Austin-San Antonio Christmas Meetup

redleash

Several DGrinners have expressed interest in meeting up for a shoot during the Christmas holidays. I know that Llewellyn wants to shoot in Austin while she is here, so I'm going to suggest a downtown Austin shoot for the 22nd or 23rd of December. I've never shot there so it sounds good to me. I'm not too familiar with Austin, so I'll leave it to someone else to suggest where we meet.

Please post in this thread if you are interested in an Austin shootout the week of Christmas. Be sure to post which date is best for you. Any Austin member who wants to offer to be a guide and can suggest a meeting place, please speak up!

I suggest Austin as the primary location based on folks' comments in other thread(s). If anybody is interested in a San Antonio meetup also, please post here and we'll put something together. It doesn't have to be the same week but it certainly can be. My availability is very flexible. If you want to exchange cell phones, just send me a PM.

All right, all you Texas Hill Country shooters, let's get ready!! :photo

Llywellyn

I vote for Austin on Dec. 23. (My mother set up my annual "day at the spa" gift for the 22nd. )

Recommend meeting at the capitol as it's an easy landmark to find and within walking distance of some of the more unique parts of Austin.

redleash

Great, Kerry! This sounds like a good plan to me. But then, so does your spa day . . . what a great gift!

Other takers for the TX State Capitol in Austin on Dec 23rd?

M38A1

For Wednesday the 23rd, what type of time window is under consideration? Would this be a meet at 9am and be done by noon? 3pm? 6pm and dinner? later? Something else?

Knowing some parameters to work with can get scheduling targets going...

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redleash

Right!

Kerry, what is your preference for the Austin shoot? I should be able to make it any time--don't know about traffic on a holiday weekday.

adbsgicom

I can be pretty flexible in both start and end times. I've been given a day to play....
Capitol building sounds good. Front steps (facing South)?

BTW, First Night Austin (12/31) is a nice time if you are still in the Austin Area. Mix of music, art, activities, an eclectic parade...

redleash

Bump. Anyone else have ideas?

Llywellyn

Okay--my mother had unexpectedly planned something on 12/23, so I was trying to get a handle on the times.

Option 1: Meet 12/23 at 3pm on the state capitol's front steps.
Option 2: Some time 12/27 or 12/28.

adbsgicom

I'm game either way. Sorry for not having a firm opinion to drive this. The 27th is nice in that it doesn't require me to take any time off work, so all things being equal, the 27th is my preference.

Current long-range forecast is for an arctic front to hit on the 23rd, but looks like the temps will remain above freezing that night.

redleash

The 27th works for me.

Llywellyn

Thinking about it, the 27th would be perfect. Just enough time for me to unwind on vacation...and long enough for me to want to escape the family house for a while.

I just checked, and the capitol is open on Sundays, so we can still go stand on the star under the dome and whisper things--and take pictures.

Any time preference for the 27th?

adbsgicom

Wide open.

redleash

Morning would be my preference since my stepson leaves the next day and I'll need to be back in SA for dinner. But if the afternoon/evening is better for everyone else and/or better for the lighting, then I could just come for as much as I could and then head home. Do we know the hours for the capitol?

adbsgicom

Capitol Building opens at 9am and is open until 8pm (so sayeth the guy on the phone).

slpollett

I think I 'might' be able to make it that day if you guys don't mind me tagging along. I'm very much the novice/rank amateur but I'm seeing an opportunity to learn something here. I love the Texas Capitol and it's usually not very busy on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am. It does get more crowded later though.

Sherry

redleash

You are most welcome, Sherry. We can all learn something from each other, and have a great time!

Lauren

Llywellyn

Well, you aren't going to get me out of bed in time for the good morning light (there's a reason I've gravitated away from landscape shooting ), but afternoon I can do, though the light will be blech. I'd say anywhere between the 1pm-3pm range for start time would be ideal, but that's just me.

adbsgicom

I have full range of freedom that day. I think some amount of crowds are good since they == subjects. I'm game to meet whenever, and if we even end up with two excursions 9am and 2pm, I'm game.

M38A1

How about this for discussion? Too much? Too little? The San Antonio crowd is only about 75 minutes from home as I35 is fairly close to where we'll be.

Rough outline: Sunday, December 27th
2:00pm-5:45pm, gather, shoot Capital, 6th St, head to SoCo
5:45pm-7:00pm, dinner at Guero's Taco Bar on SoCo
7:00pm-???, SoCo shooting, finish with coffee at Jo's Hot Coffee


2pm - 3:15 - Meet at the Capitol on the South steps.
-introductions
-shoot the Capitol complex (rotunda, statues, stairs etc)

3:15pm - 3:45pm - Walk South on Congress towards 6th Street. Probably take 30 minutes to get there stopping along the way for 'interesting' shots.

3:45 - 5:15, walk East on 6th Street about 45 minutes worth of shooting along the way, make a turn and head back to S. Congress shooting along the way. Or just plan on being back at S. Congress/6th at 5:15
-The old Driskell hotel is pretty cool inside/outside
-6th St and all it's neon, bars, old buildings, people are good subjects

5:15pm - 5:45pm - Make a run for the vehicles and drive down South Congress about three miles to the SoCo area and park. Arrive 5:45ish? Sunset will be about 5:30pm +/- with most available light gone by 6:10pm.

5:45pm everyone meet at Guerro's Taco Bar for dinner/drinks. I called and they are open, no reservations accepted.
http://www.guerostacobar.com/
1412 South Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704-2435
(512) 707-8232

OR.......... Magnolia Cafe further South on Congress, yet still within walking distance

7:00 head out into the SoCo for night shots until ??????

???PM - Coffee at Jo's Hot Coffee
http://www.joscoffee.com/congress/jossouthcongress.htm
1300 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX
(512) 444-3800‎

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Llywellyn

I hereby hand over all planning reins to M38A1.

That looks like a good plan. But given a choice between Magnolia's and anything else, I cannot turn Magnolia's down.

sweet caroline

Hey guys,

I should be in for a shoot on the 27th. Are we thinking mostly street and architecture, then?

Caroline

M38A1

Llywellyn wrote:

I hereby hand over all planning reins to M38A1.

That looks like a good plan. But given a choice between Magnolia's and anything else, I cannot turn Magnolia's down.

Hey! I'm just a planner in real-life. Someone else always gets to execute. :ivar

I figured tossing out some parameters gives everyone something to work with. It's only ideas, but 'ya 'gotta start somewhere.

Does this work for those interested? Any changes/additions/deletions? I'll call Magnolia next to see if they'll be open the 27th.

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redleash

Probably works for me, at least the first portion. I may have to cut out to get back to SA for dinner since my stepson leaves the next day. If anyone wants to meet up earlier than 2pm, that could work for me. Of course, we can always do another Austin shoot sometime . . . just won't be the same w/o Kerry!

I'm glad to see some other folks wanting to join in. Sounds like fun!

Lauren

Llywellyn

sweet caroline wrote:

Are we thinking mostly street and architecture, then?

Shoot whatever you want! Depending on the toys I may or may not receive for Christmas, I'd like to try some street portraits. :smo

And Lauren, I'm in town every Christmas, so there's always next year, too!

adbsgicom

Lauren (and anyone else), if you want to start a bit earlier and perhaps wander around the UT campus and wend our way toward the capitol, we could do that as well.

sweet caroline

I usually do portraits, so look cute!

adbsgicom

sweet caroline wrote:

I usually do portraits, so look cute!

Can't help you out....:D

tpodonne

Austin meet up
I'm hoping to meet up - just watching for the lock on time and date.

ojn

Forum newbie from the area here (been lurking for a while).

Me and my wife will try to make it as well, since we have grandparents in town to babysit. Will give definite answer once times firm up a bit.

redleash

Looks like I will be freed up for the late afternoon/evening shoot if I want to do it. The plan set out by M38A1 sounds like it will work for everybody so it gets my vote. Shall we set that in (soft) concrete?

Andrew - I still like your idea of meeting a bit earlier and seeing the campus--I haven't been on that campus in +25 years! Maybe 1200ish, if we could include some time to grab a bite along the way? PLMK what you think. I don't know how much time we'll need to travel to the meet site.

Lauren

M38A1

Andrew, could you possibly plan "Take 1", ie: the UT campus tour? Shoot for arrival at the Capital South steps by 2pm?

We can firm up "Take 2" as the following and always play it be ear from there.

Date: Sunday, December 27th

2pm - 3:15 - Meet at the Capitol on the South steps.
-meetup with the "Take 1" crowd from earlier
-introductions
-shoot the Capitol complex (rotunda, statues, stairs etc)

3:15pm - 3:45pm - Walk South on Congress towards 6th Street. Probably take 30 minutes to get there stopping along the way for 'interesting' shots.

3:45 - 5:15, walk East on 6th Street about 45 minutes worth of shooting along the way, make a turn and head back to S. Congress shooting along the way. Or just plan on being back at S. Congress/6th at 5:15
-The old Driskell hotel is pretty cool inside/outside
-6th St and all it's neon, bars, old buildings, people are good subjects

5:15pm - 5:45pm - Make a run for the vehicles and drive down South Congress about three miles to the SoCo area and park around the 1900 block (Magnolias area). Arrive 5:45ish? Sunset will be about 5:30pm +/- with most available light gone by 6:10pm.

5:45pm +/- everyone meet at Magnolia Cafe for dinner/drinks. I called and they are open, no reservations accepted.
http://themagnoliacafe.com/
Magnolia Cafe
1920 S. Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78704
512.445.0000


7:00 head out into the SoCo for night shots until ??????

???PM - Coffee at Jo's Hot Coffee
http://www.joscoffee.com/congress/jossouthcongress.htm
1300 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX
(512) 444-3800‎



As of today (12/24/2009 1030hrs) weather shows to be partly cloudy, noon temp of 47*F, 6PM temp of 49*F and lower from that point on. Winds light, 5MPH out of the NW/NE, 10% chance of precip.

~scott
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