NOWA Conference: Not Only a Profitable Learning Experience But Fun Too

Seminars such as Keith Szafranski's entertaining and enlightening presentation on digital photography and Tim Christie revealing an intuitive website development software, "so easy even I a relative computer illiterate" (yeah right Tim) and in a second seminar explaining why we as photographers are missing the boat by not using Adobe Lightroom make attending more than worth the price of admission. But conference is far from all work and no play: Consider the annual Wine Tasting Social, bring a bottle or two share with your friends; the previously mentioned Photo Shoot-Out; a belly-aching, tears running down the cheeks performance by a talented, shamelessly bawdy song and dance group from Helena; several great belt-loosening sponsored meals; during, pre and post conference FAM trips to suit just about every whim; fish, float, paddle a canoe, learn to fly fish, go horseback riding and/or hop aboard a wagon pulled by the magnificient team of Percherons pictured above; hours and hours of co-mingling with old friends and making new ones, most you don't get the chance to see year to year. All in all more to do each day than you can shake the proverbial stick at...

Next year's conference will be held somewhere in Washington state. No matter where one thing sure it'll be more of the same just different scenery...can hardly wait.

NOWA Conference: Photo Shoot Out: Day 2

With the snow finally ended, at least temporarily, the day dawned sunny and bright, near perfect photo light actually. But with nothing to show for Day 1, Gale, my model, still very much under the weather and only a few hours to go I was as they say up agin it.

Over night I had however at least come up with sort of a game plan whether or not I could pull it off remained to be seen. First on my agenda was to shoot some touristy stuff in town; just how I would fit those shots into one the categories...who knows?  While I was shooting the C of C historic barn, Tim Christie stopped and said to get out to Seeley Lake the scenic shot of the lake with the sunrise, snow and mountains was about as good as it gets. Adding "if you win remember I get half."  So I did and of course got there just in time to see the color disappear. Not good (for my prospects) since Keith was just folding up his tripod and wearing that patented grin which we've all come to recognize all too well...if you get my drift.

Really scratching now I shot the scene anyway and it didn't turn out too bad but without the color I knew would not cut it in the final judging...oh well. 

Heading south to Harper's Lake with time now fast running out I pulled on waders and rigged a fly rod, set the camera on the tripod, tripped the self-timer and starting firing away. The best of that hurried effort (above) looked pretty good to me but alas failed to trip the judges' triggers...

Racing back to Broken Arrow to edit what few shots I had wouldn't you know it the computer declared the CD disk corrupted. As I fumbled and fumed Gale despite feeling really bad went off to find someone to beg/borrow another. Sue and Eric Hansen came to the rescue. Eric even insisted on lending a hand with his help I got it done just in the nick of time. 

We spent the afternoon attending various seminars. While the photo shoot out is fun and potentially lucrative (winning shots in each category pay $100 and the best of show pays $300) still the seminars are what lured us here in the first beginning. I'm always in awe how much some of our members "know" and more than a bit mortified how little I've absorbed having done this now for more years than I care to admit...What can I say? Stay tuned...  

Snow: The Surest Sign of Spring--Montana Style That Is

Snow, at times serious snow greeted us last Wednesday as we drove the 200 miles or so from our home in Dillon to Seeley Lake, MT to attend the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association (NOWA) annual three-day conference. Not at all surprising to us but something of a surprise for the writers and photographers who live on the west coast where snow is mostly a winter phenom, or as one put it, "Where I come from we have SPRING RAINS...SNOW? NEVER!!!

Anyway it snowed all day Wednesday (the day prior to the start of conference) and all night and in the morning the scene--as you can see from the shot above--was way more winter like than perhaps even some less hardened Montana pilgrims might have expected. Coming from the high elevation southwest corner of the state, however, we've come to expect spring snow days but nonetheless disappointed since it was sure to put a crimp on some of the planned outdoor activities which make the conferences so enjoyable. 

Over the next several days I plan to post more on just what our group and conference is all about. But first let me tell you about one of my favorite activities. It's called the Photo Shoot-Out. Starting at 8 Thurday morning and running until about noon Friday participating photographers (any member can) try their best to fulfill a variety of "assignments." This year there were three "catagories" Lifestyle, Recreation and Scenic. Individuals could shoot any number of shots but only 10 could be entered for final judging. Of the 10 shots you could mix and match any way; in other words all 10 could be Scenics or you could enter several in one category, the rest in another category and so forth. Judging was blind, in other words the judges only saw the photo and not the name of the photographer. Criteria judged were Theme, Composition, Technical (exposure, focus, etc.). 

While the above photo was one of many shot during the Shoot Out it did not make the final cut for obvious reasons. One it's not much more than a revealing snap shot certainly not one I would deem worthy of competing against, for example, my Livingston MT pal Keith Szafranski whose scenics rival and often exceed the best artwork and two...well since "one" kills it why go there. So I spent the first day rambling around the area apparently in something of a brain dead state as nothing seemed to click. I did manage a nice shot of a snowshoe rabbit in transition but since wildlife wasn't a category...what to do with it who knows?

Day 2 dawned somewhat nicer, a little morning sun and much better light. I had planned to pose Gale in a variety of shots but alas she'd come down with a nasty cold and didn't feel up to the task. So setting the camera on a tripod and using the self-timer I posed myself fishing and after took a couple shots of flies...really stretching it I know but...To make a long mostly sorry story short...The shot below did somehow manage to garner second spot (Recreation). My take is the judges just felt bad for the ol' boy....Oh well. Stay tuned...