Large Format NANPA Members?

[Really Big Cameras]

I'm curious how many large format forum participants are also NANPA members?

For those not familiar with NANPA, I'm referring to the North American Nature Photography Association (not the North American Numbering Plan Administration). Their web site is at:

http://www.nanpa.org/

I was a NANPA member for several years back in the 1990s through early 2000s. The reason I'm posting this in the Groups & Meetings forum is that every year NANPA has an annual convention (they call it a Summit). The 2009 NANPA Summit will be February 18-22 in Albuquerque, NM. You can find complete details here:

http://www.resourcenter.net/Scripts/...&ConfID_W=182&

Back when I was a NANPA member, I only attended one Summit - the 2001 Summit in Las Vegas, NV. The main reason I didn't attend more NANPA Summits was that the locations tended to be far away (Florida, Texas, etc.) and favored the NANPA membership contingent that enjoy photographing migratory birds. Nothing wrong with that, but not my cup of tea and rather difficult with a large format camera.

Since attending a NANPA Summit is a significant commitment in terms of both time and money, it makes the most sense for me to attend if I can combine the conference with some shooting while I'm in the area, or on the way there and back. That was why I attended the 2001 Summit in Las Vegas. It let me do some shooting in SW Utah (Zion, Bryce, Coyote Buttes), one of my favorite places in the world, as part of my trip.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the Summit conference. I attended several of the lectures, participated in the Members' Slideshow (which has been replaced with a Members' Print Show) and took advantage of the portfolio reviews to get my work critiqued by several publishers. Perhaps the most fun was meeting, and hanging out with, people whose names I knew from the various online photography forums, and/or had seen in publication credits.

Back then, most attendees and presenters still shooting film, 35mm, quite a few medium format and a fair number of large format shooters). While that has likely changed in the last eight years, Fujifilm is a major corporate sponsor of the 2009 NANPA Summit and Kodak will also have a booth at the conference trade show.

So, I'm curious if any large format forum participants are also NANPA members, and especially if any are planning to attend the 2009 NANPA Summit in Albuquerque. I know Tuan used to be an active NANPA member and has attended at least one past NANPA Summit. Anybody else?

Albuquerque is a long way from Portland, but I'm seriously considering attending. If I do, I will be driving and my trip will take me right through Moab, UT the rest of SE Utah and the heart of the Four Corners region - one of my other favorite places in the world to photograph.

It would be fun to hook up with other large format shooters while at the conference. So, show of hands please, who's going?

Kerry Thalmann
Really Big Cameras

[QT Luong]

No definitive plans yet, but I'll probably attend (family schedule permitting) since I haven't photographed much in NM.

[Really Big Cameras]

Tuan,

Hopefully, I'll see you there. I need to decide this week if I'm going or not. There are certainly plenty of photographic opportunities in the area and on the way there and back. It might be nice to get away from the rain here in the Northwest for a little of that Southwestern sunshine.

Have you been to any other NANPA Summits since Portland in 2004?

Kerry Thalmann
Really Big Cameras

[QT Luong]

I've skipped the other NANPA summits. The locations were not very interesting to me.

[Jim Becia]

Hi Kerry,

I've been a member for the last 5 years although I did let my membership lapse this year. Like you I'm considering this year as the location is of interest to my shooting also. Never had interest in the Florida shows. Matter of fact, just got back this morning from almost 4 weeks in southern Utah and 1 week in Colorado and now want to go back to the southwest for more still. I'll have to do some research into the show and see if I can swing it. Would be good to run into you again. Jim Becia

[Really Big Cameras]

Jim,

It would be great to see you again. Unfortunately, I don't get down to the SW as often as I used to. Being able to do some shooting before and after the NANPA Summit makes it much easier to justify the trip for me.

Coincidentally, it looks like the Large Format Conference may be in Santa Fe in July. So, I might make it down to New Mexico twice in 2009.

Kerry

[Greg Miller]

I'm a NANPA member, but I have not attended a summit. The locations have always been too far for me to justify traveling too.

I did attend a recent regional event in the Adirondacks (which was reasonably close to my home), which was pretty much dedicated to field trips for shooting. This was mostly landscape shooting but there was one workshop leader who specialized in birds and wildlife. I don't recall seeing any LF cameras at this event. I tend to get better results when shooting on my own. And I don't like jostling with 20 other photographers to get my tripod positioned just right. So I don't think I would travel very far for this type of event. I figured it would be a good way to familiarize myself with parts of the Adirondacks that I wasn't already familiar with.

I joined NANPA primarily to get access to their insurance policy. Their magazine improved greatly in the past year. Previously the magazine was of little use to me and only covered news about NANPA itself. But now it has more informative articles about photography more than about NANPA.