Welcome to Photostock2015! Thank you so much for joining us! If you’ve been before, you know how things go around here. If not, I hope you’ll settle in and introduce yourself around. This is a great bunch of people and you’ll find we’re a pretty open and friendly group. You’re going to see some fantastic work as well as some really cool equipment and processes
Thursday, June 18
2:00 Registration Begins.
Pick up your registration packet, and laminate pass at the registration table in the Birchwood Sunroom. For those not yet registered, there is a registration fee of $75 for the weekend. We will also have a merchandise table where we’ll have books, T-shirts and other goodies for your consideration. Several of the special guests will have books and maybe even some prints for sale. This table will be open and staffed before the presentations. Feel free to stop by and have a look!
There are no scheduled presentations until this evening, so please use this time to wander about, greet old friends and introduce yourself to new ones as people arrive.
3:00 – 5:00 Fun with Wet Plate
The collodion process has seen a huge resurgence over the last few years and anyone who’s been to Photostock before knows that there are a lot of us practicing the process to various degrees. Although this will be going on all weekend, now is the time to follow the smell of ether to the courtyard where several of us will be set up and pouring plates. All are very open to showing people the process and maybe you’ll even get the chance to have a try at pouring a plate with one of us.
5:00 Dinner Hour
Hang around the grounds or head out with others to one of the area eateries before returning for the evenings presentations, or head on out to shoot and enjoy yourself.
7:00 Bill Vaccaro – Silver Bromide Gelatin Process
Please join us in the basement, “Birch Forest Room” for the first of many presentations of Photostock 2015. Bill was with us last year presenting his work and is back with us to talk about his new project, “The Magic Hedge” which is done with glass plate negatives in the silver bromide gelatin process coupled with gum bichromate.
8:00 Jennifer Crane
Jennifer comes to us all the way from Halifax, NS by way of Saskatoon and the University of Saskatchewan where she is a professor of photography. Jennifer’s work investigates the relationship between the body and the lens in both historical and contemporary images and old and new technologies. Having exhibited her work in galleries throughout Canada, she’ll be presenting work from several projects. Make a point to attend and welcome our first cross-border presenter!
9:00 Kerik Kouklis
Kerik comes to us from California and is well known among the Photostock community. Known for his beautiful gum over platinum work as well as wet plate collodion, he is one of our workshop instructors this year. As a matter of fact, he it the first to teach in the newly completed facility and darkroom. This is his first presentation at Photostock.
10:00 Film Screening – Finding Vivian Maier
(Time Permitting)
Friday, June 19
9:00 Get Your Gear On
Let’s face it, as photographers, we all love our gear and at Photostock, there are people into all kinds of different cameras and processes. This is a great time to set up out in the courtyard and show it off. This is something that goes on much of the weekend, but consider this a good time to wander and see what people are working with.
11:00 Film Screening – Eugene and Berenice – Pioneers of Urban Photography
Join us in the basement, “Forest Room” for a screening of this documentary on the connection between Berenice Abbott and Eugene Atget
12:00 Lunch Hour
2:00 Jeff Gaydash – Piezo Printing
Meet in the basement “Forest Room” for a talk and print viewing with Jeff Gaydash who is quite the master with the Piezo printing technique and inks.
4:00 State of the Art
Last year we began a very successful and informative talk concerning the state of photography. Let’s continue the conversation on the patio. This year we have several photo educators and curators and it would be good to include them on the state of education in the photographic arts.
7:00 The Posse
Photography groups and collectives have been around since practically the beginning. Groups of like-minded photographic artists working gone a common project or style. Well, we’d like to welcome, “The Posse” to Photostock this year. One of our past headliners, S. Gayle Stevens along with featured presenters for this year, Lori Vrba and Anne Berry bring to you a presentation of their work, “Time, Place and Eternity: Flannery O’Connor and the Craft of Photography”. Ann George is also a member of the collective, but couldn’t be with us this year.
8:00 Carlos Diaz
Carlos comes to us from Detroit where he is a professor of photography at the Center for Creative Studies. In addition to this, he is a successful fine art photographer with an impressive body of work spanning many years that is included public and private collections. Coming for his second Photostock, this will be his first time presenting his work.
9:00 Christina Z. Anderson
We are very fortunate to have with us this year for a workshop and talk, the fantastic, Christina Z. Anderson. Christina’s work focuses on the cultural and spiritual landscape in 19th century techniques, primarily gum and casein bichromate. Her work is known the world over and has been in over 90 shows and 30 publications. She has authored several books, two of which—The Experimental Photography Workbook and Gum Printing and Other Amazing Contact Printing Processes—have sold worldwide in 40 countries. She will have books on hand for sale at the event and this is a great way to meet her and have one personalized. As mentioned, Christina has been teaching a workshop here since Wednesday and we are honored to have her as our very special guest this year. Don’t miss this talk!
10:30 Friday Night Social
It’s time for some relaxation and socializing in the courtyard. This is a great night to get to know people and make the rounds. I’m sure the place will be buzzing till the wee hours, so enjoy yourselves and be sure to pick up behind you so we don’t have a lot of clean up in the morning. If you’re not staying onsite, please be careful going home. There’s lots more to come and we don’t want you to miss out.
Saturday, June 20
10:00 Portfolio Sharing
Although people will be sharing their work amongst themselves all weekend, the formal portfolio viewing and sharing has become one of the favorite aspects of Photostock. It’s been amazing to see the progression in people’s work over the years and this is your time to let it shine. We’ll be utilizing the basement meeting room as well as the sun room this year in order to accommodate everyone.
11:00-11:30 Print Exchange
Want to go home with an original photograph from one of the Photostock2015 attendees? Bring a print to enter in the print exchange! Simply bring a finished and signed, original print to enter into the exchange and you will go home with one randomly picked during the exchange. Each print enter is assigned a number and they you pick numbers out of a hat. It’s that simple. One of the favorite parts of Photostock, your print does not have to be mounted, but it must be signed. Don’t miss out!
12:00 Annual Group Photo
Each year we do a group photo at a time when most people are on the grounds. Be up in the courtyard and ready to go for a picture before heading off to your various lunch plans. Don’t miss it if you can be there!
2:00 – 6:00 Workshop Open House
Two years in the making and many more in the planning stages, the Photostock Workshop facility has now been officially completed. Nearly 500 people helped support the project through two successful Kickstarter campaigns and I hope we’ve created a space of which all can be proud. It’s been a long road with many hours put in, but it has paid off in a fantastic place to work and hold workshops. I’d like to invite everyone who wants to see it for themselves to stop by at their leisure while exploring the area throughout the open-house hours. You’ll find a map to the place in the www.photostockfest.com website, but it may be best to hook up with someone who knows how to get there and carpool as parking is limited. Please park your car nose-in up on the mowed grass easement of the road. No cars allowed into the property for this. Also, make sure your car is completely off the road or you will risk a ticket. If you want to hang for a bit, have a beer or soft drink and take in the quiet of the woods, be sure to bring along a comfortable camp chair to sit by the fire.
7:00 Kyohei Abe
Kyohei comes to us from Detroit where he is the executive director of the Detroit Center for Contemporary Photography (DCCP) and teaches photography at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. Abe has been reviewing portfolios at national events including Fotofest, PhotoNOLA, PhotoLucida and more. In addition to his work as a curator and an educator, Abe is a successful artist. His work is held in the public collections of major museums and renowned private collections nationwide.
8:00 Lori Vrba
We’re very pleased to have Lori with us this year as a presenter on the heels of her recently released book, “Moth Wing Diaries”. A beautiful project, Lori will be showing us work from the book as well as signing copies that will be available at her talk and sales table.
9:00 Anne Berry
Closing out the presentations at this year’s Photostock is Anne Berry. I’ve loved Anne’s work since meeting her several years back in Atlanta. She’s had a very stellar couple of years with her work made of primates in zoos around the world. A recent Critical Mass Top 50 winner, she has also published “Through Glass” with us here on the North Light Press imprint. I’m very happy she’s come to talk with us and show her work.
10:00 Party on the Veranda
Time to kick back on the patio and under the big tent for an evening of socializing and more. This is our last night together and you’ll definitely want to hang around. Saturday parties at Photostock have been things of legends and it’s time to make some more. This will be a BYOB event, so please be sure to take care of your bottles and cans. If you bring it, take it away be it empty or full. We have a great relationship and track record with the fine people of the Birchwood Inn and we want to keep it that way. It will also be easier to clean up and pack in the morning for our respective trips home.
Sunday, June 21
11:00 Check Out
As has become the tradition, Sunday is break-down day when everyone packs up their gear, says their goodbyes and gets on the road home. There are no scheduled events for today. 11:00 is check-out time at the hotel, but you shouldn’t feel as if you have to run. Still, many do get going and the place clears out pretty quick. Hopefully by this time you will have had such a good time and will be so charged up about your work and that of others, that you will need a rest before you get back to work with your newly recharged energy.
Happy Solstice!
Photostock2016!
Before you go, consider booking your room for 2016! The dates have already been set and work is in progress to secure special guests for a special year. A decade of Photostock! 2006 -2016!
Photostock 2016
June 16-19
Same time. Same Place.
Workshop Schedule 2015
Thursday, June 11
Kerik Kouklis: Platinum/Palladium Workshop Begins.
Sunday, June 14
Clay harmon: Polymer Photogravure Workshop begins.
Wednesday, June 17
Christina Z. Anderson: Tri-Color Gum Workshop begins.