at least back up and running computer/scanner/printer wise.

allan

 

[erudolph]

... I'll be even lighter-weight since I don't drink alcohol at all 🙂. As long as they have some soda I'm fine.

I'm not sure I'll bring prints since I don't have many rf images handy yet ...

allan

A third lightweight here... 🙂

I've recently switched from inkjet printing on a matte cotton paper, with a grayscale inkset, to printing on the new "fiber" type papers, with K3 inks. It's a pretty interesting comparison, with pros and cons for each, and I can bring a number of those, and would like to see some from others.

Ed

 

[MelanieC]

Canvas is in my neighborhood and easily accessible by MUNI if you take the N-Judah line toward Ocean Beach (assuming you're starting from downtown). For drivers there is easy parking just across Lincoln in Golden Gate Park. For teetotalers there is coffee and I think they have munchies in the evenings. I'm not sure. I've walked the dogs past it a zillion times but only managed to be inside the place twice.

There's also wireless access to facilitate geekily looking things up online. I don't know if they allow groups to reserve tables. They seem to be crowded in the evenings.

I am not really up for a group photo shoot -- how do those work anyway? -- a mob of people all taking pictures of the same thing, or wandering off in various directions? I'd rather sit around with drinks (I'll probably nurse the same one all evening) and look at prints and fondle cameras. It seems like taking pictures is something you can do with other people in twos and threes but not with more people at once. I don't know.

 

[RayPA]

Canvas is in my neighborhood and easily accessible by MUNI if you take the N-Judah line toward Ocean Beach (assuming you're starting from downtown). For drivers there is easy parking just across Lincoln in Golden Gate Park. For teetotalers there is coffee and I think they have munchies in the evenings. I'm not sure. I've walked the dogs past it a zillion times but only managed to be inside the place twice.

There's also wireless access to facilitate geekily looking things up online. I don't know if they allow groups to reserve tables. They seem to be crowded in the evenings.

I am not really up for a group photo shoot -- how do those work anyway? -- a mob of people all taking pictures of the same thing, or wandering off in various directions? I'd rather sit around with drinks (I'll probably nurse the same one all evening) and look at prints and fondle cameras. It seems like taking pictures is something you can do with other people in twos and threes but not with more people at once. I don't know.

I agree. Unless it's something like Allan's railyard shoot, or the upcoming Alcatraz shoot, it's probably difficult to shoot in a group of more than three. Probably the best alternative is to set a time for the get-together and let people budget shooting before and after the meeting. If they want to hook up with someone else before or after they can arrange that.

I'm one of those that'll probably try to shoot before the meeting, so I'd prefer a meeting in the downtown area. I find that the 4th & Mission garage is good cheap centrally located parking--close to MOMA too.

What's the concensus on a day? A weeknight? Weekend?

 

[bobkonos]

I am game for any of the Bay Area events mentioned. A weekend day event works best for me as I am in Sacramento, but I am a bit flexible because I really do want to meet you guys and yak cameras, photography, whatever. The enjoyment of the hobby grows exponentially when it can be shared. Someone please send me a PM and I'll provide contact phone numbers so I can be reached easily.

FYI, I will be in SF this Saturday at American Cyclery on Stanyan around 11 am. I will have either a chrome Leica MP or black M6 on my shoulder. All the best, Bob

 

[erudolph]

FYI, I will be in SF this Saturday at American Cyclery on Stanyan around 11 am. I will have either a chrome Leica MP or black M6 on my shoulder. All the best, Bob

Hey Bob.... that's where I bought my bike... 🙂

 

[kaiyen]

Ed,
I'm still using the same 1280 with EEM and Permajet Alpha that I have for a while, plus some Ilford Galerie and Kirkland for the glossy stuff. But I might be switching to Innova Cotton Smooth since it's supposed to be the same coating as Alpha and Jobo are morons with distribution. But I'll try and bring some of those in. Interesting differences in dmax that are quite visible, I think.

allan

 

[ampguy]

I'm game for anywhere in the bay area, but am out of town for a week or so. I don't drink, but love hanging out in bars or coffee shops.

 

[kaiyen]

BTW - I think that "group" shooting might be interpreted a little too strictly here. I have gone out shooting with others. Sometimes we all (4-5) stuck together. Sometimes groups of 1-2 stuck together. Sometimes we all went in different directions and got back together at a bar or something at some deteremined time. The idea is that we end up with different interpretations of a similar area (though make the area broad enough so that people don't follow each other even if they go separately) that we can share down the road.

This is the idea of the "24 Hours of North Beach" project that I'm proposing for my photo club in the fall. 4 teams, 6 hours per team. Document the entire neighborhood, in groups, solo, whatever, using whatever technique, camera, format, etc that one wants.

I will likely take one of the late shifts - like 2AM - 8AM. I'll shoot some high speed, street stuff at first - the end of the party crowd. Then switch to tripod architectural stuff for a while. Maybe find a really dark place and do a really long exposure. Maybe find something for stand development. Then, when the neighborhood wakes up again, switch to color to catch the great morning light as shops open up.

In comparison, someone else might do all tripod work, b&w medium format (like lenny). Or someone else might shoot...IR with flash. Who knows. I'm giving and encouraging similar latitude for those during the day. Some shoot IR, some handheld, some of certain types of objects, some of others (people vs. cars or something, whatever).

Anyway. I am not tied to the idea. But I think there is a broad interpretation of what a group shoot can be.

allan

 

[ampguy]

it could be fun

it could be fun

but I would cringe at the implication of any artistic or cultural value to a project of this type unless it were called "a random photo shoot of the North Beach area of San Francisco on August xx, 2006."

I don't think you'll be caputuring what generations of folks who lived here have seen in their eyes nor will you feel what people who have lived here felt even 50 years ago. You'll have some mix of old, but not real old, but mostly new cell phone heads and starbuck sipping n00bs to the area.

My grandparents lived through the 1906 earthquake near North Beach, and they will be shaking in their graves to think that some Leica toting kids are trying to depict their old neighborhood by running around it in 24 hrs.

BTW - I think that "group" shooting might be interpreted a little too strictly here. I have gone out shooting with others. Sometimes we all (4-5) stuck together. Sometimes groups of 1-2 stuck together. Sometimes we all went in different directions and got back together at a bar or something at some deteremined time. The idea is that we end up with different interpretations of a similar area (though make the area broad enough so that people don't follow each other even if they go separately) that we can share down the road.

This is the idea of the "24 Hours of North Beach" project that I'm proposing for my photo club in the fall. 4 teams, 6 hours per team. Document the entire neighborhood, in groups, solo, whatever, using whatever technique, camera, format, etc that one wants.

I will likely take one of the late shifts - like 2AM - 8AM. I'll shoot some high speed, street stuff at first - the end of the party crowd. Then switch to tripod architectural stuff for a while. Maybe find a really dark place and do a really long exposure. Maybe find something for stand development. Then, when the neighborhood wakes up again, switch to color to catch the great morning light as shops open up.

In comparison, someone else might do all tripod work, b&w medium format (like lenny). Or someone else might shoot...IR with flash. Who knows. I'm giving and encouraging similar latitude for those during the day. Some shoot IR, some handheld, some of certain types of objects, some of others (people vs. cars or something, whatever).

Anyway. I am not tied to the idea. But I think there is a broad interpretation of what a group shoot can be.

allan