Future Annual Dgrin/Smugmug Shootouts
DavidTO
Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
A few years ago Andy had a vision for an event for our community. He wanted a bunch of us to get together and shoot someplace beautiful. He picked up the phone and gave a call to someone he'd not met before, Marc Muench. Together, they planned the first shootout at Yosemite, and it was a huge success.
I was at that shootout, and it really fired me up about Dgrin and photography. It was a fantastic experience, where I made some great friends and learned a ton.
From the start the emphasis of the shootouts have been community and education. Getting together, having fun, and learning.
The thing is, with a group this large and the logistics being the way they are, we -- Andy, Marc and me, mostly -- have had to set up the whole thing. You can't just tell that many people to show up at Yosemite, or Arches, or wherever. You need to coordinate, and that means reserving rooms, putting down money, etc.
Because we've set up the shootouts like this, we've gotten away a little from the original intent: community. The longer we continue the shootouts this way, the more people see it as something coming from "the man." There are all these great plans made pre/post shootout, but the central shootout itself is still a kind of top-down operation. We really want to strengthen the community-driven aspect of the shootouts. We want it to be more of a bottom-up thing. We want more community in it.
So, here's what we're doing:
We've formed a committee to oversee the shootouts, starting with the one in 2009. They don't work for SmugMug, they aren't moderators, they're just active members of our community who are excited about helping, and about making the shootouts a better experience. Most importantly, they'll be making sure that the shootouts fit our original vision: a community experience.
So, please give a big round of applause to: aktse, Ann McRae, Llywellyn and Nikolai!
:bow
Oh, and since we're counting on the community to make our shootouts shine, feel free to post away in this thread with your ideas and input. Aktse, Ann McRae, Llywellyn and Nikolai are leading the charge, but the success of these events relies on everyone! :deal
I was at that shootout, and it really fired me up about Dgrin and photography. It was a fantastic experience, where I made some great friends and learned a ton.
From the start the emphasis of the shootouts have been community and education. Getting together, having fun, and learning.
The thing is, with a group this large and the logistics being the way they are, we -- Andy, Marc and me, mostly -- have had to set up the whole thing. You can't just tell that many people to show up at Yosemite, or Arches, or wherever. You need to coordinate, and that means reserving rooms, putting down money, etc.Because we've set up the shootouts like this, we've gotten away a little from the original intent: community. The longer we continue the shootouts this way, the more people see it as something coming from "the man." There are all these great plans made pre/post shootout, but the central shootout itself is still a kind of top-down operation. We really want to strengthen the community-driven aspect of the shootouts. We want it to be more of a bottom-up thing. We want more community in it.
So, here's what we're doing:
We've formed a committee to oversee the shootouts, starting with the one in 2009. They don't work for SmugMug, they aren't moderators, they're just active members of our community who are excited about helping, and about making the shootouts a better experience. Most importantly, they'll be making sure that the shootouts fit our original vision: a community experience.
So, please give a big round of applause to: aktse, Ann McRae, Llywellyn and Nikolai!
:bow
Oh, and since we're counting on the community to make our shootouts shine, feel free to post away in this thread with your ideas and input. Aktse, Ann McRae, Llywellyn and Nikolai are leading the charge, but the success of these events relies on everyone! :deal
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Aaron Newman
Website:www.CapturingLightandEmotion.com
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Yeap- lots of hours and miles to do it too.
Aaron Newman
Website:www.CapturingLightandEmotion.com
Facebook: Capturing Light and Emotion
So Nik I hope you bring earmuffs, headphones, earplugs, mace... I have a few ideas too! :thwak
Smart man, that David TO. Gets you guys to be his filter
-Fleetwood Mac
lol
Post 'em here!
My idea would to document whole America from historic to natural one by one
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Hey Nikolai, since I spent most of my free time prowling around the remote regions of the California deserts, if you decide to do any shootouts along that line I'd love to help out. History, natural science, I know where a lot of hidden gems are that accessible with a regular SUV or truck, but still remote enough that it's best to go with someone else.
Actually I'm making myself available for any help at all you might need in putting together shootouts out this way.
It wouldn't involve the entire country, but I'd love to see a few groups in different states get together to photograph their section of the Mother Road - Route 66. It's almost too late....would make a great book. Great opportunity for some creative night photography. I'm dying to do it myself but I haven't found anyone crazy enough to be interested.
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First, its organization is done by a few volunteers - originally mostly by DavidTO, starting next year by our little task team. At this point we really can't do it more than once a year.
Second, while it's community-organized, it's still sponsored by Smuggie. More events means more $$ needed to back them up, and AFAIK (Andy will correct me if I'm wrong) that's not feasible at the moment.
This doesn't mean that there cannot be more/other shootouts. It simply means that all he other ones will have to go through the different organizational rounds. It is doable, it has been done before and I'm sure more of those will happen in the future. However in this case we only talking about One Annual Dgrin/Smugmug Shootout - and, just like in the movie Highlander, "there can be only one"
Lori,
Mother Road is a great idea! And we definitely can appreciate extra help (we do need local experts to help the pros to lead the teams), so if push comes to shove, don't be surprised if you receive a PM on that
For the record, there was a weekend shoot in Washington DC organised by a group of dgrinners back in April.
There is nothing stopping a group of dgrinners from organising this themselves.
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We can treat The One as a family reunion kinda stuff. You can't have it too often. Yet it rekindles the old flames, sparkles the new ones, and if after that more firendships occur and more local gatherings happen - that's exactly what we're trying to achieve.
Regional shootouts (like the one referenced by devbobo, above...btw, what a great photo!) can be made to happen pretty easily - I managed to initiate two this spring that I tacked on to work trips, by simply starting a thread. Those threads, we will put into the locations forum.
I understand that this was easier for me because I've had the pleasure of meeting several others before, and so maybe a facilitator is needed to give those some traction. That could happen with a call for volunteers, perhaps. If there is critical mass behind trying to organize semi regular, but yet still spontanoeus
How's that sound?
ann
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Acadia National Park in Maine.
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I've never been there, I've never been to Maine, but I think in the fall of the year, with the
leaves changing colors in that whole New England area, it could be a pre shooters dream, along
with a shoot out that should have some great scenery, and hopefully wildlife.
The only thing that could make it ugly, would be bad weather.
Basking in the shadows of yesterday's triumphs'.
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First thanks to the volunteers, being involved in a few other volunteer run orgs I know the time commitment you just stepped up to help with. Also thanks to the informal organizers as well. I agree with DevBobo that if someone wants a regional event, there is nothing stopping them. In one of the other orgs I am a leader in, someone asked me what they had to do to host an event. My answer, post where, when, what, and that was it. It is just like throwing a party at your house... invite your friends, ask them to RSVP so you can plan and away you go.
Now in terms of where to have this event, I have a request/suggestion for location. Some place within 100 miles of a "major hub" airport assuming it is in the US. The big reason for that is that it will probably keep the transport options much more cost competitive. Flying in and out of Chicago is a much more competitive since so many airlines do it compared to say, Gillette Wyoming.
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Works for me; and I understand. I just figure it never hurts to mention it. I think I have enough frequent flier miles to get to me airfare to Peru at least but I am not sure how to convert those to mule miles
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I think that you have to have it accessible and centrail and affordable where there are facilities to serve everyone who wants to come and offers a variety of shooting opportunities close enough for a day trip since there is a broad range of interests. Not everyone wants to go camping or is into landscape or urban or wildlife but there are some locales where you can have a broad base of interests for everyone, like San Diego has the zoo for the wildlifers, the ocean for some good beach shots, people are everywhere. San Francisco offers a bit more. Denver and Seattle have some good possibilites too across the range. East Coast in Fall - of course. Denver is great in August - San Francisco too.
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I would love to shoot:
Iceland
New Zealand (south)
Canadian Rockies (Lake Louise, Banff Springs or other less touristy area)
Glacier National Park (before it melts)
Yosemite
Tanzania/Great Rift Valley
Blue Ridge Parkway in Fall
Vermont in Fall
Danube River Photo shoot
Cities: Rome, Paris, New York
Machu Picchu of course would be great, but to me that is more of an adventure hike/tour, rather than a photoshoot. In other words, I am not sure I would be doing that much shooting, as I would be too distracted.
Sure, you wait until the pushing and shoving starts before calling me!
Seriously, I would be very happy to volunteer any help you need. Even mundane admin stuff.
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Cheers,
-joel
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Any time! I'm here, as always.
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You are correct that the shootouts have been east side of the Mississippi, but there have been other events near the East Coast. Muench Workshops did hold one in Shenandoah and there is the Merritt Island Wildlife Shoot in Florida.
Keep the ideas coming