For the Oshkosh Photo Walk and the gala gallery gathering at Photo Opp, I chose to be very disciplined with a medium format camera adhering to a theme of people and their cameras, but I also wanted to take pictures of whatever appeared before me. Along came 35mm HandyCam, made from Fox Valley native materials, full of plenty of speedy Fuji 400.
A call for cleaning and last-minute renovation came out on Saturday morning on social media. Ethan VerKuilen delicately removed black paint with an Xacto knife that had hidden the names of the founders of the original synagogue.
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Alex Simpson installed the gallery hanging system.
Sunday was the photowalk in Oshkosh. Despite having no official role, I felt some responsibility since, this time, I was the native and had suggested it as a possible site. I arrived early at Becket's, a bar and restaurant in the riverside City Center.
Becket's had generously made their private dining room available for us to gather.
Graham led me up to the parking level through a stairwell I had never realized was there. It must have rained while we were inside.
The view across Jackson Street, which I had often considered from the ground but assumed some kind of pass was necessary to get up there.
The stairwell in question. Graham slowly walked up and down during the exposure, but he was no match for the bright cement.
It was 46° F with a 16 mph sustained wind, but that didn't stop anyone from going out to photograph the very interesting angry clouds.
The last boat on the public docks gives an odd bit of color to the scene.
The Weather Service said it was gusting up to 30 mph, but along the river, it might have been more gust than sustained. These gulls stayed put, grimly facing upwind, with the tripod only a few meters away. The second time this had happened to me in a week.
This black leaf on the City Center sidewalk with a few raindrops seemed to characterize the autumnal evening.
No one was in the less damp Opera Square two blocks north.
Across Market Street from the square, the interior lights stood out against the outside gloom.
It just happened to be the meeting of the Fox Valley Photography Group in Kaukauna on Thursday. If it's sunny at meeting time, I go over to the west side of the Library to try to catch the sunbeams.
The meeting room was empty. In case I had the date wrong, I only rolled out a table for Bobbi Hague, our leader who usually arrives before me, and one for myself
Others showed up shortly.
During the discussion.
Saturday was the gala event at Photo Opp.
The nave transformed into a gallery with the From Our Streets exhibit featuring Char Brandis, Billy Hintz and Tyler Gajewski and a juried selection from others.
I volunteered to welcome guests and hand out nametags to the photographers, board members and sponsors.
Featured artist Char Brandis was present at the door with an electronic ticket checker, and one other volunteer had the printed list, leaving me mostly idle. I started to finish my roll of film.
Brandi Grahl unloading something at the last minute.
Almon looking skeptical at my use of 35mm film in anything other than a Leica.
Graham duly documented the arrivals.
A couple arrived on motorcycles.
Fox Valley Photography colleagues Tim Matey and Mike Burman both had a picture in the show.
Scott Kruger behind the light table, which had been put to use as a somewhat Kubrickian bar.
Decorative lighting under the circular window.
Candles illuminate the stairways.
People in comfortable seats are usually agreeable to a long-exposure photograph. Engaging them in conversation keeps their faces pointing in the same general direction.
Negatives were often featured in the decorating scheme.
Adam James tended the downstairs bar in the less cinematic but very pragmatic church basement kitchen, used for preparing hors d'oeuvres, cleaning painting tools, and washing film until they get the darkroom plumbed.
HandyCam has a hand-drilled .15mm pinhole 24mm from a 24x36mm frame. The film is Fujifilm 400, developed in an Arista.edu liquid quart C41 kit.
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