4th Annual SmugMug / Dgrin Shootout -- Arches National Park October 2008

BeachBill

DavidTO wrote:

Nothing is scheduled yet, that's still a work in progress. Generally the first day is a loose get together. Plan on the serious schmoozing and strategizing happening in the late afternoon/early evening.

Last day there might be something in the morning, but not much really, at least officially.

Clear?

Sounds good. That means I should be able to plan on arriving between 2 and 3pm on the 8th and then return home late Sunday afternoon.

I've got a seven hour drive from Vegas and I lose an hour on the way there, but I get it back when I return home.

Thanks.

Andy

greenpea wrote:

and dig out the smugmug hat!

wtf dig out?

greenpea

Andy wrote:

wtf dig out?

um... I mean... I'm wearing it now

gluwater

DavidTO wrote:

Nothing is scheduled yet, that's still a work in progress. Generally the first day is a loose get together. Plan on the serious schmoozing and strategizing happening in the late afternoon/early evening.

Last day there might be something in the morning, but not much really, at least officially.

Clear?

The first day does something like this:

Arrive at the hotel and find Andy. Andy proceeds to take a nap.
You meet a bunch of people and get to know their names. Andy comes back and eats lunch. Andy takes another nap.
You've forgotten everyone's name but know they are in the group because they have red hats on. Andy wakes up and checks more people in.
Time for dinner and you've learned enough about who you are rooming with to know you should buy some earplugs. Andy takes another nap.
Everyone mills around the lounge area. Andy wakes up. Mac people on one side, PC on the other. You've said "and what's your name again?" about 1200 times and still can't remember anyone's name.
A plan is made for the morning and everyone dispurses. Somehow Andy is still tired and goes to sleep.
You get to your room just in time for your roomate to start snoring and you've forgotten his name and the earplugs.
You have to get up in 4 hours for a sunrise shoot and finally realized what you've gotten yourself into.

Sound about right?

Oh yeah David is right, there is a lot of Schmoozing, especially with Schmoo. Just remember that she loves having her picture taken. She likes to play this game where she pretends to hide from you though. :smo

schmoo

gluwater wrote:

Just remember that she loves having her picture taken. She likes to play this game where she pretends to hide from you though. :smo

Hey now. :toni

Andy

schmoo wrote:

Hey now. :toni

Example:



but then, there's the rare sighting:

Nikolai

gluwater wrote:

The first day does something like this:

Arrive at the hotel and find Andy. Andy proceeds to take a nap.
You meet a bunch of people and get to know their names. Andy comes back and eats lunch. Andy takes another nap.
You've forgotten everyone's name but know they are in the group because they have red hats on. Andy wakes up and checks more people in.
Time for dinner and you've learned enough about who you are rooming with to know you should buy some earplugs. Andy takes another nap.
Everyone mills around the lounge area. Andy wakes up. Mac people on one side, PC on the other. You've said "and what's your name again?" about 1200 times and still can't remember anyone's name.
A plan is made for the morning and everyone dispurses. Somehow Andy is still tired and goes to sleep.
You get to your room just in time for your roomate to start snoring and you've forgotten his name and the earplugs.
You have to get up in 4 hours for a sunrise shoot and finally realized what you've gotten yourself into.

Sound about right?

Oh yeah David is right, there is a lot of Schmoozing, especially with Schmoo. Just remember that she loves having her picture taken. She likes to play this game where she pretends to hide from you though. :smo

Fantastically accurate description of everything!
Especially considering I was Nick's snoring roommate

Andy

gluwater wrote:

Arrive at the hotel

Except for next year, if I have my way

Nikolai

Andy wrote:

Except for next year, if I have my way

Cruise ship in Alaska? Or a house boat on Lake Powell??

Andy

Nikolai wrote:

Cruise ship in Alaska? Or a house boat on Lake Powell??

You will have to wait and see.

Nikolai

Andy wrote:

You will have to wait and see.

Teaser... Oh wait, I am too

grimace

davev wrote:

Thought that I'd bring this to the top.

Just a reminder to everyone. The July 15th date for a refund is coming up quickly, so make sure
you have that vacation taken off and are ready to roll. Less than 3 months to go.

Hoping to see a bunch of old friends, and to meet a some new ones.

OK, since the 7/15 deadline has come and gone, is there a new updated roster?

DavidTO

grimace wrote:

OK, since the 7/15 deadline has come and gone, is there a new updated roster?

Yeah. But I need to find some time to work on it. Some time this weekend, and I'll make a post, too.

brettcoon

Who is renting cars?

Andy wrote:

Travel: Fly to Grand Junction, or other nearby cities and then drive to Moab. We will be arranging for shared rides and rental cars, and participants will be splitting the cost of rentals/fuel. There will be information threads posted on travel and cars as the Shootout draws nearer.

My wife is "encouraging" me to hurry up and make my reservations before airfare gets any more expensive, so I can't procrastinate much longer. Have any travel details been posted that I missed?

I'm trying to decide whether to fly into Salt Lake City (SLC) or Grand Junction (GJT). Either choice will likely require me to rent a car to get to Moab. Car rental in Grand Junction appears to be crazy expensive ($100/day versus $25/day), so at the moment I'm leaning pretty strongly towards SLC. Anyone else planning to fly into SLC on 10/8 and return from SLC on 10/12, who'd like to split transportation costs to/from Moab?

The above mention of shared rides and rental cars being arranged makes me wonder if there's already a plan of some sort for this. No sense everyone renting cars to drive to Moab if more cars are being rented for local travel.

-Brett

Andy

brettcoon wrote:

Car rental in Grand Junction appears to be crazy expensive ($100/day versus $25/day)

I just got an SUV for a week, and it was $450 all in, unlimited mileage etc etc....

Llywellyn

Andy wrote:

I just got an SUV for a week, and it was $450 all in, unlimited mileage etc etc....

You flying in to Grand Junction...and looking for passengers?

Got my flight all set, just waiting to work out the car/ride-hitching details.

Andy

Llywellyn wrote:

You flying in to Grand Junction...and looking for passengers?

Got my flight all set, just waiting to work out the car/ride-hitching details.

possible, I'll pm you

DavidTO

I've updated the first post with the current attendee list.

There are a couple of emails out to waitlisters.

If your email is b0rked, I'm NOT hunting you down, but moving on to the next contestant.

ellarue

: : : : :

I am sooo sad! I really want to go but it falls on a day that I MUST be in school. If this weren't my graduating quarter, I'd so be there.


Will it be this same time next year?

DavidTO

ellarue wrote:

: : : : :

I am sooo sad! I really want to go but it falls on a day that I MUST be in school. If this weren't my graduating quarter, I'd so be there.


Will it be this same time next year?

Ellarue,

We haven't set the date for next year. The chances of it being the same date are very slim!

Anyway, cheer up. At this late date our waiting list is so long there's little chance that you'd get in, anyway. Does that help?

ellarue

DavidTO wrote:

Ellarue,

We haven't set the date for next year. The chances of it being the same date are very slim!

Anyway, cheer up. At this late date our waiting list is so long there's little chance that you'd get in, anyway. Does that help?

lil' bit.

I've developed a strong attachment to my smugmuggy and I really wish I could be part of this!

jamesl

Well, I had to pull out of the shootout this year. :cry I have a major project at work that is going live during the trip window. I will sure miss not meeting all of you there! I hope you have a great time.

I still plan on getting up into that area for some shooting. I am trying to go either the week before or the week after.

James

Phyxius

Flying Into/Out of Vegas?
Is anyone flying into or out of Vegas?






Is it October yet? :

DavidTO

Phyxius wrote:

Is anyone flying into or out of Vegas?






Is it October yet? :

Christina,

Check out the Transportation Thread.

schmoo

jamesl wrote:

Well, I had to pull out of the shootout this year. :cry I have a major project at work that is going live during the trip window. I will sure miss not meeting all of you there! I hope you have a great time.

I still plan on getting up into that area for some shooting. I am trying to go either the week before or the week after.

James

: Now that's just not fair. I was really looking forward to picking your brains about your storm chasing abilities!

jamesl

schmoo wrote:

: Now that's just not fair. I was really looking forward to picking your brains about your storm chasing abilities!

Yeah, I'm sorry. I was looking forward to talking shop with you too. It will have to be another time.

James

Swartzy

Rats rats rats rats......only moved up a few slots on the waiting list....hmmm...well Grimace & I are driving that way anyway the week before shooting Colorado, NM, AZ, UT then he takes me to the airport while you guys shoot more cool stuff. Is it alright to post the Pre-shootout shots I take leading into those dates?... I can't believe there isn't room for one more crycry Sure would be nice to meet you guys in person....finally.

davev

OK, does anyone have a better picture of this so I know which arch they're talking about?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080810/ap_on_re_us/arch_collapses

iChinchillabutt

.

denisegoldberg

davev wrote:

OK, does anyone have a better picture of this so I know which arch they're talking about?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080810/ap_on_re_us/arch_collapses

It's the same picture of the arch before the collapse, but the National Park Service news release shows both a before and after photo:
http://www.nps.gov/arch/parknews/news080808.htm

--- Denise