Banquet on the Final Night of the Rochester Conference
IAPP Fall Conference was held September 14-17, 2022 in Rochester, NY
To View the Photo Gallery, Go to: Conference Archives>2022 Conference in Rochester, NY
Rochester Conference Commentary by Lydia Sheckels
As members started to arrive, the buzz began about how great it was to finally meet in person again. IAPP President Dave Kutz planned the conference, using his contacts in Rochester and his alma mater, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Our first full day was spent on the campus of RIT, which counts several members as alumni. There was a far-ranging display of cameras, including a #10 Cirkut camera that was brought by Tom Bleich. Tom gave a demo of the camera, including a photo shoot of all attendees near the Eastman Kodak Quad. Presentations were given by The Photographic Historical Society of Rochester, and later in the day, TPHS member Robert Shanebrook, a retired Eastman Kodak employee and author of “Making KODAK film” spoke about how cameras were used for national security surveillance prior to the use of digital imaging satellites. In addition, Michael Peres, Gannett Chair – School of Photographic Arts and Sciences hosted us in the Big Shot Gallery, where he explained the elaborate process involved in staging Big Shot photos, of which there have been 34 since the program started in 1987. http://bigshot.cad.rit.edu/
RIT students dropped by throughout the day to interact with members; many were intrigued by the various cameras and panoramic prints that were on display – an art form that was new to most of them. We extend special thanks to Bob Rose, Associate Professor at RIT who helped us coordinate all the events on campus and is a newly elected Board member of the IAPP.
On Friday, our day began at the Kodak Visitor Center which provided a great historical perspective of cameras and film. From there we had several hours at the George Eastman Museum, which included the mansion where George Eastman lived, with a collection of antique cameras. While there, we met Andy Davidhazy, retired professor at RIT and past member of the IAPP, who gave us an impromptu discussion of the history of the Cirkut camera, and how he has improvised hand-made cameras to tackle difficult assignments. From there we had lunch at the Genesee Brew House which had great photo opportunities of the Upper Falls, and returned to our meeting room for our membership meeting at which the new Board members were voted on and installed. The photo competition followed, with difficult choices to be made.
Saturday was a field day that started with a visit to Lock 32 on the Erie Canal to watch several tour boats go through the lock. We spent the rest of the day at Letchworth State Park, where the waterfalls were the featured subject for attendees. Rainbows added to the mystique in late afternoon, and a few members lingered to watch the hot air balloons lift off at dusk.
Our conference concluded with a banquet at Delmonico’s Steak House where we enjoyed each other’s company and conversation until we meet again. We concluded with the awards for the photo competition given in three categories, with awards presented to: Nature/Landscape (David Orbock), Cityscape/Architecture (Tom Sheckels) and Other (Mark Segal). We thanked Dave Kutz for his service as President and a well-planned conference, and congratulated Kay Larkin, our incoming President.
IAPP Board of Directors as of 9/17/22, updated 4/4/23
President – Kay Larkin
President Elect/Treasurer – David Berg
Secretary – Fran Gardino
Past President – David Kutz
Director – Chris Gjevre
Director – Tom Sheckels
Director – Bob Graham Jr
Director – Bob Rose